---
The space inside was larger than it looked from outside. It widened after the narrow mouth, opening into a low cavern with uneven ground. Old animal bones were scattered near one wall. The air smelled damp and stale, like stone that had not seen sunlight in a thousand years.
Drip… Drip…
Somewhere deeper, water fell from a crack in the ceiling, hitting a shallow puddle with a steady rhythm.
The sound should have been comforting.
Instead, it made Sekhmet's nerves tighten.
Water dripping always sounded like time laughing at you.
Sekhmet set Lily down carefully near the back wall, away from the entrance. Her cloak was still wrapped around her, but it had shifted during the run. He adjusted it, pulling it up to cover her shoulders.
Lily did not wake.
Her eyes remained closed. Her lashes cast faint shadows on her cheeks.
One guard immediately knelt beside her, checking her pulse, checking her breathing, checking her for any wounds.
"She is alive," the guard whispered.
