“I believe you.”
They wound through the ancient necropolis, past pits, dirt piles, and eroded walls, until they reached the offending trench.
“There.” Leila pointed. A square-shaped object lay on top of the sand, a light gray color that could be seen through the layer of dust.
Wordlessly, Xander jumped into the pit and scooped up the contamination. He climbed back up and, to her surprise, he simply lowered himself on the edge of the trench, holding the thing in both hands.
“Well? What is it?”
Xander looked down at his hands, his shoulders hunched forward. “I have a confession to make.”
Leila frowned. This was not the reaction she’d been expecting. She crossed her arms and pursed her lips.
He took in an exaggeratedly long breath. “I put it there.”
“What?” Leila gaped at him as if her jaw was made of lead. “Are you nuts? You could have gotten us all in deep trouble. Or gotten the entire excavation shut down.”
“Well…”
“You mean to tell me,” she said, pacing while holding her head with both hands, “you buried something in the trench of an active excavation?”
“Soliman thought it was a good idea,” he muttered.
“Soliman would flip—what?” Leila stopped in her tracks. Did she hear him correctly? “What do you mean?”
Xander released a long sigh and tipped his head back. “This is not how I wanted this to go.”
She uncrossed her arms and lowered herself next to him. “Okay. Fess up?” She reached for his hands, but he jerked them away.
“Look, it wasn’t meant—I mean, I talked it over with Soliman first. He suggested the location since we’re done with the trench. It was already supposed to be refilled but I made them wait. It was the ideal location.”
“Talked what over?”
“I didn’t even do any digging to hide it. Just set it down in a little hole and covered it up. The wind must have blown the sand off.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I still wasn’t sure how to get you down there poking around. I figured I’d improvise that part.”
“Are you listening to me?”
“I even have a photographer and everything arranged for later.”
Leila pressed her palm against her forehead. “Xander, you’re not making sense.”
He fell silent, staring at the dirt below their feet. Was he… hiding his face?
After the silence continued for a few seconds, she decided to take him by surprise. She snatched his hand. He tried to pull back but she already had a strong enough grasp to hold on.
“Show me.”
“No.” He wriggled out of her grip, then jumped into the trench.
She dropped down after him. He wasn’t going to get away that easily.
“Will you tell me what’s going on?”
He faced her, looking to his left and right as if searching for an escape. Finally, his gaze settled on her. His eyes softened. “You know what? Let’s have a seat.”
She lifted an eyebrow as he lowered himself onto the ground. Everyone was acting so strange these days. Soliman, and now Xander.
“Why?” She sat in front of him and crossed her legs.
A smile twitched at the corners of his lips. He reached out and swiped her nose with his thumb. “That’s better.”
She touched the tip of her nose, now gritty from the dirt he’d wiped on her. “What was that for?”
“It’s the way I like you.”
“Covered in dirt? You’re weird.”
He grinned. “But it makes you, you. Doing what you love. Thinking of one thing, and one thing only. Ancient Egypt. Seriously. You’re the biggest nerd I’ve ever met.”
Leila lifted her chin and looked at him through half-closed lids. “Thank you.”
“I know I should have done this sooner. I always thought there would be the right timing. The perfect moment. But that’s ridiculous. The perfect moment never comes if you wait for it. You have to create it yourself.”
He held out his hand and opened his palm. A small, dusty, gray cube sat in the center.
