The Cahokia Mounds of Illinois sat upon the ground like gargantuan sleeping tortoises, grown over with centuries of soil, roots and grass, waiting for time to end.

Nearly eighty of the hillocks stretched over about three and a half square miles of land in the national historic site. The largest, Monks Mound, reached a height of 100 feet and was almost a thousand feet wide at its base.

As Ina approached the bottom of the concrete stairs that led up the slope of the massive mound, she felt strange warmth wash over her despite the chilly nighttime air. The full moon was bright enough for everyone to see by without aid, and hovered directly over Monks Mound like some kind of beacon.

Wilder stopped beside Ina and casually looped an arm around her waist. "I can't stop thinking about Barry a...

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