---
Seraphiel continued as if she were discussing flower storage rather than two captured half-gods. "But remember, someone stronger than me can break the seal very easily. So you must keep them in a hidden place."
That pulled the faint humor out of the walk.
Sekhmet's expression sharpened. "Very easily?"
Seraphiel nodded. "To me, this seal is neat work. To something properly old, properly unpleasant, and properly motivated, it is an inconvenience. A locked door, not a mountain."
Sekhmet let that settle.
The city around them continued breathing, unaware of the sentence it had just heard.
"So if their allies find us," he said, "the seal may not hold."
"If the wrong ally finds you," Seraphiel said, "it will not matter whether it holds. Your problem will already be standing in front of you."
"That is comforting," Sekhmet said.
"It is accurate," Seraphiel replied.
That was harder to argue with.
They kept walking.
