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“Don’t touch it! That’s Ash’s Picture Box,” Violet warned, rushing toward Ziyi. But the Chinese girl was faster—her fingers brushed across the screen, for the fun of it.

A three-dimensional, holographic city of gold and diamonds materialized, half of it floating outside of the crystal.

“The river flowing around the city is made of gems,” Ziyi gasped.

“Ash said it’s the City of Gods,” Violet said.

Eterne?Lucienne’s heart raced, then she noticed that the city’s golden gate was double-locked. The sparkling display that had stunned them was only the city walls.

“Perhaps Ashburn went to the City of Gods?” Lucienne said, testing Violet.

Violet laughed. “It’s a game Ash liked to play. That’s all.”

“Get us into the city, Ziyi,” Lucienne said. “Let’s play this game.”

“I was born for this.” Ziyi grinned, but before she could touch the screen again, the crystal piece turned off by itself.

Violet’s laughter died. She bumped Ziyi aside.

“Excuse me!” Ziyi called indignantly.

“You shouldn’t have touched it in the first place!” Violet snatched the crystal from the table. “The Picture Box only obeys Ash.”

“Violet,” Clement said, “do not be rude to Queen Lucienne’s servant in my house!”

Ziyi glanced at Clement, then at Lucienne, pink-faced. Vladimir chuckled.

“Ziyi isn’t my servant, Mrs. Fury,” Lucienne said. “She’s my good friend. They all are.”

Violet turned the crystal piece over in her hand, but it remained transparent. “You’ve ruined it!” she said in tears. “Ash will be upset.”

“It’s an interface,” Ziyi said. “I can make it work again.” She pulled out a laptop from her computer case and booted it up.

Violet stared at the computer. “Is this a Picture Box, too?”

“It’s the best quantum beta,” Ziyi said with pride, “with class-one encryption software.” Her fingers danced over the keyboards.

A few minutes later, Ziyi’s face turned red as a tomato. “Luxianna,” she called Lucienne’s Chinese name and continued in Chinese, “I can’t get in. I think his interface might be beyond our technology. It doesn’t even need a power source.”

Violet’s green eyes travelled between Lucienne and Ziyi with suspicion.

“We need to take it to our lab,” Vladimir said.

“No one is taking Ash’s Picture Box!” Violet said, her eyes darting toward the shelves. Lucienne knew Violet was looking for a weapon. She’d have no trouble pinning the redhead down if she lunged for one.

“It’s only a silly toy Ash is obsessed with. My wife and I disapproved of him playing with it all the time,” Peder said. “So if Queen Lucienne wants it, then she’ll have it.”

“Mr. Fury,” Violet protested, “you don’t understand—”

“This toy might contain the only clue that will lead to your son,” Lucienne told Clement and Peder. “We’ll borrow it for a few days only. I can leave my gold watch here until I return.”

“You don’t need to leave your watch, Queen Lucienne,” Clement said. “Please take the toy with you. I insist. It’s our honor that you take it.”

“You’ve been looking for our son,” Peder said. “We can never repay you.”

“I’m glad to help,” Lucienne said in her silvery voice.

Violet bit her lip.