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Rieka wanted to reach out to them, but she wasn’t able to move. Her limbs felt heavy, as if she was anchored in place. The echo of waves crashing against the beach surrounded her. The air was tinged with sulfur. But still, she couldn’t place where she was supposed to be. Or what time period.

The woman turned to the children and kneeled in front of them; she said something, but the words were lost in the wind. Rieka felt like an outsider watching the intimate scene.

Vandana nodded to the little boy, then turned her focus to the girl. She pulled at something from beneath the armor before she removed her helmet. Rieka caught sight of the bronze bracelet, the same one she wore. Vandana removed what looked like a necklace and handed it over to the little girl. Rieka’s pendant.

“If it changes temperature, it is a warning. Run as far as you can, to the ends of the world. They will not stop until they find you. The pendant will be enough warning, as long as you adhere to it.”

The girl grabbed it from Vandana and hastily pulled it over her head, hiding it beneath her tunic. The boy tugged at the girl’s arm. She resisted. He ignored her protests and attempted to drag her across the knoll. She initially refused to budge but quickly lost the fight to her brother.

There was something Rieka wasn’t getting. Why did it seem so damn familiar?

Vandana placed the helmet back over her head as dark clouds littered the sky.

The little girl turned, freed herself from her brother, and screamed. It was the first time Rieka could see her face.

The world seemed to stop as Rieka stared at the girl. A sense of dread filled her as recognition dawned on her. It wasn’t possible.

The girl had the same pale blue eyes as her mom.

Seconds ticked by. The boy ran back to the girl and dragged her away. In a blink of an eye, the children were gone.

The world around Rieka exploded. Fire pranced along the horizon as all but one star was lost in the darkness. The ground sizzled as the world was covered in violet flames and ash.

Vandana rose from her knees. The sword in her left hand dangled precariously as if she could not hold on to the hilt anymore. The once shiny armor was covered in scratches and marks; no longer pristine, it bore the bloody scars of countless battles and the blood of the fallen.

Vandana swayed on her feet. Her fury was almost palpable. A violet flame sparked from her right hand and danced along her fingers.

Flame-colored eyes stared straight at Rieka.

“Run.”

The scent of death and decay slapped her across the face. The icy wind whipped around her. She swallowed; her mouth suddenly dry and her throat red raw, as if she had spent the last hour screaming. Everything ached. But she was back on the balcony. Alone. Dried blood coated the bracelet and the dull throbbing had returned. She wrapped her arms around her knees and tried to focus on the vision. It had felt so real. The sand against her skin, the warmth of the violet flame. The sheer terror that had overwhelmed her.

She touched her pendant, but it was ice cold—not hot like in the vision. She racked her brain; Lilian had mentioned nothing about the pendant. “Just a bad dream,” she muttered to herself. “Nothing like a potential concussion to finish the night.”

Frustration bubbled up in her. She was in no state to make the climb, not when she couldn’t trust her mind.

“You got this, Sinha.”

Try telling that to her body. Every muscle ached. Sluggishly, she stood and ambled back to her room. She could sleep for a couple of hours and then explore the Arx before most of the guests had recovered from the ball. It wasn’t the best plan, but it was the most realistic one she had. The smell of decaying flesh grew more pungent with each step. She half-sniffed her clothes; it wasn’t coming from her. It reminded her of the rotting-eggs smell in the temple in Turkey.

Rieka looked up as she reached the door. The stars twinkled storybook-like in the midnight sky. It made her feel both infinitely small and a part of something far bigger. The same night sky her mom had spent her life looking at it. A connection Rieka cherished, no matter how tenuous the link was.

Hiss.

“Fucking snakes.”

Rieka stopped. How the hell had a snake gotten up to her balcony? It’s not like they were renowned for their ability to climb buildings. They weren’t Australian snakes.

Talons scratched against the banister as something sinister appeared out of the darkness.

Orange eyes blinked at her.

A long black forked tongue flicked out as a giant paw silently stretched out from the darkness. It tilted its catlike head. Sharp canines caught the edge of the moonlight. They were stained yellow and brown and large enough to tear her apart.

The monster stared at her, its large nostrils sniffing the air.

A thousand voices exploded within her mind. The crescendo grew louder and louder with each haggard breath she took. Until it was so loud, she didn’t know where it began or finished. A second later, it was gone.