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Dante touched Rieka’s lower back as they walked toward Aadya’s inner garden, where they had been summoned. She relaxed against his touch as if it was the most common thing in the world. It had taken all his energy and control to leave his room. The way Rieka had looked, eyes wide with desire and the scent of lust dripping off her every pore, had almost made him forget himself. The barest touch of her mouth against his skin had been akin to torture. He had genuinely contemplated ignoring Aadya, but even he was not foolish enough to ignore a summoning from his grandmother. Not when he needed her support to understand what the bracelet was. He hadn’t lied to Rieka, but he was also not willing to risk her life on an assumption that the bracelet was likely benign. As one of the oldest living Atlanteans, there was not much his grandmother hadn’t experienced or seen in the last four thousand years. If she didn’t have the answers he was looking for, she would know where to look.

They stopped at the large metal door. He could not see any guards, but he knew better. Khalida’s personal guards were notorious for accomplishing the impossible and their ability to move within the shadows.

Rieka squirmed next to him as she stared at the door. The scent of doubt mingled in with curiosity. “Are you sure I’m invited? I would hate to interrupt a family meeting.”

Dante snorted. If it had been that easy to get out of, both of them would not be standing outside the door. He would have Rieka in his bed. “Aadya invited you. By name.”

Rieka’s shoulders slumped. “I feel like I’ve just been called into the principal’s office.”

“Happened often?” Dante chuckled. If talking about a childhood incident calmed Rieka down, he would spend hours reminiscing.

“More than necessary,” Rieka admitted with a long-suffering sigh. “You break into the science lab once, and then everything becomes your fault.”

Dante wanted to know more. The thought was surprising in its intensity. He wanted to know everything about Rieka. “Did you only break in once?”

Rieka shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips as her eyes brightened at the memory. “No. I only got caught once. A rookie error.”

The door creaked open; light filtered through. The light was unnaturally bright, as if it was concentrated to disorient visitors. He gritted his teeth as he became accustomed to it. Glancing down, Rieka appeared to have fared no better. She squinted at the door, rubbing her eyes.

“A warning next time would be nice,” Rieka muttered softly under her breath.

“I will remember that next time, child.” Aadya’s voice quietly carried through the room. “Come. Let me see you.”

Sunlight streamed through the dome ceiling, casting the entire room alight as if they were outside. Despite the direct sunlight and warmth of the Arx, there was a level of unnatural stillness within the room. As if the ghosts of the past were always present. Aadya stood alone beneath the giant dragon blood tree. Over thirty feet high, its upturned branches reminded him of a giant inverted umbrella. The green foliage reached out to touch the sky, while blood-colored resin dripped down its bark.

The door shut behind them softly.

Aadya shook her head. Her long braids jingled with the sound of beads. “Do not make me repeat myself.”

The tone Aadya used had haunted his dreams as a child. He had also taught himself not to automatically react to it, however uncomfortable it made him feel. Rieka shuddered next to him. He was unsure if it was from nerves or rage. In his peripheral vision, he caught sight of Anhur, a bored expression on his uncle’s face as he stared off into the distance. Frankie sat on the chair next to him, shielded by the tree. A large old book lay on her distended belly. It wasn’t one that he recognized; it must belong to Aadya’s personal collection. A collection that she reluctantly and rarely shared with him. Dante relaxed, breathing out some tension. They were surrounded by family, and despite their faults, they were all on the same side. For now.

Anhur nodded. “Khalida continues to search for the serpopard.”

Rieka’s gaze burned through Anhur.

As if on cue, Frankie sighed and rubbed her belly. “They haven’t found it yet. But they will.”

Anhur glanced affectionately at his consort, a tender look passing over his features. Dante stared; it was still a surprise to see evidence of the change within Anhur, even after five years.

“If you were not aware, Frankie is an optimist,” Anhur clarified as he whispered something to Frankie.

“Someone has to be.” Frankie swatted him away as she snorted, breaking the tension in the room. She turned to look at Dante. “You will be interested in this volume. Dead languages aren’t my thing—but you may be able to translate it.”

Rieka turned to face him. “How many languages do you read?”

Dante thought about it. His father had insisted he be fluent in as many languages as he could. It had been one of the few gifts his mother had appreciated. “Fourteen fluently.”

“What do you know of the tomb of Vandana?” Aadya asked, her question cutting through the deliberately inane conversation. Aadya moved closer to them; the swish of her skirt broke the silence.

Rieka took a breath. She straightened her shoulders as she looked over at Aadya. “It isn’t in Turkey.”

“How sure of it are you?” Anhur asked. “Talal was certain that beneath Göbekli Tepe was the tomb. It was supposed to have been her birthplace. The first temple where humans and Atlanteans could worship as equals.”

Rieka chewed her lower lip as she cast Dante a furtive glance before looking down at the bracelet. “It was empty.”

“The cavern?” Anhur asked.

“No.” Rieka looked up. “The temple had been destroyed. There was only a mosaic left. And an empty sarcophagus. If it had been Vandana’s burial place, it had been looted thousands of years earlier.”