Page 36

ANNANI

A s Annani selected Wonder's contact on her phone, her heart raced with a mixture of joy and excited anticipation. She was about to tell her that they had found Esag. After five millennia, another piece of their shattered past had been recovered.

"Wonder," she said the moment her friend answered. "Drop whatever you are doing and come to my house immediately."

"What's wrong?" Wonder sounded alarmed.

"Nothing is wrong. Everything is wonderfully, gloriously right. They have found Esag, Roven, and Davuh. They are all alive."

Wonder, or rather Gulan, had not known the other two, but she had heard their names and knew that they had been sent with Esag to search for her.

The silence on the other end stretched for several heartbeats. "Where did they find them? And how? Was it the figurines?"

"In Cairo, and yes, they followed the trail of figurines."

"I can't believe it," Wonder breathed.

"Believe it and come over as fast as you can. Kalugal is arranging a video call."

"Yes. I'm leaving right now."

"Hurry," Annani urged. "Kalugal said he would call after they had had time to shower and change, but I do not know how long that will take."

"I'll be there in five minutes," Wonder promised and ended the call.

Annani set down her phone on the coffee table and leaned back.

Over five thousand years had passed since she had seen Esag's face, heard his voice, and watched his easy smile.

He had been Khiann's closest friend, his squire, his confidant.

In her memories, he was forever young, and she wondered if he still looked the same: that flame-red hair, that goofy smile, that irreverence.

She rose from the couch and began pacing, unable to contain the nervous energy coursing through her.

Ogidu appeared in the doorway. "Is everything alright, Clan Mother? Can I get you anything?"

"Everything is perfect," she told him. "Wonder is coming over, so please have tea and refreshments ready, though I doubt either of us will be able to eat anything."

"Of course, Clan Mother." He bowed.

Annani moved to the window, looking out at the pathway outside her home. She could just imagine Wonder running like the wind to make it there in five minutes.

True to her word, Wonder arrived on time, barely pausing to knock before Ogidu opened the door. She swept into Annani's living room like a force of nature, her face alight with emotion and her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Annani crossed to her friend and took her hands. "Come, let us sit together and wait like we used to."

They settled onto the sofa, side by side, hands clasped between them like young girls sharing secrets, and for a moment, Annani was transported back to those days in the palace when they would sit just like this, planning adventures or discussing the latest court rumors.

"Where was Esag living in Cairo?"

"The City of the Dead, of all places," Annani said. "When they found his workshop, it was filled with shelves upon shelves of carvings."

"I never knew he had such talent," Wonder said.

"Neither did I, but he has been honing his craft for millennia. They found him returning to the workshop with Davuh and Roven." Annani squeezed Wonder's hands. "All three of them thought they were the only immortals left in the world. Can you imagine how lonely they were?"

Wonder's eyes glistened with unshed tears. "We've all thought we were alone at some point. At least they had each other."

"True." Annani glanced at her phone, willing it to ring.

"If I had awakened from stasis in Cairo instead of Alexandria, perhaps our paths would have crossed." Wonder sighed. "Imagine how different my life would have been if I had run into Esag after waking up."

"The Fates work in mysterious ways," Annani said. "If you had found Esag back then, you might not have found Anandur, who was always your destiny."

Wonder's expression shifted, a shadow of old pain crossing her features. "I wonder if Esag carved my image because he felt guilty. He did break my heart."

"I guess that he cared more than he could show at the time," Annani suggested. "He could not get out of his engagement to Ashegan without bringing ruin to his family. He did what every dutiful son would have done."

Wonder sighed. "You're right, of course. And it no longer matters. I have Anandur, and I wouldn't trade him for anyone. I'm eager to introduce them. I think they'll like each other."

As Annani's phone chimed, they both tensed.

She accepted the video call and cast it to the large wall screen in front of them. The image that appeared stole her breath.

Three faces filled the screen, but Annani's attention locked on to Esag. He looked exactly as she remembered—that distinctive red hair curling at the ends, those smiling blue eyes, and the freckles that were scattered across his nose and cheeks.

"Princess Annani," Esag breathed, and his voice broke on the word, and then he and his companions were kneeling on the floor in Kalugal's office with their heads bowed.

"Please rise," she said. "There is no need to bow. It is not done these days, and I do not expect it from anyone, especially not from old friends."

They rose, sitting back on the couch in Kalugal's office.

"You have no idea how good it is to see you alive and well," Esag said.

Tears prickled Annani's eyes. "I feel the same. I always hoped that you, Roven, and Davuh survived. It is wonderful to see your faces."

Esag's gaze shifted to Wonder, and his expression became even more stunned. "Gulan? You look so different. So beautiful."

Wonder smiled. "Thank you. I am different, and I no longer go by the name Gulan. That name belonged to the servant girl you knew five thousand years ago. I'm called Wonder now."

Esag seemed incapable of taking his eyes off her. "Kalugal told us that you go by that name now, but he said you would explain the choice. Why Wonder?"

She smiled. "When I woke from stasis, I had no memory of who I was. Some children on the street called me Wonder Woman because, apparently, I resembled the actress who portrayed her. I liked the sound of it and decided to adopt it."

"It suits you," Esag said. "In more ways than one. You are beautiful, strong, and brave."

"Flatterer," Wonder accused, but she was smiling through misty eyes.

Esag leaned closer to the camera. "Kalugal mentioned that you woke up from stasis in Egypt."

"I did, but I didn't stay there long. There was an incident, and I had to escape. I boarded a cargo ship heading to America and somehow found my way to Annani's clan. The Fates must have guided me."

Esag nodded. "Even if we had ended up in the same city, it's unlikely that our paths would have crossed, given that twenty-two million people live here."

"How have you been?" Wonder asked, and there was weight to the question that spoke of their history.

Esag's expression softened. "Lonely. Grateful for Davuh and Roven, but lonely." His gaze flickered between Annani and Wonder. "And you? I'm told that you are married now."

"I am. Anandur is my truelove mate," Wonder said, but there was no cruelty in the emphasis, just stated fact. "You'll find this amusing, but he looks a lot like you. He's tall, red-headed, has freckles, and fancies himself a comedian. Apparently, I have a type."

Esag's laugh was genuine and warm. "I cannot wait to meet him. He must be truly extraordinary if he is like me."

This time, both Wonder and Annani laughed.

"I see that you are still as modest as you were back then," Wonder said.

His expression sobered. "Time beat some humility into me. I'm not as full of myself as I used to be."

"I'm surprised," Wonder said. "You developed an artistic talent and also a prophetic ability. Those two should have made you even more full of yourself than you were before."

He shook his head. "Both were expressions of my grief. I think that is all the three of us have been doing throughout the millennia."

"I'm sorry," Wonder said. "You must have been so sad…"

Annani felt like an observer to their reunion, which was appropriate, she supposed. They needed this moment to acknowledge their past and establish their present. But after several more exchanges, she could no longer contain the question burning in her chest.

"Esag," she said, drawing his attention back to her. "I must ask you something important. How did you know what happened to Gulan? You were not there when the earth swallowed her, and yet you imbued her figurine with that memory."

"I have prophetic dreams sometimes," he said. "I dreamt about her trying to save people and falling into the chasm."

Annani's heart thundered in her chest as she gathered the nerve to ask the next question. "Have you had any prophetic dreams about Khiann?"

Pain, old and deep, flashed across Esag's features. "I dreamt of Khiann. Many times. But those dreams reflected the wishes of my heart. My mind refused to accept his death. They were not prophetic."

"Tell me about your dreams."

"I see him sleeping," Esag said slowly. "In stasis, like Gulan was. But that is impossible. Khiann died with the other gods in the bombing."

"No," Annani said. "He did not."

All three males leaned forward, their attention laser-focused on her words.

"Princess?" Davuh prompted when she paused to gather her thoughts.

"After you three left to search for Gulan, Khiann left with a caravan, and he was caught in the same earthquake as her, but we were led to believe that Mortdh assassinated him.

There were witnesses, and I believed their testimony that they had seen Mortdh take Khiann's head.

Only recently has it occurred to me that my father might have compelled their testimony as a way of getting rid of Mortdh.

Mortdh intended to kill Khiann; there is no doubt in my mind about that.

However, he and his men might have arrived too late and never found Khiann, as he was lost in the earthquake.

That was what the witnesses came to tell my father, but he changed their memories to suit his needs. "

The implications hung heavy in the air. Esag's face had gone pale beneath his freckles.

"If Khiann is in stasis..." Esag's voice was hoarse. "If my dreams were true visions..."

"Then he has been sleeping in the desert for five thousand years, just as Gulan had," Annani finished. "And we need to find him."

Wonder's grip on her hands tightened. "The dreams you've had, Esag—were they detailed? Did you see landmarks, anything that might help locate him?"

Esag closed his eyes. "It was just an endless desert." He opened them. "I could never bring myself to carve a figurine of Khiann. It was too painful. Maybe if I carve one now, the dreams will give me more guidance."

"You will do that right here in the village," Annani said. "We need to celebrate this reunion properly. You will never be alone again. You will have a community, a family."

"Family," Roven repeated. "I'd almost forgotten what it felt like to have family beyond us three."

"You'll be reminded soon," Wonder assured him. "And then you might yearn for solitude. This place is a hive of gossip."

"I can live with that," Davuh said.

"How soon can you get here?" Annani asked.

"Kalugal is making arrangements for my workshop contents to be shipped over to the village," Esag said. "I want to supervise the packing of the more precious items, all the figurines of those we lost, but I can leave the tools, materials, and commercial pieces for his team to take care of."

"Very well," Annani said. "I want to extend my warm welcome to the three of you. I want you to know that you are loved, you are wanted, and you are coming home."