Page 73 of Lady of the Drowned Empire

Ramia shook her head. “No. I visit Sun and Moon Court. Why you don’t see me for days? Why you think I know already? He missing.”

Maybe this was a good thing. Maybe this was why the Valalumir had stopped heating. But it was still glowing and was most likely the reason Morgana couldn’t hear me.

“Are you sure he’s not just…busy?” I asked.

“Yes. But I know what he working on. He not busy with that.”

My heart pounded. “What he’s working on?”

Ramia’s hand reached for my heart but stopped just before she touched me. “How necklace working for you?”

I stepped back. Did she know what it was? What it meant? She worked with Mercurial. She had given me the armor in the first place.

I swallowed. “It worked very well.”

She lifted an eyebrow, her lips quirked. “Keep wearing. Be careful.” She paused, something dark in her eyes. “My lady in grave danger if he is gone. Only one thing powerful enough to overcome Afeya.”

“Akadim?” I asked.

She shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not.” She pointed at my heart again. “Maybe a god.”

“A god?”

“We have goddess now among us. You think she walk alone?”

Did you really think that Asherah could just die, and her part in this was done? She’s only getting started.

Mercurial’s words came back to me. My vision went in and out of focus. I stumbled backwards, and my hip hit Ramia’s desk. I turned and grabbed hold of the edge to balance myself, the movements causing a small crash of scrolls. Rubbing my hip, I realized I’d knocked a stack onto the floor. Each one had a tag full of numbers.

79114141

12085141251

I reached for the leather cases, rolling across Ramia’s floor as she scowled.

“Lumerian mess!” she hissed.

The numbers…they were just like the signature on the noted I’d received. Ramia began to gather the scrolls, as I reached for more—scanning each tag, reading through every number sequence I could find.

And then I saw it. A brown leather case sat in the center of the pile. It was tied shut with black leather cord, attached to which was a faded parchment tag that read, 131189114141.

The signature.

Your Grace,

Now the phrase “shekar arkasva” has true meaning. Not all support the illegitimate black seraphim. You’re not alone.

131189114141

I grabbed the case. “What is this? What are all of these?”

Ramia’s eyes slanted into narrow, snake-like slits as she sat back. “Not for you.”

“I think it is,” I said, pushing her back against the chaise. “I’ve seen these numbers before.”

She grunted, straining against me. “How exciting,” she snarled. “Congratulations. You see same numbers two time.”

“What are they?”