Page 14 of Violet Legacy

Who were you really?

Chapter 10

Theplanedropped.Riekaclung to the tablet, her heart racing. No one was around. The knots in her stomach grew as they hit another area of turbulence. The surrounding air was suffocating. Her clothes suddenly felt constrictive as though everything was closing in. She took a breath before slowly releasing it.

They dropped again. She tightened her grip on the chair as memories assailed her. If she closed her eyes, she would be transported back to the day of the crash. The scent of burning fuel was forever etched into her memory. The guttural screams of the woman behind her and the sound of metal twisting and contorting were never far. Followed by the silence that never seemed to end.

She grabbed her pendant, fervently offering silent whispers of forgotten prayers. The memories were always just beneath the surface, ready to sabotage her at every chance they could.

She didn’t know how long it had been, but she slowly became aware of her surroundings. The lights in the cabin had been dimmed. She was on a plane, going to Egypt. She was safe.

“We are clear of the turbulence.”

Rieka swallowed as heat flushed her cheeks. “How long have you been there?”

“Long enough.” Dante slid into the chair next to Rieka. “You have an unusual piece of jewelry. Is the metal orichalcum?”

Rieka slipped it under her T-shirt where it would be hidden from view.

Don’t let anyone see the pendant.

Another cardinal rule broken. Her mom would turn over in her grave if she knew what Rieka was doing. “Just an old family heirloom, sentimental value more than anything else.” Her body trembled. “I’m fine. Thanks for asking.”

Dante stared at her. “I did not ask.”

Ass.

But that didn’t stop him from being too perceptive for her liking. She waited for him to ask another question about the pendant, but it never came. Maybe he was as cold as the marble he looked like he was carved from. The silence between them grew. Dwelling on her past would not get her anywhere. “The collection is remarkable. I…don’t know where to start.” Four days was not enough to properly review the artifacts. A hundred lifetimes wasn’t enough. “Talal, he was the artist responsible for all the sketches?”

Each of the pieces had a small identifying marker, like a watermark or signature. She would have missed it, if Lilian hadn’t done the same thing on her work. The artwork was divine, created by a maestro. She could almost feel the emotions of the sketches, as if the artist had cast a spell over the pieces.

“My father.”

Rieka opened her mouth and shut it before she said something stupid. How could someone who was acutely attuned with his emotions help produce the cold-blooded Atlantean in front of her? “He is amazing.”

“Was,” Dante corrected. “It was one of his few talents. The other was his passion for searching for Vandana’s tomb.”

She more than understood the pain of having a parent whose lifelong obsession took up their every waking and dreaming moment. She recognized the brief expression on his face. She sometimes caught it on her own when she thought about Lilian. No matter how old the wound was, it always found a new way to pierce through her shields.

Dante leaned over, his warmth surrounding her as he swiped through the images. Sandalwood, bergamot, and something she couldn’t place surrounded her. Rieka’s heart continued to pound, but for very different reasons. He wasn’t touching her, but she couldn’t escape his nearness, nor did she want to.

A black-and-white image of Vandana in armor appeared on the screen. Dante returned to his seat next to her. She glanced out the window. Perfect white clouds dotted the pale blue sky.

“Tell me about the image,” Dante demanded quietly.

Rieka stiffened. “I need to see it in person.”

Dante shook his head. “No. About the one you have seen before. The one from the temple.”

Dantedidn’tneedtowait long for Rieka to react. The scent in the air shifted to almost full-blown panic, as Rieka’s heart raced. It lasted only a moment before she regained control, and it was replaced by her unique scent, a hint of spring flowers mixed with hope.

“Do not lie to me. You wanted a partnership,” Dante said.

She flicked her braid over her shoulder. A splash of colorful ink on her wrist peeked out from her dark jacket. “What makes you think I have?”

“Your heart rate spiked when you saw the image, both here and in my office,” Dante said, his tone cool and calculated. “I told you at our first meeting you needed to work on your ability to lie.”

Rieka shifted as her hand strayed protectively to her backpack. It wasn’t the first time she had reached out to it as if it was a precious item. Whatever Rieka had in there was valuable, just like the pendant she had hidden.

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