Page 17 of Violet Legacy

Rieka looked at him as if he had grown two heads.

“Not all Atlanteans have the same level of heightened senses. There are ways to train them to enhance them to be above what a standard human is capable of. Turn and face the dunes,” Dante said.

Rieka flexed her hands in what he assumed was annoyance at her having to listen to his direction. But he could be exceptionally patient when it suited him. He dragged his focus away from Rieka. Dante surveyed the area, searching for any sign of life. Near the horizon, between the dunes that towered like skyscrapers over the barren landscape, small clouds of dust burst into nothingness as the cloaked vehicles maneuvered, using the light and the sand to their advantage.

This close to them, the engines were impossible to disguise now, at least with his hearing. It was a dull roar that was growing increasingly louder.

“My eyes are closed.”

Dante moved a fraction closer. Adrenaline and anticipation. Another scent lingered beneath it. The scent of arousal was subtle but unmistakable. He did not need his heightened senses to know that Rieka desired him. It was an angle he could exploit if he needed.

“Focus on your breathing. Slow it down until all you can hear is the beating of your heart,” Dante said, keeping his voice low. “You need to reach a meditative state.”

Rieka snorted. “You sure you want to do this in a potentially hostile environment? It would be really inconvenient if they attacked my host.”

Underneath the flippant attitude she used as armor was an edge of turmoil that surrounded her. One that he’d watched play out with other hybrids who had been caught between the two worlds and yet never truly belonged to either. “Are you worried we will be attacked or that you may realize that you are more Atlantean than you think?”

Rieka pivoted to turn to glare at him, her eyes blazing with fury, reminding him of flames.

“Incoming.” Talik’s low voice carried over the space between them.

Without a word, Rieka turned to face the dunes. “Where are they coming from?” Rieka asked as she shifted into a defensive stance, her arms loose against her sides. “I can hear a humming sound; it seems out of place here.”

Rieka could handle herself. The sliver of admiration that rose through him was unexpected. Dante counted three patrol vehicles, one from the east and the other two were from the north and west. To the south lay the House’s lands. The shield protecting them would keep all intruders outside their fortress. “They are here. They will be cloaked, but you can see the disturbance by the locations of the dust clouds.”

“Uh, huh.” She glanced at him. “Just to be clear, your definition of a non-hostile environment is very different from mine.”

The air shimmered for a moment before the desert-colored patrol vehicle took shape.

Rieka stiffened. The movement was subtle and almost undetectable, if he hadn’t been paying close attention to her. If he wasn’t so attuned to Rieka, he would have missed it.

Two guards stepped out. They appeared unarmed. The second vehicle stopped next to Talik, narrowly missing him.

The escorts wore the same uniforms as his personnel. A concession the Atlanteans made with the humans. All Atlantean security and military had the same uniform. The only distinguishing marker was their epaulet, a sliver of color on their shoulders to denote their House. These guards were yellow. The front door opened, and a black-clad figure stalked out of the vehicle. The hood obscured their features. Each movement was graceful, but he remembered it well. She reminded him of how liquid silver moved through water, with the grace and swiftness of a trained dancer.

It had been over a century since their last encounter, but some alliances were forged deeper than blood. “Khalida.”

The Atlantean stopped just out of his reach as she lowered her hood before she shook her head. Silver-blonde hair cascaded halfway down her back, a stark contrast against her golden-brown skin. To most Atlanteans, beauty was a weapon they wielded freely. Khalida was no exception. Kohl lined almond-shaped wolflike yellow eyes that watched him frostily as she casually touched the hilt of her sword.

“Cousin.” There was no hint of warmth in Khalida’s voice. “Dr. Sinha.”

“Our escort for the duration of our stay.”

“You are late,” Khalida said. She half-turned to Talik as disdain flashed across her face before she returned her attention to Dante and Rieka. “Anhur is expecting you.”

Khalida slowly looked at Rieka. Her yellow eyes gleamed with the hunger of a predator that was trying to pretend it was harmless. “Dr. Sinha, welcome to House Azaes.”

Riekatriedtofocuson their destination, as the sand dunes rushed past them, but the cramped car was overwhelming. They had been driving for what seemed like hours, but everything looked the same, as if they had been going around in circles. Talik and Sypha had gone with the other vehicle. It was just her and Dante in the quiet. It was surprisingly comfortable to sit there in the silence. She snuck a glance at Dante. He appeared unfazed, his attention focused on the tablet he held. This may be another day in the office for him, but Rieka wasn’t so sure what she had been expecting when she had agreed to the contract. Access to the statue had been her only concern, the actual logistics behind getting to the Jimourt and her interactions with the Houses had been glossed over in her mind. Now she was dealing with it.

“Rieka,” He sounded like it hadn’t been the first time he had said her name. “We should arrive in twenty minutes. The Arx will soon appear over the horizon.”

She squinted, but all she could see was sand. Not the thirty-foot-high walls she knew it was surrounded with. “Where?”

Dante leaned closer as he pointed to a speck in the distance.

He wasn’t touching her, but she could feel his warmth surrounding her, and she stupidly wanted more. The butterflies in her belly went into overdrive. She had half-convinced herself it was nausea or her anxiety. But no, it was a visceral reaction to Dante. One that was hard to ignore. Heat snaked through her, and she had a flash of lightheadedness every time he was near. It instantly transported her back to being sixteen again. An attraction to her boss was not part of the plan.

Maybe it was just nerves—it had been a hell of a few weeks for her.

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