Page 36 of Violet Legacy

“Vandana, the last queen of Atlantis,” Idris said, breaking the silence between them. “Vandana, the last heir of House Atlas.”

“What really happened to her?” Rieka brought her fingers up to the silhouette.

A question that plagued the lives of thousands of scholars—had driven some of them into the brink of darkness. Some, like his father, had dedicated their lifetime to finding the truth and consequently died in the blind pursuit to find it. Just like Rieka’s mother.

Idris stood next to Rieka, towering over her. “Only Vandana knows.”

“And the House?”

Dante shook his head. “It no longer exists in anything but name.”

Rieka glanced back at him. “How did it fall?”

“No empire can last forever.” Especially ones that refuse to adapt and grow. A demand that many of the families and the Houses themselves were now faced with.

“Some believe that the House will rise again. As long as Vandana’s flame continues to burn, one of her descendants walks the earth,” Idris added.

“Khalida mentioned the myth to me.”

“Not all believe the tale.” Idris gave Dante a pointed look.

Dante would have laughed. If it had been two days ago, he would have agreed. But now, after what Aadya had shown him…and Sypha. It was hard to dispute that there wasn’t an element of truth to the legend.

Rieka was proof of it. Even if she was as oblivious to her past as she appeared to be. Empires didn’t last forever, but he was going to be damn sure that he left a mark long after he departed the land of the living and turned to dust. To do that, he needed to find the tomb, and Rieka was the key. He could protect the heir and have his legacy.

“This is our shared history. Atlantis was never a place but its people. It is why we survived. But House Atlas, it was its crown jewel—it represented all that was good in us,” Idris began. He half-glanced at Dante before returning his attention back to Rieka. “This image has the power to change our history.”

If they released it to the outside world. Dante was not sure if the Houses would accept a significant change to the myth of Vandana. She’d taken the role of maiden, mother, and martyr within their society, and no other ruler came close to her position within the Atlantean hierarchy.

“Who is Vandana fighting?” Rieka took a step toward the temple. Her eyes filled with wonder and untapped excitement. “According to our history books, humans were still living in small bands of hunter-gatherer societies. And Atlantis was destroyed because of tidal waves from a volcanic disruption.”

Dante waited.

Idris sighed. “We don’t know. And we may never know if this was an actual battle or a myth.”

Click. Click.

The sound of heels broke the silence.

“Sypha, have you come for a history lesson?” Idris cheerfully asked.

They ignored the comment as they handed Rieka a small black cylinder. A flashlight. “You may want this.”

Rieka looked up, surprised, as she turned the light on. An expression of relief crossed her face. “How did you know?”

“Sypha has a knack for knowing what we need before we do,” Idris said. “And for finding places that should be kept secret.”

“It is a useful skill,” Sypha said as they turned to face Dante. “Your next appointment is due to start in thirty minutes.”

Dante had forgotten about the meeting, and it was one that he had to attend rather than send a proxy. He looked between Sypha and Idris. Rieka would be safe with the both of them, but that didn’t lessen his desire to stay. He squashed the thought before it went any further. Rieka could be wielded against him, and he would need to ensure that he was careful to keep their distance. At least in public.

Sypha smiled at him.

Damn seers.

Riekashouldhavebeeneager to spend more time with the mosaic. But all she could think about was how much she had enjoyed being around Dante—had looked for any excuse to accidentally brush up against him. Everything felt less exciting without him near her.

A distraction she couldn’t afford.

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