“Idris would pray to Ninhursag as he carved the symbol into his flesh,” Chaucer continued.
Neither he nor Khalida had said anything about Ninhursag.They had given Chaucer no further information except for the direction to translate the symbols and find the Anki.Khalida’s gaze burned into him as she stood up and walked toward the paper Chaucer was holding.He handed it over without a word.
“Ninhursag?”Khalida repeated as she reached over and picked up the paper.“How do you know it belongs to her?You were very forthcoming about the serpopards in Egypt and how to find them when we needed information.”
Talik snorted.Chaucer had only been forthcoming because he’d been in danger of being slaughtered by the damn creatures, and the Atlantean’s survival instinct had kicked in.It was likely that Chaucer had realized his best chance of survival was with them and not the wayfarers.Khalida threatening Chaucer probably helped change his mind.
The tension within the room increased as the temperature plummeted.This time, Chaucer couldn’t hide the hint of shame or remorse rolling off him.It tinged the edge of his scent.
“What did Idris promise you?”Dante demanded coldly.
Chaucer slumped back in the chair, his legs sprawled out.“Atlantis.”
Khalida took a threatening step toward Chaucer.“And you believed him.”
“Yes,” Chaucer said before he expelled a long breath.“I only caught glimpses of Ninhursag’s power.Idris didn’t like to share.”
“When did you learn of the serpopards’ existence?”Dante asked.
Chaucer shrugged, his attention on the paper in Khalida’s hand.“It wasn’t too hard to figure out.Idris had grown less cautious in the last few years and mentioned them in passing a handful of times.I didn’t take too much notice until I saw a charcoal rendition in Rieka’s journal.”Chaucer laughed, the sound self-deprecating as he cast a glance at Dante.“If anyone was going to have a record of the ancient animals, it would be the hunters, and surprisingly, their online archives are not as secure as I had always thought.All I needed was the right hacker.”
“Feeling a bit confessional, Chaucer?”Talik asked.“You could still be loyal to Ninhursag or the Anki.How do we guarantee that you are on the same side as us?”
“We don’t,” Dante answered.He hadn’t moved at the mention of Rieka’s name.“I didn’t take you for a dreamer.”
Chaucer flinched.
Talik paused.Had he missed something?He stared at Chaucer before he turned to Dante.The older Atlantean stood still, but there was no mistaking the icy fury that surrounded him.
Sypha tapped their fingers along the table.All gazes turned toward them as they tilted their head and stared at Dante.“You have seen Ninhursag’s mark before.”
“Yes, I wasn’t aware of the symbology until now,” Dante said as a darkness sparked in his emerald eyes.“In Rome.More than six hundred years ago, in the catacombs where Idris and I were lost for three days.We were there because Idris thought there was a clue to finding Atlantis.That symbol was carved into the corner of an old tomb.”
Talik had heard this story countless times, predominantly from Idris’s perspective, who had claimed the only reason they had gotten out was because Idris had found a hidden tunnel and led them to freedom.And each time Talik had laughed at the tale and assumed it had been an adventure for the young Atlanteans.But what had it actually cost Idris?Is that how Idris found a way out—did he encounter a wayfarer, or even one of the Anki?
“Are you sure?”Chaucer asked.
Dante shot him a glare that didn’t need to be translated.
“How do we get access to the catacomb?”Khalida asked.“If we can retrace your steps, we may find Ninhursag or a clue to locating the Anki.And get one step closer to finding Atlantis.”
“The catacomb was sealed shortly afterward.”Dante tapped the table as he looked up to the domed ceiling, as if he was trying to recall an old memory.“But the opening Idris and I used no longer exists.The Italians built Biblioteca Angelica over it.”
The move was uncharacteristic for Dante.He rarely let anything slip, even when he was surrounded by confidants.It was slightly unsettling and drove home the precarious position they were in.
“By whom?”Sypha asked.
“The hunters.I had assumed that it was because the catacombs were decrepit, but now I am unsure.Perhaps they knew what was down there,” Dante answered.
Talik let out a low whistle.The hierarchical class system within Atlantean society was convoluted and downright archaic, and a headache to learn when you were an outsider like he had been.The hunter class had been simultaneously the most feared and hated Atlantean class in their history, as well as one that had been ruthlessly used and controlled during periods of turmoil and military expansion.Just like the gifted Atlanteans, the hunters were a genetic quirk of fate.Instead of powers and special abilities, they were born faster, stronger, and more predatory than most of their species.It wasn’t a surprise that the hunter class produced a disproportionate number of murderers and serial killers.The hunters looked like perfect Atlanteans, except for the handful who were the apex predators among their class.They had either pure black or white eyes without a hint of the pupil or iris.
“The hunters were trusted?”Khalida’s eyes narrowed with distaste.
Dante looked at his watch.“As trusted as their class could be.The hunter archives are still kept within Rome.”He glanced at Chaucer before returning to Khalida.“Most of the records have not been digitized, and the council could not bring themselves to destroy the records.”
Talik snorted.Of course.Not when access to the archives would bring them unprecedented power and the ability to control the hunters, even if the class were no longer the enforcers within Atlantean society.
“Good thing we know a hunter who can get us access to those records,” Talik said.If Idris had been turned in the catacomb, there may be a clue on how to reverse it or at least find out more information about who the Anki actually were.“When do we leave for Rome?”
