Working as a team, Tabby and Ersabet had bullied their way past multiple obstacles throughout the day while Delen, Kitz, and I pretended to be their entourage.

  We eventually made our way to the Broken Rock Distillery, the largest distillery in Nessa, owned by the one and only Selma Balaban. Earlier, Val had dug a little deeper into Selma’s files and discovered the name of the distillery, so we made haste, unsure whether Selma would actually be there, but luck was on our side today.

  Our plan was for Tabby to pretend to be an up-and-coming businesswoman who was seeking investors for her start-up. We knew that wouldn’t be enough to secure a meeting with Selma, so we introduced Ersabet into the equation. If a business was backed by a Dalari, then it had to be a winner, right? Both the guard at the entry and the manager of the distillery had thought so, and we were now in front of our final obstacle – Selma’s assistant, Natali, who was proving a tough nut to crack.

  “I’m sorry,” Natali said. “Selma is busy today. You’ll have to schedule an appointment for later in the week.”

  “There must be something you can do,” Tabby said. “Our potential investors have demanded that we make a decision today, but with Selma Balaban’s support, there’s no need for any of them. She and I could build this into one of the most successful businesses in Nessa, but that won’t happen if I don’t get to speak with her. I can assure you, this is an opportunity she won’t want to miss.”

  “Ma’am, you’re the third person this week to come in here with a once-in-a-lifetime investment opportunity for Selma,” Natali said. “I’ve heard it all before, and your sales pitch isn’t going to sway me. Schedule an appointment like everyone else or leave.”

  Ersabet stepped forward, wearing a look of profound annoyance. “Selma is not the only one who values her time. I’ve invested a considerable amount of money in this business, and I will not see it fail because some officious little human couldn’t find five minutes in her boss’s calendar.” Ersabet leaned forward and placed both her hands on Natali’s desk. “We will not see Selma tomorrow or next week. We will see her now. In one minute, my companions and I will be speaking to her. We can enter her office politely or impolitely. The choice is yours.”

  Natali’s eyes flicked to an open door and the guard further down the hallway. I took a step closer to it, letting her know that I could shut that door long before the guard could reach it.

  The steely secretary broke under Ersabet’s gaze and gulped. She looked down at the papers strewn out on her desk and anxiously checked something off her calendar. “It seems an appointment just opened up, but you’ll have to make it quick.”

  “Thank you,” Tabby said as she pulled Ersabet away from the desk. “We’ll only take a moment of her time.”

  Natali grunted and rose from her seat. “This way.”

  She led us to a set of double doors on the other side of the room and knocked three times before opening one of the doors.

  “Natali, hello,” Selma said from inside the room. My view of her was blocked by Natali, who stood in the doorway like a bulwark in a ship, preventing the unwashed rabble from coming near her master. “Did I forget about another meeting again?”

  “No ma’am,” Natali said. “Devin let them up. Apparently, he liked their sales pitch. They were quite insistent about speaking with you.” I imagined that Natali’s facial expression said a lot more than her words.

  I heard a sigh from inside the room. “Let them in.”

  Stolen novel; please report.

  With Tabby leading the way, we shuffled past Natali into the room. Selma sat at an ornate desk, surrounded by stacks of papers and ledgers. She was strikingly beautiful, with pitch-black hair and wide, almond eyes. She wore a deep V-cut dress made from red-dyed silk. Necklaces set with sparkling gems covered the bare, tan skin of her neckline.

  “Welcome,” Selma said with a smile on her face and false sincerity in her voice. “What can I do for you?”

  Tabby stepped forward to begin her elaborate pitch, which would end with us needing access to the portal to secure the final investment for Tabby’s start-up from her fictional uncle.

  Before she could open her mouth, Ersabet moved forward and gave Selma a shallow bow. “It is an honor to meet you, Selma Balaban. I’ve heard only good things about you. My name is Ersabet, and my companions and I came to you today to request access to the town portal.”

  Selma arched an eyebrow. “So, you aren’t here to ask me for money?”

  “No,” Ersabet said. “That was a lie to gain access to you. A portal to Liport is all we seek.”

  Selma sat in silence for a moment, tapping the tip of a quill on her desk. “I admire your honesty,” she eventually said, “and the ruse. I couldn’t give two shits about who uses the portal, and I’m partial toward the bold, so you have my permission to use the portal.”

  I resisted the urge to pump my fist. Just like that, this part of the journey was over.

  Then Selma held up a finger. “There’s one small problem.” She tilted her head from side to side. “Actually, it’s a big problem. The portal is not currently operable. A Kurskin stole the prismatic gem that powers it.”

  My heart hit the floor.

  “When will the replacement gem arrive?” Ersabet asked.

  Selma shrugged. “The gem itself is rare, and as far as I know, the shamans in Liport are the only people on Erda who know how to perform the magic required to enchant it. I’ve sent word to Liport, but it’s quite a long journey. It could take a month or more.”

  “A month is too long,” Ersabet said. “Tell us of this Kurskin, and we will hunt them down and return with the gem.”

  A slow smile split Selma’s face. “Shut the door.”

  Since I was closest to it, I did as requested. Before the door shut, I caught a displeased glare from Natali at her desk.

  “It’s been weeks since the gem was stolen,” Selma said, “and the Kurskin who took it is long gone, but there is another prismatic gem in Nessa. With it, the portal could be reactivated, and you could go wherever you desire.”

  “Tell me where it is, and I will bring it to you,” Ersabet said.

  “It’s in the old city.”

  “Where is that?”

  Selma held out her long, well-manicured finger and pointed straight down. “Among the ancient ruins buried beneath Nessa. This city has been swallowed by the desert and rebuilt time after time, each lost iteration laying the foundation stones for the grand city we are today.”

  “How can we be sure this gem has not been lost to time?” Ersabet asked.

  “Oh, it’s only been down there for a few years,” Selma said. “It’s perfectly fine. If it weren’t, I would know.”

  “Explain, please.”

  Selma tilted her head forward in a nod. “Four years ago, an ancient evil was freed during an excavation of the ruins. It terrorized the city for a full day and night before it was driven back to its underground lair. The prismatic gem we had been using to power the portal was repurposed to hold the monster at bay. That gem now keeps the beast bound to the ruins below. If it were to be moved or destroyed, the evil would be freed of its cage.”

  “I don’t understand,” Ersabet said. “You want us to unleash this evil upon your city?”

  “Of course not,” Selma said. “I want you to kill it first.”

  “What is it?” Tabby asked, her voice lacking the feigned confidence she used to get us this meeting.

  Selma’s expression hardened. “A serpent of dread and death. Our most ancient histories include tales of this monster, but, as with all things, time turned the truth into myth. That was until we freed it, and our myths became reality once again.” Selma clasped her hands together. “Many have been sent to end the threat of this vile creature, but none have returned.”

  “It is nothing we can’t handle,” Ersabet said confidently.

  “I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Selma said. “You won’t be the first Dalari I’ve sent down there, and odds are, you won’t be the last.”

  Ersabet narrowed her eyes at the challenge.

  A sense of unease swept through me, knowing that this was likely our only path forward. Ersabet may not be afraid, but I was.

  “What’s this creature called?” I asked, speaking for the first time.

  Selma smiled at me, as if noticing me for the first time. “Our ancestors referred to it as a gorgos, but our language has changed over the centuries. Today, it’s known as the gorgon.”