Keeper of the Lost Cities: Elysian: How She Was Taken Out of History

Chapter Three

"So," Audrey said, pacing the length of the room. Sargon sat in the chair in front of her, pale and sweaty. "Are you satisfied with the outcome of the negotiations?"

Sargon hesitated half a second before answering. Clearly he was not a very good liar. "Yes."

"Perfect," Audrey said, pretending not to notice. That was how politics worked, after all. She sat down in the chair across from Sargon, her hair falling elegantly around her shoulders. "Since we are now allies, should I know anything about that 'power source' you mentioned?"

Sargon stood up so fast, he knocked over the vase on the table between him. "No!"

Audrey raised an eyebrow. "So it's not important?"

"It is not important," Sargon agreed far too emotionlessly.

Audrey sighed, annoyed she would have to resort to less-than-desirable methods. "Need I remind you that a single one of our Hydrokinetics could destroy your entire empire?"

Sargon crossed his arms. "Are you threatening me?" he asked incredulously. "We signed a treaty!"

Audrey clicked her tongue. "And you aren't a threat to any of the Intelligent Species. We would win a war with you in a day. We don't benefit much from this treaty."

"Then why did you sign it?!"

Audrey shrugged, slightly guilty. "Because the other Intelligent Species are a threat, and if we don't sign a treaty with you, we're basically saying that everyone else has the option to not sign a treaty. And of course, we'd prefer to be allies than enemies."

Sargon rolled his eyes. "We are not allies."

"We could be." Audrey quit pacing the room and sat in the chair across from him. "I am willing to offer you a deal. If you give me the information I need about this mysterious 'power source', the Council, and the elves, will promise to be a true ally. Once rebuilding efforts are complete, we shall help you expand your empire, and defend against possible attacks from the other Intelligent Species, as well as other humans. We should also create a city where elves and humans can live in close proximity and learn from each other. We can call that city Atlantis."

Sargon hesitated. Audrey wasn't a Telepath, but she could almost feel his mind turning over the scenario.

Then he took a deep breath. "You have a deal."

He sucked in another breath of air. "I defeated the City of Ur a few years ago," he began. "Remember that?"

Audrey fought the urge to roll her eyes. Of course she remembered when humans had finally discovered the idea of an empire. "Yes," she said.

"Well, I had a lot of help. My mother is known as a priestess to Ishtar, but she - "

"Ishtar?" Audrey asked skeptically. She didn't know who that was, but she knew humans could come up with some pretty crazy theories. "Priestess?"

"The goddess of love, war, and fertility. She's also known as Inanna."

Audrey actually did roll her eyes this time. Humans really did come up with the craziest ideas; immortal, all-powerful people controlling their every move? It made no sense. Then, most of what they did made no sense. "Carry on," she told Sargon.

"Right. So, my mother isn't just Ishtar's priestess. She is Ishtar - though her actual name is Elysian. She didn't tell me everything, but I know she's the reason I won the battle with Ur. She went to the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates and then suddenly the battle turned around. We won."

Audrey did her best to avoid frowning. Was that really all Sargon knew? That his mother was supposedly a human goddess who'd helped him win a battle - but to win the battle, she'd had to be at the confluence of the Tigris and the Euphrates.

She must not have done as good of a job of hiding her expression than she'd thought, because he said, "Sorry. That's all I know."

"It's all right," Audrey said more calmly than she felt. If what he said even had a kernel of truth to it, she needed to find out the rest of the story.

And if he wouldn't tell her, she would have to find out for herself.