"The Fates work in mysterious ways," Annani said. "If you had found Esag back then, you might not have found Anandur, who was always your destiny."
Wonder's expression shifted, a shadow of old pain crossing her features. "I wonder if Esag carved my image because he felt guilty. He did break my heart."
"I guess that he cared more than he could show at the time," Annani suggested. "He could not get out of his engagement to Ashegan without bringing ruin to his family. He did what every dutiful son would have done."
Wonder sighed. "You're right, of course. And it no longer matters. I have Anandur, and I wouldn't trade him for anyone. I'm eager to introduce them. I think they'll like each other."
As Annani's phone chimed, they both tensed.
She accepted the video call and cast it to the large wall screen in front of them. The image that appeared stole her breath.
Three faces filled the screen, but Annani's attention locked on to Esag. He looked exactly as she remembered—that distinctive red hair curling at the ends, those smiling blue eyes, and the freckles that were scattered across his nose and cheeks.
"Princess Annani," Esag breathed, and his voice broke on the word, and then he and his companions were kneeling on the floor in Kalugal's office with their heads bowed.
"Please rise," she said. "There is no need to bow. It is not done these days, and I do not expect it from anyone, especially not from old friends."
They rose, sitting back on the couch in Kalugal's office.
"You have no idea how good it is to see you alive and well," Esag said.
Tears prickled Annani's eyes. "I feel the same. I always hoped that you, Roven, and Davuh survived. It is wonderful to see your faces."
Esag's gaze shifted to Wonder, and his expression became even more stunned. "Gulan? You look so different. So beautiful."
Wonder smiled. "Thank you. I am different, and I no longer go by the name Gulan. That name belonged to the servant girl you knew five thousand years ago. I'm called Wonder now."
Esag seemed incapable of taking his eyes off her. "Kalugal told us that you go by that name now, but he said you would explain the choice. Why Wonder?"
She smiled. "When I woke from stasis, I had no memory of who I was. Some children on the street called me Wonder Woman because, apparently, I resembled the actress who portrayed her. I liked the sound of it and decided to adopt it."
"It suits you," Esag said. "In more ways than one. You are beautiful, strong, and brave."
"Flatterer," Wonder accused, but she was smiling through misty eyes.
Esag leaned closer to the camera. "Kalugal mentioned that you woke up from stasis in Egypt."
"I did, but I didn't stay there long. There was an incident, and I had to escape. I boarded a cargo ship heading to America and somehow found my way to Annani's clan. The Fates must have guided me."
Esag nodded. "Even if we had ended up in the same city, it's unlikely that our paths would have crossed, given that twenty-two million people live here."
"How have you been?" Wonder asked, and there was weight to the question that spoke of their history.
Esag's expression softened. "Lonely. Grateful for Davuh and Roven, but lonely." His gaze flickered between Annani and Wonder. "And you? I'm told that you are married now."
"I am. Anandur is my truelove mate," Wonder said, but there was no cruelty in the emphasis, just stated fact. "You'll find this amusing, but he looks a lot like you. He's tall, red-headed, has freckles, and fancies himself a comedian. Apparently, I have a type."
Esag's laugh was genuine and warm. "I cannot wait to meet him. He must be truly extraordinary if he is like me."
This time, both Wonder and Annani laughed.
"I see that you are still as modest as you were back then," Wonder said.
His expression sobered. "Time beat some humility into me. I'm not as full of myself as I used to be."
"I'm surprised," Wonder said. "You developed an artistic talent and also a prophetic ability. Those two should have made you even more full of yourself than you were before."
He shook his head. "Both were expressions of my grief. I think that is all the three of us have been doing throughout the millennia."
