Fury of the Dragon Goddess

Not part of Riordanverse This book or series is published under Rick Riordan Presents and its contents are not considered canon to the Riordanverse.

Fury of the Dragon Goddess
Attribution
Author	Sarwat Chadda
Publication Information
Publisher	Rick Riordan Presents
Release date	August 1, 2023
Chronology
Preceded by	City of the Plague God

Fury of the Dragon Goddess is the sequel to City of the Plague God by Sarwat Chadda published under Rick Riordan Presents. It was released on August 1st, 2023.

Synopsis

What would you do if you could change the past? What mistakes would you correct? What injustices would you prevent from ever happening? What do you want more than anything? There’s only one thing Sikander Aziz wants: to have his brother, Mo, back.

When Sik gets his hands on the mythic tablet of destinies, his wish is granted. Sik is overjoyed . . . until he learns that it’s not only his brother’s destiny he changed, but everyone’s.

The more Sik tries to fix things, the more things fall apart, leading to a confrontation with Lugal, the god of insanity. Lugal wants to use the tablet to avenge the betrayal he suffered at the hands of the other gods long, long ago. He intends to resurrect his mother, Tiamat, the primordial dragon goddess and unleash destruction on a cosmic scale.

It’s up to Sik, Belet, and their new demonic bestie, Rabisu, to save not just the day but existence itself and prove once and for all that the pen is far mightier than the sword.

Plot

Reunions and a Mission

Daoud Hassan

Sikander Aziz is invited to London by Daoud Hassan as his brother’s friend is doing a photoshoot. The two hug each other and, after Sik stops Rabisu from eating a dog, he introduces the demon to the model. After Sik expresses his desire to visit the Tower of London, Daoud says he can get tickets through his agency, but wonders if there will be heightened security after a recent break-in at the Louvre. Soon someone knows on the door and Daoud answered to reveal an invited guest, Belet Amari. As Sik stares at her, Daoud urges him to stop and greet her. The teenagers say hello and, when Belet and Rabisu sees each other, things become tense.

Rabisu and Belet begin fighting, trashing the hotel room in the process as Daoud has Sik stop the two. He does so just as the manager arrives and Daoud apologizes. However, the manager reveals this is a common occurrence and reassures Daoud it will be taken care of. When the manager leaves, Daoud convinces Belet and Rabisu to not fight for three days. After Rabisu goes off to scream, Sik and Belet go to a private room to talk. He berates Belet for her behavior while she chastises Sik for befriending a demon. After Sik explains how he and Rabisu met, Belet agrees to be civil. Belet then reveals she is in London to find a tablet that her mother has spent millennia searching for. After revealing it is in the possession of a black market dealer who will auction it off, Sik asks what her plan of action is. She pulls out a dress and reveals she is going in through the front door as part of the auction. After revealing Daoud got her in, Sik insists he go as well and Belet gives him a tuxedo.

The Auction and A Shocking Reunion

After changing, Sik calls his parents. After they mention that Mo wanted to visit London, things became solum and Sik hangs up. Daoud asks about Mo, who Sik still speaks with occasionally, and Sik says Mo talks about him. After Belet walks out, Sik is stunned by how she looks and, after he snaps out of it, everyone heads down. As Daoud and Belet get the car, Sik and Rabisu wait by the front door and a van driven by a hippie pulls up. Sik speaks with the driver and, when his companions arrive, the van vanishes. He tells this to Belet, who looks fearful upon hearing of it, but does not say anything. When they enter Fitzroy Castle, Rabisu goes to search for game to hunt as Lady Fitzroy arrives and greets Daoud. The two go off to talk and Belet insists Sik keep a low profile as they are among war criminals and arms dealers. Not long after, the auction starts.

As the auction is underway, Sik is surprised to find that Mona Lisa up for sale as Belet informs him it is fake and Ishtar has the real one. After the painting is bought and a Serbian war criminal is thrown out for causing a scene, the item Belet is looking for is brought up. She outbids everyone and is about to get it when Lady Fitzroy goes on stage and withdraws the item, saying someone has already bought it. Sik leaves to speak with Lady Fitzroy, who appears shaken, as she repeats what she said earlier. Belet meets up with him soon after and Sik tells her what he knows and they go to get the tablet. The two make their way to the upper levels and come across a hallway full of doors. Sik opens them one by one until he finds a locked door. He asks Belet if she can pick a lock and she angrily says no before handing him a mace. Sik berates her for the comment and Belet apologizes, saying she sensed something in the air. She instructs Sik on how to break in and, after doing so, find a storage room full of looted artifacts. After finding the tablet, Sik sees a magpie in the window and Belet finds a man blocking their exit. She subdues him and the teenagers exit to find that the auction has become an all out brawl. The two find weapons and make their way down stairs, taking out attackers as they descend. After subduing Lady Fitzroy, Sik and Belet find Daoud clinging to a chandelier. Rabisu saves him and the four head to the car. Belet grabs Kasusu from the backseat and nearly attacks Sik. Sik notices a guard about to shoot Belet and he tackles the man into a nearby moat, holding him underwater until the guard becomes unconscious. Daoud pulls the two out of the water just as flames erupt from the second floor windows. As everyone calls his name, Sik is fixated on a man on fire as he runs out. The others convince him to get in and they drive off. As they leave, Sik sees the man staring at them.

They drive back to the hotel in silence as emergency vehicles rush past them. After inspecting the tablet, Sik tries to lighten the mood by finding an easy listening station on the radio, but stops after finding a news story about the fire stating there are multiple casualties. Belet expresses relief that at least some of the criminals present have died as Sik scolds her. When they return to the hotel, Belet retreats to her room as Daoud yells at Sik for causing the calamity. Daoud goes into his room as Rabisu forces Sik to apologize. Sik goes into Daoud's room and they start to talk about Mo. He mentions how the two had planned to come to London together and Sik mentions how Mo applied for a job at Kew Gardens, something he feels could of saved his brother's life if he got the job.

The following day, Sik wakes up after smelling breakfast. He enters to find a try of waffles and takes some as Daoud tries to get tickets to Kew Gardens, speaking to the Chief Botanist, Sarah Anderson. Upon hearing Sik is present, she asks to speak to him. Daoud hands him the phone and she says someone wants to see him. Thinking it is Gilgamesh, Sik agrees. Before leaving, he finds Rabisu eating a pidgin sandwich and she gives him a letter from Belet, who went to get the tablet translated and will be back in a couple of days. Sik heads to Kew Gardens and meets Dr. Anderson, who points him to the person who wanted to see him, Mohammed Aziz. Sik is in shock as he looks upon his brother, noticing scars and patches of hair on Mo's scalp and face. Mo hugs Sik and he finally accepts that the man before him is his brother. Dr. Anderson tells Mo to take Sik to the cafe to catch up. As the brothers have tea, Mo explains that he was in an accident three years back that left him with severe head trauma. He was patched up at a refugee camp before being transferred to an American military hospital where his papers were lost in the system and was tagged as unidentifiable. He woke up with amnesia and spent the last three years slowly regaining his memory before getting a job at Kew Gardens and, upon hearing Sik's name, remembered him. Sik is happy that his brother is back, however he becomes confused when Mo mentions their adventure in Kurnugi, but he brushes it aside. Sik tries to call their parents to tell them the news, but Mo seems uncertain. After dialing the number, a bagel place picks up, thinking he dialed it in the wrong number. He then mentions Daoud, but Mo does not remember his best friend. Sik is confused, but brushes it off as amnesia.

Sik returns to the hotel and breaks the news to Daoud, who is elated. After Sik mentions a bagel place picking up when he tried calling his parents, Daoud says the bagel place was the deli before his parents bought it. Soon Mo comes up and to their surprise, greets Daoud like a fan and compliments the model's clothing down to the finest detail, recognizing it from an exclusive store. Soon Rabisu comes out of her room and exclaims that Mo should be dead. To change the topic, Sik suggests they check out the British Museum. Mo goes to clean up and Daoud expresses doubt that this is the Mo they both remember, citing Mo's recent interest in and knowledge of fashion. Rabisu joins in as she questions how Mo could have gotten out of Kurnugi. Sik dismisses them as he spots a magpie. Rabisu scares it away and Sik takes the tablet with him for safe keeping.

Madness at the Museum and the Flower God's Commune

Lugal

Taking different cabs, Sik and Rabisu reach the museum before Mo and Daoud. The pair head to the Mesopotamian exhibit and, after Rabisu's comments draw unwanted attention, he sends her to the cafe. As Sik is looking at a statue of Tiamat, he notices a disheveled man approaching him. The man introduces himself as Lugal and Sik realizes he saw the man at Fitzroy Castle. Lugal complements the Tiamat statue and begins talking about the tablet Sik took, stating that it is his. Lugal gets a headache and Sik momentarily sees the madness in his mind. As screams and cheers erupt around the museum, Lugal explains that tourists are taking back their cultural treasures. A bird flies past Sik and transforms in a human. After the bird states Sik has the tablet on him, Lugal orders him to retrieve it. Sik runs off and, to his surprise, propels off the wall like a professional stunt artist. He sees artifacts being looted and feels conflicted about the events.

As Sik runs, Lugal brings a pair of scorpion-human hybrid statues to life and tells them to go after Sik. As Sik runs, he sees tourists fleeing, dropping and destroying priceless artifacts as they run away. Sik reaches the cafe and is saved by Rabisu and a group of schoolchildren throwing pastries. As the children retreat, Rabisu takes on one of the scorpion people. It grabs her as the other one mortally wounds Sik. After an agonizing resurrection, Sik takes a tray and slices off one of the scorpion people's tails. Lugal then appears before Sik and, before he can attack, suffers another headache and one of the scorpion people come over to Sik. Before he can be killed again, the hippie from the night before appears and pacifies the creature before turning his attention to the other one, who is about to kill Rabisu. Belet arrives soon after and the Lugal and the scorpion people disappear. As Sik explains what happened and that his brother is back. As Belet takes in what he said, she notices the hippie. Belet begrudgingly introduces him and Dumuzi, God of Flowers and Istar's husband, making him her father.

Dumuzi

Sik, Belet, and Rabisu exit the museum and find Daoud and Mo among a group of tourists. Daoud shows concern for Sik upon seeing the condition of his clothes and Sik berates Daoud for vanishing. Belet points at Dumuzi's van and they enter, driving away just as the police arrive. Dumizi takes them to a run down mansion he has been using as a commune and introduces the five to the residents. As they are being given a tour, Belet tells Sik Istar married Dumuzi because he was not like the other suitors, but is too free spirited to commit to anything and expresses her frustration at the Flower God's coming and going throughout her life; wanting a father figure who was as present in her life as Ishtar was. After being given lentil soup for a snack, everyone does chores before dinner, with the Aziz brothers volunteer for kitchen duty. As they work, Mo comments on the various shades of green, causing Sik to see that Daoud was right. Sik tells Mo how he and Daoud first met, but Mo has no memory of the events. After mentioning Daoud's past in a refugee camp, Mo mentions the brother's time in a refugee camp and vividly describes their time there, Sik is confused and surprised when he remembers the events as well. Sik tries calling their parents again, double checking to make sure he has the country code correct, but gets the bagel store again. After the call ends, Sik looks up to deli but can only find the bagel store. He starts to panic as Daoud calms him down. After dinner, the five are brought to the attic to sleep. Sik and Mo take about the Mesopotamian gods, thinking what they might mean for them. Sik states that their mother believes they are djinn, and the brothers accept this. Sik dreams of Lugal standing on a beach speaking to his mother. After swearing he will avenge her, various creatures emerge from the surf, as well as the tablet, and Lugal swears vengeance on Sik.

Sik wakes up alone and hears Rabisu's voice coming from downstairs. Grabbing the tablet, he goes to meet his companions. He finds Belet, Mo, and Rabisu eating breakfast and they tell him Daoud went for a jog. Realizing something, Sik asks Belet to tell him the Mesopotamian story of creation. She states that the chief god, Aspu, was killed by one of his children, Ea, and their mother Tiamat declares war on her children in vengeance. She puts her most loyal son, Kingu, in charge of the forces she birthed. After Tiamat's forces were defeated, the younger gods take Kingu alive and use his blood to create humanity. Sik realizes that Kingu is Lugal as Belet mentions Tiamat gave Lugal an artifact to rewrite history. Sik pulls out the tablet and asks Mo what happened to their parents. Mo reluctantly reveals they died of tuberculosis at the refuge camp and Sik realizes he inadvertently used the tablet to resurrect his brother at the coast of killing their parents. Mo finds it hard to believe as Belet reveals the tablet is called the Tablet of Destinies.

Belet explains that the tablet contains the histories of everyone who has ever and will be alive and even the slightest changes to it can have severe unintended consequences. After Sik speaks perfect Latin, Belet asks him about the day they met, such as the names of the teacher in their class and his oldest friend. Sik has trouble recalling their names and Belet states that, as the tablet has rewritten the events of Sik's life and the memories of his previous life. Because of this, the memories of everyone he knew will be rewritten to match the new time line as well. After revealing he has developed advanced fighting skills, Belet demands the tablet, stating her mother must have wanted to keep it out of the wrong hands. Upon hearing Ishtar mentioned, Sik suggests they could bring her back while Belet states the secondary events are too dangerous to let happen. A stand off persists as Mo tries to calm the two down, however Sik scares him into submission. Dumuzi enters the room and, upon hearing Sik has the tablet, has the boy come with him. As they walk, Sik asks Dumuzi what he thinks he is and, after Sik describes his god, Dumizi states he is the same before sending Sik into the earth.

Sik finds himself in the ruins of a city and, after looking around, realizes he is in Manhattan. Looking around, he takes in the destruction and hides when he sees Sidana and Idiptu, questioning how they could still be alive.as the two spot him. As they are about to attack, Ishtar arrives with Kasusu in hand. After killing the demons, Ishtar goes over to Sik and he asks her what happened. Ishtar states that Nergal's Plague has revenged the United States and the Plague God has since devastated Europe. Sik asks her about Belet and Ishtar does not say much. Sik leads the pair to Mo's, with Istar's presence keeping the demons at bay. Once they arrive, a sickly figure emerges and Sik is horrified to find that it is Belet. Belet laughs maniacally at the two, stating Nergal has given her his blessing. Ishtar apologizes for abandoning her daughter as Sik realizes Ishtar left Belet when Nergal attacked their home. Mother and daughter fight as Sik realizes Dumizi has trapped him in an illusion. He begins the Flower God to release him from the vision and Sik finds himself back in the garden. He recognizes the dangers of altering fate, but begs Dumizi to let him bring his parents back. Dumuzi refuses as it is too dangerous. The Flower God then asks Sik if he has feelings for Belet. In a state of shock, Sik does not answer. As the boy thinks of his feelings towards Belet, Rabisu- who is listening in, bursts out laughing. Sik chastises her for this as the three head back inside.

They return as a downpour starts to find Mo and Belet dancing, Sik watches Belet as she smiles. However when his brother asks Sik to take his place, he refuses and the mood shifts. Sik and Belet then wash the dishes. As they work, Sik tells Belet he agrees with her about the tablet and feels Lugal will use it for anarchy, After Belet mentions potential flooding and vanishing ships, Sik wonders if this is because of him. Belet states they will fix everything, but Sik insists he is keeping his brother and will find a way to bring his parents back as well. Belet reassures him they will find a way as they join the others. When they arrive, Dumuzi tells Belet he got in contact with the Apkallus, an organization who made the tablet and aided in humanity's rise of civilization, who can help them with the tablet.

Scuffle at Tower Bridge and a Missing Teammate

Sik, Belet, Mo, Daoud, Rabisu and Dumuzi drive to meet up with the Apkallus in the middle of the night as the downpour continues. As they pass Tower Bridge, Mo and Daoud exit to take pictures. Sik gets out as well and, after suggesting tossing the tablet in the River Thames, Belet notices no ships are coming despite the drawbridge being up. They see a wave coming towards them and notice Lugal standing by the bridge. As Dumuzi tries to talk Lugal down, monsters emerge from the river and attack the area. As his companions aid in evacuation, Sik manages to fight back against some of his attackers. Soon, the magpie serving Lugal goes over to Sik and, with the knowledge from his new life, recognizes him as Anzud, a thief who stole the tablet before. Sik manages to subdue Anzud and is about to finish the bird off when a rock hits him in the head. Anzud uses this moment break free and take the tablet. He then grabs Sik and throws the boy into the Thames.

Sik is found by Mo, Daoud, and Rabisu down river and he notices Belet is missing. The others inform Sik that Lugal took her and everyone is searching. After failing to find Belet, they return to Dumuzi's commune. After realizing Lugal has the tablet as well, he questions their next move. Rabisu reveals she knows a pub where they might find information. While Sik is hesitant to go to a place that serves alcohol, he reluctantly agrees to go to find Belet. After going in circles, they reach an old contact of Rabisu's, Urshanabi, and he takes them through the Thames to the pub. Rabisu explains the rules of the Pub to Sik as they arrive at their destination, the World's End. They enter the pub and spot various mythological creatures from all over the world. Rabisu goes to order drinks, leaving Sik alone. As he waits, a girl named Lily sits next to him and starts complimenting the boy. As she touches his hand, red flags start to go off in his head as Rabisu returns and attacks Lily. Lily leaves and Rabisu reveals her real identity as Lillitu, a blood drinker. They two manage to get an audience with the pud's owner, Siduri , and Sik tells her they need help finding Belet and the tablet. However, Siduri states that it would be for the best to do nothing on the matter. Sik tries to protest, but she remains firm. After leaving, Sik fumes over the meeting while Rabisu accepts what they were told. An argument breaks out and, upon Sik stating Rabisu is not his friend, she runs off as he instantly regrets his words.

As Sik wonders around London, he thinks of where Lugal might be hiding. Remembering him as a figure associated with madness and anarchy, Sik searches through the internet and comes across a notorious mental hospital in the city that has relocated multiple times, with one former building being the Imperial War Museum. Sik goes to the museum and, after a few minutes of scouting out the perimeter, sneaks in. While looking for a way into the building, he comes across an elderly Kusarikku. He is soon ambushed by a figure and, after a brief fight, realizes it is Belet. She orders the kusarikku to restrain Sik and take him to her father, Lugal. They meet up with Lugal in the museum's atrium and, seeing the god holding the tablet, Sik realizes he altered destiny so that he found Belet rather than Ishtar. As Lugal explains that his mission for peace might have some bumps in the road, he gets a headache. Belet goes to comfort him, but he pushes the girl away. After calming down, Lugal tells everyone to move out. As they walk, Lugal points out the ghosts of patients who died when the building was a mention hospital as Sik tries to get through to Belet. However as he starts to break through, Lugal tells her to go and scan the parameter. They reach a construction area and Sik struggles upon seeing a hole in the ground and realizes he is going to be buried alive. After Sik is thrown in, Lugal taunts the boy by guessing how long he will be sane as concrete is poured into the hole.

Sik tries to scream but fails, only hearing his screams inside his head, Eventually the ghosts of the patients tell him their stories. Eventually, Sik starts praying to find comfort and strength. Soon he hears a tapping sound coming from above him and, much to his joy, is dug out as the ghosts tell him he is delusional. After being pulled out from the hole, Sik finds himself before Belet and the kisarikku. She gives him a bottle of water and, after telling him Lugal has moved on from the museum, tells Sik to leave. He again tries to convince Belet to come with him, but she refuses to betray the man who raised her. She forces Sik into a maintenance tunnel and he wanders through it as the ghost of the patients tell him everything would be better if he were not around. Sik reaches the entrance and weakly makes it off the museum’s grounds. A woman in food truck takes pity on the boy and gives him a free pastry. After telling him it is Thursday, Sik is horrified to realize he has been buried for two days.

Sik makes his way back to the commune and suffers from post traumatic stress, questioning if he is still buried under the museum or not and smells concrete everywhere he goes. As he is resting, Mo enters and tries to convince Sik they need to stop Lugal before things get worse. However, Sik feels it is best to not intervene with the madness god as Mo says they have to stop him. Soon Daoud and Rabisu enter the room and when Sik mentions Belet, neither Mo or Daoud know who she is. Sik searches everyone’s phones for pictures of Belet but fails to find them. As Rabisu mentions their minds have adjusted to the new timeline, Sik mentions the deli and realizes he cannot remember his own address.

Vanishing Entities and Saving the Cosmos

Rabisu

After Sik is dragged out of bed, he realizes he has to keep going for the sake of his friends and loved ones. He searches the internet to find more natural disasters unfolding. At night, he goes to the rooftop to the commune to find Rabisu. He brings a bucket of compost as a peace offering and apologizes for what he said after leaving the World's End. She accepts the peace offering shortly before Dumuzi arrives. The flower god states he likes to go to the roof at night to look at the planet Venus, who is associated with Ishtar. However he notices that the planets and stars are not visible. Remembering the story of how the world was made, Sik asks Dumuzi to give him his account. After Dumuzi mentions the world being made from Tiamat, everyone realizes Lugal is resurrecting his mother. Sik suggests they call in the other gods and heroes, but Dumuzi knows Lugal would have erased any threat from existence and leaves after Sik suggests he attack, knowing he would not be good in battle. Rabisu goes to get a file and asks Sik to work on her horns. As he works, Rabisu informs Sik that Lugal has been to England once before, when William the Conqueror took control of the country, even aided the Norman King in building the Tower of London. At the mention of the Tower, Sik realizes it is where Lugal is.

Everyone gathers in the kitchen as Daoud monitors current events and Mo tries and fails to warn the authorities. Daoud calls everyone over as the Prime Minister is giving a speech. As the Prime Minister speaks in Latin, Sik translates. They notice something in the background of the address and the Basmu Serpent crashes through parliament. Rabisu laughs as the others scold her and Dumuzi tells everyone they have to act. In the attic, Sik takes Kasusu out of its scabbard and talks to it. The sword mentions Belet and Sik barely remembers her, taking a few seconds to put her face to her name. Sik states he will save her, but Kasusu states she will try everything in her power to kill him. As the sword senses Sik has feelings for Belet, he puts it back in its scabbard. Mo enters and states they are heading out and, once they find the tablet, they will reset everything to as it was originally. Realizing it would mean losing his brother again, Sik is against it, but Mo insists it is the only way. During an awkward silence, Sik questions how he could have acquired the skills he now possesses at his age. After Rabisu throws a rock at the window, the brothers join the others.

As the group drives through London, they watch the downpour and keep out of sight of the authorities. Once they reach Parliament Square, they notice a bus full of tourists teetering over the Thames. Sik tries to reassure the trapped passengers they will be fine and to not panic. However they panic and the bus falls into the river. However, Dumuzi creates branches to stop it from reaching the water and gets the bus on level with the ground. Sik calms the passengers and, with the help of Daoud and Mo, gets everyone off safely. Once the tourists take shelter, the sky clears and they notice a huluppa tree that Rabisu reveals is the flower god. After Ranisu states the huluppa trees are a source of wisdom, Sik goes to touch it. Rabisu tries to stop him, but Sik insists he needs to know who he is in this new reality. He touches the tree and finds himself before Ishtar. The goddess informs Sik that to defend Lugal, he must show the god the light. When he asks about Belet, Ishtar says not to give up on her. The goddess vanishes and Sik realizes that, in this new reality sets, Ishtar is his mother.

As Sik clings to the memories of his old life, he starts to see memories from the new timeline. He was born in refugee camp in Iraq and he and Mo were taken in by Istar. While Mo took an interest in fashion, Sik took an interest in dance and fighting, mastering them quickly as Ishtar disguised the training as games. When he was eleven, Istar gave him Kasusu. Sik snaps back to the present and everyone makes their way to the Tower of London, watching civilians and tourists be rescued as the rain picks up again. When they arrive, they think of ways to get in and Daoud points out that the gates are wide open. They enter the grounds and divide into two teams; Daoud and Rabisu checks out the Waterloo Barracks while the Aziz brothers investigate the White Tower. Mo and Daoud share a tender goodbye before splitting up. When the brothers enter the tower, they are surprised by the lack of guards, but they soon emerge from the shadows. Mo takes cover as Sik draws Kasusu and attacks the guards. After taking out a few, Sik jumps and slices through a stone support beam. The brothers shelter under an arch as the ceiling collapses, taking out the guards. Sik and Mo then make their way to Lugal. The brothers reach the top and find Lugal and Belet, who have been expecting them. As Sik and Mo think of ways to deal with Lugal, Rabisu, who locked Daoud in a room- appears wearing the crown of the Queen Mother. After Sik scolds her for stealing the artifact, Rabisu asks if she can kill Belet as the three days are up. Hearing this, Sik remembers that a practice in Islam allows for visitors to be sheltered for three days and thinks of ways to use it to stop Lugal. However, before they can act, Tiamat awakens.

As everyone watches the goddess phase in an out of existence, the structure starts to become unstable and Sik notices Belet standing still. Fearing for her safety, Sik goes over to Belet and tries getting her to retreat. Belet insists it is the only possible outcome as she believes life is cruel. Knowing she expects him to attack her, Sik throws Kasusu aside and, after a moment’s shock, Belet attacks him. Sik tries to get Belet to remember her old life, but she refuses to listen. She slashes Sik's arm and, much to his surprise, the wound does not heal. Belet reveals Lugal used the tablet to remove Sik's immortality, but he still refuses to fight. As he begins to get through to Belet, Lugal orders her to kill the boy and, after she hesitates, he floods her mind with madness to get her to obey him. Sik tells her to fight it as the floor gives way and he begins to fall, but Belet- who regains her original memories- saves him. Sik picks up Kasusu and, when Rabisu returns after having eaten Anzud, the three attack the god. As they try to retrieve the tablet, they nearly succeed until Lugal catches Belet and slams her into a wall, rendering her unconscious. Just then Mo attacks the god and gets the tablet back. However the second Sik grabs it, Lugal takes Mo hostage and threatens to kill him if Sik does not return the tablet. In response, Sik throws the tablet out the window and Lugal goes after it.

Everyone watches as Lugal grabs the tablet and jumps on Tiamat's head. Watching everything be absorbed into Tiamat, they climb up the goddess’s back and try to convince Lugal to change his mind. Lugal sneers at them, believing it to be a trap. However they persist and Lugal humors them by momentarily becoming mortal. Sik shares the memory of Mo's last time at the deli with Lugal, with the god interacting with everyone in it and being welcomed to the Aziz family’s table. Lugal is both surprised and humbled by the act and, when the memory fades, he gives Sik the tablet and fades away. However, Tiamat is still absorbing all of creation into herself and Sik and Mo realize their companions are fading out of existence. Sik turns towards Belet, who vanishes before his eyes, and questions how this is still happening. Mo realizes he is not supposed to be alive and tries to convince Sik it is the only way. Sik refuses and Mo takes the tablet and runs up to the goddess’s mouth, jumping in. Sik, in a state of shock, runs after Mo and jumps into the void of the goddess's mouth as well. As Sik plummets down Tiamat's throat, he sees entire universes being born and dying, and the people in them living their lives. He eventually stops falling and finds Mo, who scolds Sik for going after him. The tablet starts to fade and they realize they need to get it out of Tiamat to save the cosmos. Monsters come at the brothers and, after Sik kills one, gives its fang to Mo and the brothers fighting as many of the monsters as they can. As they fight, they notice the tablet is solidifying, but the writing on it is vanishing. They believe it is a good thing as people can choose their own destiny. Soon Tiamat starts to attack herself in desperation, giving Sik and Mo more of an edge in battle. When the last monster attacks, the brothers see a light and change at the adversary, killing the goddess and restoring reality.

Reality Restored, With one Change

Sik finds himself in the ruins of the Tower of London, looking at the wreckage and debris to find no one in sight, other than half a dozen ravens. He finds the tablet hardening and, acting quickly, takes a twig and writes down in cuneiform that his brother is alive. At first, nothing happens. However after a moment he hears Mo scream and finds his brother struggling to get out of the Thames. Relieved, he goes to help Mo.

After finishing their vacation, Sik and Mo fly back to New York City while Rabisu joins Lady Gaga's tour and Daoud is in final talks to star in a spy movie. Mo gets out of the taxi a block away from the deli and Sik goes ahead. After being greeted by his parents, he sees the last family picture they took and notices Lugal is now in it. As Sik tries to tell his parents that Mo is back, Mo walks through the doorway and, after a moment of disbelief, his parents hug him. Sik lets them have a moment alone and goes across the street when he notices Belet is at Georiou's. Belet apologizes for her behavior when Lugal altered her fate while Sik insists she did right in the end. To Sik's surprise, Belet takes his hand and insists he owes her a dance. Sik tries to talk her out of it, saying they do not have enough room, and she drags him in front of Mo's to dance instead. While he is still hesitant, Belet insists and wraps her arms around his shoulders. Sik gives in, taking her waist and they dance.

Characters

• Sikander Aziz
• Belet Amari
• Rabisu
• Daoud
• Dumuzi
• Lady Fitzroy
• Patricia
• Sarah Anderson
• Lugal
• Ishtar
• Mohammed Aziz
• Tiamat
• Basmu Serpent
• Anzud
• Urshanabi
• Siduri
• Mr. Georiou

Chapters

The book has forty-three unnamed chapters told in the first person from the perspective of Sikander Aziz.

Trivia

• Several references are made to characters from Rick Riordan's series.
  • Statues of the Egyptian Gods are at Fitzroy Castle.
  • The news mentions something about the California wildfires. In The Burning Maze, they were the result of Helios being resurrected in the Labyrinth beneath California.
  • The Rosetta Stone is stolen and broken at the British Museum. The Rosetta Stone was also destroyed in The Red Pyramid, albeit by accident, by Julius Kane.
  • A statue of Apollo is stolen from the museum.
  • A statue of Nero is broken during the chaos at the museum.
  • Dumuzi mentions that Ishtar, the goddess of love and war, is now associated with the planet Venus which is also the name of the Roman goddess of love.
• Sik recalls his brief meeting with Sal Vidón in The Loneliest Demon which he is still not sure wasn't a hallucination.