Eleven-year old Anatolia Steppe arrives in Petra and finds her mother missing. But that's not unusual. Her mom's an archaeologist who often disappears into the wildplaces with no indoor plumbing or connection to the Internet.& ; An odd encounter with a ministry official offering protection sends Ana into the confusing maze of streets as she decides to find her mother herself. Instead she encounters an antiquities collector who ends up dead, a fortuneteller who knows too much, and a key to what is lost. Ana begins to suspect the secret package from her mother she carries wrapped in muslin is much more than just a clue to an ancient Nabatean treasure, the fabled Horde of the Golden Girdle. & ; In a world where djinn play mean tricks and someone's always watching, Ana finds a friend in a boy named Gordy. Together they track tomb robbers, uncover a spy, and discover much more than gold and silver.

& ; A surprising twist may even prove to be the end for Ana, as she discovers no one is who they appear to be.