by I. T. Lucas
Unreasonable woman.
“I don’t know why you are being so stubborn.” He leaned and whispered in her ear, “I know what you look like naked.”
“But I don’t.” Jacki looked down at the voluminous hospital gown. “I have a feeling that I’ve lost ten pounds overnight, and I want some privacy when I check what I look like under this thing.”
He cupped her cheek. “Ten pounds less, or ten more, it doesn’t matter. You are always beautiful to me. I love you.”
Her eyes softened. “I know, and I love you too. But I really need a few moments to myself. Can you be a sweetheart and give me that?”
Sly woman.
“Fine.” Kalugal handed Jacki the duffle bag with her change of clothes. “I’ll be right outside the door if you need me.” He pulled the chair over and sat down.
She shook her head. “Please, take it back to where it was. You’ll hear me just as well from five feet away.”
It was more like ten feet, but Kalugal knew that there was no point in arguing with Jacki. It would only upset her, and she would keep insisting until he did whatever she wanted anyway. He could, however, negotiate. “On one condition.”
“What is it?”
“You can take as long as you like in there, but say something every five minutes or so to let me know that you’re okay.”
“It’s a deal.”
As Jacki closed the door behind her, Kalugal let out a sigh and returned the chair to the side of the bed.
Last night, Bridget had offered to roll in a gurney for him to sleep on, but he’d refused. He’d spent the entire time sitting on the damn chair and listening to Jacki breathe, and now he was stiff and tired and wanted to go home, but not to their temporary lodging in the village.
Much as he was grateful for Kian’s hospitality, Kalugal wanted things to go back to normal. He wanted to take Jacki and his men back to the mansion, and resume his work, albeit part-time. Until Jacki’s vitality was fully restored, he needed to take care of her. Then, in a month or two, when she was up to it, he would take her on a proper honeymoon to some exotic location.
Right now though, being back in his own home seemed like the best honeymoon possible. He missed the privacy, the peace and quiet, and the comfortable routine he and his men had enjoyed before the summit, the attack, and then the trip to the clan’s secret village.
“I’m still okay,” Jacki said from the bathroom. “I’m getting into the shower now.”
“Thank you for remembering to let me know.”
At the sound of a knock, he got up and opened the door. “Kian. I didn’t expect you here so early.”
Kalugal didn’t invite his cousin to come in. Instead, he stood in the doorway and blocked the way. Jacki might get out of the shower with just a towel wrapped around her, and she would be mortified to find a male visitor in the room.
Kian glanced at his watch. “It’s after twelve.”
Earlier, when he’d called to congratulate them, Kian had said that he and Syssi would visit Jacki in the afternoon.
“Jacki is still not ready to see anyone. She’s in the shower.”
“I’m not here for Jacki. Annani wants to talk to you. She wanted to meet Jacki as well, but she is willing to wait until Jacki feels up to it.”
Kalugal wanted to meet the goddess, but now was not a good time. He looked at the bathroom door. “I can’t leave her.”
“I can wait until she’s done showering.”
“I don’t want to leave her alone.”
“I’ll ask Bridget or Jin to come in and keep Jacki company. You can’t decline an invitation from the goddess.”
Damn. Talk about bad timing. Was Annani doing it on purpose to catch him off balance?
The goddess had already done it once, when she’d informed him that he and Jacki were getting married again in the village with her presiding over the ceremony. The only excuse he’d been able to come up with on the spot had been Jacki’s transition. But now that it was behind them, he needed time to figure out how to wiggle out of staying for the wedding without offending the mighty Clan Mother.
It would be a security nightmare for both him and Kian, and neither of them was too enthusiastic about going to all that trouble for a party. They’d already done it once, and it hadn’t ended well, though through no fault of their own.
“Can I ask you to wait outside?”
“Of course.” Kian dipped his head. “I’ll see if Jin is accepting visitors.”
After Kian left, Kalugal walked over to the bathroom door and knocked. “Are you about done?”
The door opened, and Jacki stepped out. “How do I look?”
“Beautiful.”
She had dark circles under her eyes, and the yoga pants that were normally tight seemed too loose on her hips, but she was still gorgeous.
“You are sweet, but you are also a liar.” She padded to the bed and sat on it. “The shower sapped what little energy I had. I’m going to lie down.”
“Of course.” Kalugal helped her get comfortable and covered her with the blanket. “Kian came to tell me that Annani wants to see me, but I don’t want to leave you alone, and I can’t refuse the goddess either.”
“Naturally.” Jacki yawned. “Go. I’m going to take a nap anyway.”
“Bridget is here if you need her.”
“I know.” Jacki lifted the call button. “Don’t worry about me. I’m immortal now, remember? I just need to rest.”
“True.” He leaned and kissed her temple. “I have the phone that Kian gave me. If you need me, call, and I’ll come as fast as I can.”
5
Kian
“Hello, Kian.” Bridget got up and motioned for him to take a seat. “You’re early.” She closed the door. “Weren’t you and Syssi supposed to come later this afternoon?”
“We will.” He sat down. “I came to get Kalugal. Annani wants to meet him.”
“I see.” Bridget sat across from him. “I guess Annani wants to talk wedding plans.”
“She is curious about him. Can you keep an eye on Jacki while he’s gone? Kalugal is upset that he has to leave her alone, but refusing Annani is not an option.”
“Right, and that’s a big problem.” Bridget leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest. “I had a visit from Edna earlier. She came looking for you. I told her that you’d be here later in the afternoon.”
“She could’ve called me.”
Bridget shrugged. “I guess she didn’t want to bother you at home and wanted to make it look like an impromptu meeting.”
“Did she tell you what she wanted to talk to me about?”
“Edna is furious that you invited Kalugal and his party into the village without consulting the council first. As you can imagine, she wasn’t happy when I told her about Annani’s plan to have a wedding party for Jacki and Kalugal here as well.”
“I don’t like it either, but it’s not like Annani gave me a choice. What the Clan Mother wants, the Clan Mother gets.”
Bridget nodded. “I know, and so does Edna. She said that she’s going to talk to Annani and try to convince her to give up the idea.”
Kian chuckled. “If she succeeds, she will have my gratitude. Kalugal will want his men at the party, and I can’t refuse the request. They are his family. But can you imagine the security nightmare?”
Bridget shrugged. “I’m not as concerned with that as I am with the tension it will cause. Edna is not the only one who doesn’t trust former Doomers. In addition, there is a lot of resentment about the planned matchmaking between his men and our females.”
Kian shook his head. “It never ceases to amaze me how fast rumors spread through the village, and that I’m always out of the loop. Annani heard the same rumors.”
“That’s one of the reasons why you should hold more council meetings. People are more comfortable voicing their complaints and reporting things to council members than they are to you.” Bridget unfolded her arms and leaned forward. “That’s
another thing Edna plans to do. She wants you to schedule a council meeting as soon as possible.”
“I should do that.” Kian raked his fingers through his hair. “It’s more expeditious to make decisions and go with them without having the council vote on every damn thing, but that’s not how I’m supposed to run things.” He rose to his feet. “Can you call Shai and ask him to schedule it as soon as possible? I need to get Kalugal and head back. Annani gets annoyed when she’s kept waiting.”
“No problem. Does tomorrow work for you?”
“Shai knows my schedule. Have him check with the other council members and plan accordingly.”
Bridget nodded. “I’ll do that.”
When Kian stepped out of the doctor’s office, Kalugal was already waiting for him in the hallway.
“Ready?” Kian pushed the clinic door open.
“Is one ever ready to meet a goddess?”
“You’ve spoken with her on the phone. You did just fine.”
Kalugal fell into step with him. “If I'd had time to prepare, I would have done much better. But then that’s probably why Annani springs things on me without warning. She wants to catch me off guard.”
Kian shook his head. There was an old saying about everyone seeing the world through their own prism. “Don’t judge Annani by Navuh’s standards. There is nothing premeditated about it. She’s impulsive by nature, and when she wants something, she wants it now.”
Kalugal smiled. “She’s entitled. After all, she is a goddess.”
“Correct. And Annani is very powerful, so don’t do anything stupid.”
Kalugal rolled his eyes. “After all we’ve been through together, you are still suspicious of me and my motives? By now, we are practically brothers.”
Laughing, Kian clapped Kalugal on his back. “I like you. I can’t deny it. And since I only have sisters, I would love to take you on as an honorary brother. Unfortunately, you are too smart and conniving to be trusted.”
“Why do you think I’m conniving? And what do you imagine that I’m conspiring to do?”
“No clue. It’s a gut feeling. I have to admit that so far you haven’t given me any reason to feel that way, and it’s not really personal. You are a smart and powerful guy, and you don’t owe me or my clan allegiance. It would be stupid of me to trust you blindly.”
Kalugal sighed. “Unfortunately, that is true, and I feel the same way about you. You have your people to take care of, and I have mine, and both of us will do what’s right for ours first.”
“I’m glad we understand each other.”
“Any instructions on how I should act when I meet the goddess? Should I bow? Go down on my knees? Do you have a protocol in place for audiences with Annani?”
“A dip of the head will do as far as a bow. You are eloquent and polite, so I don’t need to tell you how to talk. Annani is not big on protocol, and she prefers to be addressed as 'Clan Mother'.”
“Got it. Anything else that I should be aware of? Is it permitted to disagree with her?”
Kian laughed. “It is, but it’s also futile. When she decides something, no one can change her mind. That being said, Annani is not unreasonable. If a valid argument is made, she might reconsider.”
“Are there any topics that I should stay away from?”
“If you mean mentioning the Brotherhood or your father, the answer is no. She is much more tolerant in that respect than I am. As long as you are polite, you can talk with her about any topic under the sun. Annani is a diva, and she’s powerful, but she is not mean or vindictive. She’s open-minded and surprisingly progressive for someone who’s as old as human civilization itself.”
“That’s good to know.” Kalugal cast him a sidelong glance. “Talking with my father was always challenging, even dangerous, especially when I wanted to get information out of him. He was never a parent to me, he was my sovereign, and I addressed him as 'my lord.' I wonder if the children of other leaders grow up feeling the same.”
It was a polite way to ask whether Kian thought of Annani as his mother or as his superior.
“My childhood was short. From an early age, Annani demanded a lot of me, grooming me to become the leader she needed me to become. But she was always a mother first, expressing her love for my sisters and me freely and abundantly.” Kian smiled. “When Amanda was little, she would sneak into Annani’s bed at night, and our mother would allow her to sleep with her. I think that she enjoyed it even more than my sister did.”
Kalugal nodded. “That tells me a lot about the kind of woman the goddess is. Thank you for sharing this story with me.”
6
Kalugal
As Kian turned into a pathway leading to one of the village’s modest houses, Kalugal was surprised. He’d imagined the goddess staying in more upscale accommodations.
Was this an attempt to hide her whereabouts?
But then the two Guardians sitting on the front porch were a dead giveaway that someone important was inside.
“Is this where the goddess resides during her visits?” he asked.
“She is staying with Syssi and me until her house is ready.” Kian climbed the three stairs to the front porch, nodded at the Guardians, and opened the door.
Apparently, the clan’s upper echelon didn’t concern themselves with status symbols or luxurious living.
Odd.
The clan didn’t lack resources, and Kian could afford a mansion if he wished to have one. Did it have anything to do with the social structure of the community?
Kian was too smart to follow a communist ideology. People, humans as well as immortals, needed motivation to do their best, and unless they were rewarded for a job well done, either with money or status or both, they didn’t bother. Equal opportunity for all ensured that those who could do better would, but that was where it should end. No one wanted to be the donkey, laboring twice as hard as their neighbors but getting paid the same. Compensation divorced from effort led to equal poverty for all, which was why communism didn’t work.
“Welcome to my house.” Kian motioned for him to go ahead.
Taking a deep breath, Kalugal squared his shoulders, plastered an amicable expression on his face, and strode in.
Out of the four females sitting in Kian’s living room, Kalugal knew Syssi and Amanda. But he didn’t need to be told which of the other two was Annani, and she wasn’t the one who looked a lot like his mother.
Seated in an armchair that seemed too big for her small frame, the goddess was everything he’d expected her to be and more.
Much more.
In every possible way, his aunt was different from his mother.
In fact, the half-sisters didn’t look even related. He wondered which one resembled the father they shared.
Power-wise, it was no doubt Annani.
Her otherworldly beauty was almost painful to behold, and her power was palpable. Where Areana was soft and gentle, Annani was an amalgamation of extremes. Flaming red hair that cascaded down to her hips, luminous skin, and eyes that were ancient and yet full of amusement and mischief.
Physically, she was much smaller than Areana, and her tiny figure seemed fragile. But Kalugal wasn’t fooled by the goddess’s appearance. That small package contained the most powerful being on earth.
He bowed low. “Greetings, Clan Mother.”
The goddess smiled. “Kalugal, what a pleasure it is to finally meet you, my dear nephew. You are even more handsome in person.” She leaned forward. “Congratulations on Jacki’s transition.”
“Thank you.” He bowed again.
As Kian’s butler rushed in with a chair for him, the blonde who looked a lot like his mother pushed to her feet. “I’m Alena, Annani’s eldest daughter.” She offered Kalugal her hand.
Shaking it, he tilted his head. “You look familiar, and not only because you remind me of my mother.”
Alena laughed. “There is a very good reason for that, but I’ll tell you all about it later. My mother wishe
s to talk to you in private.”
Kian clapped him on the back. “We will be out in the backyard. After your audience with the Clan Mother is over, you can join me there for a smoke.”
The guy was leaving him alone with the goddess?
That was unexpected.
Was Kian finally starting to trust him?
Or was Annani so powerful that she had nothing to fear from him?
That was more likely.
Once they were alone, Annani motioned to the armchair her daughter Alena had vacated. “Come and sit next to me, Kalugal.”
“It’s an honor to meet you.” He bowed for the third time before sitting down.
“No need to be so formal.” She waved a small, glowing hand. “We are a family.”
“Yes, we are.” Kalugal chuckled. “But a very unusual one.”
Annani laughed. “Indeed. We are the most powerful family on earth, which has its advantages and disadvantages. It is a privilege and a responsibility. We are capable of doing a lot of good for those less powerful than us, but also a lot of evil. What are your plans for the future, Kalugal?”
The conversation with Jacki still fresh in his mind, Kalugal was momentarily tempted to share some of his vision with the goddess, but quickly reconsidered. He hadn’t had time to think it through and decide how he wanted to proceed.
Instead, he could tell Annani about the plans that did not involve world domination. She would probably like those, and he wouldn’t have to lie.
“I want to form a clan of my own. Up until now, it was just me, my men and me, but now that we can have immortal mates, our future looks much brighter.” He glanced out the window. “I would very much like to build a village like this for my people.”
“Where would you build your village?”
“Northern California. I conduct a lot of business in the Bay Area, and I need a location that is not too far from where all the startups are.”
Annani sighed. “Many of our talented programmers have been stationed in that area, helping those startups that you have mentioned to develop new technologies. But after our best and brightest was murdered, we pulled most of them out.”