Dark Choices: The Quandary (The Children Of The Gods Paranormal Romance Series Book 41)

by I. T. Lucas

  “Was it my father’s doing?”

  She nodded. “Yes, but it is not your fault. Tell me more about your vision for the future of your people, and what you hope to achieve from the alliance you formed with my son.”

  “I want to start my own legacy, or rather my mother’s. I think it is fitting that the two clans will be called after the goddesses who contributed their genes to their formation. I would like to call mine Areana’s clan.”

  He’d thought she would love the idea, but Annani didn’t seem overly enthusiastic.

  “Honoring your mother is a noble sentiment, but your men are not her direct descendants. Only you are. You can call your clan whatever you like.” She waved a hand in a circle. “Up until not too long ago, every member of my clan was my direct descendant, and that is why it bears my name.”

  “I’m aware of that. But as you’ve said, my intention is to honor my mother.”

  “I understand.” Annani nodded. “By naming your clan after your mother, you wish to distance yourself from your father’s legacy.”

  Kalugal hadn’t thought of that, but subconsciously he must have. “It hadn’t occurred to me, but you are right. I inherited my power from my father, but I want to believe that I inherited everything else from my mother.”

  “Areana will be very glad to hear that.” Annani rearranged the folds of her long gown. “But do not discount your father’s contribution. Your leadership ability comes from him as well. It is your choice, however, what you do with your many talents. My father was a ruthless leader, and I inherited my bossy attitude from him, but I keep myself in check.” She smiled. “You are still young, Kalugal, but you are a smart man. Make rules for yourself, and always examine the motives behind your actions. Just like humans, we are ruled by impulses, and I am no exception, as my son can attest to. But when you are guided by the principles of compassion and the greater good, you should be fine.”

  “Wise words, Clan Mother.”

  Annani smiled. “And now that we have this introductory conversation out of the way, let us discuss your wedding. I suggest a date ten days from today. That should be enough time for Jacki to recover and for Amanda to organize the party.”

  Kalugal shifted in his armchair. “I’m not sure Kian is okay with that. I would want my men to attend, and I doubt he is willing to host them.”

  He expected the goddess to declare that it was her decision and that Kian had no say in it, but she surprised him. “Let us join the others and have a family discussion, shall we?”

  7

  Kian

  When Annani and Kalugal stepped out through the sliding door, Kian braced for the inevitable. His mother had that determined expression on her face that meant she was ready for battle.

  He pulled out a chair for her. “Here you go, Mother.”

  “Thank you.” Annani rearranged the folds of her gown and leaned back. “Kalugal thinks that you have reservations about holding his wedding in the village and inviting his men to attend it.”

  Kian cast a quick glance at Kalugal. The guy’s expression didn’t reveal much, but by now he knew his cousin well enough to figure out that he wasn’t enthusiastic about celebrating his wedding for the second time, and it wasn’t because the first one had ended in a near-disaster.

  “I don’t think Kalugal is comfortable bringing his men here either. If I were in his position, I wouldn’t want my entire force to be hosted by a new ally that I don’t fully trust yet.”

  Annani looked at Kalugal. “Is that so?”

  He nodded. “I trust Kian, and I believe that he means my men and me no harm, but blind faith is naive, and I can’t count on every member of the clan to share your and Kian’s sentiments.”

  “I understand both of your concerns. But the mistrust you still feel toward each other is precisely why I want our people to celebrate together. Our communities are small. Joining forces is beneficial for us all.”

  In a perfect world, where no one lied or schemed, his mother would have been right. But people were self-serving, and motives were not always transparent.

  Besides, Kian hadn’t had a chance to tell Annani about his conversation with Bridget yet. She might change her mind after she heard Edna’s opposition to Kalugal and his party’s presence in the village.

  “Not everyone shares your opinion, Mother. I’m afraid that many of our clan members are uncomfortable with outsiders in our community.”

  “Which proves my point. If we do nothing, these tribal sentiments are not going to vanish spontaneously. They will continue indefinitely. At some point, the ice needs to be broken.”

  As usual, resistance was futile.

  Kian had a feeling that Annani was so adamant about the party because she viewed it as the first step of integrating Kalugal and his men into the clan. She didn’t just want cooperation, she wanted unification.

  Neither he nor Kalugal wished for that.

  Casting an apologetic glance at his cousin, Kian sighed. “When do you want to have the party, Mother?”

  “As we have discussed before, ten days from now sounds reasonable. By then, Jacki will have fully recuperated to look beautiful on her wedding day, and it is enough time for Amanda to organize the party and for you to take care of all the appropriate security measures.”

  “I doubt that ten days is long enough for William to make cuffs for all of Kalugal’s men.”

  “Where are you going to house them?” Amanda asked.

  “The only available houses are in the new section of the village. I will have to move Magnus’s family and Merlin out of there, and have them switch homes with Guardians. I will also need to put the fence back up.” Kian looked at Annani. “Are you sure that this party is worth all this headache? It’s a security nightmare.” He glanced at Kalugal. “No offense, but I have to take into account my people’s concerns.”

  “I understand. Perhaps we can have the party somewhere else? A neutral place? That way we will still celebrate together, but no one will have to move, and no fence will have to be built.”

  “We can have the party in the keep,” Amanda suggested. “After all, that’s where your wedding was, and it was awesome if I may say so myself.”

  “You may,” Syssi said. “It was beautiful, and I think it’s a much better idea than doing it here.”

  “I do not agree,” Annani said.

  Kalugal cleared his throat. “Perhaps you should discuss it amongst yourselves. I don’t feel comfortable leaving Jacki alone for so long.”

  “Of course.” Annani smiled. “Please give her my warmest regards and tell her that as soon as she is strong enough, I would like to see her.”

  “I certainly will.” Kalugal got up and bowed. “It was a pleasure making your acquaintance, Clan Mother. Thank you for the audience and for your generous offer to host a wedding party for Jacki and me. I just don’t want it to cause unnecessary strife and inconvenience.”

  “It will not, my dear nephew.”

  “A Guardian will escort you back to the clinic.” Kian led Kalugal back into the house and then out the door.

  “I can find my way back.”

  Kian smirked. “I don’t want you to get lost.” He waved at the Guardians waiting on the front porch. “Harrison and Rory will take you back.”

  Rolling his eyes, Kalugal turned to the Guardians. “Let’s go, gentlemen.”

  When Kian returned to the backyard, Okidu was serving iced tea and refreshments.

  Taking a glass off the tray, Kian patted his pocket and pulled out his box of cigarillos. “So, Mother. What’s your real agenda? Do you wish to lure Kalugal and his men into joining our clan?

  Annani shrugged. “That would solve the problem that we have discussed earlier. We do not want to lose any of our females, but we want them to be happy and have immortal mates. By integrating Kalugal and his men into the clan, we can have the best of both worlds.”

  Kian sat at the farthest chair from Syssi and pulled out a cigarillo. “There are many more varia
bles in this situation, and the main one is Kalugal’s ability to compel immortals. We can’t have Guardians with earpieces following him around the village at all times. We have a beautiful and peaceful community here, and introducing a foreign element will destroy that feeling of tranquility. I, for one, am not willing to give it up.”

  Annani smiled. “You are getting carried away, Kian. We should focus on the wedding first. I do not expect a ten-day stay in the village to lure Kalugal into joining our clan, or our people to accept him and his men with open arms. This joint party is just the beginning of what will no doubt be a long process.”

  “The party that's going to be a security nightmare.”

  “Not necessarily.” Annani winked. “I tested my power of compulsion on my people in the sanctuary, with their agreement of course, and the experiment was successful.”

  “Naturally.” Kian lit his cigarillo and took a puff. “If they expected it, how do you know they weren't just humoring you? Even subconsciously? Besides, most clan members will do whatever you tell them with no compulsion required.”

  “That’s what I thought,” Alena said. “I think that the test should be repeated here, but without anyone knowing about it beforehand, and it has to be something trivial or silly, so people will not feel obligated to do it just because you asked.”

  Syssi arched a brow. “Like what?”

  That was a good question. Kian couldn’t think of anything that the goddess would ask her people, and they wouldn’t do.

  “I have an idea,” Amanda said. “We can assemble a large gathering of people, and Annani can tell everyone to look for an earring that she supposedly lost. Then I’ll say that I found it and that they can stop looking. If they are under compulsion, they will ignore me and keep looking until Mother tells them to stop.”

  Annani clapped her hands. “This is an excellent solution. I want to test it today.”

  “One problem.” Kian took another puff. “Compellers are usually immune to compulsion by others. We know that Kalugal is immune to his father’s compulsion, so even if the test is successful, it doesn’t mean that you can compel him or override his compulsion.”

  Annani nodded. “If I can override Kalugal’s compulsion, then it does not matter whether I can compel him personally. The question is how can I test it without his knowledge?”

  “I know how.” Amanda looked at Kian’s cigarillo. “Kian can ask Kalugal to compel him to stop smoking because it’s a disgusting habit. Then you will try to override the compulsion and tell Kian to smoke. The thing is, I don’t know whether I want you to succeed or fail.”

  8

  Jacki

  As a whiff of familiar scent filtrated through the semi-conscious state between sleep and awareness, Jacki opened her eyes and shifted to her side. “How long have you been sitting here?”

  “Not long.” Kalugal got up and sat on the bed next to her. “Did I wake you up?”

  “Your scent did.” She pulled him down to lie beside her. “How did the meeting go?”

  He chuckled. “You have to meet her, Jacki. Whatever I say will not do Annani justice.”

  “Is she scary?”

  “Not scary, but definitely intimidating. Imagine godly power with a commanding personality to match, an otherworldly beauty with pale skin that glows, and all of that contained within about a five-foot frame that weighs no more than a hundred pounds, probably less without the ten pounds of hip-long, flaming-red hair. Annani is like a tiny nuclear reactor.”

  Jacki remembered Kalugal describing his mother as a tall blonde with gentle, blue eyes. “Were you disappointed that Annani didn’t resemble your mother?”

  “A little. But her eldest daughter, Alena, looks a lot like Areana. She’s blonde and tall, and she seems to be a very nice, mellow woman.” He smirked. “Given the disparity between Annani’s height and that of her children, the goddess must have a thing for tall men.”

  “Opposites attract.”

  “It would seem so.” He wrapped his arm around Jacki’s middle and pulled her closer to him. “Do you think Bridget will let me take you home today?”

  “Which one?”

  Their house in the village was nice, but it wasn’t theirs.

  “Regrettably, I can’t take you to our home. Annani announced that our second wedding will take place in ten days.”

  “Maybe we can go home and come back?”

  “She also wants to see you once you feel up to it.”

  Jacki sighed. “I still feel as weak as a newborn. I hope that by Tuesday, I’ll be strong enough to face the tiny nuclear reactor. But we can go home after that and return for the wedding.”

  Kalugal lifted a brow. “I’m surprised that you are so eager to leave. I thought that you would love to spend more time with your friends.”

  “I do. But I also miss Atzil and Shamash and even Phinas. He might not be as fun as Rufsur, but he’s been nice to me. Besides, I think it’s an instinct to go home to heal.”

  “In a few days, you will feel better, and then you’ll regret not spending more time with your friends.”

  “Yeah, you’re right.” Jacki wound her arms around Kalugal's neck and pulled him in for a kiss.

  His hand caressed its way down to her bottom, cupping it gently for a brief moment and then retracting. “I’d better not.”

  Jacki wanted to protest, but a knock on the door stopped her.

  Kalugal slid off the bed and walked over to open it. “Hello, Jin.”

  “I’m going home.” She rushed in with a happy smile on her face. “Bridget discharged me.”

  “That’s great. How are your teeth doing?” Jacki asked.

  “You mean my fangs? Take a look.” Jin leaned closer and opened her mouth.

  “I can see them. They look like baby teeth.”

  “For now.” Jin sat on the bed. “Bridget says that they are much longer inside the gums.” She shrugged. “I made my peace with them, except for the growing pains that is. I have a bag full of painkillers, and I intend to use them.”

  “Where is Arwel?”

  “He went to get the golf cart.” Jin rolled her eyes. “I told him that I could walk home, but he wanted to carry me. I said no way, so we compromised on the golf cart.”

  “Can we hitch a ride with you? I want to go too. Do you think Bridget will let me?”

  “Let’s ask her.” Jin turned toward the door and yelled, “Bridget, can Jacki go home?”

  The doctor walked in. “You can if you promise to take it easy and rest.”

  “Trust me, I have no energy for anything other than napping or reading in bed.”

  “Then you are free to go.” Bridget smiled. “With both of you out of here, I can go home as well.”

  “Thank you, for everything,” Kalugal said.

  “It was my pleasure. I love welcoming transitioned Dormants into immortality. It’s like delivering babies, only fully grown.” She looked at Jacki and then at Jin. “If you need me, just call, and I’ll come over. Congratulations to you both.”

  As the doctor turned around and left the room, Jin pulled Jacki into a quick embrace. “We can ride together, and tomorrow, if you are up to it, I’ll come over to visit you. We can slouch on the couch together and watch silly romance movies on Netflix.”

  “Awesome.”

  9

  Vlad

  “We should get going.” Jackson looked out the window at the darkening sky. “We were supposed to leave in the morning.”

  “Don’t go now,” Wendy said. “Stay for dinner.”

  Tessa shook her head. “Poor Vlad has been cooking the entire weekend.” She looked at him and smiled. “You probably can’t wait to get rid of us.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous.” Vlad waved a hand. “I love cooking, and we are having a good time. What’s your hurry?”

  Jackson and Tessa’s visit had given him the perfect excuse to avoid talking with Wendy about sex and birth control, and it also bought him more time to decide whether she was his
one and only or not.

  He believed she was, but then he wanted to believe that. Wendy was his first girlfriend, his first love, and he might not be thinking straight.

  “No hurry,” Tessa said. “But if we are staying for dinner, I will cook it. You’ve done enough.”

  Wendy lifted her hand. “And I’ll help.” She looked at the Guardians and Richard, who were sitting on the couch and watching the news on the tube. “You guys are on cleanup duty, except for Vlad, who deserves a break.”

  “Fine with me.” Bowen pushed to his feet. “Who wants to go for a walk?”

  “Not me.” Leon clicked the television off, got up, and walked into the kitchen. “I want to sit on the porch, drink beer, and watch the sunset.” He pulled a bottle from the fridge.

  “Get one for me too,” Richard said.

  Vlad cast Jackson a sidelong glance. They hadn’t had an opportunity for a private talk yet, and he needed his friend’s advice.

  Good thing that they’d known each other since they were toddlers, and Jackson understood the look right away. “A hike before dinner sounds great.” He leaned and kissed Tessa. “Don’t work too hard.”

  “Don’t worry. I won’t. I know just the thing to make.”

  When they were out the door, Bowen sat on the bench next to Leon and Richard. “I changed my mind. I’ll stay here and watch the sunset. You two go ahead.”

  It seemed like everyone had guessed Vlad’s intentions.

  A couple of minutes into the walk, Jackson slowed down. “So, what did you want to talk to me about?”

  “Was I that obvious?”

  Jackson nodded. “I know that you like to cook, but the way you were going at it in the kitchen, it was clear that you were dealing with something.”

  Vlad pushed his bangs back. “I’m losing my mind trying to figure out whether Wendy is the one. I love her, but then she is my first girlfriend, and I don’t really know what love is. How did you know that Tessa was the one for you?”