by I. T. Lucas
“Am I going back to the bunker?” Jacki ignored his offered hand, getting up without his help.
“Do you want to?”
She shrugged. “It’s a nice room.”
“The one up here is nicer.”
For the past hour, his men had been busy converting the small office adjacent to the master bedroom into a cozy space for Jacki. Hopefully, they were done, but perhaps it was better to inspect the room before bringing her up there.
He put his hand on the small of her back to guide her. “Would you rather spend some time in the library?”
Her eyes brightened. “I would love to. What kind of books do you have in there?”
“All kinds. There is a large selection to choose from, and if none are to your liking, I also have a television in there with every subscription service available.”
“Naturally.” Her tone was mocking.
“Do you have a problem with that?”
“Not at all. It just makes sense for a rich guy like you to have that.”
“I see.” He opened the library doors and motioned for her to go ahead of him. “So, your problem is not with the subscription services but with rich people.”
Jacki stood at the entrance and gaped.
The library was Kalugal’s favorite room in the house. It was two stories high, with an interior staircase that led to a second-floor interior balcony spanning the perimeter of the room, a fireplace, and a wet bar. Only the finest materials had been used in its construction, from the exotic woods used for the paneling and the floors to the marble columns, the leaded-glass windows, and dozens of other small details that he had personally seen to.
“I have no problem with rich people,” Jacki murmured as she turned in a circle. “You can leave me here.”
Kalugal dipped his head to cover his smile. “Enjoy.”
Stepping out, he closed the doors of the library behind him and motioned for Shamash to stand guard. “If Jacki needs me, I’ll be in my office.”
“Yes, sir.” Shamash took a seat in one of the armchairs facing the doors.
Kalugal’s office was adjacent to the library and had a door leading directly to it. It was camouflaged as a bookcase from both sides, but the reason for it was purely esthetic. It wasn’t meant to provide a secret passage, but Jacki didn’t know about it, which would play nicely into his plan.
Taking a seat behind his desk, Kalugal called Kian and swiveled the chair to look out at the garden.
“Hello, Kalugal. How is Rufsur doing?”
“He is well, thank you. And how are Jin and Arwel?”
“Excellent. But I’m not happy about you compelling information out of Jin and Julian.”
“Can you blame me? You didn’t forbid it, which I took to mean that neither knew anything of tactical importance. My questions were not designed to find out your weaknesses, cousin, only to satisfy my curiosity."
“That’s why I’ll let it go this time. However, next time you pull something like that without checking with me first, there will be consequences.”
“Such as?”
“How would you like to wait another week to talk to your mother?”
Kalugal chuckled even though he wasn’t amused. “Are we playing games, Kian? I think we are both too old for that. I’ve waited many decades to speak to my mother, and I can wait another week. But I’m sure you want your immune back sooner.”
“True. But your first conversation with Areana is not going to be the last, and any that follow would depend on the level of your cooperation and show of goodwill.”
Kalugal grimaced. “You keep forgetting that I wasn’t the one who started this thing. You were the instigator, so stop issuing threats, and let’s act like civilized men. When will the first call take place?”
“Tomorrow morning at seven. That’s when Areana contacts us every day. When the call comes in, my tech guy will patch you through.”
Rubbing his chest, Kalugal swiveled his chair around. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“I bet. At seven sharp, have Jacki ready to leave, and the moment you verify that you are indeed talking with your mother, signal to your men to let Jacki go. If she is not out the gate five minutes after the call starts, my guy is going to cut you off.”
“How long will I have with my mother?”
“Ten minutes. That’s the maximum length of her daily calls. Anything longer than that might endanger her.”
“I understand. What about the blockade? I’ve seen that most of your men are gone, but I bet they are not far away.”
“Correct. Once we have Jacki back, I’ll call the rest of them off. I assume that after that you plan to relocate and disappear once again.”
“We should talk, Kian. Let’s turn this unfortunate fiasco into an opportunity to get to know each other better. I still have many questions that you can answer for me.”
Kian chuckled. “I’m not going to get anywhere near you or talk to you without my immune on standby.”
“Tsk, tsk, cousin. At some point, you will need to start trusting me. As long as we suspect each other’s every word, we can’t make progress.”
“That’s true. But I’m a cautious man. As much as I’m curious about you and would like to establish some form of cooperation between us, the safety of my people comes first.”
“Same here. I’m sure we will figure something out. Goodbye, cousin. We will talk again tomorrow. But if you come up with a creative idea for how we can meet while guaranteeing each other’s safety, don’t hesitate to call me beforehand.”
“You’ve got it.”
Ending the call, Kalugal put the phone on his desk and swiveled his chair once again to look at his beautiful garden.
It would be a shame to leave it behind, but maybe there would be no need. Kian’s tone was softening, and he seemed eager to find a way for them to coexist without animosity.
The question was whether he would still feel this way after the stunt Kalugal was about to pull.
He wished there was another way to test if the tether was gone, but regrettably, there wasn’t. To provoke a response from Kian, Kalugal had to step out of his comfort zone and do something that he really wasn’t looking forward to.
6
Jin
“We are almost there.” Arwel stroked Jin’s hair.
Without opening her eyes, she shifted on his lap and wrapped a lazy arm around his neck. Pulling his head down, she planted a soft kiss on his lips. “Wake me up when we get there.”
Ever since running into his arms at the airstrip, Jin had left their safety only to change out of her borrowed clothes and put on her own. It was a shame to leave Alena’s beautiful things behind, especially the warm coat, but no one wanted to risk bringing a tracker into the village.
When that had been done, she had crawled onto Arwel’s lap and finally allowed herself to sleep.
She’d slept throughout the flight, had woken up for a few minutes when they landed, and then had promptly fallen asleep again in the limo on the way to the village.
“I bet your sister is organizing a welcome party for you,” Kri said, reminding Jin that they weren’t alone in the limo.
Burrowing deeper into Arwel’s chest, Jin tucked her hands between their bodies to keep warm. “I just want to crawl into bed and keep on sleeping.”
She was no longer sick, but her body had taken a blow and was now demanding the rest it had been deprived of. Jin was cold even though the driver had turned the heat up, and being cradled in Arwel’s arms helped to stave off the shivers, but nothing other than a long sleep in a comfortable bed was going to restore her depleted energy reserves.
“I should take you to Bridget when we get there,” Arwel said. “You still look like a ghost.”
With a pout, Jin lifted her face to him. “Thanks a lot.”
He dipped his head and kissed the tip of her nose. “A most beautiful ghost.”
“You’re forgiven.” She returned her cheek to his chest.
&nb
sp; His strong heartbeat and even breathing soon lulled her back to sleep, but it wasn’t as deep as it had been before, and thoughts of Jacki managed to filter through the barrier separating her subconscious from her conscious.
“I hope Jacki is okay,” she murmured into Arwel’s shirt.
“She’s fine. Rufsur has a serious crush on her. He’ll take care of her.”
Jin lifted her head. “Really? I thought that something was kindling between her and Kalugal.”
“Nah. Kalugal is too much of a snob to go for a simple girl like Jacki.”
Jin felt offended on behalf of her friend. “She isn’t simple.”
“I didn’t mean it like that. You’ve interacted with him and seen his place. My impression is that he wouldn’t settle for any woman who isn’t royalty of some sort.”
“Yeah, you are probably right.” She pushed up in Arwel’s arms. “He behaves like he is some freaking prince, so he probably thinks that he deserves a princess.”
“He is a goddess’s son,” Kri pointed out.
“Which he didn’t know about until two days ago.” Jin waved a hand. “He was a stuck-up snob even before that.”
“Maybe it’s in his genes?” Michael suggested.
When the limo stopped, Jin thought that they had arrived, but then it started moving again, and the sensation she got was that they were going downward. The windows were opaque, just as Kri had told her they would turn once they got close to the village, but Jin had missed the transition because she’d been asleep.
Damn. That meant that the computer was driving the limo and not the driver, and it made her nervous as hell. The others were immortal and could survive a crash, but she was still a fragile human.
“What happened?” Arwel asked. “I can sense your anxiety. You were fine up until a moment ago.”
“Is the computer driving the limo?”
Kri chuckled. “You could say so. But nothing has changed. It’s still Okidu who is driving the car.”
“I’m confused.”
“Okidu is a cyborg,” Arwel said. “That’s the easiest way to explain it.”
“You can't be serious. I’ve talked with him. He is as real as you and me.”
“Trust me. When you pay better attention to him, you’ll notice the oddities.”
Since Kri and Michael were not laughing, it meant that Arwel wasn’t pulling her leg.
“Is that a clan developed technology?”
“I wish. We could use a hundred more of him, but Okidu and his brothers are ancient relics, and we don’t know who made them. Your sister seemed fascinated by him, though.”
“Mey didn’t mention Okidu.”
When the limo finally came to a full stop, Jin pushed up to get off Arwel’s lap, but he held on to her.
“I’m not letting you go.”
“You are not carrying me into the village.”
Arwel looked at her with disappointment on his handsome face. “I get it. It’s a matter of pride for you.” He lifted her and put her on the seat beside him.
Leaning toward him, she whispered in his ear, “When we get home, you can carry me to bed.”
Naturally, Kri and Michael had heard her, but they were doing an admirable job pretending they hadn’t.
As Okidu opened her door, Jin took a really good look at him but still couldn’t see anything that would indicate that he wasn’t human. His skin looked real, but maybe a little too nice for a guy who seemed to be in his early fifties.
“Madam.” He bowed. “Welcome to the village.” He offered her his hand.
Taking it, Jin concentrated on how it felt, but it was warm and squishy like any human hand. Maybe Arwel had been pulling her leg after all?
“Jin!” Mey rushed to her and practically shoved Okidu out of the way. “God, I’m so happy that you are finally here.” She crushed Jin to her chest. “I was so worried.”
For a long moment, they just stood with their arms wrapped around each other, and then the waterworks started.
“Don’t cry,” Mey whispered in her ear. “We have an audience.”
As Jin lifted her head off her sister’s shoulder, the first thing she noticed was a large banner hanging between two of the parking garage’s pillars, and the second thing was the group of people standing under it and clapping with happy smiles on their faces.
Callie and Brundar, Amanda and Dalhu, Wonder and Anandur, Syssi and Kian, and Ella, but no Julian because he’d stayed behind.
There were others too. Bridget, who she knew, and other people she didn’t know, but they were all smiling and clapping as if she was some homecoming hero.
Wiping the tears away, she pushed out of Mey’s arms. “Thank you for the wonderful welcome. I don’t know what to say.”
Bridget walked up to her. “Amanda wanted to throw a party for you, but I vetoed it. You need to get in bed and rest. This was the compromise.” She waved at the banner and then leaned to whisper in Jin’s ear. “Go home with your mate and celebrate the start of your new life together. You can thank me later.” She winked.
7
Arwel
As they entered the elevator, Mey leaned and whispered in Arwel’s ear, “Everything is ready.”
“Thank you. You are the best.”
She smiled. “I didn’t do it alone. I had a lot of help from my friends.”
“Then thank everyone for me.”
“Will do.”
Thankfully, Jin was busy answering Bridget’s questions, so she hadn’t paid attention to the whispered exchange. It would have been a shame if she had gotten a whiff of the surprise that he and Mey had worked so hard on keeping a secret from her.
As the elevator doors opened and they stepped out into the pavilion, he wrapped his arm around Jin’s waist. “Welcome to the village.”
“I’m so excited.” She leaned her head on his arm. “I love how green it is.”
As the sliding doors opened, a golf cart driven by his roommate pulled up to the entrance, stopping right in front of them. “Welcome home, Jin and Arwel.” Ben grinned. A banner with the same message was attached to the golf cart’s canopy.
Jumping down, Ben offered Jin his hand. “I’m Ben, Arwel’s roommate.”
“I hope you are okay with me moving in,” Jin said as she shook it.
“Of course.” Ben winked. “I’ll see you later.” He started walking away.
“Wait, aren’t you coming with us? There is enough room.”
He turned around. “I just brought the ride. I’m meeting a friend in the café.” He waved.
“Your chariot, my lady.” Arwel offered her a hand up.
Gripping it, she climbed with effort. Jin was still weak but trying not to show it. “I could have walked, but this is fun. We had golf carts in the program, but I only got to ride them a couple of times, and I’ve never gotten to drive. Is this one yours?”
Arwel sat behind the wheel. “Not mine exclusively, but we can take it out for a spin whenever you like.”
“Take Jin home,” Bridget commanded.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Aren’t you coming?” Jin looked at the doctor and then at her sister.
“Thank you, but I’m going back to the office,” Bridget said.
Mey smiled. “I’m heading to the café. Get some rest, and tomorrow, I’ll give you the grand tour.”
“It’s a date.”
As Arwel put the golf cart in gear, Jin crossed her arms over her chest. “Something is going on. Everyone wanted to get rid of us as soon as possible. Or was it just me?”
“They all know that you’ve been through a lot, and they don’t want to keep you from resting.”
“I must look awful.” She ran her fingers through her hair. “I have dark circles under my eyes, and my skin looks gray.”
“It’s in your head. You look radiant to me.”
Jin cast him a lopsided smile. “You’re such a sweet liar.”
“I mean it.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders
. “Your eyes are glowing, your hair is shining, and you look happy.”
“I’ll take your word for it.” She leaned her head on his arm. “This place is gorgeous, and it’s so peaceful here. It really is a village.”
“I’m glad you like it. But I’m afraid that a city girl like you will get bored here pretty quickly. There isn’t much to do, and the only place to hang out and meet friends is in the café.” He pointed as they passed by it.
Several people waved, and Jin waved back. “I think that’s awesome that everyone knows each other here. I’m actually looking forward to doing nothing. I've had enough excitement to last me a decade.”
As they crossed into the other side of the village, Arwel spotted the house with the white and red balloons tied to the porch railing and parked in front of it.
“Your home is lovely.” Jin shifted and put her leg down. “And Ben is really sweet for putting up balloons for us.”
“Wait.” Arwel rushed to her side and lifted her into his arms.
“What are you doing?”
“Carrying you over the threshold.”
Jin wound her arms around his neck. “We didn’t get married yet, but okay.”
Arwel climbed the three steps and stopped at the front door. “Look at the plaque.”
Ella had crafted a beautiful one for them, and it was the first hint.
She turned her head. “Jin and Arwel? What about Ben?”
Arwel shifted her weight to free one hand and opened the door. “This is our house. Just yours and mine.” He kissed her lips as he stepped over the threshold.
Jin looked at the banner hanging over the kitchen counter, the flower vases, and all the homey touches their friends had brought over.
One of Dalhu’s landscapes was hanging over the couch, and a handmade throw was draped over its back. An ice bucket with champagne and two crystal glasses waited for them on the coffee table.
He walked over and sat down with Jin still cradled in his arms. “Nothing to say?”
“I’m speechless. When did all of this happen?”
“I applied for a house for us when we were still in the rental. Mey organized everything else with a lot of help from her friends.”