by I. T. Lucas
“Stunning.” He leaned and kissed her cheek. “Did you get a facial too?”
“No, it’s an illusion created by the highlights.” She fluffed her hair.
“I don’t think so.” His eyes roamed all over her, taking in the new outfit, the shoes. “It’s everything together.” He smoothed his hand over the sleeve of her new blouse. “I’m so glad that you bought more things for yourself. I should have suggested it, but I didn’t think you’d have enough time.”
“I’m going to…” She was interrupted by Ana clearing her throat.
“Leon is waiting for us in the restaurant,” Ana said. “We should go.”
Margaret closed her mouth.
Bowen took all the shopping bags from Ana, freeing her to thread her arm through Margaret’s. “Are you okay to walk to the car?”
“I’m fine.” She leaned on Ana’s arm just a little.
The truth was that her body was tired, and she ached in multiple places. But she was also excited, energized, and hopeful. If not for the brace, she would have had a spring in her step.
Less than ten minutes later, Bowen parked the car in front of the restaurant.
Leon, who had secured a table out on the patio for them, rose to his feet and gawked the entire time it took them to reach him.
“You two look like you’ve stepped out of a fashion magazine.” His eyes darted from Ana to Margaret and back to Ana.
Chuckling, Ana leaned and kissed his cheek. “Let’s order some wine. We need to celebrate the cast removal.”
Next to Margaret, Bowen tensed for some reason. Was he apprehensive about what that meant for them? It wasn’t likely.
Last night, he’d proven to be not only a confident and dominant lover, but also superbly skilled. A man like him would never feel shy about taking that final step.
He pulled out a chair for her and took the crutch, leaning it against the patio’s railing. “Do they serve whiskey here? I’m not a fan of wine.”
“I can check.” Leon waved the waiter down. “Do you have whiskey in your bar?”
The guy smiled and then listed all the brands they carried.
Bowen didn’t look impressed by any of them, but he ended up ordering a Jack Daniels. Leon chose the same, while she and Ana ordered a glass of wine each.
The appetizers arrived together with the drinks, and after the toasts had been made, Bowen reached for her hand and looked into her eyes.
“There’s one last thing I need to tell you.” He glanced around at the other diners and then leaned closer to her. “The transition is difficult, and it gets more dangerous the older the Dormant is. For Anastasia and Wendy, the risk was minimal, but it’s significantly higher for you.”
She frowned. “What’s the worst that can happen?”
“You might not wake up.” When she sucked in a breath, he squeezed her hand. “It hasn’t happened yet. All the Dormants we induced have transitioned successfully, and some were older than you. But I can’t start your induction before making you aware of the risk.”
“Do I have a choice?”
“It’s entirely up to you. No one will force you to attempt transition.”
“What’s the alternative? Will I be allowed to stay in the village as a human?”
He nodded. “Kian has relaxed the rules lately, and now parents of transitioned Dormants are allowed to stay in the village. And as Wendy’s mother, you qualify for that exemption. As for me, I love you, and I want to be with you. But if you choose not to risk your life for the chance of immortality, I will not try to persuade you. I’ll take whatever years you can give me.”
Margaret swallowed. “Can I take a day or two to think it through?”
“Take all the time you need. This is not a decision that should be taken lightly.”
38
Annani
“Why didn’t I think of inviting strippers?” Amanda accepted the virgin strawberry daiquiri Onidu handed her. “What kind of a bachelorette party is it without alcohol and strippers?”
Annani exchanged knowing smiles with Ronja. It did not matter that Ronja was younger than most of the immortal women in the room. She was a mother, and therefore had more in common with Annani and Alena than with the rest of the boisterous attendees of Sari’s bachelorette party.
It had been decided to make the party alcohol-free on account of the three pregnant ladies and Lisa, who was still underage. Having the girl there also meant that the others needed to keep the sexy comments to a minimum, which would have been a problem if the girls got drunk.
There had been some grumbles, but no one was too upset about the lack of alcohol.
Syssi snorted. “Knowing Anandur, he’s planning another performance to entertain us.”
The men were at David and Sari’s place, celebrating David’s last day as a bachelor, and Annani had no doubt that the alcohol was flowing freely over there.
Wonder cast Syssi a mock angry look. “The only one Anandur strips for these days is me.”
Hiding a smile, Syssi sipped on her virgin drink.
“We don’t need strippers,” Jacki said. “We have a full schedule of fun activities.” She donned the colorful turban she’d brought for the occasion. “Who wants to have her fortune told first?” She sat on one of the big pillows thrown in the center of the living room and crossed her legs, pulling a fake crystal ball to nestle between them.
Her pregnancy was still in the early stages, so even if she got a real foretelling, it would not harm the child, but that was most likely not going to happen. Jacki’s visions were rare, even more so than Syssi’s.
Tonight, she was providing entertainment and nothing more.
“Sari is the bride,” Amanda said. “She should go first.”
Sari shook her head. “Miranda is dying to find a true-love mate. She should go first.”
Her assistant got to her feet and lowered herself gracefully to the other pillow. “Tell me my fortune, oh great seer.”
“Did you bring an object for me to touch?” Jacki asked.
Miranda removed a bracelet from her wrist and handed it to Jacki.
Closing her eyes, Jacki waved it over the plastic ball that was made to look like crystal. Humming, she swayed from side to side as if she was entering a trance.
“She’s good,” Ronja whispered in Annani’s ear.
“I see a long journey,” Jacki said. “To a faraway land. Lots of sand, the sun is blindingly hot, and in the distance, the ocean shimmers. A handsome man emerges from the water, his long dark hair plastered over his muscular chest, his green eyes blazing with desire.” She opened her eyes. “For you, Miranda.”
“When?”
Jacki lifted her hand and brushed it over the crystal ball. “Ten moons.”
“Yay.” Miranda clapped her hands, but then her smile slid off her face. “Does that mean none of Kalugal’s men is the one for me?”
Jacki shrugged. “The future is always changing, and nothing is set in stone. Perhaps the gorgeous Aquaman will emerge from the water for someone else.”
“Aquaman?” Miranda squeaked. “Did he look like Jason Momoa?”
Jacki smiled. “Yeah, he kind of did.”
“Then it’s worth the wait.” Miranda pushed to her feet. “Onidu, another virgin margarita over here.”
“Yes, mistress.” He bowed.
“Who’s next?” Jacki asked.
“I am.” Veronica, one of Sari’s good friends, jumped in before anyone else could volunteer. “I want Superman. The latest one. Henry Cavill.”
Stifling a laugh, Jacki extended her hand. “An object, please.”
She told two more fortunes before Ronja decided to take the hot seat.
“I don’t have any particular requests.” She crossed her legs and put her hands on her knees.
“Do you have an object for me to touch?”
Ronja pulled a compact mirror out of her purse. “I got this as a present from my first husband.” She rubbed her hand over the engraving.
“Michael gave it to me for my nineteenth birthday.” Her expression turned wistful. “I loved Frank dearly, and he was a much better husband to me than Michael ever was, but Michael was the true love of my life, my passion, my obsession, and also the one who caused me the biggest pain. Regrettably, he didn’t love me as much as I loved him.” She cast an apologetic glance at Lisa. “I hope that you are not mad at me for saying that.”
A tear slid down Lisa’s cheek. “I can’t get angry at you for telling the truth. The heart chooses who it wants to love, even if it’s the wrong person.”
Ronja nodded. “Even though Michael was much older than me, he was either immature, or just incapable of loving as fully and as completely as I was. Back then, I was young and naive, and I hoped that my love would be enough for both of us.” She smiled sadly. “Now that I’m older and smarter, I know that’s not how it works.” She took in a deep breath. “What I want to know is whether I will ever experience that kind of love again, and more importantly, whether it will be reciprocated with the same fervor.”
As Jacki closed her hand over the mirror and her eyes drifted shut, Annani straightened in her chair. Would Ronja’s foretelling be real, or another one of Jacki’s acts?
Jacki’s forehead furrowed. “I can’t see the man that will make your heart soar again, but I can sense that one was fated for you. You will know love again.”
Ronja smiled. “I hoped you would see Aquaman or Superman in my future.” She turned and winked at Lisa. “But I’ll settle for loving again. Not right now, I’m not ready yet, but sometime in the future.” She looked at Annani. “One is never too old to love, right?”
Annani nodded. “Never.”
39
Kian
“Help yourself to the second finest cigars.” Anandur placed the box on the coffee table. “Opus X.”
“Why not the finest?” Kalugal reached into the box, pulled out one, and handed it to David. “The soon-to-be former bachelor goes first.”
“Cuban cigars are banned in the United States,” Kian grumbled.
“So?” Kalugal pulled out another one for himself. “You can get them on the black market.”
“There are some online sellers that supposedly carry them, but you never know what you’re actually getting.” Kian slid the balcony doors open and stepped out. “Most are counterfeits.”
Kalugal and David followed, and soon all ten were crowding the small balcony, with Okidu making rounds and refilling everyone’s whiskey glasses.
Leaning against the glass railing, David puffed on his cigar. “Can you tell me more about the Kra-ell social structure?”
“You know the basics already. What else do you want to know?” Kian asked.
“I’ll tell you what I know, and then you can fill in the blanks.” David puffed on his cigar. “They are a different race of immortals who need blood for nutrition and have the ability to compel. They are relative newcomers to earth, and their society is matriarchal like the clan’s. For every four Kra-ell males, only one female is born, so they don’t form couple relationships. Instead, they live in small tribes, with two to four females sharing a group of males in a communal harem.”
Kian tapped on his cigar, the ash falling into the big glass ashtray Okidu had put on the outdoor table. “Their compulsion or thralling abilities vary in strength from one individual to another, in the same way that ours do, they are long-lived, and they are genetically similar to us, but that’s where the similarities end. Their society is very different than ours or any of the human cultures that I’m familiar with.”
David smiled knowingly. “Then you are not familiar with the Mosuo.”
“I’ve never heard of them.”
“Their society is structured very much like that of the Kra-ell, and they are a subgroup in China. I remembered reading about them a long time ago, and when I heard about the Kra-ell and their society, I was reminded of the Mosuo and decided to refresh my memory.”
Kian cocked a brow. “That’s interesting. Maybe there is a connection.”
“That’s what I thought, but after reading more about them, I don’t think there is. The Mosuo, or the Na as they call themselves, live in the Yunnan and Sichuan provinces, which are close to the border with Tibet. The women head the households, and inheritance is through the female line, but they leave the politicking to the males. That wasn’t always the case, and in the past the matriarch was also the political head of the community. Still, even today, the matriarch, the Ah Mis, has absolute power over everyone in her household, assigns jobs to every member, and controls all the money.”
Kian took a puff of his cigar. “So far, that sounds loosely similar to the Kra-ell. What about their mating habits?”
David smiled. “I saved the best part for last. The Mosuo men are primarily used as breeders. After the coming-of-age ceremony, which occurs at the age of thirteen for girls and boys…” David paused for emphasis. “The girls are given a private bedroom that is called the flowering room, and they can start inviting partners for what’s called Walking Marriages. Those are basically sexual encounters, and the men are supposed to come at night and leave in the morning. Any resulting children stay with the mother. The fathers are granted visitation rights, but they are more involved with raising the children of their sisters and aunts in their own matriarch’s house than they are with their own.”
“That sounds a lot like the Kra-ell,” Anandur said. “Why do you think they are not related? They could have picked up the customs from a neighboring compound.”
“Because the Mosuo’s tradition is thousands of years old, and the Kra-ell are supposed to be newcomers.”
“Emmett thinks that his group arrived relatively recently.” Kian lifted his empty glass for Okidu to refill. “But he deduced it rather than knowing it for a fact. Also, his group might not be the first one. It’s possible that others came before.”
“What are the Mosuo’s religious beliefs?” Kalugal asked.
“The Mosuo have a hybrid faith. The Daba is their original religion, which has been handed down through the generations for thousands of years. It’s based on the worship of a mother goddess and on their ancestors, functioning as both religion and oral history of their people. In recent years, Buddhism has gained ground in the Mosuo society, but it was adapted to suit their culture.”
“The Kra-ell believe in a mother goddess.” Kian took a puff of the cigar. “The leaders of their communities are supposed to be the goddess’s embodiments. I need to ask Emmett if they also worship their ancestors.”
Kalugal handed his glass to Okidu and extinguished his half-smoked cigar. “The ancestor worship is a big part of Confucianism and Taoism. It might have influenced the Mosuo beliefs in the same way that Buddhism did later. To me, that sounds too much like the Kra-ell for it to be a coincidence. The Chinese society is very patriarchal by nature, and for the Mosuo to develop such a divergent system, there must have been a strong outside influence.” He smiled at David. “Your next task is to find out whether the Mosuo have vampire legends.”
“As far as I know, they don’t.” David rubbed a hand over his jaw. “But they have an interesting legend regarding dogs. First of all, unlike other Asian cultures, eating dogs is strictly forbidden, and dogs are considered important members of the household. According to legend, long ago, dogs had much longer lifespans than humans—they lived to be sixty, while humans lived only thirteen years. At some point, humans traded lifespans with dogs in exchange for worship. During the coming-of-age ceremony, young Mosuo pray before the family dogs.”
“Perhaps it’s a loose reference to attaining longevity,” Kalugal said. “Legends and myths get twisted over the millennia. It might have started as something else.”
“Where did you say their communities are located?” Kian asked.
“The Sichuan and Yunnan provinces are on the eastern border of Tibet. Sichuan is more or less in central China, and Yunnan is to the south.”
Kian glanced at Kalugal.
“I think we should send a team to investigate that region as well.”
Kalugal shook his head. “Even if the Mosuo were influenced by the Kra-ell, it happened thousands of years ago. What do you hope to find there?”
“Maybe there are some interesting archeological finds that would provide us with clues.” Kian smiled at Kalugal. “That’s actually your field of expertise. Perhaps you could do some digging.”
Kalugal’s eyes gleamed with interest. “Indeed.”
40
Syssi
After Jacki’s fortune-telling, it was Callie’s turn, and Syssi was grateful for the change in atmosphere.
Ronja’s admission about her first husband having been the love of her life had been a mood downer, and more than one discreet tear had been shed. It must have been devastating to love a man who hadn’t loved her back, and who’d cheated on her left and right. Syssi couldn’t imagine the pain.
Callie emerged from the kitchen, followed by Okidu and Onidu, all three carrying trays loaded with the ingredients she’d prepared.
“This is going to be very simple.” Callie pointed to the tray she’d put on the dining table. “We are going to prepare beautiful canapés and then eat them.”
Amanda clapped her hands. “Perfect. I’m hungry.”
For the next half an hour, they assembled small sandwiches, and then demolished them in less than ten minutes.
“That’s the problem with cooking as an artistic expression,” Amanda said. “In contrast, my contribution to this lovely evening is going to be a keepsake.” She started pulling small bags from the large box Dalhu had hauled in before joining the men for their party. “Every bag contains several sheets of high-quality drawing paper and a packet of charcoals. All we need now is to choose a model, and I volunteer.” She took her jacket off. “I can pose in the nude.”