Goddess’s Choice

by I. T. Lucas

  She slapped his arm and whispered, “Let me down, Khiann. We are supposed to walk in hand in hand, not with you carrying me inside.”

  He lifted a brow. “Who said there is only one way to do it? Look around you, love.”

  People were smiling at them.

  One of the goddesses wiped happy tears from her eyes, while another started clapping, soon to be followed by the rest of their guests.

  With a triumphant grin, he dipped his head and kissed her softly, then whispered in her ear, “They like the spontaneity. It shows our love for each other better than anything rehearsed.”

  Annani relaxed in his arms and whispered back, “It seems I am not the only one with a knack for crowd-pleasing. You are a natural.”

  He smiled. “I learn from the best.”

  Holding his princess in his arms, Khiann ran up the steps to the palace's front doors, but he had to slow down as he entered the gallery leading into the grand hall where their parents were waiting for them. Its walls were lined with guests who needed to be acknowledged. Smiles greeted them everywhere, with people returning Annani’s waves and air kisses.

  Everyone loved the spontaneous display. Except for Nai, who frowned as they entered the hall.

  Apparently, Annani's mother was a stickler for protocol and did not approve of Khiann’s unorthodox delivery of her daughter.

  But she was the only one. Ahn nodded and smiled, while Khiann’s parents grinned from ear to ear.

  Six throne-like chairs were set upon a dais, and Khiann deposited Annani into one of the middle ones. Her parents took the chairs on his bride’s side, while his parents sat in the ones on his.

  The next couple of hours or so were spent greeting the guests. Lined up outside in the gallery, they were admitted one at the time, walked in, climbed the steps to the right of the dais, offered their congratulations, and then descended the steps to its left.

  When they were done, servants escorted them to their tables.

  It was all very formal, orderly, and incredibly boring. Next to him, Annani kept tapping her sandaled feet on the floor until her mother cast her a withering glance and she stopped. But she had not let the smile slip from her face even once while greeting her guests.

  When everyone was finally seated, Ahn rose to his feet and lifted his hands to hush the murmuring.

  “Dear guests. Thank you for coming to celebrate this joyous occasion with us. Annani and Khiann have been uniquely blessed by the Fates. They are each other's fated trueloves, and as we all know, that which the Fates decree must come to pass.”

  He paused, letting the crowd show their approval with prolonged applause.

  “Today, they will pledge their lives to each other, but this is only a formality. In their hearts, they have done so already weeks ago. That is why it was decided to combine the engagement and joining ceremonies into one.”

  He waved his hand at Khiann and his daughter. “These two are young and impatient to start their lives together.”

  Believing the romantic spin, the guests clapped and cheered.

  The decision to combine the ceremonies, however, was not due to impatience. It had been Ekin’s idea. With Mortdh’s unpredictable nature, or insanity as Khiann thought of the god’s unstable mental state, it was better to finalize things as soon as possible.

  Ahn waited for the applause and cheers to subside before continuing. “As one who has been similarly blessed, I know how incredibly precious this gift is.” He turned and offered his hand to his mate, helping her up. “I wish Annani and Khiann a long and happy life filled with as much love and joy as Nai and I share.”

  As a new round of applause erupted, Nai dipped her head. “Thank you,” she said when it subsided, and then sat back.

  Her mate remained standing. “Ring bearers, approach!” he called out.

  It was custom to choose a best friend to do the honors, but gods usually chose other gods as their ring bearers, not immortal servants. Again veering away from tradition, Annani had chosen Gulan as hers, while Khiann had chosen Esag.

  The two had not seen or talked to each other for weeks, but Khiann had no idea what had caused the falling out. Annani knew, but Gulan had asked her to keep it a secret.

  Esag, who had been uncharacteristically tightlipped and moody lately, had refused to talk about it too.

  Other than Mortdh’s looming threat, the spat between those two was the only thing casting dark shadows on this otherwise joyous night.

  With a bow, Esag presented Khiann with a silver tray holding Annani’s ring, while Gulan presented Annani with Khiann’s. Once the rings were in their hands, the two bowed and retreated without sparing each other a single glance.

  “And now that we have the rings, it is time for the pledge,” Ahn announced. “The young couple have decided to prepare their own instead of me reciting some old and overused lines.”

  A few guests chuckled before another round of applause started.

  As Khiann and Annani pushed to their feet and faced each other, Khiann smiled at his tiny bride. Without her headdress, she barely reached the middle of his chest, but the ornament was so tall that the top of it reached his nose.

  Was that why she had chosen it? Did she want to make herself look taller because he towered over her?

  Silly girl. As small as she was, all eyes were on her and not on Khiann. Annani’s mesmerizing beauty and inner power shone so brightly that no one could avert their eyes even for a second to spare him a glance.

  It was as it should be.

  Annani was the heart of their people, the beacon of light for their future, while he was there to keep her happy and shining bright. He was the pedestal upon which she could stand and the pillar against which she could lean.

  Nothing more.

  And yet he counted himself the luckiest male alive.

  “My love, my life, my everything,” Annani started her pledge. “Against all the odds, and despite many obstacles, the Fates have brought us together. I will forever be grateful for this most precious of gifts. I do not know what I have done to merit such a boon, to find my one and only and experience this incredible love that is going to sustain me for thousands and thousands of years.”

  She turned to look at Khiann’s parents. “Thank you, Fates, and thank you Yaeni and Navohn for the gift that is your son.”

  As his mother wiped happy tears from her eyes, Annani turned back to Khiann. “And thank you, Khiann, for taking a risk on me. I promised to make it worth your while, and I am going to keep that promise forever.”

  As she lifted the ring, he offered her his hand. “Tradition dictates that I say; with this ring, I bind you to me. But a ring is only a symbol of what is in one’s heart. So instead, I am going to say; this ring, which is made from an unbreakable alloy, symbolizes the strength of our unbreakable bond.” She threaded the band on his finger. “In front of all these witnesses, I, Annani daughter of Nai and Ahn, pronounce you, Khiann son of Yaeni and Navohn, as mine, and I pledge myself to you for eternity and beyond.”

  His mind reeling, his heart so full it felt like bursting, Khiann forgot all the beautiful words he had prepared.

  Taking Annani’s hand, he repeated her words to her. “My love, my life, my everything. I promise to spend the rest of my life making you happy and thanking the Fates and your parents for the precious gift of you.”

  He put the ring on her slender finger. “In front of all these witnesses, I, Khiann son of Yaeni and Navohn, pronounce you, Annani daughter of Nai and Ahn, as mine, and I pledge myself to you for eternity and beyond.”

  17

  Annani

  “Good morning, my love.” Khiann woke Annani with a kiss.

  Yawning, she stretched her arms and legs, then hugged the blanket to her chest and rolled to her side. “I want to sleep more.”

  The joining ceremony had been marvelous, but also exhausting.

  Annani might have overdone it with the celebrations, but given that it was a once in a lifetime event, she di
d not want to skimp on anything.

  Claiming security concerns, Khiann and her father had not been too enthusiastic about the post-ceremony carriage ride through the city she had arranged for, but Annani had insisted.

  She was so glad she had.

  Joy and love needed to be shared and celebrated.

  The carriage had been beautifully decorated with flowers and ribbons, and the people had been delighted to see her and Khiann riding in it as a mated couple. Even though it had been late at night when they had ridden through the streets, it had seemed as if every last human in the city had forgone sleep to go out and cheer them on.

  Khiann kissed her neck. “One of your Odus brought us breakfast. I think it was Okidu, but I have a hard time telling them apart.”

  She had given them each a name, instead of the general term Odu, which referred to what they were but not who they were as individuals. Supposedly, they were all the same, but their ability to morph their features translated into slight differences that made them look more like brothers than identical twins.

  Khiann’s father had explained that they lacked personality and she should not read too much into it just because they looked so human, but Annani had a feeling that was not entirely true. Something other than programming must have prompted them to adopt the slight differences.

  Their arrival had made Gulan’s work much easier. They had taken over all the cleaning and fetching, but Gulan still did Annani’s hair and helped her with getting dressed.

  “Where is Gulan?” Annani asked.

  “I have not seen her since last night.”

  That was odd.

  “Could you send one of the Odus to look for her? I need to get dressed.”

  “What for? You can eat breakfast naked.” He waggled his brows.

  She could, after all, the Odus were not really men, and her nudity had no effect on them. Except, she did not feel comfortable enough around them yet. But if her mate wanted a morning romp, she could send them away.

  Annani was all for it.

  “You can tell the Odus to leave us, and we can have some fun,” she husked, pulling the blanket just enough to give Khiann a glimpse of her breast.

  He sucked in a breath but shook his head. “Food first, lovemaking second. I feel guilty for further exhausting you last night. I should have let you sleep when we returned.”

  “Do not be silly. It would have not been a joining night without an actual joining.”

  He smiled sheepishly. “Yeah, but I kept you awake for hours.”

  That he had. “Come here.” She lifted her arms, inviting him to come back to bed.

  Instead, he leaned into the embrace and kissed her. “Food, love. You need nourishment. “I will send Okidu or one of the others to find Gulan. Or, if you please, I can serve as your maid and help you get dressed.” He winked.

  “Then we will not get to eat for sure.”

  “You are right, my love.” He kissed her forehead.

  As Khiann stepped out of the bedchamber to talk to the Odus, Annani pulled the blanket up to her nose and closed her eyes. She could catch a few more moments of sleep before he came back.

  “Annani, my love, wake up,” Khiann said.

  Something in his tone jolted her awake in an instant. “What happened?”

  He handed her a small scroll tied with a pretty ribbon. “The Odus searched everywhere. Gulan is not in the palace. They found this in her room. It is from her. It is addressed to you.”

  “What is in it?”

  Despite the knot forming in her gut, Annani hoped the scroll was a gift from Gulan—a wish of happy joining, or maybe a poem—and not bad news.

  “I did not open it.”

  Snatching it from his hand, Annani removed the ribbon and unfurled the scroll. As she had thought, it started with good wishes, but unfortunately, it did not end with them.

  “What does it say?” Khiann asked.

  “She is gone,” Annani whispered as tears pooled in the corners of her eyes. “Gulan ran away because she was broken-hearted and could not stay and watch Esag join with his intended.”

  “Donkey dung!” Khiann exclaimed. “I told the idiot not to toy with her feelings.”

  With tears sliding down her cheeks, Annani handed him the scroll. “It is not only about Esag. She says that I do not need her anymore because I have you to love and the Odus to serve me. She begs me to help her family by taking Tula in her place. They need the income.”

  Khiann read the note, then rose to his feet and started pacing while raking his hands through his hair. “Do you have any idea where she might have gone?”

  Annani shook her head. “I do not. But she could not have gone far. She was still here last night to help me undress. Even if she left right away, she could not have traversed a long distance on foot. She does not own a horse.”

  “I will send Esag after her.”

  “Do you think it is wise? Even if he finds her, she will refuse to come back with him.” It pained Annani to say it, but Gulan was a free woman, and if she wanted to quit her employment, it was her right to do so. “Maybe we should respect her wishes and let her go?”

  Khiann stopped his pacing and came back to sit on the bed next to Annani. “You would have been right if she went home or to her next place of employment, but she did not. From her note, I understand that she wants to disappear and go somewhere no one knows her. For starters, it is not safe for a female to travel alone, even a strong one like Gulan, and secondly, where could she go where no one knows her?” He lifted a brow.

  That was a good question. As Annani’s maid, Gulan was well known. Maybe not by name, but her unusual size ensured that everyone who had ever seen her, remembered her. There was only one settlement of immortals who were unfamiliar with her.

  “She could not be so stupid. You think she is heading to Mortdh’s territory?”

  “Where else?”

  “But that is insane!”

  Khiann clasped her hand to his chest. “Love can make even the most rational person do crazy things.”

  “And beautiful things,” Annani said. “Love is the force behind most everything we do. Good and bad. Right and wrong.”

  The end… for now…

  Dear reader,

  Thank you for reading Goddess’s Choice —The prequel to the Children of the Gods series.

  If you enjoyed the story, I would be grateful if you could leave a short review on Amazon. (With a few words, you’ll make me very happy. :-))

  Annani’s journey continues in

  GODDESS’S HOPE

  Coming out October 2018

  Read the excerpt to find out where Gulan is heading.

  (Flip to the end of the book)

  THE CHILDREN OF THE GODS SERIES

  Turn the page to read an excerpt from

  DARK STRANGER THE DREAM

  Book 1 in the Series.

  Prelude: Syssi

  Premonitions are tricky.

  And although Syssi had been having them for as long as she could remember, she could never predict how they’d come to pass.

  Yet in one way or another, they always did.

  It was a curse.

  Knowing something was coming, but not the when or the how, left her perpetually anxious.

  Lately, she sensed a dark shadow descending over the world, a malevolence that had an oddly familiar flavor to it. An old and powerful force was on the rise, readying to plunge the world into darkness. Yet again.

  It alarmed her.

  So much so that she dreaded watching the news or reading a newspaper. To witness global events unfold according to her predictions only fueled their potency. And like one of those biblical prophets of doom, the foreknowledge she was burdened with was too vague to heed—even if anyone cared to listen.

  And yet, although the portents were mounting, it seemed as if no one was concerned. Blinded by one trifling thing or another, most of her friends were convinced that their future was secure.

  As if weap
ons of mass destruction were not threatening to annihilate the world, and the slaughter of thousands in Africa and in North Korea and in other godforsaken dictatorships wasn’t happening. Not to mention that hunger was still a serious problem in parts of the globe, and basic human rights were rapidly eroding in those and other parts: specifically, those of women.

  It weighed on her.

  Being a powerless observer sucked.

  There was nothing she could do.

  Except, some small part of her was rebelling against this perceived helplessness, whispering in her mind that she was wrong. It was like an itch, a nagging suspicion that she was forgetting something important, and that just around the corner, a life-altering adventure awaited.

  Perhaps it had something to do with the dream that had been tormenting her for months. Infrequent at first, lately it had been a nightly occurrence, and she would wake up gasping, sweaty, shaky, and with a mean headache.

  The dream always began in the midst of a heart-pounding pursuit.

  Out of breath and desperate, she was running for her life through a dark wood—a pack of vicious wolves on her heels. With the hellhounds’ terrible red-glowing eyes and snarling muzzles never far behind, her panting breaths were the only other sounds to disturb the quiet of the night.

  What am I doing here?

  Why are they chasing me?

  Dear God, I’m going to die—horrifically—they are going to tear me apart.

  Her eyes darting frantically in search of help, Syssi could see nothing besides the elusive shadows the moon was casting on her path.

  She was losing hope, her legs threatening to give out, when up ahead in the distance she discerned what looked like a silhouette of a man. She couldn’t be sure, though. The tall shape was barely visible below the limbs of a large tree—it might’ve been just another shadow.

  It remained a mystery. She’d never reached him, not even once, always waking up before getting close enough to find out if he’d been real.

  Trouble was, Syssi didn’t know what to make of the dream. Was the dark stranger friend or foe? Was she supposed to run to him? Or from him?