Dark Prince's Enigma

by I. T. Lucas

  “I would very much like to avoid that.”

  “I thought so.”

  These people weren’t playing games, and they were very cautious. Until he had a better grasp on the situation, Lokan was going to act as the perfect guest.

  5

  Magnus

  “Magnus, sweetheart, as much as I would like to spend all day hugging and kissing, I can’t make lunch while you are holding me.” Vivian smiled as she pushed on his chest.

  “So, don’t.”

  Since waking up this morning, Magnus hadn’t been able to wipe the grin off his face or keep his hands off Vivian. They’d made love all night without any barriers between them, and if not for his worry over her transition, all would have been well in his world.

  “I already invited Ella and Julian to lunch, and you know that I promised Parker to make his favorites today.”

  “His favorite is a juicy steak accompanied by another juicy steak.”

  “Yeah, but we are out. I’m making his other favorite dish. He asked for the salmon that I made while you were away. And anyway, you need to take Scarlet out for a walk.” She waved at the dog who was sitting by the front door and wagging her tail expectantly. “Just look at her. She missed her daddy.”

  That reminded him that he still needed to talk to Edna about the adoption papers. With everything that had been going on, he hadn’t given it much thought, but now that Vivian could enter transition at any moment, it became urgent to take care of the adoption.

  “Fine. It seems that you want to be rid of me.”

  Vivian slapped his chest playfully. “Don’t be silly. Take her for a walk and then come back and help me set up the table. Parker is still sleeping, and I don’t have Ella here to make the salads.”

  He pulled her into his arms again. “Are you sad that she is moving out?”

  “Well, a little. My baby is leaving the nest. But mostly I’m overjoyed for her. I know she’s going to have a wonderful life with Julian.”

  “I’m happy for them, too.” He glanced at Scarlet, who started whining softly. “I’d better take her out before she has an accident.”

  Since it was daytime and Scarlet had learned to come when he called for her, Magnus decided to forgo the leash. “Let’s go, girl.” He opened the door.

  She bounded out but kept close, running in circles around him.

  “Good girl, Scarlet. Stay close.” He was tempted to add, stay close to Daddy, but that was silly.

  Pulling out his phone, he searched the clan’s directory for Edna’s office number.

  “Edna Brook’s office, how may I help you?” the judge’s human assistant answered.

  “Can I talk to Edna? This is Magnus MacBain, her cousin.”

  The woman chuckled. “Edna sure has a lot of cousins.”

  “We are a big family. An entire clan.” He made his accent come out thicker than usual.

  “Lucky you. I’ll check if she can take the call.”

  Several seconds later, Edna came on the line. “Congratulations on a successful mission, Magnus. I heard everything worked out well.”

  “It did. But we had a few scary moments.”

  “I heard that too. I’m glad everyone is safely back home. I guess that you are calling about adopting Vivian’s children?”

  “Vivian is ready to attempt transition, and I thought it would be best to make everything legal before that. Just in case.”

  “Are you talking in future tense, or has the attempting already started?”

  “We started.”

  “Then it is indeed urgent. You should have called me weeks ago.”

  “You’re absolutely right, I should have. But Vivian wanted us to get married first, so in my mind we had time. Then this morning I realized that she would be less stressed about the transition knowing that this was taken care of, and that if, Fates forbid, something happened to her, her children would have a father.”

  “Then get married, or rather mated. It's as simple as pledging yourself to each other in front of two witnesses. You can have the big ceremony later if you wish.”

  “In my mind, I’m already mated, but Vivian comes from the human world. For her it’s not going to be official until after the ceremony.”

  “Hmm. I think I can help you out with this as well. Humans can get married by a judge. What if I draw up some official documents and marry you?”

  “That would be terrific.”

  Or not. Vivian would agree and go through the motions, but he was afraid she would be disappointed.

  “You don’t sound as if you mean it.”

  “I want to make Vivian happy.”

  “This is the best I can offer you. But you can give Amanda a call. If anyone can pull off a wedding party on short notice, it’s her.”

  “That’s a great idea. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. I’ll have those adoption papers ready for you by tomorrow. I need to do some research before drafting the first adoption document in the clan’s history.”

  After ending the call with Edna, Magnus tried to think of the best way to present it to Amanda. He couldn’t just call and ask her to arrange his wedding. Perhaps he could pretend to ask her advice and wait for her to offer her help?

  Yeah, that was good. Even if she saw right through him, this was a more polite way to ask for her help. If Amanda didn’t want to be bothered, she wouldn’t have to say no, just play along and offer her advice.

  Since only those who’d gone to Washington had taken the day off, Amanda should still be at the university, and it was better to text her first to make sure she wasn’t in the middle of a lecture.

  I’m sorry to bother you at work, but I have some questions regarding organizing a wedding that I thought you could help me with. Call me when you can.

  His phone rang five seconds later. “Congratulations, darling. When is the happy day?”

  “As soon as I can arrange it. Vivian and I started working on her transition, and I want to adopt Ella and Parker before she enters it. But Vivian wants us to be married first. So, I’m in a bit of a rush.”

  “You don’t say. I’m a pro at this, but even I can’t organize a same-day wedding. I might have been able to do it on Saturday, but Callie and Wonder are having a village square barbecue to celebrate your safe return. The best I can do is Sunday.”

  He’d expected her to say a week from now at best. But Sunday?

  “Are you sure?”

  “Well, I can’t promise anything lavish, but I can probably make it as festive as Parker’s transition party.”

  “That’s more than I hoped for. Tell me what I need to do.”

  “Pfft. Leave it all to me, darling. You just worry about getting a tuxedo for you and Parker. Vivian needs a wedding dress, and Ella needs something nice to wear too. Oh, boy. We need bridesmaids’ dresses as well, but I can take care of that. We had a bunch made for Eva’s wedding and ended up using the saris instead, so the ladies are covered. You should go shopping today, though, and tell your groomsmen to get tuxes too.”

  “Right. I didn’t even tell Vivian about it yet.”

  “Then hurry up and talk to her. A wedding is not something a woman wants to be surprised with. If there is any change in plans, call me right away. Call me either way, so I know whether to go into turbo mode or not.”

  “I will. And thank you so much. I owe you big time for this.”

  “Yeah, yeah. It’s my pleasure. I love organizing parties. Maybe I should quit the university and open a shotgun wedding service.”

  6

  Kian

  Arwel’s door was open when Kian and his entourage got to the dungeon.

  “Come in.” He waved them inside.

  “How is Lokan doing?” Kian asked.

  Arwel motioned to his open laptop, which was running a live feed from the neighboring cell. “He’s acting so nonchalant that I’m positive he doesn't know who’s got him. He must think he is dealing with humans.”

  Kian wasn’t sur
e at all that Lokan didn’t know he’d been captured by the clan. The arrogant son of a despot wasn’t going to show fear.

  “How is the feed working? Did you experience any glitches?”

  Arwel shook his head. “Works as perfectly as ever.”

  Now that the keep’s security department was made up entirely of humans, the feed from areas the clan still used was redirected to the village’s security office, and the monitoring was done from there. Arwel was getting his live transmissions from them.

  Freshly showered and looking like he’d stepped out of a fashion magazine, Lokan was sitting on the couch with an arm stretched over its back, one leg crossed over the other, and sipping on a bottle of Snake’s Venom.

  “Who gave him that?”

  Turner had advised treating Lokan well, but that didn’t include pampering him with imported beer.

  “It was probably left over by Magnus and Vivian,” Anandur said. “When Okidu cleaned the place, he left it in the fridge.”

  Yeah, that made sense. Okidu knew to check labels for expiration dates, and he wouldn't throw away anything unless it was time to do so.

  “Okay.” Kian turned to Brundar. “If he makes a wrong move, show him the error of his ways but don’t maim him.”

  Brundar nodded, but the Guardian’s hand was hovering over the pommel of his sword, and his lips were curled in a hint of an evil smirk.

  “Whatever you do, don’t chop his head off. We need him.”

  “Don’t worry, boss. I got it.”

  As Anandur entered the code into the keypad, Kian put a hand on his shoulder. “I know that you and Brundar want to get in first and secure the scene, but I just have to see the look on his face when he realizes who’s got him. He’s unarmed.”

  “He’s not planning anything,” Arwel said. “He is in watch and learn mode.”

  A grimace twisting Anandur’s face, he nodded. “You are the boss, Kian.”

  Damn right he was. But when it came to his safety and his disregard for it, his bodyguards rarely obeyed his wishes without argument.

  As the heavy door finished moving on its track, Kian strode into the room, his eyes trained on the Doomer.

  A barely audible intake of breath was the only indication that Lokan was taken by surprise. His eyes were so dark that it was difficult to distinguish the irises from the pupils, and Kian couldn’t tell whether they had dilated or not.

  And as far as scents went, whatever Lokan emitted was masked by the cologne he’d doused himself with. Turner shouldn't have left it in the suitcase when he’d checked Lokan’s belongings and removed everything that could be used as a weapon or a communication device.

  “Good morning, Lokan.” Kian walked over to the armchair and took a seat.

  As the brothers and Andrew pulled out chairs from the dinette, Arwel put down a paper cup and a wrapped sandwich on the coffee table. “Your breakfast.”

  “Thank you,” Lokan said. “You seem to know who I am, which puts me at a disadvantage.” He smiled. “An additional one.” He lifted his cuffed wrist and saluted Kian with the beer bottle. “May I have your names, gentlemen?”

  For a brief moment, Kian debated how to introduce himself. Annoyed by Lokan’s ability to keep a calm façade, he decided to go for his full title. “I’m Kian, Annani’s son and her American regent.”

  Surprising him, Lokan put his beer down and leaned forward, offering him his hand. “A pleasure to meet you, cousin. I am Lokan, Navuh’s son, and his liaison to Washington, but then you seem to know that. May I inquire how?”

  Not one to refuse a challenge, Kian shook the hand he was offered. “Do you really think you’re in a position to ask questions?”

  Lokan dipped his head in mock respect. “Only if you don’t mind answering them, of course.”

  Well, that was reasonable.

  Fuck. The Doomer was acting all rational, calm and collected, making Kian feel like he was the bully in this situation.

  Leaning back, he crossed his legs and put his arms on the armrests, affecting the same nonchalant attitude the Doomer was fronting.

  “I’ll make you a deal, Lokan. For every question you answer truthfully, I’ll answer one of yours.”

  A big grin spread over the Doomer’s handsome face. “Deal accepted. I assume you want to go first?”

  “Naturally. Why did you want Ella and Vivian?”

  “I had a special mission in mind for which I required their unique talent. Undetectable communication.”

  “Truth,” Andrew said from behind him.

  “What kind of a mission?”

  Lokan shook his head. “I believe it is my turn.”

  “Go ahead.”

  “What have you done with my men and with my jet?”

  Out of everything he could have inquired about, Kian hadn’t expected Lokan to show concern for his men. It was uncharacteristic for a Doomer leader.

  “That’s two questions, but I’m feeling generous. Your men were put in stasis, and your jet was hidden in a hangar in Mexico. Why is it important to you? I wasn’t aware Doomers cared for their underlings.”

  “My men and the abandoned jet could have alerted my father to the fact that I was kidnapped.”

  “Truth,” Andrew said.

  “Would he have come after you?”

  “Obviously.”

  Andrew chuckled. “Lie.”

  Lokan lifted the beer bottle and saluted Andrew. “I was testing him. He’s good.”

  “Yes, he is. We call him the lie detector.” Kian crossed his arms over his chest. “So, tell me, Lokan. What will your father do when he discovers you are gone?”

  “It depends on how well you covered your tracks. If you did a good job, he will assume I defected. If you didn’t, he will come after you with a vengeance.”

  “Truth.”

  Kian lifted a brow. “He doesn't know where to find us. Otherwise, he would have done it a long time ago.”

  “He knows where to find your allies.”

  “Truth.”

  “My turn. What do Ella and her mother have to do with the clan? What’s the connection? And why did you rescue her from Gorchenco? Do you need their talent as well?”

  “That’s four questions. Ella and Vivian are Dormants. Not for long, though. They will transition soon.”

  For the first time since their conversation had started, Lokan looked stunned. “I had no idea. If I’d known…”

  Kian uncrossed his arms and leaned forward. “You would’ve done what?”

  Casting a quick glance at Andrew, Lokan shook his head. “Because of him, I can’t lie even to be polite. Dormants are precious. No wonder you went to such lengths to rescue them. Both Ella and Vivian are beautiful women, each in her own way, but I wasn’t overly interested in either, as humans, that is. The possibility of having immortal offspring though, that would have made a big difference in the level of their desirability to me.”

  “Truth.”

  7

  Lokan

  Lokan never thought he would be thankful for the years of practice he’d had hiding his thoughts from his father. He was an expert on guarding his expressions and keeping his emotions running on neutral, which was crucial to throttle the potency of any emotional scents he emitted.

  Not many immortals could pull that off as well as he did.

  The trick was disassociation. Since a young age, Lokan learned to take himself out of the scene and pretend that whatever was happening wasn’t happening to him, and that he was just an uninvolved observer.

  Except, it was difficult to do when facing imminent execution.

  Unless he could prove exceptionally valuable to the clan, he was going to be dead soon, same as his men. What had made Kian come up with the ridiculous story about putting them in stasis?

  Why would anyone do that?

  Stasis was a temporary state, a result of a grave injury. Immortals didn’t stay in stasis indefinitely. Their bodies repaired themselves, and they were back up to fight ano
ther day.

  But Kian’s reasons for lying were not important right now. What Lokan needed to figure out was how to convince his cousin to spare his life.

  If he told Kian everything he wanted to know, he would have no further need for him. Perhaps he could convince Kian that his father would trade for him?

  It could’ve worked if not for the lie detector guy. But perhaps he could fool him by saying things that were mostly true and only slightly exaggerated or twisted a bit to serve his purpose.

  First, though, he needed more information. “My turn. Back to my original question. How did you know who I was? And did you put Ella in my path on purpose?”

  Kian chuckled. “You are doing it again. Asking several questions as if they are one. We didn’t put Ella in your path. Fate did. Your meeting with her happened purely by chance. Later on, she recognized you from your picture. And that was how we found out about you.”

  “How did you come by my picture?”

  Kian shook his head. “It’s my turn to ask. What did you need Ella and Vivian for?”

  “I told you already. I needed them for a mission to get information that couldn't be transmitted by ordinary means.”

  “I need more than that.”

  This was Lokan’s most guarded secret, but that was because it could have meant his death if his father found out. Except, Navuh wasn’t going to hear it from Kian, his arch-nemesis’s son.

  “My father’s harem is inaccessible to immortals. The way it works, the only ones who can get in are the humans who serve there. If they are ever allowed to leave, it’s without their memories. I wanted to find out what he was hiding in there because it must be pretty damn important for him to go to such length to seclude his ladies.”

  “Truth,” the lie detector announced.

  So, it worked. Lokan could get away with telling partial truths and choosing his words carefully.

  Kian nodded. “If you could get one telepath inside, she could communicate what was going on to the other.”

  “Precisely. And since Ella and Vivian can only communicate with each other, there was no fear of their mental conversations getting picked up by someone who wasn’t supposed to hear them. I would’ve coached them on how to keep their shields up, so it wouldn’t be as easy to peek into their heads as it was for me when I first met Ella.”