by I. T. Lucas
“Do you wish to pay respects to your dead? They are in a different section of the catacombs. We keep this one optimally regulated for the preservation of the bodies in stasis. Just don’t ask me what that optimum is because I have no clue. Our doctor reassures me that this is it.”
Lokan dipped his head. “You’ve shown our warriors unexpected mercy. I want to express my deepest gratitude for your kindness.” He bowed his head even lower.
Not even his father had ever gotten that from him voluntarily.
“Truth,” the lie detector said.
“Don’t thank me. Thank my mother. I’m not kind to my enemies.”
Lokan ignored the vehemence in his cousin’s voice. “Then please convey my gratitude to the goddess.”
“You can thank her in person. She is coming to see you.”
Lokan’s gut clenched and then surged with excitement. “When?”
“Sometime tomorrow.” Kian seemed amused by Lokan’s shock. “No need to panic. As long as you are as polite and as well-spoken as you’ve been so far, you’ll do fine with Annani.”
“I’ll do my best. And even though I’m sure you’ll take every precaution available to you, I want to assure you that even if I wasn’t shackled with these cuffs, the goddess would have nothing to fear from me. I’m forever in her debt for persuading you to spare my people.”
“Truth,” the lie detector said.
Despite the guy’s reassurances, Kian didn’t look convinced. “Words are cheap, Lokan. I believe in actions. If you want to express your gratitude in a meaningful way, do it by giving me the island's location.”
Despite the evidence he’d been shown, this was still an extremely tough decision to make. There was no going back from that.
“Give me your most solemn oath that you’re not going to attack the island.”
Kian shook his head. “I can’t do that because at some point in the future it may become necessary. But I can vow never to attempt to destroy it or seek the annihilation of its population.”
Kian’s unwillingness to give him a blanket oath was actually reassuring because it meant he was going to abide by his word.
“Let me rephrase it then. I want you to swear that if for any reason you ever attack the island, it’s not going to be with indiscriminate bombing, conventional or unconventional, and that you and your men will do your absolute best to preserve as many lives as possible.”
His hand over his heart, Kian nodded. “I give you my oath that I will never use the information you give me to destroy the island or its inhabitants. If at any point an attack becomes unavoidable because we need to free one of our own or prevent a major catastrophe, I will do everything in my power to minimize casualties on both sides.”
That was the best vow he was going to get. “If you show me a map of the region, I’ll mark the island’s location for you.”
“Don’t you have the coordinates?”
“I don’t. But I know where the island is.”
“How did you fly in and out of there without having the exact coordinates?”
“I didn’t. I flew to a nearby private airport, where I stored my plane, and an island transport picked me up from there. No one flies in or out of the island other than the compelled human pilots. But since I was the one doing the compelling, I knew where the island was. I just never bothered to ask for the flight coordinates.”
42
Carol
As the spatula slipped from Carol’s hand and landed on the floor, she cursed under her breath. Nerves of steel were required to wait patiently for Kian to be done with Lokan.
She’d thought she had them, but apparently, hers were only iron strong. If Lokan refused to cooperate, Kian might resort to torture to get the island’s location out of him.
What was she going to do if that happened?
For better or worse, Lokan was her mate; should she plead for leniency? Would Kian listen to her?
Not a chance.
If showing Lokan the catacombs wasn’t enough to reassure him that the clan had no intention of annihilating his people, she would have to convince him of that somehow.
After rinsing the spatula, she flipped the chicken breasts in one pan and loaded the second one with another batch. Given her stress level, she’d chosen a simple recipe, but since she needed to pass the time, she’d made enough chicken Milanese to feed every Guardian in the building in addition to her roommates, Arwel, and Lokan.
The side dishes were simple too. White rice and green beans.
When the last batch was done, she pulled out her phone and texted Arwel. Are they done yet?
He answered right away. We are on our way back.
Did it work?
Yes.
Thank the merciful Fates.
The wave of relief that swept through her was so powerful that Carol’s knees went weak, and she had to lean against the counter.
There would be no torture.
Her mate wouldn’t be harmed.
Taking several fortifying breaths, she went back to work. After dividing the enormous pile of cutlets into portions, she loaded everything into several containers and packed a big insulated bag with all that was needed for her and Lokan’s dinner.
Arwel could handle the distribution of the rest between the Guardians. She still needed to freshen up and pack a few personal necessities.
The guys weren’t back yet when Carol got to the dungeon level, and after a few moments of standing next to Lokan’s door, she put her bags on the floor and leaned against the wall.
The ping of the elevator stopping on her level preceded the murmur of male voices.
“Something smells delicious,” she heard Andrew say.
“It seems Carol is back with dinner.” That was Anandur’s voice, and a moment later the five men rounded the corner.
Walking between the brothers, Lokan seemed as confident and nonchalant as he usually did, but she could sense his stress even from a hundred feet away.
Was that a mate thing? Was she more attuned to him now that they had formed the bond?
Because his expression was the same one that he fooled everyone else with, smug and slightly bored, and revealing nothing of what was going on inside of him.
“Hi, guys. I made enough to feed all of you,” she said as they stopped in front of Lokan’s cell. “I put the containers on the counter in my apartment. If you hurry, you can still eat it warm.” Hopefully, this would get them out of there faster.
Her eyes searched Lokan’s, but his expression remained impassive.
“Thank you,” Andrew said. “But Nathalie and Phoenix are waiting for me to come home.”
Kian and the brothers thanked her and said much the same. Except for Arwel, each was eager to get back to his mate.
Lokan’s expression didn’t change, but she caught the red flash in his eyes.
Was he excited about being alone with her? Or was it in response to the exchange he’d just witnessed? Immortal males eager to get home to their mates was a novelty for him. Did he find the prospect of joining that exclusive club tempting?
Punching the code into the keypad, Arwel opened the door. “As soon as you get inside, I’m going to restore the previous settings on your cuffs.”
Lokan nodded. “I expected as much.” He glanced at Kian. “Don’t I deserve some perks for my cooperation?”
Kian slapped him on the back. “You’ve already gotten the biggest perk there is. I’m allowing Carol to stay with you in your cell and serve you gourmet meals three times a day.”
“That’s true.” Lokan dipped his head. “And greatly appreciated. I’m grateful for that and for your merciful treatment of my people. You are a good man, cousin.” When Kian opened his mouth to protest, he lifted a hand to stop him. “I know that as far as the warriors go, you are just following your mother’s orders, but did she also order leniency toward me?”
Kian shook his head.
“That’s what I thought. Thank you for allowing Carol to
stay.”
“You are welcome.” Kian lifted a finger. “But if you harm a hair on her head, you’ll see the other side of me, and let’s just say that it’s far from lenient.”
The vehemence in Kian’s voice sent a wave of dread down Carol’s spine, but Lokan only smiled. “I like your attitude. Since I am a powerless prisoner, I’m glad that my mate has such a fierce protector.”
43
Lokan
Finally alone with Carol, Lokan pulled her into his arms. “I couldn’t wait for them to leave so I could do this.” He smashed his lips over hers.
She returned the kiss with just as much fervor, her hands running over his back and then cupping his ass to pull him closer against her.
Her strength still surprised him, especially given her petite size and delicate features, as did her boldness. Lokan was well aware of how intimidating he was to most people, humans and immortals, males and females alike. On a visceral level, they sensed what he was, and their instinctive fear of him was the right response.
Lokan was powerful, physically and mentally, and he wasn’t a nice guy. He was decent, or as decent as he could afford to be given his station in the Brotherhood, but that didn’t mean that he was even remotely good or harmless. He was dangerous to whoever stood in his way or the way of his ambitions, and he had very few qualms about eliminating those who did, sometimes with extreme prejudice.
“Your dinner is getting cold,” Carol said when he let go of her.
“Fuck the food. Let’s go to bed.” He lifted her and started toward the bedroom.
“No way.” She pushed on his chest. “We can do that after we eat and you tell me everything.”
Reluctantly, he let her down. “As you wish.”
She smiled at him sweetly. “Get us drinks from the fridge while I set the table.”
Getting told what to do by a woman was still a novelty for him, but surprisingly Lokan didn’t find it offensive.
Where he came from, women were supposed to obey rather than issue orders. On the island, as well as in some of the more extreme patriarchal societies, this was not only expected but also enforced.
Still, he’d always suspected that the reality was different inside the homes of loving partners.
How was it possible to care for a woman and not provide for her needs? And how was a man supposed to know how to do that without her sharing her dreams and wants as well as her displeasures and dissatisfactions openly with him?
Except, most of the men he’d interacted with truly believed that women were meant to serve men, and that their own needs and wants were inconsequential. It was even true of some of the Westerners he’d dealt with, but more so in places where the belief was backed by religion and ideology.
Mortdh’s teachings weren’t even the most extreme in that regard. In fact, even though females were held in low esteem by Mortdh’s followers, their lives were at least protected.
The god the Brotherhood worshiped had never advocated physical abuse as a way to control women, and killing females was prohibited because it was considered a waste of a valuable resource. It wasn’t a particularly noble sentiment, but it was better than the right some societies gave men to execute their wives, daughters, and sisters for honor offenses, which often meant that mere suspicion of infidelity or impropriety could be used to justify murder.
“Don’t just stand there, dinner is served,” Carol interrupted his musings.
He opened the fridge. “What would you like to drink?”
“Water, please.”
He pulled out a water bottle for her and a Snake’s Venom for himself.
“Thank you for cooking this wonderful meal for me,” he said as he sat down.
She grimaced. “I know it’s not as fancy as the other ones I’ve made for you, but I was too stressed out to get into the zone of cooking something elaborate.”
“I wasn’t being sarcastic. This looks and smells delicious. What did you stress about?”
She made a face. “You and Kian. I was afraid that you’d refuse to cooperate, and he would decide to torture you to get the island's location out of you.”
“Would he have done it?”
“I don’t know. Kian has a heart of gold, but he can be ruthless. Especially with the clan’s enemies, which for the time being you still are, at least in his eyes.”
“I am not. But I don’t expect Kian to take my word for it. Besides, I’m powerless in here.” His lips twisted. “Not that I had much power before. I was a big cog in my father’s machine, but still just a cog. I had no say in determining policy or influencing his decisions. The Brotherhood is a monarchy, not a democracy, and Navuh has absolute power over everything and everyone in it.”
Before demoting Losham, Navuh had on occasion listened to his brother’s advice, but after Losham had been tasked with the demeaning jobs of heading the Brotherhood’s drug operation and bringing fresh flesh to the island, Navuh hadn’t taken on anyone else as his advisor.
It was a shame. Losham was brilliant and moderate. He’d been the voice of reason that had kept Navuh’s more ambitious plans in check.
Carol cut a piece of chicken and motioned for his plate. “If you want me to believe that you like what I make for you, you have to prove it. Deeds, Lokan, speak louder than words.”
As he lifted his fork and knife, Lokan wondered whether Carol was hinting at something. But what?
He’d already promised Kian the island’s location. What else could he do to prove himself the clan’s friend?
Was he their friend?
He wasn’t. Except, wasn’t the enemy of his enemy a friend?
Regrettably, he couldn't think of his father as anything but. As long as Navuh had absolute power over the Brotherhood, no change was possible. Like everyone else on the island, Lokan was a slave to his father’s agenda, or rather had been before his capture.
In a way, he’d been freed.
At the realization, Lokan’s chest expanded. He was no longer his father’s slave, but he wasn’t free either.
Right now, he was in limbo.
“Did you like it?” Carol asked.
He glanced at his empty plate. “Is that proof enough?”
“Oh, I don’t know. You were thinking so hard that I could see the cogs in your brain spinning. I doubt you even tasted anything.”
She wasn’t wrong. He hadn’t been paying attention. “I’ll take another piece, and this time I’ll savor the taste.”
An angelic smile lit up Carol’s face. “Thank you for being honest.” She picked up a cutlet from the container and dropped it on his plate. “Would you like some rice and green beans as well?”
“Yes, please.”
When she was done reloading his plate, Carol leaned back in her chair. “You’re not powerless, Lokan, and you never have been. You have two extremely unique powers, one of which your father doesn’t even know about.”
“The dream-sharing is useless. I tried to dream-share with people I found difficult to compel and failed. You are the first immortal I tried this with, and I was very surprised that it worked. Other than you, I did it with Ella and several other human females, with whom it was all about sex. I think it only works with women I’ve met in person and that I’m at least somewhat attracted to.”
“You should try it with some other immortals.”
“I don’t dare. I was warned not to try it with Ella, and I’m sure it applies to any other clan member. My people are out of the question, too, because they will talk, and my father will find out. I can only do it with humans whom I can compel into silence.”
“We can ask Arwel’s permission, and you can try it on him.”
“To what end?”
She shrugged. “Just so you know the extent of your power and whether you can dream-share with immortal males or not.”
“I’d rather not. If I succeed in dream-sharing with Arwel, Kian will view me as a threat, and he might decide to eliminate me after all.”
44
<
br /> Carol
Lokan wasn’t wrong. Arwel had been of the same opinion when she’d told him about the dream-sharing.
Had it been a mistake to tell the Guardian?
Whether it was or not, it had been done.
The thing was, so far, Kian had been uncharacteristically reserved in his treatment of Lokan, regarding him as a valued asset rather than an enemy and a threat.
It was easy to forget that the regent would have no qualms about putting Lokan in stasis. As soon as Kian had the island’s location, Lokan would be of little further value to him. For the time being, Kian might leave him be because of her, but the moment Lokan posed a threat to the clan, it would be game over.
The only reason Kian didn’t view the dream-sharing as a threat from the start was that Lokan had no idea where they were holding him. Even if he dream-shared with some human on the island and asked that person to tell his father or brothers that he’d been captured by the clan, it would do him no good.
Even if Lokan managed to dream-share with a clan member, he wouldn’t find the village’s location from them either, because the vast majority of them weren’t privy to that information, and she very much doubted he could dream-share with Kian or one of the council members who were.
Then again, if Lokan dream-shared with Arwel, Kian might become wary of him.
“It’s good that at least one of us thinks things through. It’s better not to experiment with your dream-sharing and draw too much attention to it.”
He took her hand. “For better or worse, Kian and I think alike because we are both leaders with an extensive military background. If I were in his position, I would not have risked leaving someone with my ability to use it on my people and find out things he shouldn’t. You, on the other hand, think with your heart first. That is why females shouldn't be soldiers. You are too compassionate and lack the bloodthirstiness of men.”