by I. T. Lucas
“Andrew, this is beautiful.” Nathalie turned in a circle, taking in the mosaic on the floor, the domed ceiling with the mural painted on it, the two ten foot high, carved double doors. “You weren’t kidding about this.”
Andrew huffed. “Wait until you see the inside. They have a swimming pool on their terrace.”
“Unbelievable.”
As Andrew knocked, Nathalie walked over to the flower arrangement and leaned to smell it.
Syssi opened the door with a big smile on her face, but for some reason the light was off in her living room. Had Nathalie confused the time and they were early?
“Come on in, Andrew,” Syssi said, and as he followed her inside, someone flipped on the lights.
Multiple voices shouted, “Happy birthday!”
Andrew was speechless.
The big banner hanging over the flat screen said Happy 40th Birthday Andrew. Several helium balloons with the same dreaded number on them were floating near the ceiling.
Syssi pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. “Happy birthday, Andrew.” Next, he had his ribs compressed by Kian, then Anandur, then Bhathian, and next was Dalhu. Even Brundar shook his hand. Arwel and Onegus each clapped him on the back, Amanda kissed him on both cheeks, and so it went.
“My birthday is next week, people.” He laughed.
Nathalie smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. “It wouldn’t have been much of a surprise if we did it exactly on your birthday, now would it? Happy birthday, my love.” She kissed him.
“I knew there was something you weren’t telling me. Should have guessed what you were up to.”
The smile started sliding off her face, and he realized that he should be thanking her instead of scolding. “Thank you, baby.” He kissed her forehead.
Nathalie peered up at him, still not sure whether he was happy or mad about this. “You should also thank Syssi, this was her idea.”
His sister should’ve known better. Andrew hated surprises, they made him uncomfortable, especially when everyone’s attention was on him.
Syssi looked away when he tried to pin her with a stare. “Come on, guys, grab a drink and take a load off,” Syssi pointed them toward the bar where Kian was waiting with two empty glasses.
Just the thought of alcohol made Andrew nauseous, but he wasn’t about to fess up and provide the guy with ammunition for more teasing. “Nathalie, you go ahead. I’ll have some later.”
She gave him a knowing little smile, but didn’t say anything.
Andrew walked over to Michael who’d been waiting patiently for his turn to congratulate him. “Just the guy I wanted to see.” He shook hands with the kid.
“Happy birthday, Andrew. Forty, wow, that’s… awesome.”
Andrew smiled. “You meant to say old. It’s okay, next to you I feel ancient. I wanted to talk to you about the transition.” He steered Michael toward the kitchen where they could have some privacy.
Michael took a swig from his bottle of Snake Venom, then asked, “What do you want to know?”
“Whatever you can tell me. I’m planning on doing it as soon as I can, and I want to know what to expect.”
Michael took another swig and furrowed his forehead. “There isn’t really much to tell. I didn’t feel anything until my gums started to hurt. I thought I had teeth problems and wanted to go see a dentist. Yamanu figured right away what was going on and took me to Bridget. It was hell growing these things—” He pointed at his small fangs. “The venom glands weren’t easy either, it felt as if my throat was on fire. Then my bones started hurting, which was the weirdest thing because I didn’t know bones could hurt. The worst was over in about three days, but it’s still happening. I’m still getting random aches and pains, and my fangs are useless because the venom glands are not active yet. Bridget says it will take another month or two until these babies will be functional.”
Michael’s transition didn’t seem all that harsh, but Andrew didn’t expect his to go as smoothly.
“Andrew, what are you doing hiding in the kitchen?” Syssi grabbed his elbow and pulled him back into the living room. “Go, mingle, talk to people.” She shoved him toward William.
Mingling and socializing wasn’t his thing, but he could do that, spend a few minutes talking to his mission partner. Well, partner was a gross exaggeration. Andrew had been no more than a lowly apprentice in William’s tech-mobile, and his help had been quite unnecessary. Still, after spending several hours with the tech genius, Andrew now considered him a friend as opposed to a casual acquaintance.
“Hey, William, my man. How are you doing.” Andrew offered his hand.
William grasped what he was offered, but not before transferring the pastry he’d been holding to his left hand, then wiping his right on a napkin. “I’m in heaven. Your fiancée makes the most delicious Danish.”
“Those are Nathalie’s?”
“That’s what I’ve been told.”
She must’ve been planning this right under his nose days before the mission. Come to think of it, Vlad had been casting him weird smiles over the last several days. But the kid was such a strange bird that Andrew had thought nothing of it—just another oddity.
Andrew grabbed a croissant from a tray Okidu was passing around and headed to where Nathalie was chatting with Dalhu.
Interesting. What the hell could she be talking about with the guy?
He hadn’t told her that he was planning on asking Dalhu to be his initiator. First, before he told anyone, including Dalhu himself, Andrew had to clear it with Kian.
“Andrew.” Nathalie turned to him with a big smile on her face. “I’ve just commissioned Dalhu to paint your portrait. I wanted something special for your birthday, and this seems like a really unique gift. Dalhu is such a talented artist. But you need to make an appointment.”
Dalhu grinned, looking happier about this than he should. “And your birthday present from me is the fifty percent discount I’m giving your fiancée.”
Damn.
Andrew wrapped his arm around her narrow waist and pulled her close against his side. “I’ll make you a deal. If you really want to make this a special birthday present, you’ll come to pose with me. I want a portrait of the two of us together.”
Given her bright smile, Nathalie wasn’t going to object. “That’s a wonderful idea, Andrew, I would love to.”
Chapter 35: Kian
It was getting late, and half of the people had already left when Andrew approached Kian.
“I want to talk to you about my transition.”
Kian had been expecting it. “When do you want to do it?”
Andrew rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. “I want to say tomorrow, but if I don’t get rid of this fucking headache first, I’ll need to push it up a day.”
The guy seemed anxious and with good reason.
Hell, just thinking about the possible consequences, Kian’s gut clenched with worry. If Andrew didn’t survive, it would devastate Syssi beyond repair. And frankly, Kian would miss the stubborn bastard as well. Andrew had become not only a brother-in-law and a friend but also a valuable asset to the clan.
“We need to choose your initiator.” Obviously, Kian was going to do it, and the choosing would be symbolic, for tradition’s sake.
“I want it to be Dalhu.”
“What? Why him?” Kian felt as if Andrew had just spat in his face.
Andrew rubbed his neck again. “I thought it through. Bhathian was my first choice, but he is Nathalie’s father, and it didn’t seem appropriate. So it was either Anandur or Dalhu. I decided on Dalhu because, in a way, we are both outsiders. We started as rivals and ended up as friends, and I figured Dalhu could use the honor of being chosen. At least I hope it’s an honor.”
As Andrew recounted his reasoning, it dawned on Kian that his brother-in-law hadn’t considered him because he might feel weird about getting activated by the same guy who had activated his sister.
Nevertheless, he asked, “Wh
at about me?”
Andrew lifted his head with a genuinely surprised expression on his face. “Are you allowed? I mean you’re the regent. I assumed you are above such mundane tasks.”
“There is nothing mundane about your transformation. I don’t know if Amanda is right about it, but she says my venom is the most potent because I’m a direct descendent of the gods. I will not trust your life to anyone else.”
Andrew looked down, scratched his chin, then sighed. “I appreciate your concern, and I’m not ungrateful, but you are also my sister’s husband. And her initiator. This would be even weirder than with Bhathian.”
He could see Andrew’s point, but it was an unimportant one. “I get it, Andrew. It may seem as something intimate to you, but it’s not. Changing a male is a completely different experience. You’ll be fighting me, man to man, nothing even remotely sexual or intimate about it. We’ve just done it to a bunch of Doomers. You think any of us would’ve been able to do it if it involved emotions or intimacy?”
“No, I guess not. But I still feel weird about it being you.”
Kian’s patience was wearing thin. “What’s more important? Enduring something that is a little weird or off putting, or surviving the transition? Your sister would never recover if you don’t make it. And what about Nathalie? Who is going to activate her? Would she even agree to go for it without you? Personally, I doubt it.”
If Kian’s tirade didn’t convince Andrew, nothing would.
In the meantime, everyone stopped talking, and all eyes were focused on Andrew.
Bridget walked up to Andrew and put a hand on his bicep. “You have to let Kian do it. He is your best chance of surviving this, and I’m saying it as a doctor and as your friend.”
His brother-in-law was stubborn but not stupid. “You’re right. I accept Kian as my initiator. Is that how it goes? Or is there some kind of ceremony?”
Kian expelled a breath and clapped Andrew on his shoulder. “Of course there is a ceremony, but we have a big enough forum here to proceed. That way, we can start the actual process as soon as you feel up to it.”
“Okay. So what do I do next?”
“Nothing, for now. But we need wine. Okidu, could you please open a new bottle of ceremonial wine and give everyone a glass?”
“Of course, master.” Okidu rushed to the kitchen.
Kian turned to look at the small assembled group. Everyone was smiling, except for Nathalie, who was crying and trying to cover it up. He’d had first-hand experience of what she was going through, and yet had no words of comfort for her. Andrew’s life was on the line, and he was not going to offer the girl meaningless reassurances.
Kian was relieved, though, to see Syssi embrace Nathalie and whisper something in her ear. If anyone could ease the woman’s fears, it was Syssi—the seer with the foreknowledge.
When Okidu was done distributing the small wine glasses, Kian cleared his throat and waited for everyone to hush down. “We are gathered here to present this fine not-so-young man to his elders. Andrew is ready to attempt his transformation. Who is vouching for him?”
Kian raised his hand, as did all the other Guardians present.
“I volunteer to initiate Andrew into his immortality.”
“Andrew, do you accept me as your initiator? As your mentor and protector, to honor me with your friendship, your respect, and your loyalty from now on?”
For a moment, Kian was afraid Andrew would come back with something snarky. But his brother-in-law gave the ceremony its due respect and answered with a solemn “I do.”
“Does anyone have any objections to Andrew becoming my protégé?”
When no one did, Kian raised his wine glass. “As everyone here agrees it’s a good match, let’s seal it with a toast.”
After the cheers quieted down, Kian pulled Andrew into a bro hug, holding on tight until Syssi pulled her brother away for a quick embrace, then transferred him into Nathalie’s waiting arms.
Damn. It had all sounded good and logical when he’d been convincing Andrew, but now, watching the emotional display, Kian’s gut started roiling with worry again.
He had to ensure Andrew’s survival, and the only way he could guarantee it was with the help of Annani’s blood.
Except, his mother was all the way up in Alaska, and going there to collect an ampule of her life-giving blood and back would take most of tomorrow. He would have to postpone Andrew’s initiation until he had the means to keep the guy alive.
Trouble was, Kian couldn’t tell anyone why he needed the extra day. Coming up with a convincing excuse that would satisfy the others was easy. The problem was Andrew—the human lie detector.
As Kian saw it, there were two ways to go about it. He could call or text Andrew with the excuse, because the guy wasn’t as good detecting lies when he wasn’t facing the liar. Or, he could use Shai to deliver the news, with the caveat that Shai and everyone else would believe the lie.
Yeah, that was how he needed to play it: Invent some emergency meeting with his mother—perhaps a summoning to discuss the mission no one had told her about—that was actually an excellent excuse. No one would question his need to obey Annani’s summons. And whoever told Andrew would not be lying because they would believe Kian’s lie.
Perfect.
There was one thing that bothered him about this plan, though. He would also have to lie to Syssi.
Chapter 36: Kian
“Shai, please email me today’s agenda. I’m going to work on the plane ride.” Kian stuffed the pile of files Shai had left on his desk into an old briefcase that he hadn’t used in at least twenty years.
“I don’t get why you’re going up there. A phone call or even a video conference would have achieved the same objective without all the wasted time.”
Kian pinned him with one of his intimidating stares. “You know Annani. She is furious. Showing up in person at her place, I may have a chance of her listening to my excuses. She’s been after me to come visit her for a long time.”
With an exaggerated eye roll, Shai handed him another file. Apparently, Kian’s intimidating looks were not as effective as he hoped. Either that or Shai had developed an immunity. “Here, you wanted to go over the profitability analysis on the Marriott.”
“Thank you.” Kian added the folder to the others and closed his briefcase by pushing hard on the top. Hopefully, the thing was sturdy enough not to burst open.
The Marriott group was selling the Hawaiian hotel complex because the property was underperforming, but Kian believed it could be turned around. Except, he would need to see what the professionals had to say before making an offer. Most of the time the accountants and analysts confirmed his gut feeling, Kian had a knack for seeing potential where others did not, but even if they agreed with every one of his hunches, he would still keep asking their advice. A smart man should always seek the counsel of experts before making big decisions.
It was the first file he pulled out on the way to the airstrip, and by the time Okidu parked the limo next to Annani’s private jet, he’d finished reading it from cover to cover.
Kian closed his briefcase, texted Shai the broad terms of the offer he was willing to make on the property, and then boarded the plane.
“Good morning, Oridu,” he greeted Annani’s butler who was piloting her jet.
To get to her place, Kian had no choice but to use one of Annani’s pilots. No one aside from them knew exactly where in Alaska her hidden compound was. Implementing this safety precaution had been his own idea, and it was a good one, but it meant that there could be no surprise visits to Annani. Kian had called his mother last night, and she’d sent the jet to pick him up.
Oridu bowed. “Good morning, master. May I offer you breakfast before we take off?”
“No, thank you, I’ve already eaten.” Kian sat in one of the two reclining chairs and pressed the release mechanism on the retracting table top. Pulling the stack of files out of his briefcase, he placed them on one side, h
is laptop went in the middle, and a yellow pad and pen went on its other side.
A perfectly adequate setup for a productive workday.
Between phone call appointments, emails, and going through five of the nine reports, Kian had barely felt the hours fly by.
“We are landing, master. Would you be so kind as to fasten your seatbelt?”
“How soon?” Kian asked as he returned everything to the briefcase and clicked it closed. He pushed the table back into its compartment and buckled up.
“Fifteen minutes, master.”
Once the plane touched down, he pulled out his phone and texted Syssi. Just landed.
She’d made him promise to let her know as soon as he landed that he'd arrived safely.
The plane continued its forward momentum, sliding on its skis almost up to the hatch leading inside the dome. The hatch opened, and a pushback tractor emerged, hooked a towbar to the plane and got it inside.
When the hatch closed, Oridu lowered the stairs and Kian got out, half expecting his mother to be waiting for him in the hangar.
Puffing out a breath, he watched it fog in the freezing air and wondered why the hell no one thought to keep the place warm. People were being shuffled in and out of the dome on a daily basis. There was no need for them to freeze while getting on and off. In addition to the small jet he’d arrived on, the hangar housed two medium-sized passenger planes, one cargo plane, and another executive jet. The small group of immortals who called this dome their home didn’t lack transportation options. Was it too much to ask for heating as well?
He needed to have a talk with whoever his mother had put in charge of this.
“This way, master.” Oridu bowed again and waved his hand toward the double sets of sliding glass doors separating the cold hangar from the warm interior.
His mother wasn’t there either.
Damn, she was probably waiting for him in her ‘reception’ room—the one reserved for formal audiences with clan members that needed to be reprimanded.