Dark Secrets Unveiled (The Children Of The Gods Paranormal Romance Book 45)

by I. T. Lucas

“It’s not safe for you to go alone.” Herleif ignored the command and kept pace with him.

  Was Gudbrand him, though? Or was David dreaming someone else’s life?

  Like a drifting mist, David’s waking life receded, and the dreamscape solidified, becoming his only reality.

  He knew this place.

  It was his home.

  Every snow-laden tree and every jagged stone was familiar, as was the path he was walking on. He’d made the same trek countless times before.

  Gudbrand was the eldest son of the Skilfing clan’s chieftain and his successor, and he was on his way to visit Ania, chieftain Bogen’s adopted daughter, the holy woman of her clan, and the earthly embodiment of the goddess Frella.

  Ania’s beauty had no equal, and many had sought her favors, which as a priestess of Frella she provided quite freely but discriminately.

  She wouldn’t take just anyone to her bed, and any man who hoped for the honor had to scrub himself clean, wash his hair, and put on clean clothes. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be allowed to even enter her tent, let alone petition for her favors.

  Frella demanded cleanliness, and so did her priestesses.

  Most were lucky to gain Ania’s favors for one night, and some were luckier and were summoned again. But ever since she’d chosen Gudbrand, Ania had summoned him every night and had not taken another into her furs.

  Like all chosen of Frella, Ania was barren and forbidden to marry or even keep the same lover for more than one moon rotation. The only exception was the man who would be blessed by Frella and impregnate Ania. That lucky guy would then become her husband for one year. Gudbrand was determined to make the most of what time he had left with her, or at least that was his official stance. Secretly, he hoped to be the one chosen by Frella to impregnate Ania and own the magnificent priestess for an entire year. Given Ania’s incredible sexual prowess, he might not live to see the end of that year, but he would die a happy and revered man.

  Not a bad way to go.

  Except, Herleif was wasting his time.

  “We have a peace treaty with Bogen’s clan. Besides, Ania’s lovers are granted divine protection. You know that.”

  “I do. The question is whether the bears and the wolves know that as well.”

  Gudbrand snorted and looked down at his much shorter friend. “Don’t worry about me. I can handle a bear. I’m not a maiden in need of protection.”

  He was a big man and a fierce warrior and hunter. Still, he wasn’t as reckless as Herleif was making him out to be. The animals shied away from humans, and as long as he stayed on the path, he had nothing to fear.

  Herleif was just using him as an excuse to be free of his wife for a couple of hours, or maybe he hoped for a glimpse of Ania.

  She didn’t show herself to just anyone. Only those whose petition was accepted got to see her face. Everyone else saw her with a veil made of a sacred fabric that the goddess gifted her priestesses with.

  The mystery only made Ania more desirable, especially given the rumors her petitioners were spreading about her unparalleled beauty.

  Gudbrand had thought the men had been exaggerating, but everything they had said was true. Ania’s beauty would make goddesses envious.

  “What if a pack of wolves attacks you? How many can you kill before they get to you?”

  “They won’t. Frella’s protection of Ania’s lovers is not limited to just humans. The goddess will keep me safe from animals as well.”

  “And you believe all that nonsense? Ania is just a girl. A very beautiful one, but she is not the embodiment of Frella.”

  “Show some respect, Herleif. It’s not wise to anger the gods.”

  Strangely, even though Ania looked no older than eighteen summers, Gudbrand never thought of her as a girl but as a mature woman.

  He was twenty-four and a seasoned warrior, but sometimes he felt many years younger than Ania. Perhaps as a priestess of Frella she’d had access to knowledge that had aged her beyond her years.

  Wondering whether Ania was a witch, a cold shiver ran down his back that had nothing to do with the freezing wind. What if she was hundreds of years old and kept herself young by stealing the life energy from the men she bedded?

  Perhaps that was the real reason behind her refusing to take the same lover for more than one moon rotation. She was showing them mercy by sparing their lives.

  As he’d discovered, the mystery of Ania was much more involved than the beauty she hid under her veil.

  Ever since she had accepted his petition, he’d been spending every night with her, but other than the lovemaking, he couldn’t remember what they’d talked about or any other details from his stay. He left her each morning in a daze, barely making it to his furs and sleeping like a dead man for long hours.

  Ania’s other lovers had reported the same thing.

  Then again, Ania’s lovemaking had the power to fry a man’s brain, so it was no wonder he couldn’t remember anything but that.

  “It’s a great honor to be accepted by Ania, and an even greater honor for her to call on you every night. But you shouldn’t let it get into your head.”

  He shrugged. “I won’t. Ania granted me an entire month, and I intend to make the most of it.”

  His reputation as an exceptional lover would reach a fever pitch. He would get propositioned by every unattached female from every clan in the area, and probably some of the married ones as well.

  Herleif chuckled. “Since it seems that you believe all the crap Ania is feeding everyone, you probably hope to be the one to get her pregnant so you can have her for a whole year.”

  “Many have tried, but Ania has never conceived.”

  “Yeah, but each of her lovers hopes to be the winner of the ultimate prize.”

  “I’m not a fool, and I’m not hoping for that. Once my month is up, I will find myself a pretty girl to marry like my father wants me to.”

  There were several clans in the area that he could negotiate a treaty with and cement it with a marriage. After all, that was what his grandfather had done. He’d married the sister of Bogen’s grandfather.

  Olek had taken a wife from the Elrin clan, but since his younger brother was the second in the line of succession, his marriage hadn’t produced a treaty as strong as the one their grandfather had secured with Bogen’s clan.

  That job was left to Gudbrand, and the pressure was mounting for him to secure another alliance and produce an heir.

  “Guard your heart, Gudbrand. Ania might steal it and never give it back.”

  “Don’t worry. I’m not in love with her. She is my last adventure before I settle down. It’s an honor to be chosen as her lover.” He cast his friend a sidelong glance. “Are you jealous, Herleif?”

  Married men were not eligible for Ania’s favors.

  Herleif burst out laughing. “Of course, I am jealous. Every man who can still get it up, and even those who can’t, lusts after her. But Ania is a dream, a temporary distraction. I much prefer my wife’s warm bosom, which is mine to enjoy every night.”

  There was something to be said for Girta’s bosom. She had been generously endowed by the gods, and Ania’s girly figure lacked such soft cushioning. But there was no comparison between her and Girta, not in looks and not in skill.

  Gudbrand had been with many women, and none had ever satisfied him as thoroughly as Ania. She left him almost dead with exhaustion and drained of the last drop of vitality.

  Some said that she was a demoness disguising as a priestess of Frella, and that she drained the life force out of men. But since none of her lovers had died, Gudbrand was willing to take the risk and enjoy what she offered in exchange for his male vitality.

  21

  Annani

  “I should be with Sari.” Annani paced the length of her small receiving room. “My daughter needs me.”

  Ogidu bowed. “Would you like me to escort you, Clan Mother?”

  “Thank you, but I am just talking to myself.”

 
; Not comprehending, her butler tilted his head.

  “You may go.” She dismissed him with a wave of her hand.

  “As you wish, Clan Mother.” He bowed again and retreated, walking backward until he reached the door.

  When Amanda had called with the news about David, Annani had chosen to stay in the suite and send Alena in her place. Her reasoning had been that there was no need for her to take part in the brouhaha surrounding the transitioning Dormant, and that her conflicting feelings about him would only trouble Sari.

  Annani had done her best to treat David as if he was a stranger that she was meeting for the first time, but it had been difficult to ignore the familiar vibe she was picking up from him. Every time she was near him, her mind took her to a time and place that had left a scar on her soul, an ugly episode that was best forgotten.

  She wondered whether anyone besides her sensed David’s dual nature. The outer layer of civility and mellow attitude was deceptive, and it was so thick that even David himself was not aware of the volatility hidden deep inside him.

  If nothing triggered it, David could spend his entire life unaware of the fierceness hiding underneath his Ivy League education and the good manners his parents had instilled in him. But life was unpredictable, and sooner or later, a strong enough trigger would activate the warrior.

  It was not necessarily a bad thing. Once David transitioned and gained immortal strength, his warrior-like tendencies could be utilized to protect Sari and the clan. The problem was that aggression was a double-edged sword. Whether it was used for good or evil depended on other factors making up a person’s constitution.

  Not for the first time, Annani wondered about the nature of the eternal soul and where it originated from. Her ancestors had vast knowledge and had even discovered a way to live nearly forever, but even they had not had all the answers.

  How was a soul created?

  Were all the original souls identical?

  Were they just bundles of cosmic information that had been molded and shaped by the experiences of endless life cycles?

  Or was each soul a unique entity?

  Could a soul split into two? Or three?

  Can a soul give birth to another?

  What was the purpose of life?

  Annani had lived for over five thousand years and still had not figured that out. Perhaps the answers were so far beyond the scope of what a biological brain could process that no living creature could comprehend the vastness of reality.

  What if the soul hated being trapped in a physical body, severed from that limitless knowledge by physical constraints?

  What if her Khiann had chosen to ascend and not return to her as a reincarnate?

  Were souls even given a choice?

  As the door opened and Alena walked in, Annani stopped her pacing and let out a shuddering breath. “How is David doing?”

  “He is unconscious but stable.” Alena sat on the couch. “Steven has him hooked up to the monitors, and Bridget is flying overnight to supervise his transition.”

  “That is good.” Annani joined her on the couch. “How is Sari holding up?”

  “She’s freaking out.” Alena regarded her with somber eyes. “If it looks like he is not going to make it, you are going to give him your blessing, right?”

  “Of course. He is Sari’s chosen. I will not let him perish.”

  Alena’s shoulders relaxed. “Good. I was afraid you would refuse because of your supposed past history with him.”

  Lifting her chin, Annani looked down her nose at Alena. “Reincarnation is real. Even if you think me fanciful, which is a nice way to say that your mother believes in nonsense, David’s dreams of me prove it.”

  “He dreamed of a red-headed beauty. Perhaps he saw you somewhere when he was young, and the memory remained in his subconscious.” Alena smiled. “You leave quite an impression on people.”

  “Is that your way to atone for your previous comment?”

  “No, it’s another possible explanation. I know that you believe in reincarnation wholeheartedly, but that’s because of the prophecy you were given and the hope that Khiann would return to you as a reincarnate. I hate to disillusion you, but I’ve lived for a very long time, and I’ve never seen conclusive proof of it.”

  “You have lived for a long time, my daughter, that is true, but your dealings with humans have always been limited. A community of immortals is not the place to look for proof of reincarnation.”

  Alena sighed. “That is not true. It doesn’t happen often, but children are born to us, and we lose loved ones. For many years, I harbored a hope that Lilen would return to us, perhaps even as my son, but it didn’t happen.”

  Swallowing the painful knot that had formed in her throat, Annani reached for her daughter’s hand. “I hoped for that too. I still do.”

  “That’s the thing, Mother. Us wishing for reincarnation to be real doesn’t make it so. We just want to believe that our loved ones are not gone forever. Once the soul moves on, it’s not coming back.”

  Annani nodded. “I am not going to argue beliefs with you. You are entitled to yours, and I am entitled to mine.” She lifted her hand to call Oshidu’s attention.

  “Yes, Clan Mother.” He bowed low.

  “I would like some tea.” She cast Alena a sidelong glance. “Not that tea, so do not even suggest it.”

  Alena lifted her hands. “You made it very clear that you don’t want to drink it anymore.”

  “Which tea would you prefer, Clan Mother? We have English Breakfast, Earl Grey, and green jasmine.”

  “I will have the Earl Grey.”

  “I’ll have the same.” Alena leaned back and closed her eyes for a moment.

  “What troubles you, my daughter?”

  “Everything and nothing.”

  Annani chuckled. “Are you having an existential crisis, Alena?”

  “We all do from time to time.” She slanted a look at Annani. “You are being very secretive about your supposed encounter with David’s other self. I sense that you feel guilty about what happened. Talking about it will help give you closure.”

  Squaring her shoulders, Annani glared at her daughter. “Do not apply human psychology to me, Alena. I do not need closure, and I do not have to explain myself to you or anyone else.”

  Alena dipped her head. “My apologies, Mother. I do not expect explanations or excuses, and I am never going to judge you. But I am your eldest daughter, and over the many years that I stayed by your side, I have proven my complete and utter loyalty to you beyond a shadow of a doubt. I know you better than anyone. Whatever you have done, for whatever reason, right or wrong, will not change my opinion of you, and whatever you choose to tell me will remain between the two of us.”

  22

  David

  It was early morning when Gudbrand trudged through the snow on his way back home, and just like all the other times he’d spent a night with Ania, he could barely keep his eyes open and put one leg in front of the other.

  Something was different about this morning walk home, though. His heart was heavy for some reason, his mood was sour, and he couldn’t figure out what had caused it.

  The exhaustion was nothing new, but something else must have happened to make him feel so out of sorts. The sensation of impending doom reminded him of the escalating hostilities with Rogner’s clan and the battle that had ensued last spring.

  What was wrong? Was it a bad premonition, or a bad memory?

  Gudbrand shook his head, stomped his booted feet, and slapped his temple with his gloved hand in an attempt to clear the haze from his head.

  Since he had never gotten premonitions before, it must be a troublesome memory that had evaporated from his brain.

  Nights with Ania had that effect on him.

  Perhaps if he sat down for a moment and closed his eyes, the damn memory would resurface, if not in its entirety, then at least a string he could follow.

  A flat rock jutting out of the snow on the rig
ht side of the path was as good a spot as any for doing some thinking. Sitting down, Gudbrand stretched his legs in front of him, crossed his arms over his chest to ward off some of the chill, and lifted his face to the sky. The forest wasn’t dense at the spot he’d chosen, but the weak sunlight filtering through the canopy of the trees wasn’t enough to warm his face.

  For long moments, he sat with his eyes closed and his face upturned, letting the cold wind caress his face as he listened to the soothing sounds of the forest.

  The wind must have moved the branches above him, and a patch of snow landed on his face, forcing his eyes open. It also opened up a broader swath of the sky, and even though the sunlight was still weak, he squinted and shielded his eyes with his hand.

  Suddenly, a memory of Ania’s eyes glowing with unholy light popped up in his mind. Was it a memory, though?

  People’s eyes didn’t glow as if twin fires were burning behind them. Not even the eyes of Frella’s priestesses. Not that he’d met any other than Ania.

  She was the only one in the five-clan area, and they hadn’t encountered visitors from beyond those lands in many years. The only one to arrive had been Ania and the seven mute servants sworn to protect her, a gift from Frella.

  Everyone had envied Bogen when she’d chosen his clan, but Ania was generous with her services, offering healings and blessings to all who came to petition her. She offered healing to anyone who needed it, but she was more discriminating about her lovers. Still, she judged each man as an individual regardless of his clan or his position.

  Ania had done a lot of good for the five clans, so why was he suddenly so wary of her?

  Where had the disturbing memory of glowing eyes come from?

  Perhaps he’d dreamt it, and now it had resurfaced as a memory?

  Things like that happened to him from time to time, especially after chewing on the tungboqe weed for too long. Dream and memory would blend so seamlessly that he couldn’t differentiate between the two.

  The weed messed with his head, but that was the whole point. Men chewed it to relax after a hunt and to get into the right mood for dancing, singing, and sex. Some of the women chewed it too.