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

by I. T. Lucas

  “That’s useful. We could use something like that in the village.”

  As Sari got up and joined them, Kian handed her the phone. The camera was trained on David and the medical equipment next to him. At the bottom of the screen, she saw the same readouts that were running on the monitoring screens. She didn’t know what they meant, but as long as they ran steadily, she assumed that everything was okay.

  Still, watching David through her phone’s screen wasn’t the same as being physically next to him. Besides, if she was busy with work, she wouldn’t be talking to him, which she believed helped keep him tethered to this world.

  Kian handed Steven the phone back. “When Bridget gets here, I want you to show it to her. I don’t know why we don’t have something like that in our clinic. It would make it so much easier on the mates of transitioning Dormants.”

  “Maybe Bridget and Julian are already using an application but not sharing it with non-professionals.” Steven put the phone back. “My approach is more inclusive and less elitist.”

  Sari walked back to her chair and pulled her phone out of the bag. “Can you download the application for me?” She unlocked the device and handed it to Steven.

  “Sure.”

  “You look tired,” Syssi said as Sari sat down.

  “I didn’t sleep at all last night.”

  “Maybe you can have a cot brought in here, so you could take a nap.”

  “There is no room,” Steven said. “I don’t want to have to jump over Sari to get to David.”

  “That’s okay. I’ll just close my eyes for a few minutes.” She leaned over the bed and rested her head on her arms.

  “I’ll stay with you,” Syssi offered. “You can let yourself doze off, and I will guard David for you while you sleep.”

  “Neither of you need to guard him. I’m here.” Steven sounded offended.

  Syssi cast him an indulgent smile. “Emotional support is no less important than medical care. I’ll stay with Sari for a little bit longer.”

  26

  Annani

  When Annani paused her tale to finish her tea, Oshidu approached her and bowed.

  “Would you like me to serve refreshments, Clan Mother?”

  Her Odus knew her well, which was not surprising given how long they had been serving her. They knew precisely when she needed a snack, or something to drink, or anything else for that matter.

  Annani nodded. “I would also like more tea.”

  Oshidu bowed again. “Of course, Clan Mother.”

  “So, what happened?” Alena asked.

  “Where was I?”

  “You said that you could’ve handled it better.”

  “Oh, yes.” Annani lifted her teacup and handed it to Oshidu. “My month with Gudbrand was nearing its end, and I was loath to let him go. I did not conceive, which was disappointing because I really had a feeling that he would be the one, but it was becoming more and more difficult to thrall away his memories of my anomalies. Every time I lost control, and he saw my eyes and my skin glow, he reacted with renewed fear, asking me what I was, and each time I made him forget. He became suspicious, but he thought that his memory lapses had been the result of chewing weed.”

  Alena lifted a brow. “They’d already discovered that back then?”

  “Of course. It was not the same kind that is popular today, but even the ancient, uncivilized people used plants with similar properties to make themselves feel good, and even stronger ones that caused hallucinations. Those were used by shamans and later in temple ceremonies.”

  Alena nodded. “Like the Eleusinian Mysteries. The visions and the conjuring of an afterlife were achieved with the help of psychedelic drugs.”

  “Precisely. Back in Gudbrand’s time, warriors chewed or cooked the tungboqe weeds to relax after a hunt or to get in the mood for wild dancing or even wilder sex. Those who were more adventurous added the bark of a hazel tree to the cooking pot. Chewing that concoction caused mild hallucinations.”

  Oshidu returned with a tray and placed it on the table. “Would there be anything else, Clan Mother?”

  “No, thank you.”

  He bowed. “It is my pleasure to serve.”

  As he left the room, Annani lifted a pastry and took a small bite. “This is almost as good as the ones from Jackson’s bakery.” She put it down.

  “Let me guess.” Alena reached for one of the pastries. “You encouraged Gudbrand’s misconception that he couldn’t remember anything because of the weed chewing.”

  “I did that subtly, neither denying nor confirming, but I kept a jar of the stuff near my pallet.”

  “It seems like you had it under control. What went wrong?”

  Annani sighed. “Life is never predictable, and the unexpected should be expected. Gudbrand had a younger brother, Olek. Olek’s wife was nearing the end of her pregnancy and was having difficulties. Astrid suffered from asthma, for which there were no medications back then, and the pregnancy made it worse. She went into labor while Gudbrand was with me.”

  Alena’s eyes saddened as she guessed the rest. “Astrid did not make it.”

  Annani nodded. “The midwife managed to save the baby but not the mother. In his grief, Olek slipped into his berserker mode, grabbed his weapons, and headed out to find Gudbrand, who he knew was with me.”

  “That’s absurd. What did Gudbrand or you have to do with Astrid’s death? I can’t believe that Olek wanted to kill his brother.”

  “He was not in his right mind, but I do not think he would have gone that far. He needed to vent his grief and aggression by picking a fight with his brother, which I am sure Gudbrand would have been more than willing to provide. Except, Olek burst into my tent while we were in the heat of passion, and he saw my glowing eyes and my glowing skin and immediately assumed the worst.”

  Alena gasped. “Damn.” She covered her mouth with her hand. “My apologies, Mother.”

  “Damn is appropriate in this context, my daughter.” Annani sighed and picked up the cup of fresh tea. “Olek screamed, accusing me of being a demoness, and he demanded that I give him his wife back. When I said that I did not have her, he charged at me with his battle-ax. Gudbrand jumped up to defend me. Or so I thought.”

  “He didn’t?”

  “The thrall I placed on him must have been burned off by the sudden surge of aggression, and Gudbrand saw my glow as well. He yelled at his brother that if anyone was going to kill me, it was going to be him and not Olek.”

  “Why?”

  “He wanted to spare his brother from Frella’s vengeance. I was supposedly her priestess, and anyone hurting me would have to answer to the goddess.”

  “What did you do?”

  “I tried to grab Gudbrand’s mind, but he was too enraged, and I could not penetrate his defenses. His berserker must have been triggered by his brother coming at him with an ax, or maybe the culprit was the shocking news of Astrid’s death, or maybe even my glow.”

  “Another possibility is that he grew resistant to your thralling because you’d done it too many times. You said that he had a strong personality and that he was suspicious. That alone was enough to resist thralling.”

  “Perhaps.” Annani dropped her voice to a near whisper. Even after all the centuries that had passed since the event, the guilt was still there.

  “What did you do?”

  “I did the only thing I could at the moment, which was to grab Olek’s mind instead. He was enraged as well, but he was not expecting it, or maybe he was just more susceptible to thralling.”

  “Who killed whom?”

  “Who do you think?”

  “I have no idea. Were they equally matched?”

  “Gudbrand was bigger and stronger, but he did not want to kill his brother. Olek delivered the killing blow.” Annani sighed. “I was devastated, overwhelmed by guilt and grief, and the same was true for Olek.”

  Alena reached for her hand. “Did you love Gudbrand?”

  “Love has man
y shades. I was not in love with him, but I liked him and enjoyed his company. I wanted him to father my child. I did not want him to die so prematurely.”

  “Could you have saved him with a blood infusion?”

  Annani shook her head. “The injury was too severe even for my blood to heal. Besides, I had a huge mess to clean up, and I had to do it quickly. People heard the screaming, and warriors started swarming my tent. I had to grab everyone’s minds and bend them to my will.”

  “Was Olek punished for killing his brother?”

  “I made sure that he was not. I convinced everyone that Gudbrand attacked Olek because he barged in on us while we were being intimate, and the sudden intrusion caused Gudbrand’s berserker to take over. Olek was only defending himself, and the killing blow was an accident. Gudbrand tripped on the furs instead of ducking as Olek had expected him to. Some of it was even true. Gudbrand was stronger, and the only reason Olek got him was that he really tripped.”

  “Did they believe you?”

  “They had no choice. I thralled every adult in both tribes to believe that.”

  “And that was the end of the story?”

  “I wish. Olek blamed himself despite the spin I put on what had happened, and he became bitter and vengeful. Naturally, he also blamed me for bewitching his brother and keeping him away from his kin when he was most needed.”

  “Gudbrand couldn’t have helped Astrid.”

  “He could not, but I could have if I’d made it there before she died. Not that Olek knew that, but he was not thinking straight, and he needed someone to blame.”

  “What did he do? Did he threaten you?”

  “He demanded my expulsion from Bogen’s clan. No one was happy to comply, but the alliance was important to both clans, and I had done enough damage already. I left before they had a chance to kick me out, but I took the guilt with me, and I have been carrying it around ever since.”

  “Why? What else could you have done? Gudbrand wanted to kill you.”

  “What if he did not? What if he just said that to Olek to stop him from killing me?”

  “You said that he was enraged.”

  “He was terrifying, but he was not mindless with grief like Olek.”

  “Where were your Odus?”

  “They were nearby, but I instructed them to stay away from my tent unless I called them. I am glad that I did not. The bloodshed would not have ended with Gudbrand. They would have attacked the other men as well. My best choice was to grab the minds of as many as I could and defuse the situation.”

  “I still don’t get why you blame yourself. What could you have done differently?”

  “If I had not panicked, I could have commanded Olek to stand down and leave the tent instead of defending me.”

  Alena shuddered. “But then Gudbrand would have turned on you and tried to kill you.”

  “Perhaps he would, and perhaps he would not. I will never know the answer to that.”

  27

  Sari

  Sari had spent the night on a cot in the waiting room, but even though the door to David’s room was open and she could see him from her cot, she’d gotten up numerous times throughout the night and gone to sit by his side.

  The medical machinery was noisy, and the light in David’s room was not dimmed all the way, but none of that had caused her insomnia. She just couldn’t shake the feeling that her presence kept him tethered to her, that he could somehow feel her being right next to him and take comfort in that.

  Or maybe it was just her anxiety talking.

  Steven had stayed in his office all night as well, sleeping on the couch, and she wondered if he would have done that if she hadn’t been there.

  When there was a soft knock on the door, Sari glanced at Steven’s door, but he must have been sleeping soundly and hadn’t heard it.

  “One moment.” She got up and smoothed her hand over her shirt. She’d slept in her clothes, and they looked it. “Come in.”

  The door opened, and Bridget walked in. “Good morning. I’m sorry for waking you up, but I wanted to check on David.”

  “I wasn’t sleeping.” Sari offered the doctor her hand. “Thank you for coming. I really appreciate you doing this for me.”

  “It’s my pleasure. I hope David is the first of many more Dormants that the Fates will bless your people with. I want to give Steven proper training, so he is ready.” She glanced at David’s room. “Besides, I’m curious to see the professor. I heard that he’s exceptionally handsome.”

  Sari’s jealousy reared its head. “From whom?”

  “Syssi and Amanda. I talked with them on the way here, and they were both gushing about how perfect he is for you. They are convinced that the Fates must have guided Kalugal to him and then whispered in his ear to bring him to you.”

  That was good. Both were happily mated, and their interest in David could only be on her behalf.

  Sari let out a breath. “I agree. David is perfect for me.”

  Rubbing his eyes, Steven emerged from his office. “Good morning, Bridget. When did you get here?”

  “Just now. I dropped my suitcase by the entrance and came here right away. What’s the status?”

  “Let’s check together.” He motioned for her to follow him into David’s room.

  Sari entered behind them and leaned against the wall to stay out of the doctors’ way.

  The two chairs Kian had brought into the room had been removed to clear access to the sickbed, and only the one she’d sat on during the night had remained.

  Steven picked it up and put it next to the wall. “You can sit down.” He regarded her with concern in his eyes. “Did you sleep at all?”

  “A little.”

  “You can’t keep on like this.”

  “I can.” She waved a hand at David. “He’s your patient, not me.”

  As Bridget and Steven went over David’s vitals, Sari watched Bridget’s expression closely, noting every frown and every tightening of the doctor’s lips.

  Bridget was not an emotional woman, and the scents she was emitting were subtle, but she looked concerned.

  She turned to Sari. “David’s temperature has been steadily climbing through the night and so has his blood pressure. Neither is in the critical range, but he needs to be watched closely.”

  “Shouldn’t you give him something to lower the temperature?”

  Bridget shook her head. “It’s part of the transition process, and if I do that, I will be interfering with it. But if his temperature goes over the safe limit, I will.”

  “What about the blood pressure?”

  Sari knew next to nothing about human physiology, but she knew that high blood pressure could cause a stroke or a heart attack. David’s twin brother and their father had died from heart failure, and genetics played an important role in a person’s health. According to Steven, David was in excellent physical shape, but that didn’t cancel out his genetic disposition, and Sari was worried.

  “Not much we can do about that. I’m not going to give him medication for that.”

  “What if it reaches a critical level?”

  “Then we will worry about it.” Bridget put a hand on Sari’s shoulder. “Go, take a shower, sleep for a little bit. I’m here to take care of your guy.”

  Sari looked down at her rumpled clothes. “I should shower and change. I’ll do it fast and come back here.”

  Bridget nodded. “I understand your need to be by his side, but it really isn’t necessary. We are a community, and each of us has her or his job to do. You have a keep to run. Steven and I can take care of David.”

  “This part of me agrees with you.” Sari tapped her temple. “But this part doesn’t.” She put her hand over her heart. “I need to be here.”

  28

  Kian

  It was early in the morning when Kian got a text from Bridget, informing him that she’d arrived and was going directly to David.

  Syssi was still sleeping soundly, and he would have
much rather stayed in bed with her, but he had to greet Bridget and check up on David and Sari.

  His stubborn sister had spent the night in the clinic, sleeping on a cot in the waiting room. She was probably exhausted.

  Kian could empathize. He hadn’t been any better when Syssi had been transitioning, but back then, none of them had experience with adult Dormants transitioning, and the uncertainty had made everything much more terrifying.

  They had gained some knowledge since, but that didn’t make the process any less stressful for the mates of transitioning Dormants.

  “Where are you going?” Syssi murmured sleepily as he got out of bed.

  “Bridget is here.”

  “So? She doesn’t need you. Come back to bed.” She pulled on his arm.

  “I wish I could, but after she flew overnight to be here for David and Sari, I need to at least greet her.” Leaning, he kissed Syssi’s cheek. “Go back to sleep. You need your rest.”

  “Okay.” Yawning, she turned to her other side. “I’m not going to argue about that.”

  He kissed her other cheek because it was impossible for him not to do so. It was warm from sleep and so soft. “I love you.”

  “Love you too. Say hi to Bridget for me.”

  “I will.” He leaned lower and kissed her belly. “How is my daughter doing?”

  “Sleeping.” Syssi waved him off. “Get the greeting thing over with and come back to bed.”

  He smiled. His wife was the sweetest, most accommodating person in the world, but only after she had at least three cups of coffee in the morning. Otherwise, she was grumpy.

  Regrettably, the modest room they had been given in the castle didn’t come equipped with a coffeemaker, and even if it had, Syssi would not have been happy with the quality.

  If there was one thing his wife was snobbish about, it was that. She didn’t care for fancy clothes, or for jewelry, or any other status symbols, but she was very particular about her coffee.

  He loved it that she had that small quirk. Otherwise, she would have been too perfect, which was imperfect.