Dark Queen’s Army

by I. T. Lucas

After he was done explaining, Anandur shook his head. “If it was on the weekend, Wonder could come. During the week she has to work in the café. There is no one to take over for her, which sucks.”

  Kian tapped his cigarillo. “The village can survive a few days without the café.”

  “Are you kidding me?” Anandur chuckled. “There will be riots.”

  There was something to that. As the only place that provided food in the village, people had grown to depend on it.

  “I can call Jackson and have him take over for a week. After all, it’s his business.”

  “He is not going to be happy about it. Last I heard, the kid opened another commercial kitchen. He is expanding his pastries and sandwiches empire.”

  “He will have to manage.”

  Anandur shrugged. “Good luck. When are we going, and who is coming?”

  “Mey has just entered transition, but I hope that by Monday she will be well enough to travel. If not, some of us will go ahead and start the investigation, and she and Yamanu will arrive later. Syssi and I are probably going to stay only a couple of days. I can’t stay away from the village for much longer.”

  “Why not?” Brundar asked. “You can work from anywhere, and Onegus can handle security while you are gone. The village is not in danger.”

  “I don’t know about that.” Kian took another puff from his cigarillo. “After the botched mission, I sleep less peacefully at night. Some of the Doomers might have escaped and told the story of what happened. Navuh might be planning an attack as we speak.”

  Anandur arched a brow. “Wouldn’t Lokan know about it? Or Areana? We are no longer flying blind as far as the Brotherhood’s plans go.”

  “That is true.”

  31

  Annani

  As Annani gazed at the beautiful table that her Odus had set up, a pang of sorrow pulsed through her heart.

  Until the next visit, this was going to be her last Friday dinner with the family, and she was going to miss them.

  In her Alaskan retreat, communal meals were the norm. Since no one had partners and everyone worked from home, it was a good way to alleviate the loneliness and connect with others three times a day.

  It had been one of her better ideas to institute those.

  But it wasn’t the same as dining with her children and their spouses. She liked being just a mother for a change, not the Clan Mother.

  As the knock on the door came, and Ogidu opened the way, she was surprised to see that the first to arrive were Kian and Syssi. Usually, Kian came in last, rushing in and apologizing for having been detained by this or that.

  “Hello, Mother.” He walked up to her and bent to kiss her cheek. “How was your day?”

  “All my days in your village have been pleasant. But today, I was a little sad.”

  “Why is that?” Syssi asked as she gave her a warm hug.

  “This is going to be the last Friday dinner I have with you before I leave.”

  Syssi patted her arm. “Then you should start planning your next visit and make sure that it’s not months away from now.”

  “Or, you can stay,” Kian said. “No one is forcing you to leave.”

  “I know.” Annani sat down in her favorite armchair. She was going to miss that piece of furniture as well. “I have been away for too long already. The people in the sanctuary need me. Especially since Alena is gone as well. When she is there, I do not feel as bad for taking prolonged vacations. I know there is someone at the helm.”

  Sitting on the other armchair, Kian leaned forward and steepled his hands. “Who did you leave in charge?”

  “Teresa. But before you say anything, she is not someone who can lead people. Teresa is just my assistant, and her job is to notify me if anything goes wrong, not to solve it.”

  “Then find someone who can lead. As you’ve told me countless times, we have plenty of capable people in the clan. You can find a person to promote.”

  Annani nodded. “The thought occurred to me. The problem is that my people are mostly artists. They are not interested in administrative or leadership positions.”

  Kian was about to come up with a retort when the door opened, and Amanda walked in with Dalhu.

  “Hello, everyone.” She walked up to Annani and bent to kiss her cheek, then moved to do the same to Kian and Syssi. “How come you are early? Usually, you are the last to arrive.”

  Kian shrugged. “It was a good day, and I wanted to share the news with my family. Mey started her transition.”

  When no one reacted with great surprise, he frowned. “You know about it already?”

  “Of course.” Annani leaned over and patted his thigh. “How long do you think it takes for news like that to travel through the village? I knew about it as soon as Yamanu was seen carrying Mey to the clinic.”

  “Same here,” Amanda said. “The texts started to arrive from all over the place.”

  He threw his hands in the air. “How come I didn’t get any? Is everyone keeping me out of the loop on purpose?”

  Syssi chuckled. “No, my love.” She rose to her feet and came over to sit in his lap. “They just assume that you are the first to know when something exciting is happening. Besides, everyone is well aware of your opinion on gossip.”

  He wrapped his arm around her. “The next news I’m going to share, I’m certain you haven’t heard about yet.” He scratched his stubble. “On second thought, I’m not so sure because I told Anandur about it, and he is the number one spreader of gossip in the village.”

  Amanda looked at Syssi. “The only exciting thing I heard about was Mey’s transition. Did you hear about anything else?”

  Syssi shook her head. “No, but I know what it is since Kian shared it with me.”

  “Now you’ve got me all excited.” Amanda shifted her eyes to Kian. “Please tell us your news, brother of mine.”

  “Syssi and I, together with several Guardians and their mates, are going on a ski vacation. But that’s just a cover for the real purpose of the trip. While Syssi and I are going to enjoy the slopes, the Guardians are going to question the resort’s personnel about Ella’s aunt, who we suspect has something to do with the paranormal division that recruited Mey’s sister. Vivian says that her sister-in-law is an avid skier, and the ski resort in the Quiet Zone is one of the best in the country. If Eleanor is working somewhere in that area, which we have a strong reason to believe that she is, then she must have visited the resort quite frequently. Someone might remember her or even know where we can find her.”

  “When are you planning on going?” Amanda asked.

  “Sometime next week. We need to wait for Mey to feel well enough to travel, and for Arwel to return. I want him there with us.”

  “He is coming back tomorrow night together with the rest of the team,” Amanda said.

  Annani stifled a smirk. The team was already on their way back, but she’d asked everyone to keep it quiet. Only Bridget and Shai knew about it, and they were cooperating. If everything went well, Alena and her team were going to arrive in time to join them for after-dinner coffee.

  “He is,” Kian said. “His empathic skills might come in handy.”

  Amanda glanced at Dalhu, and the two of them exchanged some silent communication, at the end of which Dalhu nodded.

  “Who else are you taking with you?” Amanda asked.

  “Anandur, Brundar, and their mates, and Mey and Yamanu. I promised Mey she could come with us when we went looking for her sister.”

  “Dalhu and I want to come too.”

  “That’s awesome.” Syssi clapped her hands. “But what about the lab?”

  Amanda smirked. “I can schedule maintenance to repaint the lab during next week, and I’ll have another professor take over my classes. Since I only have four, it’s not a big deal to find a replacement.”

  “Dinner is ready, Clan Mother,” Ogidu announced with a bow. “Should I start serving it?”

  “Please do.” Annani stood up. “Let u
s move this lovely conversation to the dinner table, shall we?”

  32

  Kian

  After dinner, Kian walked outside to smoke. It wasn't because he was craving nicotine, but because he hoped his mother would follow, so he could tell her the good news about Yamanu.

  He wondered if there had been rumors about that as well. Anandur and William knew some of it because they’d helped Yamanu set up his experiment, but they didn’t know the real reason. Still, Anandur might have kept his mouth shut if Yamanu asked him to keep quiet about it. William wasn’t nearly as bad a gossip as Anandur, but his mouth sometimes ran ahead of him, and he blurted things he shouldn’t have.

  “It is a pleasant evening,” Annani said from behind him.

  He turned around. “The entire day was beautiful, and not only because of the favorable weather.”

  “Yes, indeed. It is a good day when a new Dormant transitions, and even a better one when her transition goes smoothly. I just spoke with Gertrude, and she said that Mey is doing splendidly.”

  Kian bent and kissed his mother's cheek. “You are a good leader, Mother. You really care about your people.”

  “Of course. But so do you.”

  “Yes, but it didn’t occur to me to check on Mey. I assumed that someone would have notified me if anything was wrong with her.”

  She patted his arm. “You have a lot on your plate, Kian, and everyone knows it. People do not expect you to make phone calls inquiring about their well-being.”

  “I know. But it would have made me feel good to make that call.”

  “You are a perfectionist, and that is not good for your mental health. Give yourself permission not to be perfect.” She stretched to her full height of five feet and half an inch. “And if you cannot do that, I will give you mine. You do not have to be perfect at everything, my son.”

  “Thank you, Mother.” He offered her his arm, and when Annani threaded hers through it, he led her to the outdoor couch. “I have more good news for you.”

  He waited until she was seated before joining her. “Yamanu tested his powers yesterday evening, and the experiment was successful. His powers are fully functional. All it took was a short, thirty-six-hour abstinence. He should be able to shield us if given advance warning. It’s not as good as having him ready at a moment’s notice, but at least I know I have his ability when needed for missions.”

  Annani’s smile was bright enough to illuminate the night. “You should always trust the Fates, Kian. They know what they are doing.”

  “I wish my faith was as strong as yours. I’m getting better at it, though.” He chuckled. “I basically repeat what you keep saying even though I’m not as deeply convinced as you are that it is true. Syssi says that it is good to assume the win, and this is my way of doing it.”

  “Whatever works for you. The important thing is to have faith. It helps with the stress.” Annani leaned forward and tilted her head. “I think I hear someone coming.”

  His mother’s hearing was better than his, so it took a few moments before he heard the murmurs of a distant conversation. Except, the speakers were still too far away for him to recognize their voices.

  Annani rose to her feet. “Let us welcome whoever is coming.”

  He narrowed his eyes at her. “How do you know that they are heading this way?”

  “Simple. Magnus and Vivian are in the Bay Area, Merlin is out on the town, and I do not have any other neighbors.”

  Kian had a feeling that his mother knew perfectly well who was coming and was playing one of her games.

  The question was, what?

  After dinner, she had started everyone on silly charades games that he had no patience for, and now he suspected that she might have done it to stall for time.

  “Close the sliding door behind you,” she told him as he entered the living room. “There is a draft.”

  Now he was sure that Annani was up to something. There was no draft, and the living room felt stuffy with the door closed. She just didn’t want anyone to hear the new arrivals.

  When the knock came, Annani pretended surprise. “I wonder who can it be?”

  Watching Ogidu walk over to the door, her lips quivered with a barely stifled smile.

  When the Odu opened it, Alena yelled surprise and barreled through Ogidu to catch her mother in a big hug.

  Behind her, Arwel walked in with an apologetic expression on his face.

  “I’m sorry.” He walked up to Kian. “I had orders from the Clan Mother to keep our early arrival a surprise.”

  Laughing, Kian clapped the Guardian on his back. “I had a feeling Annani was plotting something. Where is the rest of the team?”

  “Ethan was fussy, so Eva and Bhathian took him home. I only came because Alena dragged me along.”

  “I’m glad you’re here. I have a new mission I want to discuss with you.”

  “Already?” Arwel cocked a brow.

  “Not right now. Next week.”

  “Oh, well. That’s plenty of time.” His tone was more joking than sarcastic.

  “Come, let us all sit down,” Annani led Alena to the couch and sat with her, holding her hand as if she’d missed her terribly.

  Given that the two were practically inseparable, she probably had.

  “How did you make it here so soon?” Amanda asked. “Didn’t you have a photoshoot this morning?”

  “I did,” Alena said. “But we packed everything beforehand, and half the team waited for us in the jet. I wrapped it up quickly and headed straight from the studio to the airport.”

  “When is your campaign going live?” Syssi asked.

  “Two weeks.” She plopped back against the pillows. “It was fun, but I’m glad it’s over. I’m tickled silly that it was all for nothing, and that you found Kalugal right here under your noses.”

  “We didn’t find him yet,” Kian said. “And he still might take the bait and try finding you. The campaign is going to run nationwide.”

  “Are you excited?” Amanda asked.

  Alena snorted. “Freaked out is more like it. I’m glad that I don’t look like myself in those photos. I don’t like the idea of my face being plastered over buses and billboards and magazines everywhere. I just hope that the company makes a lot of sales from those ads. I will feel terrible if we ruined it for them.”

  “They approved you without us having to thrall their executives,” Arwel pointed out. “Besides, you are gorgeous, even when made to look like Areana.”

  “Thank you. That’s sweet of you to say.” She looked at Annani. “I guess we are going home soon?”

  Annani nodded. “Monday. I’ll give you the weekend to rest.”

  Alena let out a relieved breath. “Good. I need it.”

  Kian had a feeling she was reluctant to go back to Alaska. Alena had gotten a taste of freedom, and she was probably regretting that it was over.

  “You can come with us to the ski resort,” Syssi offered. “It’s a part vacation and part mission. We are looking for Ella’s aunt, who might be connected to Mey’s sister, and who is an avid skier.”

  Alena’s eyes sparkled for a moment, but then the light dimmed. “I wish I could, but it is time for Mother and me to return home. Count me in for your next vacation, though.”

  “Have you consulted Bridget?” Annani asked Kian.

  “About Syssi? Do you think I should?”

  Annani’s smile was indulgent. “Syssi’s pregnancy is not an issue, but Mey’s transition might be. She might not be out of the woods, so to speak, by then, or her condition might worsen. You should at least have a doctor with you. Invite Bridget and Turner to join you.”

  “While we are looking for Eleanor, Mey can stay in the cabin and rest. But having a doctor with us is a good idea. Bridget has to stay in the village because she is heading the rescue operations, and she needs a longer advance notice than a couple of days. But I can take Julian, and Ella can come with him. She might prove useful with her aunt. I’m not sure how,
but I’d rather have her there just in case we need her.”

  33

  Mey

  Mey was miserable. Yesterday it had seemed as if her transition was going to be a walk in the park. Today it seemed like a crawl through the desert with an empty water canteen. Everything hurt, from the muscles in her calves to the tendons in her shoulders and everything in between.

  The worst were the gums.

  Her fever had gone up, and as usually happened when she had a high temperature, her gums itched something awful. She kept rubbing her finger over them to ease the unbearable itch, but it didn’t help.

  “Can I get you something?” Yamanu asked.

  “Yeah. Ask Bridget if she can knock me out. I’m way too miserable to be conscious.”

  Seeing the lost look in his eyes, she took pity on him. “I’m just joking. I’ll survive.”

  “Are you sure? I can bring you painkillers. Bridget is not here yet, but Gertrude can give you some.”

  “That would be nice.”

  Gertrude was the nurse who looked like a witch. A pretty one, but still a witch. There was something about her expression that hinted at secrets. Perhaps after the transition, she could strike up a conversation with the witchy nurse and find out what her story was.

  He rose to his feet and kissed her forehead. “I’ll be right back.”

  Mey sighed. She didn’t get sick often, which might have accounted for how whiny she had become on the rare occasions that she had. The feeling of helplessness was the worst. She liked feeling vital, capable, and the enforced convalescence depressed her.

  Poor Yamanu had spent part of the night on a cot because she couldn’t get comfortable with him sleeping in the narrow hospital bed with her. He was a big guy, and the thing was probably too small for him by himself, let alone the two of them together.

  Nevertheless, she’d felt awful for practically kicking him out.

  Yamanu returned with three little pills in a small paper cup. “Gertrude said that Motrin should be enough.”