by I. T. Lucas
They questioned their identity and their familial connections and found it difficult to function in society.
Not surprisingly, many had such recollections as young children but forgot them later in life. Or rather suppressed them.
Life wasn’t all about sunshine and rainbows, and the painful events of one lifetime were difficult enough to carry without adding traumatic ones from another.
The ability to forget was a gift.
Whatever power had designed the cycle of lives had been wise to wipe the slate clean each time, and those who remembered were either flawed in some way or meant to correct past wrongs.
What was the purpose of the cycle, though?
Why was it needed?
And why was there so much suffering?
Those were philosophical and theological questions that smarter people than him had grappled with for the entirety of human existence.
Perhaps a goddess who lived for thousands of years would have the answers?
David glanced at Annani again.
She was talking animatedly with her dinner companions and seemed to enjoy the company of her children and their partners.
After the first shock of seeing her had dissipated, he’d gotten used to her glowing skin and blinding beauty. But it was still a struggle to regard her as a person and not as a terrifyingly powerful figurehead.
That was why he was watching her so closely. The more he was learning about her, the easier it was becoming to see her the way her people did.
Annani’s composure was regal, but she didn’t appear to be stuck up or condescending. She was friendly, smiled a lot, and laughed easily, the beautiful sound of her laughter making his skin tingle with goosebumps.
In short, she was nothing like the fictional character of Ayesha the immortal sorceress, and he was starting to think that Sari was right about his encounter with the goddess in another lifetime not ending the way he thought.
Annani hadn’t killed him or harmed him, but she might have frightened him with an apparition or a thrall.
Did it mean that he’d been the bad guy in that story?
That was an even more disturbing thought.
The goddess might resent him for deeds perpetrated by him in another life, and if his relationship with Sari continued to grow, that could be a major obstacle.
Talk about a Godzilla of a mother-in-law.
Worse, she could object to the union.
Would Sari obey her mother’s wishes even if she fell in love with him?
He had a feeling that when the goddess put her foot down, no one dared to disobey her, including her children.
Damn.
What could he do to win Annani over? And how was he going to do that when Sari suspected that he was attracted to her mother?
He was damned if he did and damned if he didn’t.
“So, how are you enjoying your stay, professor?” Kalugal turned to him. “Did you get any writing done?”
David chuckled. “Did I ever. After Sari’s revelations, I have material for an entire series, not just one book.”
“Ah, but you can’t write the truth about us. You will have to change the story so no one will even think to come looking for us.”
“Obviously. I will never do anything to endanger you or any of the other immortals. From what Sari told me, your continuous help is crucial to humanity’s survival.”
Kalugal grinned. “The humanitarian effort is my aunt’s doing. Until recently, I was mostly interested in making money, and charity work was not my thing. But now that I’m joining the clan, I need to contribute something as well. Since I’m interested in emerging technologies, my contribution will most likely be in that field, and the best part is that I can still profit from it.”
Anandur clapped Kalugal on the back. “And if that fails, you can open a matchmaking business. You are a natural at that.”
Kalugal shifted away from the big redhead. “I’m afraid that there will be no more matchmaking on my part. Bringing David and Sari together was a one-time impulse.”
“What prompted you to do that?” David asked.
“Did Sari explain the affinity theory to you?”
David nodded.
“I didn’t know about it until I started negotiations with the clan. And once Kian explained it to me, I immediately thought of you. I’ve only met three humans who I felt an affinity toward. An Egyptian laborer in one of my archeological digs was the first, then I met you, and the last was my Jacki.”
“What about Jin?” Alena asked from the other side of the table.
Kalugal waved a dismissive hand. “Perhaps a little. My encounter with her was too brief and intense.” He turned to David. “Back to you, my friend. When I met Sari at my wedding, your face just popped in front of my eyes, and I knew that you would be perfect for her.”
“It was the Fates’ doing,” Syssi said.
Sari had explained about the clan’s belief system, so David knew what Kian’s wife was referring to, but he was still not sure that he bought into it. Three mystical female beings controlling people’s destinies was a bit much even for him, and even after all he’d learned recently.
Nevertheless, it was never a good idea to make light of other people’s beliefs.
“I hope that you are right. The Fates wouldn’t have brought me here if I weren’t a carrier of the immortal genes, correct?”
David glanced at the goddess, but Annani pretended that she didn’t hear the conversation going on around her and kept chatting with Wonder.
Sari smiled. “I hope so too.”
“When are you going to induce him?” Kian asked Kalugal.
“How about tomorrow after the accord signing?”
Amanda shook her head. “The accord is too big of a deal to tuck another celebration on top of it. Besides, David deserves a grand standalone transition party. Let’s do it Saturday.”
As if he needed a large crowd seeing him get bitten by Kalugal. A private ceremony with a minimal number of witnesses required would do. “I’m way too old for a coming-of-age celebration. I can just meet Kalugal in the gym and have him bite me in front of a few witnesses if that’s needed.”
Amanda huffed. “No way. You are having a big party, whether you want it or not. Transitioning into immortality is a much more monumental event than a mere coming-of-age, and it deserves a grand ritual.”
50
Sari
Sari hadn’t missed the covert glances her mother and David had been exchanging throughout dinner. Was it mere curiosity, or was it more?
As much as she was trying to convince herself that it was nothing and that she was overreacting, her stomach was tied in knots, and she had barely eaten anything.
The Fates wouldn’t be that cruel to her, right?
They wouldn’t send her the perfect man only to have him end up as her mother’s lover.
Alena was the only one who might know anything, but with Annani sitting right next to her this wasn’t the ideal place or time to ask her sister questions about their mother’s love life.
Except, Sari couldn’t wait.
At the moment, Annani was fully absorbed in talking with Wonder. The excitement was over a history course that Wonder was taking. It was full of misconceptions and even errors regarding the Roman Empire. Annani was outraged by the misleading information and was correcting what had been written in the textbook.
Then, when everyone’s attention was diverted by Amanda’s plans for David’s induction ceremony, Sari pulled out her phone and texted Alena under the table.
You have to tell me.
She watched her sister reach into her purse, pull out her phone, frown, and text back. Tell you what?
Who does David remind Annani of?
I don’t know. It must have happened before I was born.
She didn’t tell you?
She doesn’t tell me everything.
Sari groaned. I need to know. David dreamt of her, and in his dreams, she was a terrifyi
ng seductress who would take his life in exchange for her favors.
How is that possible?
He thinks that it’s a memory of a past life traumatic event.
That sounds wonky as hell. Even if Mother hooked up with his previous incarnation, it wouldn’t have been traumatic. She always leaves her lovers feeling euphoric. They think that they had dreamt about making love to an angel.
What if he was immune?
The thought hadn’t occurred to Sari before because David was susceptible to thralling and to compulsion. But maybe one of his prior incarnations had been resistant or immune.
Then she wouldn’t have hooked up with him. You know what she always tells us. Checking that a potential sex partner is not immune to thralling before engaging with him is as important for us as birth control is for humans.
True. But maybe that was a wisdom she’d gained after making a mistake. You said that it must have happened before you were born. That’s a very long time ago.
On the other side of the table, Alena shrugged. You will have to drag it out of her. But knowing Annani, good luck with that.
She was right. When their mother wanted to keep a secret, there was no way to get it out of her.
Alena sent another text. My advice is to forget about it. You shouldn’t care about something that happened to David in his previous life. He is a different person now.
I wish I could, but the two of them keep sneaking glances at each other. What if some lingering sparks get reignited?
She heard Alena chuckle quietly as she typed back. What if he gets run over by a bus tomorrow? You can’t live with what-ifs.
Sari’s hand flew to her chest, and then she typed. Fates forbid. I’m not letting him out of my sight until he transitions.
He can still get run over by a bus, or a train, or his plane might crash. We are hard to kill, but we can still die.
You are so morbid.
I’m realistic. Instead of thinking about what-ifs, focus on living today. After dinner, I suggest that you take David to bed and make wild monkey sex with him until he can’t see straight.
Sari lifted a brow and typed. Who are you, and what have you done with my gentle, soft-spoken sister?
New York cured me of that. On the other side of the table, Alena sighed. You have no idea how much I miss it. Pretending to be a supermodel was so much fun, and some of the acting I did has rubbed off. I love our mother, and I know she needs me, but lately, I’ve been feeling stifled. I wish someone else could take my place. I need a change of pace.
They both looked at Wonder, but then Alena shook her head and typed. She tried it, but Anandur was miserable, and so was Wonder. She’s not the answer.
Then who is?
Only a new mate can replace me. Like David, Annani also believes in reincarnation, and she hopes that Khiann will one day return to her.
51
David
After dinner, Sari and her family decided to go to her suite for coffee and drinks and to talk about the signing ceremony scheduled for the next day, but David excused himself to go writing.
The truth was that he didn’t want to intrude on family time, and he also needed some time alone to think.
“Are you sure?” Sari looked into his eyes.
“I’m sure. I have entire storylines swirling around in my head, and I need to write them down before they vanish.”
“Okay.” She kissed his cheek. “I’ll let you work for a few hours, and then we will have tea together.”
He hoped that tea was a code word for sex. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“Have a productive evening.” She kissed him again and then rushed after her departing family.
David let out a breath.
Despite all the self-talk he’d done during dinner, the goddess still unnerved him, and the prospect of spending time with her in close quarters didn’t appeal to him in the least. Perhaps in a few days, he would get used to her and could stomach a face-to-face conversation with her, but he wasn’t ready for that yet.
First, he needed to reconcile his feelings about her and get his irrational anxiety under control.
The gist of it was that she wasn’t Ayesha, or even the woman from his dreams. He couldn’t argue with the fact that he recognized her, but the rest was speculation. She might have been the object of his desire in some previous life, and her overwhelming beauty might have induced anxiety in his former self that he’d retained in his psyche in the form of fear.
Writing about the goddess in his novel was the best therapy, and he could examine his feelings for her through his fictional character.
Hours passed as he clicked away on his laptop, the words pouring out of him with unprecedented ease, and when a knock sounded at his door, the counter on the screen indicated that he’d put down over four thousand words since returning to his room.
“Come in.” He closed his laptop and got up.
Sari walked in with a small tray in her hands. “I brought tea and dessert.”
“Thank you.” He took it from her hands, put it on the coffee table, and made a move to pull her into his arms.
“Did you have a productive evening?” She evaded him and sat in one of the armchairs.
Was she trying to avoid kissing him?
“I did. Your family provides me with endless story material.”
Reaching for the teapot, Sari poured them both a cup. “My family in general, or my mother in particular?”
David wondered whether he should fib to spare her feelings or tell her the truth. Understandably, she was disturbed by his so-called relationship with her mother, and so was he, but sweeping it under the carpet was not the solution. They needed to talk about it or it would poison their budding relationship.
“Both.” He lifted a teacup, blew on it to cool it down, and took a small sip. “Seeing my scary dream lady in the flesh was very disturbing, and dealing with those feelings through my fictional characters helped.”
“Is that all?” She arched a brow.
He put the cup down. “Tell me how you feel about the situation. It must be very disturbing for you as well.”
“Don’t play shrink with me, David. In this room, we are a couple, not a therapist and his patient.”
“It’s just a figure of speech I’m accustomed to. I would never try to psychoanalyze you. But I need to know what’s going on through your head. Unlike you, I don’t have the benefit of smelling your feelings, and I can only rely on what you tell me and on your body language. Right now, it's indicating that you are pulling away from me, and that worries me.”
“Why?”
“What kind of question is that? I care about you, and I want you in my life. In fact, I think that I’m already falling in love with you. I don’t want the thing with your mother to destroy the beautiful thing we have going.”
Her shoulders sagging, Sari let out a breath. “I feel the same way. I know that we’ve just met, but I truly believe that the Fates sent you to me by whispering in Kalugal’s ear. Then my mother arrives, and the man who I hoped will one day be my mate lusts after her. Can you blame me for being upset?”
“I don’t lust after your mother. More than anything, she scares me.”
“Your previous incarnation desired and longed for her or worse. Don’t tell me that no trace of that remains. Besides, a little fear can act as an aphrodisiac.” Sari crossed her arms over her chest. “And even if there is no desire whatsoever, the tension alone is disturbing. I want my family to get along.”
52
Sari
Sari knew that she was being ridiculous.
David had entered her life a day before, and already she was casting him in the role of a lifelong partner and worrying about a strained relationship between him and her mother.
“I’m sure all of it will resolve itself with time. I observed your mother tonight, and she is nothing like the woman in my dreams. I can see how much she loves all of you and how free she is with her affections. The frequ
ency of her smiles and her laughter are good indicators of her upbeat and positive personality. She is not an evil and selfish temptress like Ayesha.”
“And yet you didn’t want to join us for after-dinner drinks and coffee in my suite.”
He leaned forward. “It was family time, and I’m not part of it yet. I hope to be, though.”
Uncrossing her arms, Sari reached for his hand. “I hope you will be too. Are you excited about your induction ceremony?”
He chuckled. “I’m not excited to have everyone see me get subdued by Kalugal. I was hoping for a private match.”
“You’re still a human, David. There is no shame in losing a wrestling match to an immortal. Everyone expects it. If you manage to last a minute on your feet, that will be admirable.”
“I hope to last more.” He grimaced. “Provided that Kalugal doesn’t use compulsion to defeat me.”
“He won’t. It’s not allowed to use thralling in the ceremony. Besides, this is a friendly match and a bonding experience, not a competition. By agreeing to be your initiator, Kalugal accepts the responsibility of being your mentor and protector. By accepting him, you promise to honor him with your friendship, respect, and loyalty. You and Kalugal are expected to become lifelong friends.”
“I see.” He let out a breath. “That’s a nice spin, but I’m the one who is going to be face down on the mat with Kalugal’s fangs in my neck. That’s not as nice, but since it’s the only way I can turn immortal, there is no way around it.” He arched a brow. “Are you sure it can’t be done with an injection?”
She chuckled. “The venom can’t be milked, David. It can’t even get produced unless the immortal male gets aggressive or aroused. We’ve been doing it for thousands of years, and it works. Besides, if you get banged up a little, I’ll be there to take care of you.” She smiled. “When the initiated is a boy, his mother takes care of him. But you are a grown man, so the honor goes to your girlfriend.”