by I. T. Lucas
A female passing by shook her head.
Unlike the other clan ladies, she wasn’t much to look at. In fact, it seemed like she was doing her best to appear as unattractive as possible. Her brown hair was pulled back and gathered into a tight bun, her pantsuit was two sizes too big, and her shoes belonged in a museum. They were the kind women wore in the forties.
Maybe she’d kept them since then.
“Who’s that?” he asked Theo.
“That’s Edna. Our judge.”
That explained the drab clothing and severe bun. Still, she could’ve at least bought a pantsuit that was her size and didn’t look like a potato sack.
The woman must have heard Theo because she stopped and turned around.
As she pinned Rufsur with her incredible, soul-penetrating eyes, her intense gaze created a bubble around them, and in that space, nothing existed but the judge and her pale blue eyes. The world around them receded into the background. There were no sounds, no sights, no smells, just her.
She wasn’t beautiful, but it had nothing to do with her facial features. It was in her austere expression and the depth of sorrow in her smart eyes.
What had made her so sad?
Whatever it was, Rufsur wanted to fix it.
If he could only wrest a smile out of her, a real one that started from the inside and was more than just a lifting of her thin lips, her beauty would burst free for all to see.
2
Edna
For over three hundred years, Edna’s heart hadn’t skipped a beat because of a man, but it did so now.
And for whom? One of Kalugal’s men. The one who looked like her Robbie.
She needed Vanessa to examine her head.
At first, right after Robbie had died, Edna had seen his face everywhere, but he had been gone for more than three centuries, and that hadn’t happened to her for the longest time.
Besides, her memory of him was foggy, and the resemblance was superficial. There were probably thousands of men out there who looked like that. Taller than average but not huge, broad-shouldered but not overly muscled, brown-haired, brown-eyed, and with lush lips that were easy to lift in a charming smile.
Except, the physicality didn’t matter.
Robbie had been special, one of a kind. This man who looked a little like him was just a simple soldier who couldn’t possibly contain a soul as big and as bright.
The truth was that there was nothing foggy about Edna’s memory of the love of her life.
If she closed her eyes, she could still see Robbie’s smiling eyes looking upon her with love and adoration, and on sunny days, the gold flakes in his irises dancing happily just because she was there. Edna still remembered quite vividly the feel of his lips when they kissed, the breadth of his shoulders as she clung to them when he made love to her, the dimple in his cheek when he smiled…
The pain of his loss had dulled over the centuries, but in moments like this, it returned with a vengeance, cutting her raw again.
“Hello.” As the man waved and smiled, the dimple in his cheek was shockingly familiar. “I’m Rufsur.” He started walking toward her.
Edna’s heart skipped another beat. “Delighted to meet you, but I’m in a bit of a rush right now. Proper introductions will have to wait.”
Ignoring his offered hand, she turned around and strode off.
Coward.
The mighty judge, whom everyone respected and feared, was scared to shake a man’s hand just because he reminded her of someone she’d loved in another lifetime and had broken every clan rule to be with.
Annani should have had her whipped for her blatant disregard of the rules. Back then, they hadn’t been written into a code of law yet, but every member of the clan had known what was permitted and what wasn’t.
The goddess had chosen to show her mercy, but at the time, Edna would have preferred she hadn’t.
She’d craved that whipping with every fiber of her grieving body and soul. The physical pain would have been a welcome reprieve from the suffering.
Maybe that was why Annani had forgiven her. Grief had been the punishment most befitting her crime. She’d fallen in love with a human and had stayed on as his lover for over a year. If he hadn’t been killed, she would have never left him.
Eventually, he would have realized that her teasing about being a faerie princess come to seduce him had held a smidgen of truth.
For Robbie, Edna would have risked exposing who she was, and worse, who her people were.
Her biggest regret was that their many nights of lovemaking hadn’t resulted in conception. Their child would have been immortal, and her grief would have been more bearable if she’d gotten to keep a piece of Robbie with her forever.
Except, the Fates hadn’t blessed their union. Perhaps they even detested it, punishing her by taking Robbie’s life.
Was she responsible for his death?
As irrational as the thought was, Edna could never dismiss it entirely, and the guilt added another layer of pain to her grief.
With a sigh, she pulled the door to the clinic open.
There was no point in reliving the past. She was a different person now, with duties and responsibilities, which was what had brought her to Bridget’s office on a Sunday.
“Good morning.” The doctor arched a brow. “Have you come to check on our transitioning Dormants?”
Not really, but the polite thing would be to inquire about their health.
Edna pulled out a chair and sat down. “How are Jin and Jacki doing?”
Bridget smiled like a proud mother. “As of this morning, they are both officially immortal.”
Edna had been counting on Jin transitioning, but this was even better. She needed to talk to Kian and didn’t want to call him at home on a Sunday, especially since he was hosting Annani. But if Jin and Jacki had both transitioned, he would come to congratulate them.
“That’s wonderful. Is Kian on his way?”
“I was just about to call him with the good news. Why?”
“I need to talk to him, and I was hoping to catch him here. But since I already have your ear, I might as well share my concerns with you.”
If she managed to get Bridget on her side, the doctor’s vote might influence the other council members to join as well.
“What’s on your mind?”
“The alliance is good, and I’m all for it, but having Kalugal and his party in the village is a mistake. Even though Kalugal no longer belongs to the Brotherhood, he is still a potential rival and not to be trusted. In fact, I’m furious at Kian for inviting him without the council’s approval. Such a decision is not at his sole discretion.”
Bridget leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. “I was there during the summit, and frankly, Kalugal impressed me. He made many more concessions than Kian, and he showed more willingness to cooperate. When the attack happened, Kalugal and his men worked with Kian and the Guardians to clean up the mess. Then we all put our heads together, and we’ve turned the failed raid attempt into an opportunity to solve the problem of the government’s paranormal talents division.”
“I’m delighted to hear that Kalugal is a reasonable man and that he is willing to cooperate, but that doesn’t make him our friend. He is working with us because it’s beneficial to him. When our interests clash, or he no longer needs us, he might turn into an enemy.” Edna sighed. “You and I are not naive young women. We’ve seen so-called friends and allies turning on each other. We’ve even seen sons killing their own fathers and sometimes mothers in power grabs. Brothers killing brothers. Do you think that we are any better than humans in that regard?”
Bridget shook her head. “We have enough of our own bloody history as proof that we are not. But on the other hand, we can’t let fear stand in the way of progress. I think Kalugal and his men will be good for the clan.” She smiled. “Especially for the single ladies. Think of all the potential couples. If enough of ours mate his, the family ties w
ill ensure peaceful coexistence.”
“Really?” Edna snorted. “You must have forgotten the lessons of Scottish history. Inter-clan marriages were common, but so were the mutual slaughters.”
“Those were different times, Edna. The world is not as savage as it used to be.”
“Some parts still are, but that’s beside the point. Jacki has transitioned, and Kalugal and his party should go home. I support the alliance, but meetings should happen on neutral ground, and proper safety protocols must be followed. No matter how friendly Kalugal appears, our guard should never waver.”
Bridget sighed. “You are not going to like this. Annani wants Kalugal and Jacki to have a proper wedding in the village. She wants a big party and to preside over the ceremony. That’s why she came. I’m afraid that they are going to stay at least another week, if not longer.”
“That’s not good.”
When Annani decided on something, there was no way to change her mind. Even Kian was powerless to do so, and the small local council held no sway over the goddess at all.
The only way to put pressure on the goddess and have her reconsider was to convene the big assembly. If the entire clan voted unanimously against having Kalugal and Jacki’s wedding in the village, Annani would be bound by their decision.
That was not going to happen, though. First of all, it would take at least a week to arrange for all clan members to attend the big assembly. Secondly, not everyone would consider the wedding problematic, and thirdly, the goddess might view it as mutiny.
Perhaps if she spoke with Annani and explained her reservations, the goddess would listen to reason?
Edna pushed to her feet. “I’ll talk to Annani, and I’m also going to demand that Kian hold a council meeting. Can I count on your support?”
Bridget pursed her lips. “Let me think about it. You’ve raised valid concerns, but I’m sure a compromise can be reached. We can hold the wedding in the village, but maybe postpone it by a few days, so enhanced security measures can be put in place.”
3
Kian
“That’s great news, Bridget. Thanks for letting me know. Syssi and I will stop by later to congratulate the two happy couples.”
The doctor chuckled. “Give it at least two hours. Jacki saw herself in the mirror and freaked out. She needs some time before she’s ready to receive visitors.”
Kian still remembered how gaunt and fragile Syssi had looked after going through the main stage of her transition. The energy needed for the change to immortality was immense, and in addition to shutting down all unnecessary functions, the body also cannibalized itself by using up fat stores and even muscle tissue.
“What about Jin? Is she okay?”
“Jin is a trouper. She is taking everything in her stride. Her fangs are finally starting to grow in, and surprisingly, that makes her happy.”
“Are they going to elongate?”
“I’m afraid so. What she sees now are just the tips, but they are already very long on the inside.”
“I guess there is a first time for everything.”
“It would seem so.”
He’d thought that Mey’s small fangs were as strange as it was going to get, but Jin’s transition had proved him wrong.
It was still a mystery why the sisters were different than all the other dormant and immortal females. The leading hypothesis was that they had inherited the traits from a divergent godly ancestor, but the question was, who was she or he?
“I assume Jin and Mey’s daughters will have fangs as well?”
“It’s likely. I’ll see you later, Kian.”
After ending the call, he returned the phone to his pocket and walked into the dining room where his family was gathered for brunch. “Good news. As of this morning, both Jin and Jacki are officially immortal.”
Syssi clapped her hands. “That’s a cause for celebration.”
“I did not get a chance to give either of them my blessing,” Annani said. “But I am happy they did not require my help.”
“You can give them a blessing now,” Amanda suggested. “Jin definitely needs it.”
Alena frowned. “Why is that? Is she having a hard time?”
“No, but she is growing venom glands and fangs. That would upset any girl.”
Kian pulled out a chair next to Syssi. “Bridget says that she is taking it well. “
“That’s because she is already mated.” Amanda reached for another waffle. “If she were single, she would be freaking out. I bet most immortal males would have thought twice before pursuing her.”
“Why?” Syssi asked. “Jin is very attractive, and I think she’s going to look like a badass with elongating fangs.”
Amanda waved a hand. “You know how males are. They like to feel macho, and a female who has the ability to incapacitate them with her fangs and venom might seem unfeminine to them. Just think about Wonder and what a hard time she had because of her incredible physical strength. Now imagine how much worse it would have been for her if she had elongating fangs as well.”
Annani nodded. “She would have been an outcast. But those were different times. I am glad that she woke up from stasis to a world where her statuesque figure is not as unusual and her physical strength is not deemed freakish.”
“Anandur is special,” Amanda said. “Not every male would have been okay with a female who was stronger than him and could kick his ass.”
Looking at Kian, Syssi arched a brow. “Would it have bothered you if I had fangs?”
“Not as long as mine were longer.”
Syssi laughed. “You are much bigger all over. Of course my fangs would have been smaller.”
Alena cleared her throat. “TMI, people. What I want to hear about is the new immortal dating application that Amanda and Carol are working on.”
“What is that?” Annani asked.
“It’s like Tinder or eHarmony,” Amanda explained. “People compile a profile of themselves, and others check them out. If there is a match, they agree to a date, or maybe they just talk online for a while before meeting in person.”
“I see.” Annani didn’t look enthusiastic. “Technology is wonderful, but in this case, it does more harm than good. Those dating sites impede this generation’s ability to form meaningful relationships. Still, it might be a good idea in our special case, but it is premature.”
“Why do you think so?” Amanda asked. “I thought that you would love it.”
Annani sighed. “You know that I have my finger on the clan’s pulse, and apparently, not everyone is happy about Kalugal’s males snapping up clan females.”
“They will be snapping each other up,” Amanda said. “I don’t get what the problem is. Everyone was lamenting about how there weren’t enough Dormants and about how long they would have to wait for mates, and now that we have over forty eligible bachelors, suddenly they are not happy? Is that because they are former Doomers?”
“That’s not the reason,” Kian said. “Since Kalugal and his men won’t live here, the females who mate them will move there. Kalugal’s community will grow and thrive, while ours will shrink. We need our females to grow the clan.”
Annani nodded. “And that is not the only concern our males have. You promised Kalugal’s men first access to the female Dormants from the government’s program. The rumor has spread, and with it, resentment.”
“I had no choice. Without Kalugal’s continuing compulsion of Roberts, getting those Dormants wouldn’t have been possible in the first place. Kalugal’s request for priority access was justified.”
“Crap.” Syssi wound a lock of hair around her fingers. “We didn’t think it through. In all the excitement, we only saw the positives. I was so happy that the clan females would have access to available immortal males, and the only thing I was concerned about was whether they were good men. But if as a result over forty of our females leave the clan, we will be hastening our own extinction. We can’t afford to lose that many.”
&nb
sp; For a long moment, everyone sat in somber silence.
“You need to renegotiate the agreement with Kalugal,” Alena said. “He owes you for allowing him and Jacki into the village.”
Kian grimaced. “That’s not something I want to use as leverage. It was the right thing to do.”
Amanda nodded in agreement. “We can’t pull back, but we can make it much more difficult for Kalugal’s men.”
“How?” Alena asked.
Amanda tapped a finger over her lips. “Forget the dating app. Every guy that wants a clan female will have to agree to being auctioned. The clan females will bid on them, and the winner will get the guy for one night. Naturally, the proceeds will go to our charity, so it will be considered a good deed for the men. Those who find their one and only will move to the next stage. They will have to go through some very inventive and grueling trials to get accepted into the clan.”
Dalhu shook his head. “Kalugal will not agree to that. He would be losing men to us.”
Amanda shrugged. “Then his men won’t get access to our females.”
“The single ladies are not going to be happy about it,” Kian said. “Rufsur and Hivak have gotten a lot of attention while sitting outside the clinic.”
“You have to talk to Kalugal,” Annani said. “Perhaps the solution is integrating him and his men into our clan.”
“Even if it wasn’t a security risk, Kalugal wants his independence. He will never agree to that.”
“Don’t be so sure.” Amanda smiled. “If that’s the only way his men can have a shot at immortal mates, they will put a lot of pressure on him. And if Kalugal resists, I wouldn’t be surprised if a significant number of them rebelled and asked to join our clan.”
4
Kalugal
“I don’t need you with me in the bathroom.” Jacki put a hand on Kalugal’s chest and gave it a barely-there push. “I’m not dizzy, and my legs are just fine. If I need help, I’ll call you.”
