by I. T. Lucas
“I like it. That doesn’t mean that I’ll start to put makeup on every day, though. It’s a one-time thing.”
“That’s up to you. But I believe that an exterior change can influence an interior one, and that’s why I love makeovers so much. When you feel good about how you look, it makes you happier and livelier.”
There was something to that.
Except, Edna’s problem wasn’t a lack of confidence. She genuinely didn’t care about her looks, which was just another facet of the melancholy that had been her companion ever since Robbie’s death. Could eliminating the symptoms cure the disease instead of the other way around?
Already, Edna felt a little lighter, a little more optimistic, and the heaviness in her heart was just a little less oppressive. It was a tiny change, but it was significant nonetheless.
“What about the clothing? What do you have in mind regarding that?”
Amanda pulled out a long, lavender shawl from her satchel, draped it over Edna’s shoulders, and then arranged it artfully before pinning it in place.
“This will give you a gentle splash of color. You can wear one of your button-down shirts under it.”
“It’s beautiful.” Edna fingered the silky fabric. “I love the color. But I have nothing that will match it.” Amanda was right about the shirt being invisible under the shawl, but what about the rest?
Her loose-fitting trousers and comfortable shoes would look awful with it.
“I’ve got you covered.” Amanda pulled out what looked like a pair of black leggings from her bag.
“I can’t wear yoga pants to the party.”
“They are not leggings. These are slim pull-on pants.”
“What’s the difference?”
Amanda chuckled. “About a thousand bucks. And once you put them on, you’ll see that they are worth every penny.”
“I doubt that.”
“Trust me.” She pulled out a pair of black low-heeled pumps. “I think we are the same shoe size, and those are brand new, never worn before. Luckily for you, they’ve been hidden on a top shelf in my closet, so they didn’t end up in my donation box.”
The shoes looked very elegant.
“Why did you buy them if you’ve never worn them?”
“I’m a shopaholic.” Amanda waved a dismissive hand. “I buy a lot of things that I never wear. But since everything eventually goes to charity, it’s not really a waste. It makes me feel good to think that thanks to my addiction, some needy ladies get to dress very well for free.”
67
Richard
Bowen wrapped his arm around Richard’s shoulders. “I have a surprise for you.”
Hopefully, it was a flask of whiskey or some other kind of booze. Richard didn’t care which. He hadn’t expected the whole damn clan to show up for his initiation ceremony. Bowen had warned him that the turnout would be larger than usual, but not that everyone would come.
Why the hell had they?
He was a nobody, he knew only a few people and was friends with two.
“Did you bring booze? I don’t think I can handle any more surprises tonight.”
“The only alcohol you are allowed tonight is a ceremonial wine. The surprise is that the Clan Mother is not only coming to witness your initiation, but she will honor you in front of the entire clan by officiating over your ceremony. Think of how much it will impress the ladies.”
“You’re shitting me.”
Bowen shook his head. “You should consider it a big honor.”
“I do.” Richard rubbed his chest. “Damn. I don’t know how I feel about it. Why would she want to do that? I’m no one important.” He looked Bowen in the eyes. “Level with me. What’s going on?”
Bowen shrugged. “It has nothing to do with you personally. The large turnout is because Annani is attending, and I suspect her reason for coming is Kalugal, and not you. The initiation where he comes from is brutal. She wants to show him how differently things are handled in the clan. We treat this as a rite-of-passage celebration, and instead of the inducer beating the crap out of the inductee, it is done in the name of friendship.” He clapped Richard on the back. “After tonight, you are stuck with me forever. I’ll become your honorary big brother.”
“I have no problem with that. Frankly, you are the best friend I ever had.” He pulled Bowen into a fierce embrace. “Thank you.”
As Bowen stiffened and pushed him away, Richard thought that he’d crossed the line. Some guys were not into shows of affection with other men. But when a hush fell over the crowd gathered in the enormous underground gym, Richard followed Bowen’s eyes to the double doors.
Two butlers held the doors open for the goddess and her entourage.
The Clan Mother was tiny compared to the people flanking her, but her aura was huge. Richard was not an aura reader, but no paranormal ability was needed to see the glow emanating from the goddess.
But it was more than that. She was so beautiful that it was painful to behold, and she radiated power.
The problem was that she was heading his way, and Richard had the absurd urge to drop down to his knees and touch his forehead to the floor in an obeisance. Now he understood why certain religions had the practice. It probably dated back to the gods' era.
“Take a bow,” Bowen whispered in his ear. “And say, greetings, Clan Mother.”
He could do that.
As the Clan Mother and her procession stopped in front of him and Bowen, Richard dipped his head. “Greetings, Clan Mother. You honor me with your presence.”
“Hello, Richard. You may raise your head and look at me. It is not forbidden.”
If he stood up straight, he would be looking over her head, and he really didn’t want to look down at the goddess. Beholding her face might have been allowed, but he was sure there was protocol about not looking down at her.
Remaining in his bowed position, he lifted his head just enough to look at her. “Thank you, Clan Mother.”
Hooking a tiny finger under his chin, she pushed his head up. “Stand up straight, Richard. I am used to everyone being taller than I am. It does not offend me.”
There was incredible strength in that little finger, and even more in the tone of command in her voice.
“That is much better.” The goddess smiled at him. “You are a handsome and respectful man, and you have two Guardians vouching for your worthiness. You will make a fine mate to one of my great-granddaughters.”
“Thank you, Clan Mother.” He dipped his head.
Annani nodded and turned sideways to face the crowd of spectators. “We are gathered here to present this fine young man to his elders. Richard is ready to attempt his transformation. Vouching for him are Guardians Bowen and Leon. Who volunteers to take on the burden of initiating Richard into his immortality?”
“I do,” Bowen announced.
The goddess turned to Richard. “Richard, do you accept Guardian Bowen as your initiator? As your mentor and protector, to honor him with your friendship, your respect, and your loyalty from now on?”
“I do.”
“Very well.” The goddess turned to the crowd again. “Does anyone object to Richard becoming Bowen’s protégé?” She waited for a couple of seconds before continuing. "As everyone present agrees that it is a good match, let us seal it with a toast.” She took a small glass of wine from a tray one of the butlers offered her, and then waited until everyone was holding a glass. “To Richard and Bowen.”
Richard emptied his glass in one go and put it back on the tray. Bowen did the same and then pulled him into a bro hug. “Hello, little brother.” He clapped him on the back. “Ready to give it your best shot?”
“As ready as I will ever be.” Richard bowed to the goddess again. “Thank you, Clan Mother.”
“It was my pleasure.” She patted his arm and then glided away with her entourage in tow.
When everyone was seated, Bowen led Richard to the sparring mat that had been spread out in the center of the
room.
“Remember. You only have to last long enough for my fangs to reach full length. Don’t keep fighting after that because I won’t be able to moderate my response. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“That’s okay, Bowen. I can take whatever you dish out.”
The Guardian shook his head. “I knew that you would be a stubborn ass and keep on fighting until I subdued you.”
“I’m not good at surrendering without giving it all I have first.”
68
Rufsur
“The guy is a fool,” Hivak murmured.
Rufsur disagreed. He understood perfectly where Richard was coming from, and if it were him, he would have done the same.
Hell, he had.
The Brotherhood had handled the transition ceremony very differently, and he hadn’t been given a choice. He doubted things had changed since he and his friends had escaped.
To give up without a fight was to risk being assigned to domestic duties, which was considered demeaning and unbecoming of a warrior, or just invite endless humiliation.
Stupid sentiments, but at the time, they’d seemed so important to him. Still, even if surrendering had been an acceptable option, it just wasn’t in his nature. He would have fought until forcefully subdued.
As Richard and his initiator embraced and slapped each other’s backs, Rufsur turned his head a little to the left so he could see Edna from the corner of his eye.
She looked beautiful tonight, and he wondered whether she’d dolled up for him. Except, he hadn’t caught her looking at him even once, so maybe that hadn’t been the motivation. Each of the council members who’d accompanied Annani had been dressed festively, so Edna might have been following orders.
Still, he was going to pretend that she’d done it for him and approach her again.
They were leaving tomorrow afternoon, and he wanted one last night of passion with her. For now. He was going to be back in two weeks, and they would hook up again then.
If those biweekly visits became a thing, perhaps they could have a long-distance relationship after all. Two weeks apart wasn’t that bad. They were both mature adults with demanding jobs and responsibilities, so it wasn’t as if they had nothing to do with their time but pine for each other.
In any case, he was going to suggest it because he just couldn’t give up on her. Rufsur had felt something that he had never felt before, and he wanted to explore it.
Perhaps the special connection that he felt to her had more to do with Edna being an immortal than her as an individual. She’d been his first immortal sex partner, and it was possible that he could have felt the same for any of the other clan females.
Right.
Since arriving at the village, he had chatted and flirted with quite a few of them, but none had caught his interest beyond the standard male appreciation for an attractive female. None had tugged at his heart, and made him want to take care of her, protect her, make her happy.
Only Edna.
As people got up and started clapping, he realized that the match was over and that he’d missed all of it.
But since Edna was smiling and clapping too, he preferred that view over the one of two sweaty men on the sparring mat.
When the clapping died out, and people sat back down, he got a clear view of the two guys. As he’d expected, Richard was down and out, but Bowen hadn’t left him there to be carried off. He sat on the mat next to Richard and watched him. Evidently, he took his vow as mentor and protector to heart.
“Congratulations,” the goddess said. “That was beautifully executed.” She clapped, and everyone joined her in the applause. “I seem to have lost an earring. Could you all please look for it under your tables and between your feet? I would very much like to recover it.”
Like everyone else, Rufsur pushed out of his chair and started looking even though the goddess hadn’t passed by their table. In fact, after stating the ritual words, she had taken her seat at the front table, so there was no reason for everyone in the gym to frantically look for her missing earring.
Still, since the goddess asked for everyone’s help, no one could just sit back and do nothing, whether it made sense or not. Even Kalugal was crouching low and scanning the floor.
“I found it!” Amanda called out. “You can all stop looking.”
Except, they couldn’t, and Rufsur realized what was going on the same moment Kalugal did. Their eyes met briefly under the table, but neither of them could stop searching.
The goddess had compelled everyone in the room, either intentionally or unintentionally, including the mighty Kalugal, who even Navuh couldn’t compel.
The only ones unaffected were Jacki, the cyborg butlers, and Turner.
That was bad news, but at least one member of their group was immune. Not that Jacki would do them much good if the goddess decided to command Kalugal to do whatever her heart desired. He would be forced to obey, and Jacki wouldn’t be able to help him.
“Everyone!” The goddess clapped her hands. “Amanda found my earring. You can all stop looking now.”
As if she’d waved a magic wand, the effect of the compulsion lifted, and people returned to their seats.
Glancing at Edna, he saw her staring at Annani with narrowed eyes. She’d figured out what had just happened, and she wasn’t happy about it.
He wondered why.
Maybe Annani wasn’t in the habit of compelling her own people?
Or maybe it had been a test to check whether she could bend Kalugal to her will as well. Edna should be happy that Annani had nothing to fear from Kalugal, so perhaps her pinched expression was about something else.
Once the mingling part of the evening started, he would ask her.
As a moment later more clapping started, Rufsur followed everyone's eyes to the mat.
Richard was awake and attempting to stand up with Bowen’s help. The Guardian patiently waited for him to get on his feet, and then escorted him out of the gym to even louder applause.
“It was a very nice ceremony.” Jacki wiped a tear from under her eye. “It was so obvious that Bowen cares for Richard, and now they are going to be lifelong friends.”
“An evening full of surprises.” Kalugal grimaced. “Except, I should have expected that from a powerful goddess like Annani.”
“What are you talking about?” Jacki asked.
“I’ll explain when we get home.”
As the cyborg butlers started putting trays of appetizers on the tables, it became clear that the party was just starting.
“I wonder if there will be dancing,” Jacki said.
69
Kian
Kian leaned back in his chair and let out a relieved breath.
The test had worked.
He’d seen Kalugal searching for the missing earring, unable to stop until Annani gave the command.
That made everything so much easier, and he no longer dreaded having the wedding party in the village. As long as Annani could take control of Kalugal and all of his men, they were in no danger.
Still, Kian was glad about the month he would have to prepare.
Loudspeakers would have to be installed all over the village, so Annani’s compulsion could reach everyone, and the double fence between the two sections of the village had to be reinstalled. That all required time.
There was only one problem. Kalugal knew, which meant that he could take precautions and could supply himself and his men with earplugs. Then again, Kian intended to have them all thoroughly searched, and if earplugs were found in their luggage or on their persons, they could be confiscated.
Except, that would be hypocritical of him. Kalugal had allowed him and his bodyguards to wear earplugs in his house to protect themselves from his compulsion, and he could rightfully demand the same.
“I’m so glad that it worked,” Syssi whispered in his ear. “Now, we don’t need to worry about having the wedding here.”
Annani waved a dismissive hand. “There was no
need for worry before. Kalugal’s intentions are honorable.”
Amanda leaned forward and whispered, “We also have the answer to Turner’s susceptibility. If he was unaffected by Annani’s compulsion, he is for sure immune to Kalugal’s.”
“We also have the Odus,” Annani said. “Naturally, they were unaffected. I can program them to incapacitate Kalugal and his men if needed.”
Syssi threw her hands in the air. “Why didn’t we think about that before? It would have saved Turner the trouble of being on call all of the time. You could have kept Okidu by your side.”
Kian lifted his wine glass and took a sip. “I admit that it didn’t occur to me, but I’d rather not use the Odus in that capacity.”
“Why not?”
“Because they were designed to be domestic servants, not soldiers. It would set a dangerous precedent.” Kian glanced at his mother. “They were used as weapons before, and it didn’t go well.”
Annani shrugged. “This is different. They are already programmed to defend my children and me, and adding a provision for what to do in case of a compulsion attack falls under that category. We are not going to use them as an offensive weapon.”
“This isn’t the time or place to have this discussion.” Kian glanced at the nearby tables.
There was little chance that Kalugal or his men could overhear the conversation from where they were sitting. The place was noisy, with music blaring through the loudspeakers and people talking and laughing, and the tables around Annani and her party were all occupied by Guardians and council members. Still, one could never be too careful.
“Richard did well,” Dalhu changed the subject. “I was impressed with how long he lasted against Bowen.”
Amanda smiled. “You weren’t the only one who was impressed. Richard’s display of machismo was noticed by the single ladies.” She sighed. “For some reason, the guy has no luck in love. Stella lost interest pretty quickly. And even though Ingrid swooped in and took over, she is not interested in anything long-term with him.”
