by I. T. Lucas
He was almost certain that Kalugal had no nefarious intentions and that the earpieces were unnecessary, but then Magnus’s message arrived, and Kian decided to leave them in just in case the vans actually belonged to Kalugal’s men.
Counting the number of them attending the party, Kian had taken into account that some were on duty, and others were helping in the kitchen, and the number Kalugal had given him checked out.
Except, his cousin could have lied, and he could have had more men hiding in the bunker and outside the property. The vans making rounds next to the house could belong to Kalugal, and it could be that the reason they were out there was to check where Kian’s men were stationed before launching an attack.
It seemed like a far-fetched scenario, and if he told Syssi about his suspicions, she would probably accuse him of paranoia. But the earpieces were staying in, and he was going to keep an eye on his cousin at all times.
The one thing Kian did, though, was to change the computerized voice from male to female, so when Syssi spoke to him, she wouldn’t sound like a man. It had been most disturbing to hear her say that she loved him in a man’s voice, and even more so when she’d complimented him on how handsome he looked.
When he reached the table, she got up and took his hand. “Dance with me?”
“I can’t hear the music.”
She smirked. “Then you will have to follow my lead.”
“I always do.” He put his hands on her waist and leaned to kiss her lips.
She made a face as if what he’d said was complete nonsense. “You’re the bossiest, most dominant man I’ve ever known.”
He leaned and whispered in her ear. “Only in bed, my love. Have I ever not followed your suggestions?”
Syssi frowned. “There must have been some that you didn’t.”
Shaking his head, he led her to the delineated dance floor, where several couples were swaying to the music. “You can’t think of even one, can you?”
“Not off the top of my head.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “But you are the boss, so don’t pretend like you are not.”
Kian chuckled. “If that’s what you are comfortable believing, I won’t argue with you.”
16
Jacki
“Shall we dance?” Kalugal took Jacki’s hand and led her to the dance platform.
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she looked into the beautiful blue eyes of her husband. “Our first dance as a married couple. Or is it mated?”
“Married, mated, I don’t care what we call it. All I care about is that you are mine, and I am yours. Let’s waltz.”
She leaned to whisper in his ear. “I don’t know how.”
He whispered back. “Kick your shoes off and step on my feet.”
Doing as he suggested would have required zero effort on her part, and it would have even been fun, but taking the easy road and letting Kalugal do things for her wasn’t how Jacki wanted to start their married life. She accepted that he was smarter, more knowledgeable, and more experienced than she was. But that only meant that she could learn a lot from Kalugal, not let him do everything for her simply because he could do it better.
“How about you whisper the steps in my ear until I get it? I want to learn.”
Kalugal’s smile was full of pride and approval. “Of course. But you need to relax and follow my lead.” He put one hand on the small of her back and took her hand with the other. “Step forward with your left foot, and now step forward with your right, so it’s parallel to the left. Bring your left foot to your right. Now step back with your right, now with your left, so it’s parallel to your right, and bring your right foot to your left.”
It was confusing at first, but after Kalugal repeated the instructions several times, Jacki got the hang of it. “You can stop whispering.”
By now, their first dance as a married couple had already been joined by Lokan and Carol, Wonder and Anandur. Then Amanda had dragged the reluctant Dalhu onto the dance floor. Syssi and Kian arrived last.
“But I’m enjoying it. It feels intimate even though we are surrounded by people. I’ll just whisper sexy things instead.”
Jacki loved having Kalugal’s cheek pressed to hers too, but as he’d pointed out, they were not alone, and she didn’t want to get all hot and bothered in the company of immortals and their super-sensitive noses.
“Don’t you dare. I don’t want to blush.”
“But you look so lovely when you do.”
“Tell me how much you love me.”
“I adore you.” Kalugal pulled her closer against his body. “And I lust after you. I can’t wait for everyone to go home, so I can take my bride to bed.”
“Patience, my prince.”
He chuckled. “I like it when you call me your prince.”
When the waltz ended, Kalugal bowed to her, and everyone on the dance floor clapped.
“Dinner is served!” Rufsur called out from the veranda.
“Come.” Kalugal wrapped his arm around her waist. “We should be first in line. No one is going to take anything until we do.”
Jacki was too hyped up to feel hungry, but she didn’t want to keep her guests waiting. “Okay.”
At the buffet, Atzil stood behind the long table looking like a drill sergeant, his legs planted firmly on the floor, his head held high, and his square jaw looking squarer than usual.
“Thank you for preparing this wonderful dinner,” Jacki said.
He cracked a smile. “Eat first, and thank me later.” He leaned closer. “Your pledges were beautiful. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
As they took their plates to the table, Lokan and Carol joined them a few moments later, and then Syssi and Kian.
“The airshow was fantastic,” Kalugal said. “Thank you.”
Smiling, Kian draped a napkin over his trousers. “Not my doing, but you’re welcome.”
“I loved the heart and the banner,” Jacki said. “Did William make it happen?”
She hoped it meant that he had no hard feelings. His mini crush on her had been sweet, and she’d let him down as gently as she could. Still, no one enjoyed rejection.
“The one and only.” Kian cut a piece of potato and put it in his mouth.
“Is that all you are eating?” Kalugal motioned at his plate, which was piled with side dishes, but none of the beef and salmon.
“I’m vegan. That’s all I can eat.”
Kalugal frowned. “You should have mentioned it. I would have told Atzil to make something special for you.”
Kian waved a dismissive hand. “I can always manage with the side dishes. I don’t want to create extra work for anyone because of my culinary preferences.”
“It’s an odd choice for an immortal. We are carnivores by nature.”
“We are omnivores, and we have a choice. I choose to stay away from animal products.”
“Is it for health or moral reasons?”
“Both.”
Kalugal shook his head. “I would love to hear the reasoning behind your decision. Immortals are at the top of the food chain, and we shouldn’t subsist on vegetables.”
“You are young, Kalugal.” Kian smiled indulgently. “I bet that you didn’t grow up with farm animals.”
“I did not.”
“I’m a very old immortal, and when I was young, there were no supermarkets to buy your meat at. You either hunted it or raised it, and I’ve never enjoyed taking a life, human or animal. I’d rather avoid it if I can, but there were times when I had no choice.”
Kalugal tilted his head. “What about immortal life?”
Kian’s wicked smile sent chills down Jacki’s spine. “I have no problem whatsoever with killing enemies who seek the annihilation of my people.”
“Most of them are just doing what they are told,” Lokan said. “They are soldiers.”
“You don’t know your people as well as you think you do.” Kian put his fork down and wiped his mouth. “I don’t
know whether it’s the brainwashing, or the compulsion, or the genetics of those who fathered them, but many of your men thrive on cruelty. As I said, I’m old, and I’ve seen plenty of the atrocities Doomers have committed.”
“Humans are no better,” Lokan said.
Kian sighed. “Regrettably, you are correct. In fact, they are worse because there are so many of them, and they can perpetrate much more damage than all the Doomers combined. The difference is that they don’t pose a direct threat to me, and they don’t actively seek my people’s demise.”
Kalugal didn’t seem to agree. “Only because they don’t know that you exist.”
17
Kian
Throughout dinner, Kian kept glancing at the sky, noting the change of guard as the drones circled back and forth on their scheduled battery replacement rotations.
He also kept putting his hand on the phone in his pocket, expecting it to vibrate with a new message. The vans passing by Kalugal’s place might have been a non-issue, but it had been enough to cause a disquiet that refused to abate.
And that was despite the fact that he no longer suspected Kalugal of planning an attack. More than an hour had passed since the two vans had driven by the property, so if there had been such a plan, it would have been already executed.
“You seem tense.” Syssi put a hand on his arm. “What’s going on?”
“It’s nothing. Magnus texted me before dinner started about two vans passing by the property.”
“Maybe someone is moving out or in.”
“Not likely at this time at night. But it might have been deliveries to neighboring houses.”
“That sounds like a reasonable explanation. So why are you still tense?”
He shrugged. “You know me. I’m always on the alert.”
“Maybe dancing will loosen you up.” Syssi rose to her feet and tugged on his hand.
With most of the wedding guests still eating at their tables, the dance platform was deserted, but as soon as he and Syssi started walking toward it, Kalugal and Jacki joined them, and then Lokan and Carol.
“It’s so nice to celebrate with family.” Syssi put her hands on his shoulders.
Dipping his head, he kissed her cheek. Having Syssi in his arms was an antidote to stress. She was like a soothing balm on his nerves, a breath of fresh air, and as they danced, the knotted muscles in his shoulders and back started to relax. But then his phone vibrated, and all that hard-won calm disappeared in a flash.
“I need to get it.” He let go of Syssi and pulled out his phone.
One of the vans from before just passed by the house and kept going, but Roni sees it from the drone, and he says it’s parked on the street on the other side of the house.
Kian tapped Kalugal on the shoulder. “Do you have a delivery coming?”
“No, why?”
“A van just stopped next to your backyard fence.”
“That’s odd.” Kalugal lifted his hand and motioned for Rufsur to come over.
As Rufsur started walking toward them, both of Kian’s earpieces malfunctioned at once, emitting piercing shrieks, or so he thought until everyone around him clapped their hands over their ears, including Kalugal and his men, and then fell to the ground writhing in agony.
The only ones standing were him, Anandur, and Brundar.
It took another split second to process that they were under attack and that he needed to shield Syssi and their unborn child.
Dropping over his wife, Kian covered her with his body and added his hands to hers over her ears.
Then as soon as it had started, the shrieking stopped. Or maybe it just stopped in his earpieces?
Quickly, Kian pulled one out, but all he heard were the groans of everyone around him.
Kalugal was the first one to sit up. “What the hell just happened?” he yelled at the top of his lungs while gathering Jacki into his arms.
Under Kian, Syssi stirred, and he shifted off her. “Are you okay?”
She shook her head and pointed to her ears. “I can’t hear anything.”
Slowly, everyone started rising, first to sit on the ground, and then to push up on shaky legs. The only two remaining slumped and looking unconscious were Jacki and Jin. Their human ears were less sensitive than those of the immortals, but they also lacked the immortals’ rapid recovery ability.
“Where is the doctor?” Kalugal yelled again, his voice sounding panicky. “Jacki needs help.”
Kian removed the other earpiece and put both in his pocket.
Kalugal was not the enemy.
But who was?
His phone vibrated.
Pulling it out of his pocket, he read the message from Magnus.
Roni shot the device emitting that sound. There are casualties. More vans are pulling up next to it. We are almost there.
“Fuck.” Kian looked at Kalugal, but the guy was useless at the moment.
Rocking Jacki in his arms, he seemed to be hanging on to sanity by a thread.
Instead, Kian grabbed Rufsur and showed him the message.
The guy nodded and lifted his arms high in the air, motioning for his men to take out their phones.
That was some quick thinking.
Everyone’s ears were out of commission, and the only way to communicate was via texts.
Typing so fast that his fingers blurred over the screen, he started running toward the back gate, with some of his men following behind, and the others running in the opposite direction, heading for the front of the house.
“Yamanu’s shroud is down,” Anandur yelled. “We need to hustle.”
“I’m okay.” Yamanu lifted his arm. “I’ll have it back on in a couple of seconds.”
Kian lifted his hand and motioned for the brothers to come closer. “Any idea what the fuck that was?”
“No clue,” Anandur said. “But if not for Roni, that could have been one hell of a clusterfuck.”
18
Kalugal
The ringing in Kalugal’s ears was driving him nuts, but none of that mattered. Jacki opened her eyes, and they were full of tears. She was in pain, and he didn’t know what to do.
The doctor finally made it to them, but the only thing she had was a small flashlight.
Crouching, she mouthed, “I’m going to check your ears.”
Jacki nodded, which was a good sign. She knew what was going on and was responsive.
Kalugal let out a relieved breath.
The doctor shone her flashlight into Jacki’s left ear, and then her right. “The eardrums didn’t rupture.” She turned the flashlight off and moved it from side to side in front of Jacki’s eyes. “Good, you’re tracking.”
The ringing in Kalugal’s ears was subsiding rapidly, and he was now able to hear the doctor clearly.
“Jacki is in pain. What can you do for her?”
“Unfortunately, nothing. I don’t have anything with me.” Bridget lifted her head and looked toward the back fence. “I think your presence is needed. Rufsur is waving you over.”
“I don’t want to leave Jacki.”
“I’ll take care of her. You need to take care of the situation, whatever it is.” The doctor put her flashlight back in her purse, and then lifted Jacki off his lap. “I’ll carry her to the house.”
Wonder rushed over. “Let me. Others might need your help.” She took Jacki out of Bridget’s arms. “I’ve already put Jin on the living room couch.”
“I can walk!” Jacki yelled, either unaware of being loud or thinking that the others were suffering a hearing loss similar to hers.
He kissed her cheek. “Let Wonder carry you. She is very strong.”
Jacki made a face, either because she couldn’t hear him or because she was in pain, but she nodded and wrapped her arms around Wonder’s neck.
With Jacki taken care of, Kalugal sprinted toward the back of his property. Whoever was responsible for ruining their wedding was going to pay.
Exploding through the back gate, he skid
ded to a halt.
Two old humans were sprawled on the sidewalk, bleeding, and a younger human was slumped over the wheel of a van that was riddled with bullets. Pieces of broken equipment were strewn about.
“What’s going on?”
Kian waved a hand at the two old men. “One is dead, the other one is injured. They fired a noise cannon at us, and Roni shot it down from the drone. The dead one was holding it, the other one and the driver got hit as well. What do you want to do with them?”
In the distance, Kalugal heard police sirens, which meant that the shrouder had gone down as well, and they were exposed. The sirens still sounded very faint, so they had time, but not much.
“Move them into the house. Is your shrouder back on line?”
Kian nodded. “Yamanu is on it. But there are six vans in front of your property, and seven operatives that my men detained. They need to either be moved inside or driven away. And we need to take care of this one too.”
They had about ten minutes to do that before the police arrived, and the back gate was good for foot traffic only. The bullet-ridden van would have to be driven around and through the front gate.
“Rufsur, get inside the van and drive it through the front. Kian, tell your men to get the other vans inside as well. They can park on the grass.”
Rufsur opened the vehicle's door, moved the injured driver aside, and got behind the wheel.
“Let’s take them inside.”
Anandur lifted the injured man, and Brundar the dead one.
“Where do you want us to take them?”
“Into the bunker.” Kalugal turned to his own men. “Clean up the mess as best you can and then get inside and lock the gate.”
“Yes, boss.”
“Follow me.” Kalugal motioned for Kian and the brothers.
“As soon as everything is out of sight, I can tell Yamanu to switch from shrouding to thralling,” Kian said. “He can thrall the police to think that they have checked the report and that the noise came from a faulty exhaust pipe.”
