by Lori Holmes
“He is just a boy, Talaan,” Jaai replied resolutely. “I do not wish to anger the blessed Ninmah but I made a promise. Sefaan herself said we must care for him as our own. She told me it was essential and sent me to Rebaa before the Great Spirit took her.” Jaai tightened her hold on Juaan’s arm. “I will not go against the wisdom of the Last Kamaali. She who speaks for the Great Spirit himself. We must care for this boy. We have no choice. May Ninmah forgive us.”
Talaan’s lips thinned in anger and his fists clenched but he could not challenge her words. It was forbidden to go against the will of a Kamaali. He was caught between the two greatest edicts of his people. “This is madness,” he raged helplessly. “I will have no part of it!”
Jaai shrugged. “That is your choice, Talaan. It is I who am bound, not you.” With that she released Juaan’s arm and bounded effortlessly into the nearest eshaara tree. Juaan stood, swaying on his feet. He avoided making eye contact with the raging Talaan who was pacing defensively before his home. He did not want to anger Jaai’s mate further by sullying him with his accursed gaze.
After a few interminable moments, Jaai returned, climbing back down the great tree. She was carrying something. Talaan’s rage spiked to a new level and he moved towards her in angry protest. One glare from Jaai stopped him in his tracks, the force of her will unassailable. “It is meant to be, Talaan,” she whispered. “Do not interfere.” Then, muttering a quick prayer, she placed the bundle that she carried on the ground between herself and Juaan.
Juaan blinked in mild surprise. The bundle was an infant. All wrapped up in cotton moss and leaves, she protested as her mother placed her on the ground. Her face was rumpled and disapproving. She obviously hadn’t been ready to be roused from her nap. The light hurt her sleepy eyes. They were the deepest indigo.
“Nyri,” Jaai spoke. “I want you to meet Juaan.”
All sleepy protest fled. Juaan felt a strange thrill as the little girl met his gaze for a brief instant before ducking her head. He watched as she pushed herself clumsily onto her still unsure feet and tottered away to hide behind her mother’s legs.
Juaan was surprised to feel a fresh stab of pain in his heart. He had thought he was beyond all feeling. So what if the child was afraid of him. Everybody was afraid of him. He should be used to it by now. And yet he felt this infant’s rejection keenly. His eyes fixed upon that little girl as they had not focused upon anything or anyone since his mother’s spirit had left him.
“Nyri,” Jaai spoke gravely to her. “Juaan lost his mama last night. He is going to be a part of our family now. We have got to look after him because no one else will.”
Talaan snorted and the girl looked to her father. A confused little frown wrinkled her tattooed red-gold brow. She did not respond to her mother’s words.
“Nyri?” Jaai questioned. “Nyri.” She gave her daughter a nudge with her heel. “Nyriaana!”
The words struck a chord in Juaan and before he even knew why he did it, he rhymed: “Nyri, Nyri, Nyriaana.”
She giggled. The sound was like the soft bubbling of a brook. Indigo eyes peered out at him. She crawled from behind her mother’s legs to get a better look. Her gaze missed nothing and Juaan became keenly aware of just how strange he must appear to her. He felt like hiding himself away before the inevitable happened. He was tired of everyone’s fear and mistrust. He wanted his mother. He wanted to be wrapped in her unconditional love. His grief rose, once again threatening to cripple him. But as he stared with increasingly blurring vision into the face of this child, he saw no fear there, merely innocent curiosity.
Her eyes widened in consternation as they settled upon his tear stained face. With a determined frown, the little girl pushed herself up onto her unsteady legs. This time she came tottering towards him. Juaan was so stunned by this that he did not think to move out of her reach. By the time he recovered his wits, it was too late. She had him. Tiny arms reached around his legs and tightened in an embrace, seeking to comfort him.
“Hello, Juaan,” she said in a soft, halting little voice. “Don’ cry. I be your friend. Make it better?”
Juaan’s voice choked off in a strangled sob as fresh tears came pouring down his face. The little girl’s arms only tightened further. She could not know that they had reached right in to his soul and wrapped irrevocably around his heart. Binding him to her forever.
He sighed helplessly. “Hello, Nyri, Nyri, Nyriaana.”
* * *
BOOK 2: Find out what fate holds in store for Juaan and Nyriaana…
Daughter of Ninmah, Book 2 of the ANCESTORS SAGA is now available on Amazon: getbook.at/daughter-of-ninmah
FREE BOOK: Download your exclusive novella, Forbidden Son, and discover the beginnings of Juaan and Nyriaana’s relationship on the link below:
loriholmes.com/forbidden-son
About the Author
Lori Holmes was born in the West Midlands region of England. Having had a misspent youth devouring everything science fiction and fantasy, Lori enjoys reading and writing books that draw a reader into new and undiscovered worlds with characters that are hard to part with long after the journey comes to end.
Lori’s debut novel, The Forbidden, begins the epic journey into the Ancestors Saga, combining history, mystery and legend to retell a lost chapter in humanity’s dark and distant past.
You can connect with me on:
https://www.loriholmes.com
https://www.facebook.com/loriholmesauthor
https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B06XBFF5RR
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/lori-holmes
Also by Lori Holmes
The Forbidden: getbook.at/forbidden-bm
Daughter of Ninmah: getbook.at/daughter-of-ninmah-bm
Captive: getbook.at/captive-bm
Enemy Tribe (Launching December 2020)
Survival (Launching 2021)
Raknari (Launching 2021)
