Dark Enemy Redeemed (The Children Of The Gods Paranormal Romance Series Book 6)

by I. T. Lucas

  “I think I can get away with it. Let me call him.”

  Syssi danced a little victory dance. She hadn’t really expected him to cooperate.

  Kian arched a brow. “You look so cute, dancing in your underwear.”

  “Are we back to cute?” She pretended offense.

  “Sexy cute.”

  “That’s better.” She stretched up on her toes, but he was so tall that she had to drag him down to reach his lips. “I need a stepping stool just to kiss you, you big lug.”

  “All I hear are complaints,” he joked, lifting her up and holding her pressed against him as they kissed.

  Half an hour later, as Anandur stopped the limo in front of Andrew’s house, her brother was already waiting for them out on the street.

  “Nice hat,” he said, getting into the passenger seat next to Anandur.

  “I’m playing a chauffeur. Your sister doesn’t want to spook your parents by showing up with a bodyguard. But why a driver and not a beloved cousin? Ha?” He turned his head to cast her an accusing glare.

  He had a point. Who was she going to introduce him as? Kian’s driver? And then a cousin, only later to change it to a nephew?

  “You’re right, ditch the hat. I’m going to tell them that you’re Kian’s cousin.”

  “Who drives a limo? We should’ve taken the SUV.”

  “The limo is more comfortable. Just give me a break, okay? I’m nervous enough as it is.”

  Andrew turned around in his seat and stretched his neck to peer at Kian over the partition that separated the front of the limo from the back. It was lowered, but it didn’t go all the way down. “Why are we driving all the way out to the boonies instead of using the helicopter to bring them straight to your rooftop?”

  “It’s being serviced.”

  “You have only one?”

  “No, but the other two are simple cargo birds.”

  “Got it.” Satisfied with Kian’s answer, Andrew turned back around. This line of questioning wasn’t like him. He must also be nervous about seeing their parents.

  Would they look older? What would they think of Kian? How would they react to all the weirdness?

  God, two days to the wedding.

  Less, it was already afternoon. Thank God that everything was good to go. And if something didn’t turn out as well as planned, tough. The important thing, as Amanda had said over and over again, was that Syssi’s dress was stunning and she looked fantastic in it. The fifteen thousand dollar price tag had been a shocker, but Amanda had reassured her that it was a bargain price considering that it was made by a semi-famous designer and was a rush order. Apparently, Joanne had pulled some strings to have it done quickly and at a reasonable price.

  The clan’s private airstrip was about an hour’s drive out of the city. It wasn’t much, just one long runway and a huge hangar. Parked inside, there was a small jet that looked almost like a toy in the cavernous space. The hangar had room enough for at least five more. An office, built on a raised ramp, was accessible by a simple metal staircase. Considering the industrial look of everything else, it was surprisingly elegant, with a sitting area, a counter that held a coffee maker and two baskets with an assortment of refreshments. Several magazines were stacked on top of a rectangular wooden table.

  She picked one and was almost done flipping through it when Anandur announced that the plane was landing.

  Butterflies in her belly, Syssi got up and watched the approaching aircraft through the window. Once it landed, the plane continued down the runway until it stopped in front of the hangar, waiting like a car for Anandur and the guy manning it to open the doors, then eased inside.

  Syssi took the stairs down, Andrew and Kian following close behind her. It took a couple of minutes for the double engines to power down and for the door with the built-in staircase to open. The woman standing at the opening was either the pilot or the flight attendant, it was hard to tell—she wasn’t wearing a uniform.

  Her father was the first to emerge, and his face lit up with a big grin as he saw them standing below. Carry-on in hand, he quickly took the short flight of stairs, dropped the luggage and opened his arms.

  “Come here, baby girl.”

  She ran into his welcoming embrace and squeezed, his groan reminding her too late that she was so much stronger than before.

  She let go of him quickly. “Sorry, Daddy.”

  “You’ve been exercising, ha? Good for you.” He turned to Andrew, who was patiently waiting his turn, and the two did the manly hug with the mutual back clapping. “It’s good to see you both. We missed you so much.”

  Her mother came down next, and this time, Syssi was careful, hugging Anita gently. “I missed you, Mom.”

  “I missed you too, sweetie, and you, Andrew, come here and give your mother a hug.”

  Once the hugs and kisses were done, Kian introduced himself, extending a hand to her father. “Welcome, I’m Kian.”

  “Adam Spivak.” Her father repeated the hug and clap ritual with his future son-in-law. “Pleased to meet you. And this is my better half, Anita.”

  Her mother was somewhat more reserved in her hug, but Syssi could tell that she was impressed.

  Though, duh, what did she expect? Kian was one hell of an impressive guy.

  “Mom, Dad, I want you to meet Anandur, Kian’s cousin.”

  The three of them shook hands and the introductions were done.

  “Tall family,” Anita remarked with an admiring up and down glance first at Kian and then Anandur. “Handsome too.”

  “Let me help you with that.” Anandur grabbed the two pieces of luggage and carried them to the limo, holding them up as if they weighed no more than a cheerleader’s pompoms.

  Her mom arched a brow.

  “He’s a body builder,” Syssi muttered.

  “That explains it. Is your Kian into the body building sport as well?” Anita wrapped her arm around Syssi’s shoulders as they followed Anandur to the car.

  “He works out, but just to stay in shape.”

  “And a great shape it is,” Anita whispered in her ear.

  Syssi blushed, slanting a quick glance at Kian, who was grinning like a satisfied cat. “Mom…”

  “What? He can’t hear me.”

  “You’d be surprised.”

  The drive back to the keep went by quickly, with Adam entertaining them with one outlandish story after the other. It seemed that her parents were having a great time in Africa, despite the harsh conditions and the lack of modern amenities. Both looked fit and tanned.

  Back at the keep, the group took the elevator up to the eighteenth floor, where an apartment had been prepared for her parents.

  “Oh, wow, this is really nice,” her mother said. “Is this your place, Kian?”

  “No, we are in the penthouse. This is just for you.”

  “Thank you,” Adam said, sounding relieved.

  Syssi chuckled. What was it about fathers having trouble with their little girls growing up and having a man in their lives? Mothers had no such qualms.

  “I’ll leave you here to freshen up and come back in an hour. Hopefully, you’ll still be awake. How is the jet lag?”

  “Not too bad, I think I have another couple of hours in me. How about you, Adam?”

  “After a shower, I’ll be as good as new.”

  Syssi glanced at her watch. “Okay then, I’ll be back at seven.”

  CHAPTER 52: ANDREW

  Syssi was fidgeting, wrapping one long strand of hair after the other on her finger and generally looking like she was about to have a nervous breakdown. Not that he could blame her; their parents were about to meet the Goddess.

  “I’ll go get them,” Andrew volunteered.

  “No, that’s okay, I’ll go. I promised them.”

  “You sure? They wouldn’t mind. I can drop a few hints on the way to prepare them for the shock.”

  “God, I can only imagine their reaction to Annani.”

  “You worry to
o much. They’ll get over it, same way you and I did.”

  “You probably right. Okay, you go and get Mom and Dad while I check on dinner.” She snorted. “Not that Okidu would even allow me in the kitchen, but I want to have a peek at the dining room and see if anything needs rearranging.”

  “You do that.” He patted her arm.

  It was exactly two minutes before seven when Andrew knocked. His father opened the door, looking distinguished in a dark blue suit.

  “We are ready, just let me call your mom.” He turned around and called. “Anita, Andrew is here.”

  His mom emerged from the bedroom wearing a narrow black skirt, a beige blouse, and a string of pearls around her neck. The last time he’d seen her wearing anything other than pants was at his grandmother’s funeral. It seemed that Anita was making an effort to impress Kian’s mother.

  “You look nice,” he said.

  “Thank you.”

  “Shouldn’t we lock the door?” his father asked as they headed for the elevators.

  “No need. This is a secure building and there are cameras in the corridors. See?” He pointed up.

  “So, what’s the deal here, Andrew, Syssi didn’t say much, but it’s obvious just from the travel arrangements that her guy is loaded. The important question is, however, is Kian a good man?”

  “The best. I approve of him wholeheartedly.”

  “Really?” Anita looked surprised. “How well do you know him?” The elevator doors opened and they stepped inside.

  “Well enough. But listen, before we get there and before you meet Kian’s mother, I wanted to warn you. Be prepared for surprises and keep an open mind. This evening will probably be the weirdest you’ve ever experienced.”

  Anita frowned. “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “It’s all good, nothing to worry about. Just keep an open mind, that’s all I’m asking.”

  Exiting, she shrugged. “Fine.”

  His father’s posture stiffened, but he said nothing until Andrew opened the door to Kian and Syssi’s penthouse apartment. “Impressive,” he muttered, glancing at the wall of glass overlooking the city.

  Syssi gave each a quick hug. “You guys looks so great, Africa is good to you.”

  “Welcome to our home.” Kian had a big friendly smile plastered on his face as he motioned for them to proceed to the sitting area. “Would you care for a drink?”

  “No, thank you.” Anita walked over to the glass doors and peered outside. Kian had turned on all of the lights on the terrace, including those inside the pool. Evidently, he wasn’t immune to wanting to impress the in-laws either.

  “What do you have?” Adam followed Kian to the bar and looked over the display of expensive bottles.

  Andrew joined them. “I’ll have the Jack Daniel’s.” He pointed at the opened bottle.

  “Me too,” Adam said. His father would’ve probably preferred to try one of the fancier ones, but he wasn’t comfortable enough to ask.

  Drinks in hand, they headed to the sitting area.

  “My mother will be here shortly.”

  “I can’t wait to meet her.” Anita joined Adam and Syssi on the couch.

  “So, what do you do, Kian?” Adam began the interrogation—the one that every groom, since the beginning of time, had been subjected to by his future father-in-law.

  This should be interesting, considering what and who Kian was. Andrew got comfortable to watch the show.

  “I manage the family business.”

  Now, that must’ve been the understatement of the century.

  Adam made a point of looking around the luxurious living room before returning his stare to Kian. “Must be one hell of a business.”

  “I can’t complain.”

  There was a gentle knock on the door, and Kian jumped up to open the way for his mother. She was accompanied by one of her butlers, whatever his name was. They all looked the same.

  Andrew leaned to get closer to his parents. “Remember what I said before,” he whispered.

  “Anita, Adam, my mother, Annani.”

  The Goddess glided into the room, her long purple dress swaying gently with each small step, her skin glowing with her natural luminescence.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” the Goddess chimed.

  On a gasp, Anita’s hand flew to her chest. Adam gaped.

  With a graceful, fluid motion, Annani lowered herself into an armchair facing the couch and smiled.

  Anita was the first to recover. “What’s going on, Syssi?”

  “Mom, Dad, Kian’s mother, Annani, is the last surviving member of a race of gods. The people who brought knowledge and civilization to humanity and were the source of most ancient mythologies.”

  “Perhaps it would be better if I told the story,” Annani offered.

  Adam cleared his throat. “Yes, please do.”

  “Since we are all hungry, and I do not wish to hold up dinner, I am going to tell you only a very abbreviated version. Later, Syssi can fill in the details.”

  Anita nodded. “First, if you don’t mind, could you please clarify the meaning of the term gods?”

  Annani laughed, and if his parents had any doubts before that they were in the presence of a goddess, the heavenly sound of that laugh should’ve been enough to convince them.

  “Not the creator, or creators of the universe, of course, just a different race of beings—a small group of either survivors from an earlier civilization or refugees from somewhere else in the universe. I was not privy to that information. You should be familiar with the general gist of the story from what you have learned reading the Hebrew Bible and the mythologies of the Sumerians, the Egyptians, the Greeks, the Romans, and so on.”

  Annani continued to tell them about the gods taking human mates and the immortal children that had been born from those unions. She told them about the Dormants and how her people had figured a way to activate them, about Mortdh and the cataclysm that had destroyed her people along with most of their immortal progeny. And lastly, she told them about Syssi’s transition.

  “You’re immortal,” Anita stated more than asked.

  “Yes.”

  “I’ll be damned.” Adam loosened his tie.

  Syssi sighed and took Anita’s hands. “No one is supposed to know immortals exist, but I figured it would be impossible to explain about Annani without resorting to measures that would’ve made everyone uncomfortable. So, for the duration of your stay, you’ll be privy to the secret, but we will have to thrall you to forget this before you go home.”

  “Why? Don’t you trust us? Do you think we’ll betray our own children?” Anita looked not only hurt but furious.

  “Of course, I trust you. It’s just that no one outside the clan is allowed to know. Right, Kian?” Syssi’s tone was pleading for him to take over.

  “I’m sorry, but this is how it must be done. The safety of my family depends on secrecy. I’m not suggesting that you would deliberately disclose information you shouldn’t, but you can blurt out something accidentally, or if our enemies suspect your connection to us, the information could be tortured out of you. It’s better for everyone if I suppress and muddle your memories. Don’t worry, you’ll still remember the wedding, just not the other stuff.”

  Adam seemed placated, but not Anita. “Are you sure there is no other way?”

  Suddenly, Andrew remembered something that Dalhu had told them. “There might be. How about a strong compulsion thrall like the one Navuh uses on his human pilots? They have the knowledge but are unable to reveal any of it without their brains short-circuiting.”

  Kian shook his head. “First, I’m not sure I know how to do it. Second, highly intelligent people like Adam and Anita might be able to shake it off.”

  “I will perform the thrall,” Annani offered. “If it is acceptable to you.” She trained her glowing eyes on Anita, then Adam.

  “Sure, that’s better than forgetting all of this, right, Anita?”

  “Defi
nitely.”

  Annani clapped her hands. “It is settled then. Let us adjourn to the dining room, I am famished.”

  CHAPTER 53: ANANDUR

  “What? No strippers?” Michael complained.

  Anandur winked and leaned to whisper in the kid’s ear, “Who said there won’t be?”

  Not that there were going to be any. Holding the party in a prison cell precluded inviting pros. And anyway, Syssi would have disapproved, and he had no intentions of antagonizing the new First Lady. The thing with the quiet, supposedly demure types was that their vengeance was often cunning and more vicious than that of the loudmouths.

  Andrew chuckled. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

  “Blow me.”

  “You’re not my type.”

  “I know that I’m irresistible, but instead of hitting on me, go open the door. I left it unlocked.” Andrew’s human hearing failed to register the faint knock. It was probably Okidu with the food because none of the guys would’ve been so discreet. There was no need—it wasn’t as if a knock would’ve alerted Kian all the way up in his penthouse and spoiled the surprise—but apparently the word secret had this effect on Okidu’s logic circuitry.

  Andrew flipped him off and went to open the door, letting in Okidu and the stack of trays he was carrying.

  There wasn’t enough space on the table, and some of the platters had to go on top of the dresser in the bedroom.

  Anandur had only invited the Guardians, the two male council members, and Michael, to Kian’s bachelor party, so all together Dalhu’s small apartment would have to accommodate ten super-sized guys. Not an easy feat, but this was the only way to include the dude in the celebration.

  It was the least he could do for Dalhu. The guy was facing a whipping and subsequent entombment the following evening.

  He’d make it work somehow. There was enough booze to drown a platoon, and the playlist on his iPod had the best of rock ‘n’ roll’s oldies—none of the whiny crap today’s bands were barfing out, or rap, which with the exception of Eminem Anandur didn’t consider music.