by I. T. Lucas
“There is nothing to explain,” Kian grumbled. “And I don’t need the council to vote on every damn decision I make.” He turned around and opened the door. “Shall we?”
As they followed the leader and his wife out, Rufsur put his arm around Edna and fell in step with Kian. “Do you own this entire mountain ridge?”
Kian cast him and the judge one of his glares. “The clan owns the entire area. Over thirteen hundred acres. We bought it when the land here was still selling for peanuts. Now it’s worth many millions.”
“Good business investment. You should build a few gated communities and sell the houses. You'd make a killing.”
“Not really. To get approval for development in these mountains, I would need to bribe half of city hall with campaign donations and other contributions. It would still be profitable, but I don’t like dealing with politicians and lining their pockets. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth.”
Kalugal understood the sentiment perfectly, and he applauded Kian’s decision not to contribute to the corruption. His cousin might not wish to fight it as actively as Kalugal planned to do, but at least he was not propagating the problem with his clan’s money.
The new parcel Kian was grading was next to the existing houses of phase two. It was a little farther away, and at least twenty feet below the existing development. It hugged the mountainside and had a nice view of the canyon below. Regrettably, the ocean wasn’t visible from anywhere in phase two or three.
It wasn’t as if Kalugal was planning to move in there, but it would have been nice for those of his men who chose to join the clan. He was still uncomfortable with the idea of losing any of them and was struggling to come up with a different solution that would be acceptable to Kian.
So far, though, his brain hadn’t come up with a single thing.
“Here is the crew’s encampment.” Kian pointed to a bunch of tents arranged in a circle. “There is a communal shower facility.” He pointed to an enclosure built from studs and tarps and no roof. “Basically, those are hoses with spouts, and they only have cold water. I offered to bring them a water heater, but they scoffed at the idea.”
On one side of the temporary shower facility, several clotheslines had been stretched between posts, and laundered items were flapping in the wind. On the other side was a line of portable toilets.
“How do you get the equipment up here?” Kalugal asked. “I thought that the only access to the village was through the pavilion, and none of the elevators looked big enough for a truck to fit in.”
“We have another elevator in the back that is big enough for a compact tractor, and we have a wider path that goes around phase one straight into phase two. It’s unpaved, but tractors don’t have a problem with that.”
Kian seemed to be well-versed in the construction process, while Kalugal’s superficial knowledge put him at a disadvantage. Perhaps he should discuss things that he knew more about than his cousin.
“Aren’t you worried about the workers divulging your secret location? Building an entire community takes months, and I know that you are wary of thralling away more than two weeks of memories.”
“That’s why I chose to import a crew from China instead of using local contractors. There is practically no interaction between them and my people, which is the crew’s preference. They don’t leave a project until they are done, and they don’t want to mingle with the locals. So, once they are ready to leave, all I need to thrall away is the memory of the location and specific details about the project. Unlike interactions with people, those aren’t complex memories, and if carefully done, they are safe to eliminate.”
Kalugal shook his head. “I don’t trust the Chinese. They are sneaky bastards. If I were you, I would search their belongings before letting them go. They might keep records. In fact, I’m sure that they do. And what about their phones? Did you take them away?”
Kian clapped him on the back. “I’m moved by your concern, but I got it covered. They have no phones, and no computers, they use old-fashioned paper blueprints that are produced by a clan architect, and we search them thoroughly before their departure.”
“I hope that you put them through scanners. They can hide notes in very discreet places on their bodies.”
Kian shook his head. “And I thought that Turner was paranoid.”
As Kian mentioned the guy, it dawned on Kalugal that Turner wasn’t there. The only ones accompanying them were Kian’s regular bodyguards, Anandur and Brundar, as well as Theo and Jay.
It seemed that his plan was working, and his cousin was becoming less mistrustful of him.
32
Edna
Edna looked at the grading tractors making their rounds, compacting the ground and leveling it. The lots looked deceptively small from her elevated vantage point, but she knew it was an optical illusion. There was nothing to use in the large open space as reference for scale, but once the houses went up, there would be a visual anchor, and the lots wouldn’t seem so tiny. She’d observed the same thing when phase two had been built.
When the project was completed, it would be a nice enclave, with good views of the surrounding mountains and the canyon below, but who was going to live there?
“Does Sari plan on relocating her people here?”
Kian cast her an amused glance. “That would be nice, but as far as I know, she has no such plans.”
“Who is Sari?” Kalugal asked.
Edna was surprised that Kian hadn’t told his cousin about his third sister. That would have been the prudent thing to do, but it seemed that he was slackening security measures around Kalugal, which she sincerely debated the wisdom of.
The guy was winning Kian over with his charm and his good manners, but if Kian thought Kalugal was harmless, he was gravely mistaken.
“Sari is my sister, and she heads the Scottish arm of the clan.”
“How fascinating. I would love to meet my fourth cousin. Could you invite her to the wedding? After all, it is a family affair, and she should attend.”
So, he could have all his ducks lined up in the shooting range? Edna didn’t think so.
Stop being so paranoid, the annoying voice in the back of her head whispered. Sari should come and celebrate her cousin’s wedding.
She really needed to see Vanessa.
Before meeting Rufsur, Edna had never indulged in conversations with her alter ego. Besides, that voice didn’t even sound like it belonged to her at all. First of all, it was male, and secondly, it expressed opinions that couldn’t possibly be hers. Edna deemed security as the most crucial consideration, and everything else was secondary to that, including her own happiness.
Kian raked his fingers through his hair, pushing it back and away from his forehead. “You are right, and I should have thought of that myself. I’m surprised that my mother hasn’t. I’ll extend an invitation to Sari, but she might not be able to attend. Her schedule is just as busy as mine.”
Kalugal walked closer to the edge and looked down at the construction site. “It might not be my place to make suggestions, but why is she still in Scotland? Wouldn’t your life be easier if Sari and her people were here? I see no advantage in having two separate administrations. If everyone was in the same location, you and your sister could have divided responsibilities, and your respective workloads would lessen.”
It was obvious to Edna what Kalugal was doing. The guy was trying to get Kian to reveal the size of the Scottish arm of the clan. Hopefully, Kian was smart enough to realize it and would give him evasive answers.
Kian chuckled. “Sari and I are too much alike to work together in harmony. An organization has to have one head, and she would never agree to be my subordinate, or I hers. I have the same problem with Turner. I’ve offered him a seat on the council many times, but he refuses. He wants to keep his independence, and he doesn’t want me as his boss.”
Edna smiled. Clever Kian. That was a good change of subject.
Kalugal nodded. “That’s
a problem. Can’t you figure out an agreement, though? You could form a sort of federation that would be similar to how you operate now. Sari could have her section of the village, maybe even this new one you are preparing, and she could independently rule her people. In terms of security, that’s a better solution than splitting a small community in two.”
Damn. Kalugal was relentlessly fishing for information about Sari’s people.
That’s not what he’s doing. Listen to what he’s saying, the voice whispered excitedly. This could be the solution to your and Rufsur’s problem.
“What are you talking about?” Edna hissed out.
As everyone turned to look at her, Kalugal raised a brow. “Excuse me?”
Crap. Edna scrambled for a quick answer that would explain her outburst. “Sari needs to stay in Europe to look after the clan’s interests there. Besides, the unification of the two branches is not a good idea even from a security standpoint. If one location is compromised, at least part of the clan would survive.”
Kalugal nodded. “You are right.” He pinched his temples between his thumb and forefinger. “I didn’t think it through, which is not like me.” He shook his head as if trying to realign the gears. “I guess there are pros and cons in both situations.” He turned to Kian. “Since you are obviously not building homes for Sari and her people, who are you building for?”
Kian shrugged. “When I couldn’t convince the Chinese crew to come over just to put up the fence and build room additions to some of the existing homes, I came up with the idea of preparing more lots for future housing.” He smiled. “I’m an optimist. With all the new children that will hopefully be born as a result of matings between your men and my clanswomen, we will need more homes. But that’s going to be an issue only when they mature and find mates of their own. That’s why I’m only grading the lots at this time.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “Except, I have this small voice in the back of my head that insists on starting construction now, and I’m trying to figure out why my subconscious is pushing me in that direction. Perhaps it’s a premonition, and Sari will be forced to relocate for some reason.”
“You too?” Kalugal frowned. “That’s what it felt like when I suggested it. It was like the idea didn’t come from me. Perhaps your Fates are trying to tell us something?”
Smiling, Syssi threaded her arm through Kian’s. “I think that we should have a talk with Nathalie.”
Kian lifted a brow. “What does Nathalie have to do with it?”
“Nothing. But I have a feeling that a certain meddling ghost is involved, and we can talk to him through her.”
“A ghost?” Kalugal asked. “Did I hear right?”
Edna rolled her eyes. “We have been standing in the sun for too long, and the heat is affecting our brains. Let’s go back to the village and cool down with an iced lemonade in the café.”
“I second that idea.” Jacki wiped a bead of sweat off her upper lip. “It’s getting really hot out here. We can find a shaded spot in the café.”
Kalugal wrapped his arm around her. “Lemonade sounds perfect, and while we are chilling, Syssi can tell us all about that meddling ghost.”
Kian pulled out his phone. “The best one to tell the story is Amanda. She’s convinced that he sent her a message through Nathalie. But since Mark only talks to Nathalie, I doubt that he was the voice in my head, or yours, Kalugal.”
Syssi smiled apologetically. “To be frank, I was just joking. Nathalie hasn’t heard from Mark in a while, and she thinks that he moved on. But who knows? Maybe it was him.”
Edna shook her head. “Forgive me for saying this, but you are all crazy. Amanda was under a lot of pressure back then, and she was desperate for Mark’s forgiveness. Of course, she believed what Nathalie told her.”
“And what about Nathalie herself?” Syssi asked. “Do you think she’s crazy or a charlatan?”
Edna needed to tread lightly on that one. Nathalie was Syssi’s sister-in-law, and the two were close. Syssi would consider it a personal offense if Edna said something derogatory about Nathalie.
Besides, she didn’t entirely dismiss Nathalie’s claims.
Rare individuals had extrasensory perception, and Andrew’s wife might be able to tune into some reservoir of residual energy that remained after a person’s passing. What Edna didn’t believe in, was that ghosts entered random people’s heads and conducted conversations with them.
What about you? the voice whispered. You talk to me.
You are a figment of my imagination. Apparently, I’m also under a lot of stress, like Amanda was at the time. I also want to be with the man I love, and I can’t figure out a way to do it without betraying my people.
Edna froze.
The man I love? That was an even crazier idea than hearing voices in her head.
You said it, girl. Hallelujah. Finally, you admit it.
That was it. Monday, she was going to call Vanessa and schedule an appointment.
“Well?” Syssi glared at her. “Do you think that Nathalie is nuts?”
Edna shook her head. “Of course not. She is very intuitive, but the rest of us are not.”
“That’s funny.” Jacki chuckled. “Nutty Nathalie.”
Syssi turned her wrath on Jacki. “You too? Don’t you ever say that in front of her. That was the nickname that kids at school used to taunt Nathalie with. It made her so miserable that she was afraid to date or spend time with friends.”
“I’m sorry.” Jacki put a hand over her chest. “I’ll never say it again. I promise.”
33
Kian
On the weekends, the café only offered a vending service, so the place wasn’t as packed as it usually was during weekdays. Only five of the tables were occupied, and their group had no problem finding a shaded area where they could combine several tables to accommodate all of them.
After everyone got cold drinks from the machines and settled down, Amanda sauntered over with Nathalie. “Hello, darlings. I thought it would be best if I brought the ghost expert along.”
Jacki and Kalugal had met Nathalie during Richard’s first inductions, but Atzil and Ruvon hadn’t been there, so Amanda made the introductions.
Atzil jumped up and pulled out two chairs. “Ladies?” He dipped his head.
“Thank you.” Amanda rewarded him with a bright smile. “So what is this all about? Are the Chinese construction workers complaining about evil spirits again?”
Kian grimaced. “Not this time.”
Kalugal chuckled. “Ghosts, evil spirits, that should be interesting. The Chinese have a lot of superstitions.”
“They don’t allow women on the construction site,” Kian said. “That’s why I chose to show you the lots from an elevated spot instead of going down there.” He turned to Syssi. “Talking to Mark was your idea, so perhaps you should explain.”
Syssi’s cheeks pinked. “It’s probably nothing. Kian and Kalugal both experienced a mental nudge, and I said that I have a feeling Mark might have something to do with it.”
Amanda snorted. “When you get a feeling, everyone should pay attention.” She turned to Nathalie. “Well? What do you think?”
Nathalie shook her head. “I haven’t heard from Mark in a long time. He either moved on or found a new host.”
“But you know him well, right?” Amanda wasn’t ready to give up. “You can tell if it sounds like him or not, true?”
Nathalie sighed. “What was the mental nudge about?”
Kian raked his fingers through his hair. “Somehow, we all got to talking about starting construction on the new lots because Sari and her people might be forced to move into the village.”
Nathalie smiled. “That’s probably something that you subconsciously worry about. It doesn’t sound like Mark.”
“What about me?” Kalugal asked. “It was none of my business to suggest that the two parts of the clan form a federation or some other arrangement. Maybe as an outsider, I see things more clearl
y, but I shouldn’t have said anything, and I usually refrain from butting into other people’s business.” He glanced at Kian. “Maybe the ghost is right, though, and you should give it some thought? There is safety in numbers, and you and Sari could still lead your people independently while cooperating on some things.”
Kian had a feeling that Kalugal had jumped on the ghost idea to excuse his curious interest in unifying the clan. What was he hoping to achieve by that?
The guy was a master manipulator, so there must be something in it for him.
Nathalie shook her head. “Whoever you heard, it wasn’t Mark. He never talked to me about important stuff. He would give me advice about what to wear, and we would chitchat about trivial things like who was in love with whom, and why it worked. The only time he had a real message for me to deliver was when he asked me to tell Amanda that he’d forgiven her, and that she shouldn’t torment herself over loving Dalhu. He said that he tried to get into Amanda’s head and failed, and he even tried Syssi but couldn’t make her hear him. That’s another reason why I don’t think it was him.” She smiled. “Perhaps some other entity is trying to communicate with you.”
Syssi threw her arms in the air. “Who else could it be?” She turned to Kian. “How did the voice sound? Was he good-natured or angry?”
“I don’t know. I thought it was my subconscious talking, so I wasn’t paying attention to nuances. I still think that it was my own inner voice.” He cast Syssi a sidelong glance. “I know that your intuitions are often foretelling, but I frankly don’t think that we are dealing with a ghost. Perhaps Kalugal is right and the prodding we both felt came from the Fates.”
Kalugal shook his head. “Upon further reflection, I take it back. The voice was male, and it was pushy. Not angry, not good-natured, but urging.”
“Yeah.” Kian tapped his fingers on the table. “That’s my impression as well.”
