by I. T. Lucas
“Perfect.”
Chapter 33: Bhathian
The café was teeming with clan members, as people rushed to get their sandwiches before Carol called it a day.
Sitting at a table, Bhathian stared at the large plastic bag he’d put on the other chair to make sure no one got any ideas and tried to join him. He was saving it for Eva. Maybe she would want to grab a bite or have some coffee before they headed up to Nathalie’s.
The idea was to spend time with their granddaughter, not to burden Nathalie with serving them food. After that, they were going to Amanda’s, and that wasn’t a social visit either. The prudent thing was to eat something first.
They could chat a little, and he could somehow ease into telling her about the portraits.
Damn it. He should’ve told her over the phone.
The thing was, Bhathian wanted to observe her reaction. To see her expression as she glanced at the immortal who’d changed her life. Her first lover. His jealousy was irrational but calling himself an idiot didn’t help to stop it from consuming him.
Bhathian rubbed the back of his neck, trying to school his face into an amiable expression for when Eva arrived. She didn’t deserve the deep frown that had etched itself into his face since Tim had completed the portraits last night.
He felt her eyes on him as soon as she entered.
Turning his head, he watched her walking past the green barrier separating the café from the rest of the lobby. With her head held high, her dark hair perfectly done and cascading in thick waves around her shoulders, she looked beautiful and regal. In comparison, the other immortal females sitting in the café seemed plain. Dressed in one of her long flowing skirts and a puffy white blouse that revealed her shapely shoulders, she stood out from the crowd of jeans and T-shirt wearers.
His Eva was a lady.
Pushing up to his feet, he walked up to her and pulled her into his arms. “You look lovely.”
She returned the embrace and kissed him lightly in greeting. “Thanks. Are you ready to go up and see our girls?”
“Don’t you want to grab a bite first?”
“I had a huge lunch. I can’t even think of putting anything else in my mouth right now. Maybe later.”
The best-laid plans of mice and men…
“Let’s go.” He took her hand and walked back to his table to retrieve the bag.
“What do you have in there?”
“A surprise. The question is whether you want to stop by my place to see it before we go to Nathalie’s or after.”
She eyed the bag suspiciously. “Am I going to like it?”
“I don’t know.”
“Ooh, now I’m really curious. Let’s go to your place first.”
Bhathian couldn’t help but smirk. He was getting to know Eva pretty well, and the woman couldn’t stand a mystery unsolved.
“Show me,” she commanded the moment he closed the door to his apartment.
“Please, sit down. Make yourself comfortable.” He motioned to the couch. When she did, he asked, “Can I offer you something to drink?”
He was teasing her on purpose. The longer she waited, the more telling her response would be. Though he wasn’t sure what he expected to see. Her pupils dilating in desire from seeing her first lover?
He hoped not.
“Stop dragging it out, Bhathian, and show me what you’re hiding in there.”
With a sigh and a shake of his head, he pulled out the two drawings and put them upside down on the coffee table.
“God, you’re a tease.” Eva grabbed the first one and flipped it over, then frowned and leaned to get a better look.
“Where did you get it?”
“Do you recognize him?”
She lifted the portrait and tilted it toward the natural light coming from the balcony’s glass doors. “He looks a lot like the guy who turned me. But not exactly. The lips are thinner, and the hair is not the right color.”
That was a relief. Eva wasn’t excited at all about looking at the guy’s face. “Could it be him, though?”
“I guess so. Who is he?”
Bhathian sat next to her. “That’s Navuh’s youngest son. The one who went missing. Robert remembered him well enough to describe to Tim, who drew the picture. The other one is a full body portrait so you can see his build.”
Eva flipped the other drawing around. “It looks about right.”
Crossing her legs, she swung one foot up and down. “So now we know who he was. It still doesn’t help us find him.”
“Yes, it does. William is working on tweaking the facial recognition software, and if the guy is still in the States, he must have a driver’s license. We might be able to find him if Andrew gets William access to government records.”
Turning to look at him, Eva narrowed her eyes. “I hope you are not harboring any nefarious intentions toward him.”
“Am I allowed at least one punch?”
She laughed. “What if he punches back?”
Bhathian lifted a brow. “You think I’ll refuse an invitation to dance?”
“Seriously now. Why do you want to find him?”
“Finding other immortals who are not affiliated with either of the camps is of utmost importance. If the guy deserted his father’s organization on ideological grounds then we might negotiate some form of cooperation. And maybe if he and his men are decent people, like Dalhu and Robert, they could become potential matches for our females. The more new blood we can infuse into our clan, the better our chances of survival.”
“Then I hope you find him. Now can we go to see the girls?” She started to get up.
Bhathian pulled her back. “Not yet, love. There is one more thing I wanted to tell you about. One more surprise.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re full of them today, aren’t you?”
“That’s what happens when you leave me alone, and I have to find something to keep me busy.”
Her eyes softened, and she leaned to kiss his cheek. “Poor baby, have you been lonely?”
“Yes, I was.”
“Sorry about that. But I’m finally done with that job. I wrote up the report and sent it before coming here.”
“Hallelujah.”
“Now tell me all about your other surprise.”
“After Tim had finished the portraits, I ran into Dalhu, and he confirmed that the guy looked a lot like Navuh’s older sons—the ones who run the Doomer organization. By the way, your guy’s real name is Kalugal, pronounced Kal-lugal, which means a strong king in the old language.”
“Cool name.”
“It is, and uncommon. Anyway, I remembered what you said about that guy in the club reminding you of him, and I wanted to ask Dalhu if he could draw a picture from your memory. But then he said that he had drawn portraits of all the main players in Navuh’s organization for Kian. I asked him if you could take a look at them. Long story short, he invited us and we are going to visit Amanda and him after we are done at Nathalie’s.”
Chapter 34: Eva
“What’s that secretive smile about?” Bhathian regarded her as he called for the elevator.
Eva pushed an errant lock of hair behind her ear. “Andrew and Nathalie look so good together. I’ve never seen them so affectionate with each other.”
“The baby is sleeping better, and they are finally having sex. Things are getting back to normal. That’s how they were with each other before Andrew’s venom glands became active and they had to abstain because of the pregnancy. It would’ve put a strain on any couple.”
“It sure would.”
The elevator arrived, and Bhathian held the doors open for her even though it was unnecessary. Still, she liked being treated like a lady. Women’s Lib was fantastic, and Eva loved that the barriers that had kept women at a disadvantage for eons were crumbling more and more each day, but she was sorry to see chivalry disappear along the way. There was no reason for one to negate the other, and yet it was happening. Young men
didn’t hold doors open for women or their elders, and could watch a woman struggle under a heavy load, or trying to push a stroller while holding the door open, and not offer help.
The elevator stopped at the penthouse level and the doors opened on an opulent vestibule. There were only two sets of doors, which meant that each of the penthouse apartments occupied half of the building’s footprint.
“Who lives here?”
“Kian and Syssi are on one side, and Amanda and Dalhu on the other.”
“Royalty, eh?”
Bhathian chuckled. “You could say so. Annani’s only son and her youngest daughter.”
Eva wished there was a book she could read about the clan. There was still so much she didn’t know. Like how many children the goddess had. Bhathian had said Kian was the only son and Amanda the youngest daughter, which meant they had at least one more sister.
“Where are the goddess’s other daughters?”
Bhathian knocked on one of the doors. “Elena is with her mother, and Sari is running the Scottish arm of the clan.”
“I wish I could meet them. And Annani too. I get butterflies in my tummy just thinking about being in the presence of a living breathing goddess. The only one on earth.”
Bhathian leaned and whispered in her ear, “They are guaranteed to come for a wedding ceremony.” He winked at her.
The door had opened before Eva had a chance to ask him whose wedding he had been referring to. But then the wink and the smirk were clues the size of Hummers.
Amanda threw the door wide open. “Come in, guys.” She took Eva’s hand and pulled her behind her. “I’m so glad you came. I was thinking about inviting you over for so long, but something always came up, and I didn’t get to it. I’m so happy that Dalhu took the initiative.”
Amanda sat on the couch and Eva had no choice but to join her since the woman was still holding on to her hand. The goddess’s daughter was a stunning beauty, but that was the only clue to her divine origins. She was dressed in jeans and a loose button-down shirt, with a pair of black ballerina flats on her feet.
“Thank you for having us.”
“My pleasure. And I mean it.” She squeezed Eva’s hand. “Dalhu! Our guests are here. Drop your paint brush and come out!”
Bhathian took a seat in one of the overstuffed armchairs.
Amanda’s outfit might have looked simple, but it was clearly top designer stuff. The penthouse was lavishly appointed and designed to perfection. Eva had seen enough high-end homes and luxury apartments to know that everything in that living room was the best money could buy. Annani’s children lived like the royalty they were.
Someone knocked on the door, and Amanda jumped up off the couch and rushed to open it. “Hello, darlings, come in and join the party.”
Syssi walked in with Kian right behind her. He was holding a large portfolio case which must’ve contained the portraits Dalhu had made for him.
“Hi. Eva, Bhathian.” Syssi sat next to Eva and gave her a quick hug. “How is my little niece doing?”
At the mention of her granddaughter, a wave of tenderness and unconditional love washed through Eva. “She’s adorable. I could spend days just watching her smile and hear her gurgle those cute bubble sounds.”
Bhathian chuckled. “All true. The problem is that she is not always smiling and making cute noises. Her wails could bring down the walls, and her stinky diapers require hazmat protective gear to change.”
Kian nodded in agreement. “Phoenix is cute until she starts crying. As soon as she does, I’m ready to give her back to Nathalie. I don’t know how Syssi tolerates those ear-piercing shrieks.”
Eva cast the men an indulgent smile. “You are spoiled babies. Toughen up, guys.”
“Sorry I kept you waiting.” Dalhu walked into the living room. “I had this one little detail to finish before I let the paint dry.”
“I heard you’re taking a course at the university,” Eva said.
He nodded. “Landscapes. That’s my new pastime. Portraits have become a job.”
“That’s right.” Kian lifted the portfolio off the floor and placed it on his knees. “We came here to look at these.” He pulled out a stack of laminated black and white drawings and put them on the coffee table in front of Eva.
“Thank you.” She looked at the first one.
A shiver ran through her, but not because the face staring back at her was familiar. It was the expression, and she wondered whether the man really looked like that or it was Dalhu’s impression of him. Never before had the saying that the eyes were the windows to the soul made so much sense to her. So much could be gleaned from the look in a person’s eyes. And with a dense, stylishly trimmed beard and mustache covering most of the face, the eyes became even more prominent.
Power. Arrogance. Disdain. Indifference. A dangerous man. “Who is he?”
Dalhu shifted in his chair. “Navuh.”
She’d guessed as much. Even the guy from the club hadn’t had such an effect on her. The charisma was almost palpable. Dalhu was a talented artist to capture the essence of the man so well.
The next one was almost a clone, but his face was a bit softer. The chin was less pointy, and the beard was shorter and a shade lighter.
The third one also sported a beard. And so did the fourth and the fifth. The man at the club had been clean-shaven, and Eva doubted she would recognize him with a beard. But she did. The seventh portrait was of a man who looked like a watered-down version of Navuh. Not regal or charismatic at all, he looked soft and amiable except for one thing—the sharp intelligence that shone from his eyes. She wasn’t sure who was the more dangerous of the two, the charismatic leader or the one with the eyes.
The Brain.
“That’s him.” She pointed at the portrait. “That’s the man I saw at the club. He didn’t have a beard when I saw him, but I would recognize those eyes anywhere.”
Dalhu leaned to take a look. “It must have been a case of a doppelgänger. Losham never leaves the island. The other sons occasionally do, but not Losham. The other sons are military commanders. He is not. His main job is to keep Navuh company. I heard rumors that he is Navuh’s top advisor, but it’s not his official title. Navuh is too arrogant to admit he listens to anyone. As far as everyone is concerned, Navuh is the chosen successor of the God Mortdh, and the only one who makes important decisions.”
Eva lifted the portrait again and looked at it up close. “I don’t know what to say, Dalhu. It’s either him or a doppelgänger as you said. But I doubt there are two identical men who are both brilliant. Just look into these eyes. That was what gave me the creeps when I saw him. A brain like that on someone with no morals is an extremely dangerous thing.”
“Losham was Sharim’s adoptive father, right?” Kian asked.
Dalhu nodded.
“He could’ve come to check what happened to his son and stayed longer. I would be surprised if the guy wasn’t plotting revenge. If he is as smart as Eva thinks he is, Losham might be busy putting things in motion that will have a long-term effect. I think his appearance in a local club is worth investigating.”
Amanda patted Eva’s knee. “Is that the club you were asking about while we were in the waiting room? Allure?”
Eva nodded.
“We should check it out. Maybe go on a girls’ night out?” She looked at Syssi and then at Eva.
A snort escaped Eva’s nostrils. Embarrassed, she put a hand over the bottom part of her face, then lowered it with a sheepish smile. “It’s not that kind of a club. Allure is a high-class, members-only sex club.”
Amanda’s eyes widened. “We have something like that in L.A.?” She turned to Dalhu. “I want to go.”
The guy’s ears turned red. “Over my dead body,”
Amanda was taken aback. “Darling, I would never dream of going there by myself. I meant the two of us.”
He shook his head. “Not going to happen.”
Amanda crossed her arms over her chest and pus
hed her chin up. “We will discuss it later.”
“No, we won’t, and that’s the end of it.”
Eva cast a glance at Kian to see what he thought about Dalhu talking to his sister like that. The guy was holding a hand over his mouth to stifle a laugh. Apparently, he found the confrontation humorous.
She decided to come to Dalhu’s rescue. “I don’t think it’s what you think it is. People go there to find partners for their sexual fantasies, or to indulge a kink. So unless you’re both into voyeurism or exhibitionism, it’s probably not a place for you.”
Uncomfortable with the whole exchange, Bhathian pretended to observe the portrait Tim had drawn. Which gave Eva an idea for a quick change of subject. “Bhathian, can you put Kalugal’s portrait next to Losham’s? It will be interesting to compare the two.”
Bhathian arranged the portraits next to each other, waited for a moment and then flipped them upside down for Dalhu and Kian to look at.
“It’s obvious they are related,” Kian said.
Dalhu shrugged. “Or just look alike.”
As the guys continued to discuss the portraits, Amanda turned to Eva. “I want to talk to you about another round with your crew.”
“What do you have in mind?”
“The affinity thing is hard to prove or quantify. I want to conduct a larger scale test before we decide what to do next.”
Eva narrowed her eyes. “Do what next?”
“Offer Sharon and Nick the opportunity to transition. I know Tessa is off limits, at least for now, but I want her at the event.”
For some reason, Eva hadn’t thought about where the testing was leading. If her crew were Dormants, then it made sense to offer them immortality.
“I think you can approach Sharon and Nick without further testing. Both are very open-minded.”
“I don’t want to offer anyone false hope. And it’s not an easy process for either one. Nick will have to fight a male, and Sharon will have to have sex with one. A decision like that shouldn’t be taken lightly.”
“What do you suggest?”
“I want to arrange a bigger gathering. Something under the pretense of a lecture about paranormal abilities and a reception after that. I’ll invite both humans and immortals who haven’t met your people yet and have them mingle. If the immortals still gravitate toward your guys, then I think it’s a good enough indication. If the results are mixed, then I’ll need to come up with a different way to test it.”
