by I. T. Lucas
Annani would’ve driven him crazy. She still might.
“I think I hear the chopper,” Syssi said.
“I’ll call Amanda and tell her to hurry up.”
“Tell her to bring me a jacket.”
He nodded and speed-dialed his sister. “The chopper is landing. You better hurry up. And bring Syssi a jacket, she is cold.”
“I’ll be right there.”
Kian ended the call and put the phone back in his pocket.
A few moments later, Amanda joined them on the roof and handed Syssi a leather coat.
“What is it?” Syssi put it on. The coat was black, shiny, and long, reaching down to her calves. “I feel like I'm in The Matrix movie and should have machine guns under there.”
Amanda smirked. “Are you warm?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“I figured you were cold all over and this is the only long coat I own.”
Kian lifted a brow. “I find that hard to believe.”
Amanda crossed her arms over her chest. “I donated the rest to charity.”
That explained it. “What happened? Long coats been out of fashion for the last couple of days?”
“The past year. I don’t keep anything for longer than that.”
Well, at least she was donating all of it to charity. It was probably selling well in second-hand stores specializing in fine clothing and bringing in good revenue to whatever charity Amanda had chosen.
“Here it is.” Syssi pointed to the black dot getting larger as it got closer.
Kian took in a long breath and prayed for patience.
When the chopper landed, Kri exited first, then offered her hand to Annani to help her down.
Nimble as ever, his mother took Kri’s hand, but then jumped down in a flurry of silk as the bottom of her midnight blue dress was caught in the wind created by the chopper’s slowing blades.
Syssi leaned closer. “No matter how many times I see her, I can’t help my reaction to her beauty. It’s literally breathtaking.”
“She is a goddess,” Kian said. No further comment was needed. Her kind had been perfect in every way. Physically, at least. According to Annani, all the gods had been incredibly beautiful, though not all of them had been sane, or kind.
“That makes her even more awe-inspiring. It’s easier to think of her as just an incredibly beautiful woman.”
“Come on, we need to meet her halfway, or she’ll be offended.” With his hand on the small of her back, he propelled Syssi toward Annani.
As they reached her, Syssi bowed her head. “Clan Mother, it’s an honor to receive you.”
“Oh, none of that, child. Come here.” She opened her arms, and Syssi walked into the embrace. “To you, I am just Annani.” She kissed Syssi on the cheek and then on the other. “If you keep up that Clan Mother nonsense, I will start calling you she who is my son’s mate.”
Syssi laughed, which had been Annani’s goal.
His mother let go of her daughter-in-law to embrace Amanda next. “You look lovely as ever, my sweet little Mindi.”
“You too, Ninni.” Little Mindi had to bend considerably to align herself with their petite mother.
When his turn came around, Kian knelt in front of the goddess, in part to save them both from body acrobatics, and in part because it pleased her. The more pleased Annani was, the less likely she was to pester him.
“Welcome, Mother. Thank you for coming to spend time with Phoenix. We will all worry less once this baby transitions.”
Annani smiled and cupped his cheeks, then kissed his forehead. “She is not the only reason I am here. I want to spend time with the rest of my family as well.”
He rose to his feet, towering over her physically, and yet feeling dwarfed by her power. “Let’s get you settled. This time, you’re staying with Syssi and me.”
“Thank you. I am going to have the best time.”
Annani threaded one arm through Syssi’s and the other through Amanda’s, and the three walked into the vestibule. Behind them, Annani’s two Odus followed, each carrying two large pieces of luggage.
That was a worrisome sight.
How long was she planning on staying that she’d brought so much clothing with her?
Kian raked his fingers through his hair and sighed, then joined the procession back to his and Syssi’s penthouse.
Okidu had a welcome feast prepared for the immediate family, which besides Kian and Syssi, included Amanda and Dalhu, Andrew and Nathalie and their little daughter.
Thank the merciful Fates for that cute baby.
As soon as Annani saw Phoenix, she squealed with happiness and forgot about everyone and everything.
“Who is this beautiful little girl?” She took her from Andrew’s arms.
Phoenix regarded Annani with curious eyes, then reached for her red hair, clutched a handful, and pulled.
Nathalie jumped up to help the goddess, but Annani would have none of that. “I am used to the little ones pulling on my hair. The color fascinates them.”
Annani refused to give the baby back, eating dinner with one hand while holding Phoenix with the other. Andrew and Nathalie looked nervous. As small and as charming as Annani was, she was also intimidating.
But the baby seemed unfazed by the powerful vibe emanating from the woman holding her. Kian regarded it as a good sign. That little girl would grow up into a strong woman who wouldn’t be easy to intimidate.
When they were done, Nathalie cleared her throat. “May I ask you a question, Clan Mother?”
“Of course.”
“How long does Phoenix need to spend in your presence to turn?”
Annani smiled at the baby and offered her a finger to chew on. “Every child is different. For some, it takes a few days, for others, weeks.”
Everyone at the table accepted her statement at face value. Only Kian knew the truth his mother and older sister were hiding. It wasn’t the goddess’s magnificent presence that turned the little girls, it was her blood. The same blood that had saved Syssi’s life during her transition.
With Andrew and Nathalie constantly hovering over their daughter, the trick would be to get the child alone with Annani long enough for her to administer the tiny transfusion.
Chapter 40: Anandur
Anandur put the case of Snake’s Venom on the conference table and started pulling out the beers he’d chilled overnight in preparation for Uisdean and Niall’s welcome party. It wasn’t every day that two new Guardians, or rather old ones, came back to fortify the force.
The seven would become nine.
“Are we having a party?” Kian said as he walked in.
“Yes, we are. I’m doing my part in making Uisdean and Niall feel at home.”
Kian clapped his back. “Good. Then you won’t mind being in charge of their training.”
Great. As the saying went, no good deed went unpunished.
“I’m already doing double shift rotations. How am I supposed to find time to train them?”
“Being in charge doesn't mean you need to do everything yourself. It means you test them, determine what they need to work on, and then make a schedule. These two are experienced fighters, they don’t need babysitting while running on the treadmill or practicing in the shooting range.”
“What about hand to hand?”
Kian lifted a brow. “Do you want to assign that part to someone else?”
“No. I’ll do it.”
“That’s what I thought.”
As the champion of that form of fighting, Anandur considered it his duty to refresh these old timers’ skills. Besides, they needed a reminder who was boss lest they’d forgotten.
“Good evening, gentlemen.” Arwel walked into the conference room carrying four bottles of Chivas, and put them on the table next to the beers.
Kian shook his head. “You really want to get everyone drunk, don’t you?”
Arwel grinned. “I’m aiming for joyous. That’s not enough booze to get n
ine Guardians and one Regent drunk.”
“Too bad,” Kri said as she put a covered tray on the table. “I was hoping everyone would be too drunk to care that I burned the pizza pockets.”
It took a special talent to burn ready-made snacks, but then Kri had never pretended to know her way around the kitchen. He’d been hoping Michael would do it, but apparently the kid had been busy.
Anandur lifted the lid and took one out, then popped it into his mouth. It was a little burned and crusty but still edible. “It’s good. Don’t worry about it.”
Looking at the burned pockets with disdain, Kri shook her head. “I hope Niall and Uisdean are as easy to please as you are.”
“We’ve eaten worse.” Anandur grimaced.
“When are they going to get here?” Kri asked.
Kian glanced at his watch. “Niall called over an hour ago to let me know they had landed. Luggage, customs, and immigration should take an hour or so, and then they still have to battle the traffic.”
Anandur frowned. Kian’s time was too valuable to waste waiting for the two Guardians to arrive. “You’re early.”
“Yeah. A good excuse to leave the other welcoming party.”
Aha, Kian was hiding from his mother. “I assume her Highness’s visit is to remain confidential?”
“I prefer it this way. Thankfully there are no weddings for her to preside over so I can sleep at night without worrying about too many people knowing she is here. We can’t provide adequate protection for her. It maddens me to be in this situation. I wish we had an army of Guardians.”
“Who would be scratching their balls with nothing to do.”
“True, but how is it different from any army during peacetime? The USA is not sending all of its soldiers into early retirement because there is no war to fight at the moment. They train.”
Anandur scratched his beard. “Yeah. It’s even true for the Doomers. They maintain a huge force, but they haven’t participated actively in any of the recent wars. They send a few units here and there, but most of the force stays home.”
“Exactly. But we can’t manage to build up a force despite all of our efforts. I had to promise the moon to get two additional Guardians.”
“What did you offer them?”
Kian’s lips twisted into a grimace. “A huge recruitment bonus and a month's paid vacation a year.”
Anandur whistled. “Are the rest of us getting the same deal?”
“Do I have any other choice?”
Kian would have a mutiny on his hands if he didn’t treat them all equally. But if each took a month off, they would actually have fewer Guardians on duty at each given time than without the two new ones, and with the two weeks’ vacation they were getting currently.
“How does that math work for you?”
“It doesn't. But I hope more Guardians will take the bait.” Kian grabbed a beer, popped the cap, and taking a long swig, he then walked over to his desk and booted up his computer.
Bhathian and Yamanu joined them a few minutes later, the first one with the box of pastries he’d picked up from Jackson, the second with a huge bag of trail mix. Not a bad spread for an impromptu party Anandur had decided on a couple of hours ago.
Onegus arrived last and took a seat across from Kian’s desk. “How is our esteemed Clan Mother doing?” he asked.
Kian glanced up. “Harping on at me to take a vacation.”
Onegus inclined his head. “Wise as always.”
“Oh, yeah? Do you want to take over for me while I’m gone?”
“I can give it a try.”
Kian dismissed him with a wave of his hand. “Right.”
Anandur walked over, leaned his butt against the desk and crossed his arms over his chest. “I wouldn’t mind a short visit to our resort in Hawaii and to say hi to Lana in person. We can depart Thursday morning and return Sunday night. Just a long weekend.”
Kian drummed his fingers on the desk. “I like your idea. I can do a tour of the property, and if needed I could commandeer an office and work from there. Annani will be happy I’m vacationing, while I can still put in the work.”
Anandur offered a silent prayer of thanks to the Fates. With Kian away from the keep, he wouldn’t have to worry about the boss discovering that Brundar was spending his recovery time in his human girlfriend's apartment.
Besides, a trip to Hawaii, even as Kian’s bodyguard, was still a trip to Hawaii. He rubbed his hands. “I can’t wait. Are we going surfing?”
“You can surf. Syssi and I will watch while sipping tropical drinks on the beach.”
“Sounds good.”
Kian frowned. “But if I take you with me, who is going to be in charge of Uisdean and Niall’s training?”
Onegus lifted a finger. “I’ll do it. Until Anandur comes back, that is. The important thing here is to make the Clan Mother happy. Am I right?”
Kian smirked. “Yes, you are. And it’s also a perfect opportunity to convince her that I don’t need more than one bodyguard. I’ll make it a condition for taking the fucking vacation. I can’t take two Guardians away from the keep, especially not during her visit.”
Onegus grinned. “Every cloud has a silver lining, eh?”
Anandur clapped the chief Guardian’s back. “I hope there are no clouds where we’re going.”
Chapter 41: Callie
Life was good, Callie thought as she cracked another egg into the bowl. With the absence of the constant fear, she finally felt free. Brundar’s guy had hacked into the university’s computers again and changed her name back to Calypso, but Meyers instead of Davidson.
She’d also applied for a new driver’s license under her maiden name.
It bothered her that there was no mention in the news about Shawn’s suicide. Not only because she couldn’t call her father and her best friend to let them know she was no longer in danger, but because it was awful if Shawn’s body was still rotting in that house.
“Brundar, can you call Andrew again and ask him if there is any news about Shawn?”
“I don’t want to call him at work. I’ll do it when I know he is home.” He walked over to her and wrapped himself around her back. “What are you making?”
“A mushroom omelet.” She looked at him over her shoulder. “Where are your crutches?”
“I don’t need them anymore.”
Callie put the spatula down and turned around in his arms. “Did you ask Bridget if it’s okay?”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“She approved.”
“That’s a cause for celebration.” Callie threw her arms around Brundar’s neck and kissed him long and hard.
“Your omelet is burning,” he said when she let go of his mouth.
“Oh, crap.” Callie grabbed the pan by the handle and moved it away from the burner. “I’ll make a new one.”
Brundar reached behind her and took the pan. “I’ll eat it.”
“No way. I’m making a new one.”
She tried to take it away from him, but he lifted the pan up so she couldn’t reach.
“I’ll eat this one and the new one you make.”
The guy would eat anything. Except for seafood, that was. “Fine.”
Brundar took out a plate and dropped the slightly charred omelet onto it, then returned the pan to the stove.
Leaning against the counter, he folded the omelet in half and ate it as if it was a taco.
“You must be hungry.”
He finished chewing the last bite and wiped his hands and mouth with a paper towel. “I need to feed this body to heal.”
Callie still couldn't wrap her head around his miraculous recovery. She’d searched the Internet for revolutionary knee reconstructive surgery techniques, and had even found a few articles, but none promised new knees in two weeks.
Maybe Bridget had used something experimental that was not approved for publication yet. Whatever it was, a new procedure or marvelous genetics, Callie was grateful for
it. Brundar’s knees had healed, and he was walking without crutches.
“Let’s invite your family over to celebrate. Syssi, Amanda, Bridget, and Anandur.” She cracked several more eggs into the mixing bowl.
Brundar groaned. “Why? I’d rather celebrate just with you.”
“I know. But you need to be more social. We are talking close family, not a bunch of strangers.”
“I don’t know if Syssi would want to come without Kian, but we can’t invite him because he doesn't know I’m staying here, and we want to keep it that way. Amanda may want to come with her mate, though.”
Again with the mate thing. Must be Scottish slang for significant other. The same as it was slang for friend or buddy for the English and the Australians.
“Then let’s invite him too.” Callie poured the mixture into the pan.
“On second thought, scratch that. He is not comfortable with new people.”
She snorted. “Must be hell for him to live with an extrovert like Amanda. What does he do when she invites people over, hide in the bedroom?”
Brundar shrugged. “I don’t know. She never invited me.”
Callie felt offended on Brundar’s behalf. How come he’d never been invited to his cousin’s place?
“Is there a reason for that? Did you have a falling out?” She folded the omelet over the mushroom and onions mixture and transferred it to a plate.
“No. I don’t think she invites people over that often. And we are not close.”
“Here you go.” She handed Brundar the second plate. “Close enough for her to come visit you when you got injured.”
Brundar snorted. “That’s because she is nosy and wanted to check you out.”
Callie poured the rest of the mixture into a pan for another omelet. “I hope I passed.”
“With flying colors.”
She glanced at him over her shoulder. “How do you know, did she say something to you?”
“No, but the way all four of you were chatting away and then hugging and kissing, it looked like you were old friends.”
It was true. Callie wasn’t socially awkward and befriended people easily, but not as easily as she had those three. For some reason, she’d felt comfortable with these women almost like she did with Dawn, whom she’d known for years.
