by I. T. Lucas
He stroked her back. “If Merlin’s potions are indeed responsible for this pregnancy, we might be able to have more children sooner.”
“I would love that, but it’s up to the Fates.”
“Let’s help them along. In addition to the master, I want four bedrooms in the new house and a playroom. I also want a big space for entertaining, but it can be in the basement. The structure above ground can’t be too big.”
“I’ve seen the plans for Kalugal’s mansion. I like Gavin’s solution. It’s ingenious.”
The clan architect had solved the size limitation by designing a large basement. The house on top was comprised of several small structures that were accessible from the underground level that connected everything. It was like a submerged castle, with just the tips of the towers sticking above ground.
Even a lush tree canopy couldn’t have hidden a large roof, but dividing the dwelling into several smaller sections allowed for planting between them. The only problem with that was the tree roots, but Gavin said they could plant the kind of trees that didn’t require deep soil to flourish.
“We can ask Gavin to design something similar to Kalugal’s but smaller.” She looked up at Kian and smiled. “Unless you don’t want to be outdone by your cousin.”
“I admit that there is a little of that. But our situation is different. Kalugal is the boss of his community, and other than the wages his men are paid, they don’t have a share in his fortune. We don’t own the clan’s riches. I’m just a public servant.”
“So is the President, but no one expects him or her to live in a modest suburban house. That being said, I don’t want to live in a mansion. I just want to have enough space for entertaining, and most of it can be underground. Can we have a big back yard, though? We could invite people to barbecues.”
Kian chuckled. “If we serve vegan burgers and hotdogs, not many will accept our invitation.”
“Is that why you are vegan?” Syssi teased. “It’s your way to keep people from coming over?”
“It never worked. Before you entered my life, Anandur and Brundar showed up for every lunch and dinner despite the vegan dishes Okidu served. As long as someone cooked for them, they didn’t mind what it was.”
“That was a long time ago. Now both of them are mated.”
“These are good times.” He snorted. “Despite the shit storms that keep raining down on our heads.”
“Life would have been boring without them. I just wish more clan members could find mates.”
“Fates willing. So, what’s the verdict? Is it a yes on the new house?”
Syssi nodded.
“Do you want to design it?”
“I can meet with Gavin and brainstorm ideas with him. What else do you want to build here? I assume it’s not going to be just our house.”
“Naturally, we will need to move at least some of the Guardians here, starting with Anandur and Brundar. Brundar also suggested we build a full-service restaurant. With Kalugal’s people joining our community, we need more hangout places. The café is already overcrowded.”
“How about a pub? It can be underground. Or even better, we can design it like a hobbit house.”
“I love it.”
“Maybe we can build the entire place to look like a hobbit shire? Hiding it from aircraft will be no problem.”
Kian grimaced. “I might be an old immortal with sensitive eyes, but I like having a lot of windows.”
“I was just joking. But I meant it about the bar. That will be so cool. We could call it Bilbo’s pub. Or maybe Middle Earth?”
“Whatever you like, my love. I leave it in your capable hands. Will you have time to meet with Gavin before we leave for Scotland?”
“I’ll make time.”
They were leaving in two days, but since she was just going to pack all of her maternity clothes, it wasn’t like she needed a lot of time to choose outfits for the trip. And if Sari didn’t plan a packed schedule for them, she might play around with designs for the new phase during their vacation.
Syssi rubbed her hands. “Now I’m really excited about the project, and I’ll use the vacation to come up with more ideas for entertainment options.”
“Don’t forget that we are soon going to have two virtual reality machines.” Kian waggled his brows. “That will provide a lot of options for entertainment.”
Syssi laughed. “You are so bad.”
“I thought that I was so good.” He cupped her bottom and gave it a squeeze.
“You are good at being bad.”
13
David
David closed his suitcase and checked that all the chargers for his various devices were in his leather satchel and that his passport was in the front pocket.
He still felt somewhat uneasy about going on the trip to Scotland with a guy he barely knew, but it would have been dumb to turn down a free trip on a millionaire’s private jet. An opportunity like that didn’t present itself often and besides, he was intrigued by the promise of an enchanted castle and interesting travel companions.
His imagination conjured an old stone building full of secret passageways and hidden rooms, a secluded location in a pastoral setting, beautiful vistas, and pleasant company.
Kajeck’s talk about a possible romance also held a certain appeal, but David was too pragmatic to hope for that. Vacation romances were the stuff of fluffy fiction.
What were the chances of him meeting a Scottish lass who ticked off all of his boxes?
None.
David was both choosy and jaded, which was the perfect recipe for becoming an old bachelor. Not that it was such an unpleasant prospect. As a tenured professor, his position at Stanford was guaranteed for life, and he loved academia. He might not have children of his own, but he would always be surrounded by young people, and if he continued to take good care of himself, he would have no shortage of female companions either.
Still, David had no doubt that the change of scenery would do him good, maybe even inspire his writing.
Spending the sabbatical at home had seemed like a good idea, but the truth was that he was getting restless. Sitting in his study all day long, day in and day out, and staring at his laptop screen hadn’t resulted in increased productivity. The silence of the empty house was oppressive, and putting on classical music couldn’t replace the sounds of life, of people’s voices.
His creative juices had been trickling instead of flowing.
He missed the hustle and bustle of the university, the interaction with his students, the lunches with his fellow professors, the faculty meetings. David missed being busy. Life had a certain rhythm to it, an ebb and flow that he was used to.
When his brother had died and then later his father, keeping busy and being surrounded by people saved him from sinking into paralyzing depression.
Now that he had too much time to think, instead of directing all that mental bandwidth toward his fiction writing, he was drifting into thinking about all his regrets, all the things he should have done but hadn’t.
He should have done more to foster relationships with his brother and father. He should have done more to get to know his half-sister.
Perhaps he shouldn’t have taken the sabbatical.
Maybe he was getting too old for change.
It was a ridiculous thought for someone his age, but David had never felt young. His mother used to say that he was an old soul, and there was something to it. But other than the occasional dreams of being someone else in some fantasy setting, he had no recollections from his past lives.
So why was he so drawn to the idea of reincarnation? His fascination with the subject had started long before Jonah’s death, but afterwards it had become an obsession. He was desperate to find decisive proof, to reassure himself that Jonah wasn’t really gone, and that only his corporeal body had died, not his soul.
As the phone ringing pulled him out of his reveries, the number wasn’t one that David recognized, but he knew who was calli
ng.
“Hello, David. It’s Kajeck. The car will be outside your home in ten minutes.”
“I’m ready.”
“I’ll see you at the airport.”
After verifying that every window and door was locked, David hefted the suitcase, slung the strap of his briefcase over his shoulder, walked out the front door, and locked it.
The car arrived a few minutes later, and he was a little disappointed that it wasn’t a limousine. For some reason, that was what he’d expected.
“Professor Levinson.” The driver took his suitcase, lifting it with ease as if it weighed nothing.
“Do you mind if I ride up front?” David asked.
“Not at all.” After putting the suitcase in the trunk, the guy opened the passenger door for David.
“Thank you.” He sat down and buckled up. “Which airport are we heading to?”
The driver got in and turned the engine on. “It’s a small private airport.”
“Is it far?”
“It’s about twenty minutes away.”
David knew where they were going. Not that he’d ever been to the executive airport or flown on a private jet, but he’d heard of the place.
“How long have you been working for Mr. Zolotovsky?” he asked the driver.
The twenty-minute drive could be a great opportunity to find out more about his host.
“Many years.”
“Is he a good boss?”
“The best.”
“In what way?”
The guy shrugged. “The pay is good, he treats his staff with respect, and he doesn’t make crazy demands.” He cast David a sidelong glance. “Don’t worry. He’s a good guy.”
“I’m not worried.” He was a little worried. “Mr. Zolotovsky told me that he’d gotten married recently.” There was no harm in verifying what Kajeck had told him.
The driver smiled. “He did. Jacki is awesome, and she makes him happy. Ever since she entered his life, he’s a different man. He’s very lucky to have been blessed with such a good mate.”
The wistfulness in the guy’s voice was surprising. He was a young man, in his mid to late twenties, and good-looking. Surely he didn’t lack for female company.
“I detect longing in your tone.”
The driver nodded. “Fate hasn’t blessed me with my one and only yet. But things are looking up, so I’m optimistic.”
“You have plenty of time to meet the love of your life. You are a young man.”
“I’m not as young as I look.”
“How old are you?”
The guy cast him a sidelong glance. “Chronological age doesn’t matter.” He put his hand over his heart. “It’s what’s in here that does, and I’m ready to settle down.”
“You must be an old soul. What’s your name?”
“Welgost.”
“I wish you the best of luck.”
The driver smiled. “I wish you the same.”
The two of them spent the rest of the drive in silent contemplation, and when they arrived, Welgost escorted him through the small lobby and out the other side without anyone stopping them.
“Is that normal?” David asked.
“What?”
“The lack of security. No one checked my luggage or my passport.”
The driver pulled out his phone. “Mr. Zolotovsky is an influential man.”
“It would seem so.”
“I should let him know that you are here.” Welgost typed a quick text to his boss.
14
Kalugal
“Good afternoon, Professor Levinson.” Kalugal shook David’s hand. “Let me introduce you to my wife, Jacqueline.”
Jacki offered him her hand as well. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, professor. My husband spoke highly of you.”
For some reason, the guy seemed overly happy to see her on board. “The pleasure is mine, Mrs. Zolotovsky.”
Jacki looked away to hide her amusement.
Luckily for the professor, Kalugal didn’t scent any arousal from him, so his joy upon seeing Jacki must have been for a different reason.
Then he frowned. Why wasn’t David attracted to Jacki? She was a beautiful and desirable young woman. Immortals knew to stay away from her because they could scent that she belonged to another, but the professor was human with an inferior sense of smell.
Fortunately, the research he’d done on the guy indicated a healthy libido, or Kalugal would have been concerned about his suitability for Sari.
The professor glanced around the jet’s interior. “This is much larger than I expected. Where are your other travel guests?”
“We are picking up more passengers in Los Angeles.” Kalugal led him to the back of the jet. “This is going to be a full flight. Please, take a seat.”
“Friends or family?”
“Both.” He waited until the professor buckled up. “I suggest that you get comfortable, close your eyes, and take a nap. I’ll wake you up when we arrive.”
Just as before, David tried to fight the compulsion. “I doubt that I’ll be able to sleep throughout the flight.” He yawned. “But for some reason, I feel tired. Maybe I’ll just close my eyes for a few minutes.”
“Go to sleep, David.” This time Kalugal wasn’t gentle.
When the professor was out, he pressed the button on his seat’s armrest until he was fully reclined. “Good night, my friend.”
“Is it safe for him to lie down during takeoff?” Jacki asked. “He’s still human.”
“I don’t expect any problems with this flight. Besides, if we crash, which is not going to happen, the seat position is not going to help.”
“No one ever expects accidents, but they happen.”
Kalugal shrugged. “I’m an optimist. So, what do you think? Is Sari going to like him?”
“He’s very handsome, and he’s a professor, so he must be smart. But I’m not sure about Sari’s reaction. What are you going to tell her? I brought you a man as a present. Talk about awkward.”
Sitting down, Kalugal wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “I’m going to tell Sari that the Fates whispered in my ear to bring David to her, and it won’t be a lie. The moment I saw her, I thought of the professor. It couldn’t have been coincidental.”
Jacki put her head on his shoulder. “Do you really believe that? Or is it your sales pitch?”
“A little bit of both.”
“You are just playing matchmaker.”
“Let’s make a bet. If Sari is immediately taken with him, then it was fated, and I win. If she throws a tantrum and demands that I drop him off somewhere, then it wasn’t, and you win.”
“Sari is a lady. She’s not going to throw a tantrum.”
“You know what I mean. If she is displeased in any way, the win goes to you.”
“What do you want to bet on it?”
Kalugal smirked. “A full-body massage. If I win, you give me one. If you win, I’ll give one to you.”
She snuggled closer. “You’re on. But in either case, we both win. I love doing pleasant things for you, and you love doing the same for me. It’s not a bet unless there is a downside.”
“What do you suggest?”
“If I win, I want you to start a conversation with Kian about your global aspirations. I don’t mean fessing up to your plans, just musing about the state of the world and what can be done about it. I have a strong feeling that you will achieve more by including him and Annani in your plans than you could ever achieve alone.”
Kalugal shook his head. “They have a different view of the human world than I do, and they will never agree to take over and run things even if they think they can do it better.”
“You’ll have to make them realize that their methods are not going to be fast enough and that a different approach is needed. Perhaps you and Kian can come up with a compromise between complete autonomy and total autocracy.”
“What if you lose the bet?”
“Then I won’t bug y
ou about it for one full year.”
“That’s all? I don’t think it’s fair.”
“I’ll throw in the massage.”
If Kalugal thought that there was a chance he’d lose, he would have argued more, but he was convinced that his ploy would work. Sari and David were perfect for each other. It was the same kind of feeling he got when a promising startup grabbed his attention, or a particular stock stood out from the rest. His hunches were usually spot on.
“It’s a bet.” Kalugal took Jacki’s hand and brought it to his lips for a soft kiss. “You are going to lose, my love, but don’t feel bad. I promise to give your suggestion serious thought regardless of this experiment’s outcome.”
15
Kian
“Nice bird.” Holding a suitcase in each hand, Anandur climbed the steps to Kalugal’s jet. Brundar was right behind him with two more.
As always, the brothers insisted on going in first to inspect any place Kian was about to enter. This time, however, the precaution was unnecessary. But since Syssi was with him, Kian wasn’t going to relax security even though he trusted Kalugal and didn’t expect any trouble.
After all, he and Kalugal had made peace pledges that had been enforced by compulsion.
They were headed to Scotland to sign a historical treaty that would change the future of the clan and Kalugal’s people forever. Everything was already agreed upon, and the signing was just a ceremonial formality.
The last issue of clan membership for Kalugal’s men had been resolved as well. They would have to go through a probation period of three years before being granted full voting rights, and unless they mated a clan member and worked for the clan, they were not going to be entitled to a share in the clan’s profits.
The inspection didn’t take long, and a moment later Anandur’s red head appeared at the opening. “It’s safe, but I can only give you a conditional all clear. Kalugal has a strange surprise for you.”
Kian arched a brow. “What do you mean?”
