Why had it taken her so long to detangle what had actually happened?
No body had ever been found, so the only evidence had been the oral testimony given by Mortdh's warriors. Their minds could have been manipulated by her father to implicate Mortdh and get rid of a powerful enemy. It did not mean that her father had engineered Khiann's death or even had anything to do with it. It only meant that he had capitalized on an opportunity.
Ahn might have even suspected that Khiann had fallen victim to the earthquake and was buried somewhere in the desert, but had waited until after the trial to tell her. He had no way of knowing that neither he nor the other gods would survive long enough to search for Khiann.
But that did not make much sense either.
If Ahn's plan had materialized and Mortdh had been entombed for the crime of murdering Khiann, once Khiann had been dug out of the desert and resurrected, the gods would have demanded that Mortdh be resurrected as well. The punishment for attempted murder of a god was not the same as the punishment for actually killing another god.
"Mommy, Nana, look!" Allegra's voice cut through Annani's jumbled thoughts. She pointed excitedly at a butterfly dancing on the warm currents of air beside their slow-moving cart. "Butterfly is pretty!"
"Yes, sweetheart, it's beautiful." Syssi leaned to kiss the top of her daughter's head.
"I think it has something to do with our search for Khiann." Kian's words sent a jolt of hope through Annani's chest. "Kalugal wouldn't have cut his trip short just to attend our birthday celebration, and he wouldn't have specifically requested that Fenella join us along with Din."
"Ah, yes. Our archaeologist guest." Annani kept her voice steady despite the turmoil of emotions rioting inside of her. "I am pleased to see how well he and Fenella have reconnected. As always, watching the Fates' matchmaking is fascinating. They make the most unlikely pairing, and yet they are perfect."
"Maybe they work so well because they are not perfect," Syssi said. "Those two were separated for fifty years, but I suppose that they had some growing up to do before they were ready to commit to each other."
"Time means little when souls recognize each other," Annani said softly. Her thoughts drifted again to Khiann and her infatuation with him that had blossomed into love. "True connections transcend the constraints of time and circumstance."
Kian slowed the cart as they passed the bridge leading to Kalugal's section, and as he stopped in front of the small house with a distinctive red door, Annani observed it with interest.
The door was new, another small act of rebellion on Kalugal's part, his refusal to conform to the village's Mediterranean vibe.
"We've arrived," Kian announced.
"Let me out!" Allegra demanded, already struggling against the straps of her car seat.
"Patience, munchkin." Syssi unhooked the safety belts, lifting her daughter out of the seat. "Remember what we talked about? Inside voices and gentle hands."
Allegra nodded solemnly, though Annani caught the mischievous gleam in her eye that suggested these rules might be forgotten once she was reunited with her little playmates.
She was a bossy little girl, a natural leader, and the other children had accepted her authority without a fight.
Anticipating the lovely time she was going to spend with her grandchildren, Annani experienced an expectant joy. Still, beneath it all, there was the persistent melancholy that she hadlearned to hide so well that even she sometimes forgot it was there. It was the longing for the one who should have been by her side through all these millennia, raising their children and grandchildren together and watching their clan grow.
But the Fates had had different plans, and her children had been fathered by humans who had embodied some of Khiann's qualities but never all of them.
There was no one like Khiann, her one and only love, and hopefully, they would one day be reunited.
Kian rang the doorbell, and moments later, the door swung open to reveal Kalugal.
"Clan Mother," he greeted her with a respectful bow. "Kian, Syssi, and the little princess. Welcome to my home."
Annani had told Kalugal a thousand times to call her by her name, but he refused, either calling her Clan Mother or Aunt Annani when Darius was present.
"Uncle Kal!" Allegra wriggled in her mother's arms. "Look. Princess Sparkle. She wants to meet Darius!"
Kalugal's expression warmed as he bent to the child's level. "What a splendid idea. Darius is playing with Evie, so you can show them your doll at the same time.”
Allegra nodded eagerly.
As Syssi followed Kalugal inside with Allegra, Kian offered his arm once more to Annani. "Shall we, Mother?"
They stepped into the house, following the sounds of conversation and children's laughter down into Kalugal'simpressive underground domain. The main living area was already filled with family members.
Annani's gaze drifted to the children. Allegra was showing her doll to Darius, and Evie was watching with interest, patiently waiting her turn to be introduced to Princess Sparkle.
A pang of sadness touched Annani's heart again as she watched Kalugal's beautiful little boy. Areana would miss her grandchild growing up because she was a willing prisoner of her mate, restricted to the lavish harem that Navuh had put her in. Annani's and Areana's own sons had offered to free her, but Areana had refused.
For better or worse, Navuh was her truelove mate, and she would never leave him, not even to see her grandchild grow.
Darius's first words, his first steps, the gradual unfolding of personality and talent—they could never be reclaimed once passed. These precious moments would be lost forever to her.
