35
ANNANI
Annani stood next to the floor-to-ceiling windows in Kian's office, surveying the transformation Amanda and her army of volunteers had wrought. Strings of lights crisscrossed between tree limbs and poles that had been installed just for that purpose. Tables were dressed in white cloth and stood ready for the feast, and a stage had been erected at the far end. The two banners stretched overhead made her heart swell.Welcome Home, Carol & Lokan,andWelcome to the Clan Esag, Davuh & Roven.
"The lettering is perfect," she murmured to Ogidu, who stood attentively at her side.
"Mistress Amanda bought a special printer so she could print banners on demand. It seems like there is always a need for new ones."
Annani laughed. "Indeed. I hope this printer will get a lot of work. The more newcomers, the better."
After five thousand years, more survivors had been found. The threads of fate were weaving together in mysterious and hard-to-follow ways, but Annani trusted that the Fates had a plan and were working toward finding her Khiann and ensuring the clan's survival.
Those were her goals, though, and she had a feeling that the Fates had a much grander plan in mind, but they were not sharing it with her.
Toppling the Eternal King could be one of their goals, but he seemed too powerful even for them. Besides, if the lore was correct about the Fates and what they were allowed and not allowed to do, they were restricted to assisting in individual growth and matchmaking, but they were using their limited roles as a means to shape the destinies of entire societies, instead of just helping individuals find fulfillment.
No wonder they had to work in such roundabout ways.
Amanda entered the office. "So, what do you think? Lovely, isn't it?"
"Yes," Annani said as Amanda leaned to kiss her cheek. "You get better with every party you organize."
Amanda grinned. "I had a secret weapon this time, or rather four. Kyra's sisters are incredible. They cooked the entire feast, and they are going to serve it."
"That is wonderful. Are they being properly compensated?" Knowing Soraya, she had volunteered not only the labor but also the supplies.
"Of course." Amanda leaned a hand on her hip. "Soraya tried to argue, but she is no match for me. I told her that if she wanted to get more catering jobs in the future, she would need to issue aninvoice for an amount that I deemed fair. If it came out short, I wouldn't give her any more jobs."
"You are a tough negotiator, daughter of mine."
"What can I say, they don't make them like me anymore. I broke the mold."
She was teasing, but Annani thought it was apt. Amanda was one of a kind, and since she was her last child, the mold was indeed broken.
The soothsayer had promised Annani seven children, but since she was not taking on human lovers anymore, that prophecy was not going to materialize unless Khiann was found.
"Has Ingrid finished preparing the house?" she asked to divert her thoughts elsewhere.
"A three-bedroom house is waiting for the new members of our community, and Kalugal instructed his men to make room in his storage area for Esag's stuff."
That left only one concern—finding Esag a suitable workspace. He needed to begin carving Khiann's figurine as soon as possible. Annani had hoped that Esag had prophetic dreams about Khiann like the one he had about Wonder, and she had been very disappointed to find out that his dreams did not reveal any clues as to Khiann's whereabouts. Still, her gut was telling her that they were close to finding him, but the Fates seemed to be taking a circuitous route toward that goal.
Why the delays, though?
Why bring together all these pieces unless something larger was at play?
The answer whispered at the edges of her consciousness. It was as if they were assembling an army in preparation for Khiann's arrival.
Her heart sped up as the implications crystallized. The battle between her and Mortdh's line had begun with Khiann's assassination, so it made poetic sense that it would end with his resurrection.
"Mother?" Amanda's voice pulled her from her reverie. "Are you okay?"
"Yes," she said softly. "Just thinking about patterns and purpose."
Her phone chimed with Kian's ringtone, and she pulled it from her pocket to answer. "Yes, darling?"
"We're in the underground tunnel. Is everything ready, or do I need to stall?"
