"I'm sorry," Wonder said. "You must have been so sad…"
Annani felt like an observer to their reunion, which was appropriate, she supposed. They needed this moment to acknowledge their past and establish their present. But after several more exchanges, she could no longer contain the question burning in her chest.
"Esag," she said, drawing his attention back to her. "I must ask you something important. How did you know what happened to Gulan? You were not there when the earth swallowed her, and yet you imbued her figurine with that memory."
"I have prophetic dreams sometimes," he said. "I dreamt about her trying to save people and falling into the chasm."
Annani's heart thundered in her chest as she gathered the nerve to ask the next question. "Have you had any prophetic dreams about Khiann?"
Pain, old and deep, flashed across Esag's features. "I dreamt of Khiann. Many times. But those dreams reflected the wishes of my heart. My mind refused to accept his death. They were not prophetic."
"Tell me about your dreams."
"I see him sleeping," Esag said slowly. "In stasis, like Gulan was. But that is impossible. Khiann died with the other gods in the bombing."
"No," Annani said. "He did not."
All three males leaned forward, their attention laser-focused on her words.
"Princess?" Davuh prompted when she paused to gather her thoughts.
"After you three left to search for Gulan, Khiann left with a caravan, and he was caught in the same earthquake as her, but we were led to believe that Mortdh assassinated him. There were witnesses, and I believed their testimony that they had seen Mortdh take Khiann's head. Only recently has it occurred to me that my father might have compelled their testimony as a way of getting rid of Mortdh. Mortdh intended to kill Khiann; there is no doubt in my mind about that. However, he and his men might have arrived too late and never found Khiann, as he was lost in the earthquake. That was what the witnesses came to tell my father, but he changed their memories to suit his needs."
The implications hung heavy in the air. Esag's face had gone pale beneath his freckles.
"If Khiann is in stasis..." Esag's voice was hoarse. "If my dreams were true visions..."
"Then he has been sleeping in the desert for five thousand years, just as Gulan had," Annani finished. "And we need to find him."
Wonder's grip on her hands tightened. "The dreams you've had, Esag—were they detailed? Did you see landmarks, anything that might help locate him?"
Esag closed his eyes. "It was just an endless desert." He opened them. "I could never bring myself to carve a figurine of Khiann. It was too painful. Maybe if I carve one now, the dreams will give me more guidance."
"You will do that right here in the village," Annani said. "We need to celebrate this reunion properly. You will never be alone again. You will have a community, a family."
"Family," Roven repeated. "I'd almost forgotten what it felt like to have family beyond us three."
"You'll be reminded soon," Wonder assured him. "And then you might yearn for solitude. This place is a hive of gossip."
"I can live with that," Davuh said.
"How soon can you get here?" Annani asked.
"Kalugal is making arrangements for my workshop contents to be shipped over to the village," Esag said. "I want to supervise the packing of the more precious items, all the figurines of those we lost, but I can leave the tools, materials, and commercial pieces for his team to take care of."
"Very well," Annani said. "I want to extend my warm welcome to the three of you. I want you to know that you are loved, you are wanted, and you are coming home."
