Dark Awakening: Echoes of Destiny (The Children Of The Gods #88)

11. Kian

11

KIAN

K ian held Syssi's hand as they walked toward his mother's home. It was a lovely evening, and as always the village appeared serene, but tension hung in the air, palpable as a gathering storm.

They were on their way to collect Annani before heading to the assembly together. It was a strategic move, one that would present a united front to the village residents.

Before he could knock, the door swung open, revealing Ogidu.

"Good evening, Master Kian and Mistress Syssi." The Odu bowed low. "The Clan Mother is waiting for you in the living room."

Naturally. His mother wouldn't just walk out to meet them.

With a sigh, Kian followed the Odu inside.

"Good evening, Mother." He leaned to kiss her cheek.

"You look even more beautiful than usual," Syssi said. "The deep blue color of your gown makes your hair stand out in all of its magnificence." She leaned to kiss his mother's other cheek.

Annani beamed. "Thank you, Syssi. You look lovely yourself."

His mother accepted the shawl her Odu draped over her shoulders but refused the sunglasses. "It is getting dark, my dear Ogidu, and I will be riding in the golf cart. There is no need for those."

The Odu shook his head. "The eyes of the Clan Mother will burn even in the dim light. Does the Clan Mother wish for her eyes to be red and teary while addressing the assembly?"

Kian stifled a chuckle.

His mother's Odus were becoming more sentient, and they were forming opinions of their own.

Annani sighed with resignation. "You are right, Ogidu." She took the glasses from his outstretched hand and put them on. "Shall we?"

Outside, Oridu waited with the golf cart, and Kian offered his mother a hand up to climb in.

When settled on the bench, he and Syssi sat across from her.

Annani adjusted the folds of her gown, so they draped perfectly over her knees. "I just had the most wonderful conversation with Ell-rom. He called me on his new phone." Her smile was radiant. "It is such a joy to be able to communicate with him directly. Thank you, Kian, for providing him with the devices."

"I'm glad he's already using them." Kian draped his arm around Syssi's shoulders. "Shai delivered the phone to him just this morning, along with a laptop equipped with the new language program that William's team developed with Vrog's assistance. It's designed to teach English to the Kra-ell speakers in a highly individualized manner. It's like having a private tutor."

"Yes, I am well aware of the new technology. It is quite impressive." His mother paused for a moment before adding, "I was wondering if the program could be adapted to teach Kra-ell to the English speakers?"

Kian lifted an eyebrow. "Are you asking for yourself or someone else?"

"For myself, of course."

"Kra-ell is an incredibly difficult language, Mother."

"I am well aware of the challenge it presents," she said. "That's precisely why I am interested. I enjoy a good mental exercise."

"I'll check with William, but I don't see why not. It's probably very easy to do."

"Excellent." Annani smiled. "Now, let us talk about welcoming Ell-rom and Morelle to the village. He told me that Julian suggested they should move here, and I am overjoyed at the prospect of introducing my siblings to my clan. I will organize a welcome party for this Saturday so everyone in the village can attend."

Kian shook his head. "I'm afraid we can't wait that long, Mother. Jasmine is likely to begin her transition soon, or at least we hope she will, and I need the clinic available for other matters."

Annani's brow furrowed. "What other matters?"

Kian took a deep breath. "Remember when we talked about taking a tracker out of one of the gods and implanting it in a human?" When she nodded, he continued. "We're planning to conduct the experiment soon, and I need the clinic in the keep available for that. If it works, we can transfer all three trackers to humans we hire or scum that we compel to do as we order and send them to Tibet. This would free the gods to come live in the village."

Annani nodded again, but her expression turned thoughtful. "What about their communicators? Wouldn't their commander be able to track them through the signal?"

Kian nodded, impressed by his mother's quick grasp of the potential complications. "William has a solution for that as well."

"How?" Annani asked. "The gods' tech is solid state, is it not? It cannot be tampered with without the device being destroyed."

"Not the entire communicator is solid state," Kian explained. "Only certain components are. We can send the communicators with the humans but transfer the signal to another device that the gods will carry. It's a bit complex, but William is confident it can work."

Syssi leaned forward. "This is all fascinating, but we still haven't settled on when to hold Ell-rom's welcome party. We also need to think where to house him and Jasmine."

The Odu stopped the golf cart in front of the glass pavilion, but Kian was in no rush to disembark. The vehicle had a canvas enclosure that provided privacy, and since people were still arriving, he was content to wait a little longer.

"I think we should wait until after the investigation is complete," he said. "It will take about two days to question everyone, so Friday evening might be a good time for the party. We could potentially celebrate both Ell-rom and Morelle's arrival and the end of the thefts and sabotages, assuming we catch the culprit."

Annani nodded in agreement. "That sounds like a good plan, and I would be delighted to host Ell-rom and Jasmine in my home. If Jasmine starts transitioning, my Odus can assist in transporting her to the clinic quickly, and I'll be there to support Ell-rom through the stress of it."