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

48. Kian

48

KIAN

K ian settled on the couch in his living room with a satisfied smile playing on his lips. He'd come home in time for bath time with Allegra, had told her another fantastic story about Captain Grouchy Face's adventures, and had even elicited a hearty laugh from Syssi.

In his book, that was a good day even if it hadn't been otherwise so great.

His mother was happy with the compulsion she'd placed on Ell-rom, but Kian still had reservations.

One day, Ell-rom would regain all of his memories, or his sister would finally wake up and remind him of who he really was, and he might discover that he wasn't the innocent lamb he thought himself to be.

On the other hand, if Ell-rom's ability was real and his loyalty to the clan genuine, the possibilities were both intriguing and daunting. Kian could think of several ways he could use that talent, not just to help the clan but also to help humans get rid of some truly bad players.

Navuh would be first to go, of course, then some of his adopted sons, who Lokan could point out as particularly evil, as well as other barbaric members of the Brotherhood.

Not many would be left standing.

There were several problems with that, though. One was that Ell-rom would refuse to assassinate scores of Doomers from afar without first verifying that their rotten, deprived souls were beyond salvation.

Then, there were limitations to consider. From what he understood, Ell-rom's talent seemed to require proximity. It might work within the same building, but probably not across vast distances, so the tantalizing thought of reaching the Eternal King was likely a pipe dream.

Kian sighed, rubbing his temples.

His mother worried about the chaos that might engulf Anumati in the absence of a strong ruler to take the place of the Eternal King, but frankly, Kian didn't care about the fate of the distant planet or the gods' galactic empire. His responsibility was here, on Earth, keeping his clan of immortals alive and thriving and keeping humans from wiping each other out with another world war or just slowly being eradicated by the declining birth rates in all the civilized nations.

At this rate, it wouldn't be long before the savages and barbarians took over just by becoming the overwhelming majority. Even the Chinese population was starting to decline, not by much so far, but it was heading in the same direction as all other civilized nations.

Not that he was a fan of their totalitarian regime or their meddling in the affairs of other countries, but at least they were embracing the future instead of being stuck in the past.

Perhaps he should talk with Brandon and Kalugal about using InstaTock to promote the family agenda. Families with children should be encouraged, celebrated, and incentivized.

The soft padding of feet preceded the entrance of his beautiful wife. "Allegra is asleep."

"That didn't take long." He patted the spot next to him on the couch.

"It never does, thank the merciful Fates that our daughter loves to sleep." Syssi sat next to him and put her head on his arm. "Any word from Toven?"

"Not yet, but he should be finishing up soon. I expect he'll call once he's done."

Syssi nodded. "While we wait for Toven's call, how about you fill me in on the meeting with Ell-rom over cappuccinos?"

"Sounds like a plan." Kian kissed the top of her head.

As Syssi headed to her coffee station to prepare their cappuccinos, Kian leaned back, closing his eyes for a moment. The quiet of the house, broken only by the loud grinding of coffee beans and the coffee machine's whir, was relaxing.

The sudden vibration of his phone jolted his eyes open. Expecting Toven, he pulled the device out of his pocket and was surprised to see the chief's name on the screen.

"What's up, Onegus?"

"Parker was caught on camera stealing from one of the houses in the main village. I'm heading to Magnus's place now to talk to the boy."

Kian frowned. "Are you sure? I know Parker well. He is a good kid. He even babysat Allegra a few times."

"I know, which is why I'm heading over. I called Magnus and told him about it. I asked him not to say anything until I got there."

Kian leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Call me as soon as you sort it out."

"I hope I'll be able to," Onegus said before ending the call.

As Kian set the phone down, Syssi returned with two steaming cups of cappuccino.

"What happened?" she asked, setting them on the coffee table and settling beside him.

"That was Onegus. Parker's been caught stealing from one of the homes in the old village. The chief is on his way to talk to him and Magnus."

Syssi's eyes widened in disbelief. "Parker? That can't be right. He would never do something like that."

"I know." Kian reached for his cappuccino and took a sip. "Not unless someone coerced him into doing it."

"Do you mean like in a challenge?" Syssi cradled her cup. "A hazing ritual or something?"

"That's possible. There are no other immortal boys his age in the village, but he might have gotten involved with the Kra-ell. They might have demanded that he steal something to prove that he is worthy. If that is what is going on, it could explain the other thefts and sabotage. They were recruiting members and testing their loyalty to the gang by demanding they break the rules."

Syssi frowned. "I don't like you using the word gang. It has negative connotations. Even if they did things they weren't supposed to, it might be basically harmless, and maybe even some good will come out of it."

Kian snorted. "Are you saying that it's good that they are integrating by committing unlawful acts together?"

She shrugged. "Beggars and choosers and all that. At least they are cooperating on something."

"Maybe Parker is being blackmailed," Kian suggested.

Syssi raised an eyebrow. "What could they possibly blackmail him with?"

"I don't know, but at this point, I'm not ruling anything out."