Dark Princess: Shadows (The Children Of The Gods Paranormal Romance #89)

24. Kian

24

KIAN

K ian was midway through reviewing a stack of reports when a sharp knock on his office door interrupted his concentration. Before he could respond, the door swung open, revealing Jade.

Had he forgotten that they had a meeting?

"Jade," Kian greeted her, setting aside the document he'd been going over. "This is unexpected. Is everything alright?"

Jade strode into the office, her posture tense. "I need to speak with you about Drova. It won't take long."

Kian glanced at his watch. "I have a few minutes before I'm due to meet with Onegus. Please, sit down." He indicated one of the chairs in front of his desk.

She looked nervous, which was uncommon for the Kra-ell leader, but then this was about her daughter. He hoped she didn't have bad news.

Jade sat down, her large dark eyes blazing with determination. "Parker, Lisa, and Cheryl came up with an ingenious punishment for Drova. They assigned her a bunch of books on various topics that she needed not only to read but also to learn well enough to pass tests that they would administer. Drova hates studying, but she needs the education, so the punishment is most fitting. It also gave me an idea."

Kian smiled. "I love this. Do you know who came up with it?"

She shrugged. "I don't, but I suspect Cheryl. Out of the three, she is the most cunning."

"I agree. So, what's your idea?"

"I want Drova to shadow me," Jade said. "To observe my work and learn from me. But to do that, I need control over her movements. Is it possible to adjust her cuff so that I can control it with a remote?"

Kian lifted an eyebrow. "That's quite a leap from having her read books, Jade. And it's risky. Drova can compel anyone not wearing earpieces with just her voice, and it's not as if we can or should muzzle her."

"Of course not." Jade shifted in her chair. "But I can demand her silence, and if she disobeys..." She trailed off, but the implication was clear.

"You zap her into obedience," Kian finished. "She is a young female, Jade, not a dog. I don't think that's the right approach."

Jade's expression hardened. "It's better than keeping her locked in the house with only books for company. She'll go mad. At least this gives her a chance to learn and broaden her horizons. The first thing a leader needs to learn is that nothing is black and white, and the necessity of navigating the shades of gray."

Kian stifled a chuckle at the reference Jade had inadvertently made to the popular book.

He drummed his fingers on the desk, weighing the proposal. On the one hand, it did offer a more active form of rehabilitation for Drova. On the other, it walked a fine line between punishment and humiliation.

"She will not disobey," Jade said. "I will never have to actually zap her. It's just a precaution, more for your sake than mine, so you would allow it."

Now, that made much more sense. "So, you want to make me the bad guy?"

Jade tilted her head. "Does it bother you?"

"Not really," he admitted. "You can tell her that it was my demand before agreeing to let her out of the house and that you hope never to have to use it. I think that can work quite well."

"Thank you." Jade dipped her head. "How do I get Drova's cuff modified?"

He liked how assertive Jade was and that once she decided on something, she implemented it. She didn't waste time.

"You can go to William's lab and explain what you need. He or one of his techs will modify the cuff for you and give you a remote. It's possible that they will have to give you a different cuff, though, and if it needs modifications, it might take a day or two."

Given her sour expression, Jade didn't like his answer. She wanted to take Drova out of the house right away.

"Is there somewhere you want to take her that you are in such a rush?"

Jade nodded. "Ell-rom called me and asked that I come to the clinic so he can ask me questions about his past on Anumati. I thought it would be a great opportunity for Drova to learn about her origins without it seeming as if I'm shoving it down her throat."

"I see." Kian agreed that her plan had merit. "I hope William can accommodate your request."

"I hope so, too." She rose to her feet. "I'll let you know when I'm taking her out of the house. I assume that you will want to inform Onegus so he can notify the Guardians."

The truth was that it hadn't occurred to him to put the Guardians on alert because Drova was let out of the house, but perhaps he should. As he liked to remind everyone, it was better to be safe than sorry, right?

"Please do."

As Jade left the office, Kian found himself hoping he hadn't just made a big mistake. If Drova did something stupid, they would have no choice but to put her in the dungeon, and he really did not want to do that.

It would devastate Jade and cause unrest in the Kra-ell community.

He also didn't want to collect scumbags for Ell-rom to test his talent on, but he was going to do that anyway.