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

33. Annani

33

ANNANI

W hen Annani's phone rang, displaying Kian's name, her heart skipped a beat. Her son rarely called during work hours unless something significant had happened.

"Hello, Kian," she greeted. "Is everything okay?"

"Morelle woke up," he said, matter-of-fact. "She's resting now, but she was fully conscious and responsive, and Bridget says that she seems of sound mind and fully cognizant."

Joy surged through Annani's chest. "Thank the merciful Fates. I want to see her as soon as possible."

"I thought you would. I'll come get you with the golf cart as soon as Bridget lets me know that Morelle is awake again."

"I want to go now. Ell-rom must be overwhelmed with emotion, and I should be there with him to support him."

There was a brief pause before Kian responded. "You're right. I'll be there in a few minutes. Anandur is getting the golf cart."

After ending the call, Annani walked into her bedroom and examined her reflection in front of her full-length mirror.

Should she change into a different gown for her first meeting with her sister? It was a most special occasion, a heralding of a monumental shift in their family dynamic, but did it really require a different gown?

It was a silly thought since all of her gowns were equally beautiful and appropriate, designed for both comfort and elegance, but while she waited for Kian, she needed to do something to release the excited energy coursing through her.

Looking through her wardrobe, she chose a purple gown that complemented her red hair and exchanged it for the blue one she had put on that morning. The gowns were almost identical in their design and type of fabric, so the improvement in her looks was not significant. Living as long as she had and never changing, Annani had figured out a long time ago what made her look the best with the least amount of effort on her part.

Annani did not wear makeup or style her hair, which prompted complaints from her youngest daughter. Amanda often teased her about her low-maintenance style, but Kian, on the other hand, claimed that she was high maintenance, always requiring his time and attention.

Nonsense. She hardly ever called on him for anything.

Children.

No matter how old they were, they always found a reason to complain about their mothers.

Annani brushed her hair more out of habit than necessity, dabbed a touch of her favorite perfume behind her ears, and then pulled out a pair of earpieces from her jewelry box and put them in.

She did not need them to filter compulsion, even though Kian insisted that she always wear them around Ell-rom and Morelle, but she did need them to translate. She also needed the teardrop to communicate with Morelle if she got a chance.

The device was stored in the drawer of her night table, and she pulled it out and hung it around her neck.

"The marvels of technology," she murmured as she headed back to the living room.

Through the windows, she saw the golf cart stop in front of the house, and a moment later, Kian stepped down and walked up to the front door.

Without waiting for her son to ring the bell and then one of her Odus to open the door, Annani opened it herself.

Kian's eyebrows shot up in surprise, and then he laughed. "Now I know that you're truly excited about meeting Morelle. You never come out when I arrive to pick you up."

It was true. A lady, let alone a goddess and a leader of her clan, never rushed to the door, but today, Annani was making an exception.

"I admit, I am excited."

"Of course, Mother." Kian helped her into the passenger seat at the back and climbed up to sit with her.

"Hello, Anandur," she greeted the Guardian.

"Clan Mother." He dipped his head. "Today, we celebrate."

"Indeed, we do. I am ready to welcome my sister into our clan."

As they drove through the village, Annani's mind raced with questions. What would Morelle be like? Would she be like their brother, gentle and mellow, or more like their father? Would she recognize traces of Ahn in Morelle's character?

"The princess doesn't speak yet," Kian said. "Bridget says that there is nothing physically preventing her from talking, but she might be afraid to use her voice because she hasn't used it in so long, or maybe it hurts to talk. She believes that she will say something soon."

Annani nodded, remembering how Ell-rom had struggled at first. "The important thing is that she is aware and is not cognitively impaired. We were all afraid of that when she was not waking up."

"Bridget performed a few basic tests, and then Ell-rom walked in, and Morelle immediately recognized him. According to Bridget, they had a very emotional reunion."

Annani could just imagine the state Ell-rom was in. Her brother needed someone to hug him right now.

As Anandur stopped in front of the clinic, Kian jumped down and then offered Annani a hand to help her down.

When they entered the clinic's waiting room, Ell-rom rushed toward her and embraced her, having to bend nearly in half to wrap his arms around her tiny frame.

"Annani," he whispered, and the emotion in his voice brought tears to her eyes. "I'm so relieved, so happy."

She hugged him back fiercely. "How is Morelle?"

He chuckled. "Concerned about her lack of hair." Ell-rom straightened up but kept hold of her hand. "She can't speak yet, but she communicates with her eyes. She was even able to lift her hand." His voice cracked slightly. "She remembers, Annani. She'll be able to tell me about our past."

Annani squeezed his hand. "That is wonderful news."

As they settled into the waiting room chairs, Ell-rom held on to her hand, and Kian took a seat on her other side.

"While we wait, we might as well discuss arrangements," Kian said. "Bridget told me that Morelle won't need to stay in the clinic much longer. As soon as she is able to hold food down and is stable enough to go to the bathroom by herself, she can go home and just come in for checkups and rehab."

Ell-rom leaned over Annani to look at Kian. "Gertrude mentioned that Morelle will need to come for regular sessions on some special rehabilitation device."

"The Pilates Reformer," Kian said. "It will help her get on her feet faster. After that, we will probably move the device to the gym, where it belongs."

"I would like to see it." Annani rearranged the folds of her gown.

Kian arched a brow. "Are you considering exercising, Mother?"

"Fates forbid." She huffed in indignation. "My morning walks are all I need to maintain my physique."

Kian chuckled. "That's what I thought. But back to the living arrangements. I assume that you will want Morelle to stay with you?"

"Of course."

Annani wanted Morelle to stay with her so they would get to know each other and develop their sisterly bond. The problem was Brandon.

He would want to spend as much time as possible with Morelle because he was very obviously in love with her sister, or at least infatuated with her, but since they were not a couple yet and needed time to court and really get to know each other, they might not be comfortable sharing a bedroom, and Annani did not have another bedroom in her house where he could stay.

The solution was for him to visit during the day, spend time with Morelle while she was awake, and leave for the night.

Then again, if things progressed between them—and Annani strongly suspected they would—Brandon could simply move into Morelle's room. However, it was more likely that Morelle would prefer to move in with Brandon rather than have him join her at Annani's house.

It was natural for a grown female to want her own space, but Annani hoped that her sister would choose to stay, at least for a little while. They needed time to bond and make up for all the years they had not even known of each other's existence.

What would she have done in Morelle's place?

Annani was not sure. If she was to choose between her Khiann and her sister, it would have been Khiann. She would have tried to spend as much time as possible with her sister, but she would have chosen to live with her mate.

"Where's Brandon?" Annani asked, noticing his absence.

Ell-rom smiled. "He's in with her now, waiting for her to wake up again. I'm afraid I monopolized her attention earlier and talked to her until I exhausted her, and she fell asleep again."

"It is your right, so do not feel bad about it." Annani patted his hand. "Once Jasmine transitions and is ready to go home as well, we will have a grand time, all of us living together under one roof and getting to know each other."

"I would love that." Ell-rom looked at the closed door longingly. "But I have a feeling that you and I will have to fight Brandon for scraps of Morelle's time."

Annani laughed. "You might be right."