Page 13 of Dark Destiny: A New Thread in the Tapestry

"That's a brilliant idea. I should have thought of that."

"It would be even better if I were allowed to visit them in person."

She sighed. "I'm sorry, Esag. I'm not the one making the rules."

"I know. I'm not angry at you."

"You shouldn't be angry at my mother either. She's waited five thousand years for this."

"So did I."

"She guards her time with him jealously. He is her truelove mate."

Esag let out a breath. "I get it. I don't like it, but I understand."

After the call ended, he picked up the broom and started sweeping the floor of his workshed, and long-forgotten memories surfaced.

At Khiann and Annani's wedding, Gulan had carried Khiann's ring, while he had carried Annani's, both on silver trays. They had climbed the steps on opposite sides of the dais and hadn't looked at each other because Gulan had been angry with him.

Unbreakable alloy, Annani had said in the vows. It should have withstood the test of time, and Esag wondered whether the ring had been in the chest with Khiann.

Navuh wouldn't have bothered about taking it off because it had no value beyond the sentimental, but then Navuh was a cruel bastard, so he might have kept it as a trophy to torment Annani with.

He should mention that to Alena the next time she called him with an update, and ask her whether the ring had been found.

For some reason, he thought it was important, perhaps because one day Khiann would remember his wedding and want his ring.

5

ANNANI

Annani smoothed the blanket over Khiann's chest and fought the urge to kiss his cheek before settling back into the comfortable rocking chair Bridget had asked Turner to bring over.

"It is only a loan," the doctor had said. "Hopefully, you won't be sitting here for more than four weeks because I will need the chair by then." She had patted her belly. "I intend to spend the last two weeks of my pregnancy in my rocking chair reading books about baby development. It's been a long time since Julian was a baby."

It was very gracious of the doctor to loan her the chair, and four weeks should be long enough for Khiann to recuperate enough to move out of the clinic and go home with her.

This morning, he had been awake for twenty-two minutes.

On Wednesday, when he first opened his eyes, he had stayed with Annani for almost as long, but that had cost him, and he had later slept for almost four hours. Since then, he had been waking for only a few minutes at a time, and the rest periods hadn't been as long either.

Still, he was making progress.

Bridget said the only thing that mattered was whether the awake times were getting longer over a week and the sleeping times shorter, and that occasional regression was nothing to worry about. That made sense, so Annani accepted it and remained optimistic.

Behind her on the far side of the room, one of the John Does was making sounds that, from a distance, could be mistaken for words.

Yesterday, she had gotten closer and tried to make sense of them, but unless he was trying to communicate in a language she did not know and had never heard before, he had been speaking like a baby and just imitating the sounds of words.

Julian had propped him up on two pillows and given him a cup with a straw. He was still too weak to hold the cup himself, but he managed to sip through the straw, which was progress.

Annani rose and went to him.

"Good morning," she said in the old tongue. "I am Annani, daughter of Ahn and Nai. You are among friends, and you are safe."

He watched her mouth as she spoke, and he seemed to understand she was trying to communicate with him, but the words meant nothing to him.

"Annani." She touched her collarbone. "Annani."