Page 105 of Dark Island: Rescue

Tula knew Areana was right, but knowing didn't make the waiting any easier.

"I have to know if they can't take all of us. The guilt is eating me alive."

Areana's expression was sad. "I know, my dear. But it is most likely that you will have to go alone. You'll have to make a choice, whether to stay or go."

"I've already made it." The words came out flat but certain. "If they can only take me, I'm going. I have to. For my son."

"I know." Areana squeezed her hand.

Tula glanced across the pool to where her partner had just surfaced, gasping and laughing as Elias emerged a moment later. "Tony will blame himself, thinking he should have seen how desperate I was."

"He will grieve," Areana agreed. "But that is not your burden to carry. As a mother, your first responsibility is to your child. Everything else issecondary."

That hadn't been the choice Areana had made. She'd chosen Navuh over her sons. Then again, she hadn't had any other options. That was long before she'd discovered that Annani lived and could help her. She'd been on her own, with nothing but her wits and her resilience to rely on.

Tula had been there for her, had witnessed the goddess's desperation, her acceptance of the inevitable, her trust in her mate that he would take care of their sons.

"Tula!" Tony called from across the pool. "Come help me settle an argument with Elias!"

She forced a smile and waved, then looked back at Areana one more time.

"Thank you," Tula said quietly. "For risking everything to help me."

"Thank me when you're free," Areana whispered.

37

AREANA

Areana kept her breathing steady as she and Tula walked toward the cliff, and her expression was calm even though her heart was racing. Beside her, Tula was silent, her hands clasped together so tightly her knuckles had gone white.

"It will be all right," Areana said softly, though she wasn't sure she believed it. "You, at least, are getting out."

"You don't know that." Tula's voice was barely above a whisper. "They might say that it's too risky this time and they can't do it."

"That's not going to happen." Areana sat on the stone bench as she had done for countless Wednesdays before and pulled the embroidery out of her purse.

Tula sat beside her, but instead of facing the ocean, she sat sideways so she could see anyone approaching and sound a warning.

"Hello, Lady Areana," William's familiar voice sounded in her earpiece. "I'm patching you through."

"Areana." A male voice came online instead ofAnnani's. "It's Kian. My mother is here with me, but she asked me to explain. Is Tula with you?"

"Yes."

"Good. She needs to hear this." Another pause, and Areana heard papers rustling. "We have a viable plan, but there are limitations you both need to understand."

Areana's stomach tightened. The wordlimitationswas ominous.

"What kind of limitations?" she asked.

"After much deliberation, we arrived at the conclusion that we can safely extract only one person. Any more would raise too many questions, create too much scrutiny, and put you at risk, which we are not willing to do. I'm sorry. I know you were waiting for better news."

Beside Areana, Tula made a sound—something between a gasp and a sob.

"Is there a chance you could extract the others at a later time?" Areana had to ask, though she already knew the answer.

"We'll reassess in a year or two, after scrutiny dies down. If we can find a way to extract them safely without exposing you, we will." Kian's pause told Areana everything she needed to know about the likelihood of that happening. "But right now, Tula is our priority."