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FENELLA

R uvon actually blushed, which made him look more like the shy boy next door than a scary ex-Doomer.

Also, he obviously wasn't Shira's hookup from last night. Or was he?

Shira hadn't explicitly said that she was meeting a human.

"Shira, can I borrow you for a moment?" Fenella touched her roommate's elbow.

Shira looked a little uncomfortable. "Of course!"

"I'll get us something to drink," Din offered.

Fenella gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you. That would be lovely."

"I'll see you all around," Ruvon said before following Din to the buffet tables.

Fenella waited until she was alone with Shira. "I was worried about you. You should have called me or texted me about spending the night with the guy."

A flash of irritation crossed Shira's eyes. "I don't recall you asking for my permission when you spent nights with Din."

The retort caught Fenella off guard. "That's different."

"Is it?" Shira crossed her arms. "How?"

"Din is in the village," Fenella countered, keeping her voice low. "Your library and your mysterious hookup are outside of it in the human world, and no one is safe out there, not even an immortal like you."

Shira's expression softened. "I forgot what you've been through. It should have occurred to me that you would panic. I'll text you next time, I promise."

Fenella's first instinct was to deny Shira's implication that she'd panicked because she was vulnerable, but what was the point when she was right?

"I'm sorry for overreacting, but I called you and you didn't answer. I also left you a voicemail. Wouldn't you have worried if you were in my shoes?"

Shira had already explained about her phone dying on her, but it was no doubt charged by now, and she'd had ample opportunity to call Fenella to let her know that she was alive.

A hint of embarrassment colored Shira's cheeks. "I saw that you'd called but didn't check the message. I was in a rush to get ready for the party, and I figured I'd see you here anyway."

"Makes sense." Fenella let out a breath. "So, how was the hookup? Worth all this brouhaha?"

Shira snorted. "Not really. He was underwhelming, to be honest, and normally, I wouldn't have spent the night, but I fell asleep."

"Humans can't keep up," Din's voice came from behind Fenella. He handed her a champagne glass, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "It's not their fault that they don't have our stamina."

Shira raised an eyebrow. "Stamina is not everything. I've tried a couple of Kalugal's men before. They had the stamina, but they lacked skills."

Fenella nearly choked on her champagne. Was Ruvon a former lover? Or perhaps he was Shira's next conquest?

Din opened his mouth, no doubt ready with a witty comeback, but then a sudden hush fell over the crowd, and Fenella turned to see what had caused it.

The Clan Mother had appeared on the podium, though Fenella couldn't recall seeing her walk through the crowd to get there. One moment the stage had been empty, and the next, Annani stood at its center, resplendent in a flowing silk gown.

"How did she do that?" Fenella whispered to Din.

"Do what?"

"Get there without anyone noticing?"

Din shrugged, looking as puzzled as she felt. He lifted his finger to his lips, indicating she should stop talking.

Fenella wondered if there was some sort of secret passage beneath the village green, but it seemed absurd to have an elaborate tunnel system just so the Clan Mother could make dramatic entrances at parties.

More likely, the goddess employed some mind trick to divert everyone's attention from her as she approached, making herself visible only when she wished to be seen.

Either way, it was impressive.

"My beloved children," Annani's melodious voice carried across the green without the help of amplification.

"We gather today to celebrate a most joyous occasion—the two thousand and first birthday of my son Kian, and the first birthday of my granddaughter, Allegra.

The actual birthday date passed a while ago, and we are celebrating a little late because emergencies kept popping up, forcing us to postpone the party.

Thankfully, today we are all here, the sky is clear, and we are finally ready to celebrate. "

The crowd broke into cheers and applause, their faces upturned to the goddess with fond, happy expressions.

They truly loved her, and Fenella understood the sentiment.

The Clan Mother was warm and friendly, and once Fenella had gotten used to the glow, the unearthly beauty, and the power emanating from the tiny female, she'd become comfortable in her presence.

"Two thousand and one years ago, I was blessed with the birth of a strong, beautiful boy," the goddess said.

"When I held him for the first time, I felt a love so encompassing, so overwhelming, that I knew I would move mountains, part seas, and challenge the heavens themselves to keep him safe.

After the birth of my first daughter, I thought that I could never feel a love so strong again, but a mother's heart has no limits.

I love all of my children with the same intensity. "

Fenella's gaze drifted to Kian, who stood at the edge of the stage with Allegra in his arms. The clan's leader appeared almost embarrassed by his mother's effusive praise, though there was no doubting the affection between them.

"That same love now extends to my precious granddaughter." Annani's voice softened as she looked at Allegra. "And to each of you. Love is what drives all that we do. It binds us and guides us, and it is the force that sustains us. Without love, there is nothing."

Fenella stifled the urge to roll her eyes.

Love might play a part, but she doubted it was the only motivation for the goddess's actions.

From what she'd learned since arriving at the village, Annani had been manipulating global politics for thousands of years, playing a chess game against the forces of darkness represented by the Brotherhood.

Still, she couldn't deny the emotion in the goddess's voice when she spoke of her family. That, at least, was sincere.

The goddess continued, "As we celebrate these two milestones today, I ask you all to reflect on what truly matters in this existence. Not power, not wealth, not even the gift of life itself—but the connections we forge with one another, the love we give and receive."

Her luminous gaze swept across the crowd, and for an unsettling moment, Fenella felt as if those ancient eyes paused on her briefly. A shiver ran down her spine.

"Even I, who have lived for thousands of years, continue to learn this lesson," the goddess said. "Joy can be fleeting and pain can feel overwhelming, but every ending brings with it a new beginning, every loss an opportunity for growth."

Fenella felt a tightness in her chest at these words. They struck too close to her own experiences—the constant reinvention of herself, the severing of connections for safety's sake, the walls she'd built to survive.

"Look around you." The Clan Mother spread her arms wide. "See the family we have built together, the haven we have created. This is what we fight to protect. Together we stand against the darkness."

As the word 'darkness' triggered images of a dingy cell and a monster who called himself a doctor, the festive village green receded, and the goddess's voice faded.

Then Din's arm slipped around her waist, anchoring her to the present. "You okay?" he whispered.

Fenella nodded, grateful for his steadying presence.

"—into this new year with hope and purpose," Annani was concluding her speech. "May Allegra grow strong and wise, surrounded by love. May Kian continue to lead with compassion and vision. And may all of you, my cherished family, find the peace and happiness you deserve."

A thunderous round of applause broke out as the Clan Mother raised her hands in blessing over the crowd. Fenella clapped along, her mind still churning with conflicting emotions.

Part of her wanted to believe in Annani's vision of family and security, and to accept that after decades of running, she could finally stop, could belong somewhere. But another part, the survivor who'd learned to trust nothing and no one, remained wary of pretty words and shining promises.

"Let us honor Kian and Allegra." The goddess gestured to the side of the platform, where Kian stood with Allegra in his arms.

The little girl was dressed in a fluffy confection that mirrored the doll atop the cake, her blond curls adorned with a tiny tiara. She stared wide-eyed at the crowd, her small arm wrapped around her daddy's neck.

"She's adorable," Fenella whispered.

"She is," Din agreed.

As the applause died down, Kian stepped forward with Allegra, who seemed upset, and murmured something to his mother, who nodded with a smile and waved her hand.

Music began to play from hidden speakers, and as the goddess announced that it was time to feast, the crowd's attention shifted to the buffet tables where the Odus were beginning to serve food.

"Hungry?" Din asked.

Fenella nodded. "I could eat."

As they joined the line forming at the buffet, Fenella scanned the crowd, spotting Kyra and Max near the cake. Jasmine and Ell-rom were swaying to the music, two tall and striking figures who stood out even among this extraordinarily good-looking crowd.

Din followed her gaze. "Your new cousin seems happy."

"She does." Fenella watched Jasmine laugh at something Ell-rom whispered in her ear. "I still can't wrap my head around being related to her. What are the odds?"

As they inched forward in the buffet line, Fenella's mind returned to the Clan Mother's speech.

For all her skepticism about Annani's political machinations, she couldn't deny there had been wisdom in those words about love and connection.

She'd spent so long avoiding attachments, convinced they would only lead to pain when she inevitably had to flee.

Yet here she was, surrounded by people who cared about her—Din, Kyra, Jasmine, even Shira in her own way. People who accepted her, broken pieces and all.

What would it be like to stop running? To let herself belong?

"Your mind seems to be a million miles away," Din said as they reached the front of the line and began filling their plates.

"I was thinking about the Clan Mother's speech." Fenella selected a stuffed mushroom. "All that talk about love and family being her driving force."

"You don't believe her?"

Fenella shrugged. "I believe she loves her family. However, she has been manipulating global affairs for thousands of years. You can't tell me that's all motivated by maternal instinct."

"What do you think drives her then?" Din added a slice of beef to his plate.

"Power, maybe? The desire to shape the world according to her vision?" Fenella selected a few more appetizers. "Not that I'm criticizing. From what I've gathered, she stands against the Brotherhood, which puts her firmly on the side of good in my book."

As they moved to the end of the buffet table, their plates laden with an assortment of delicacies, Fenella spotted two vacant seats.

"Shall we?"

When they settled at the table, Fenella cast another glance at the podium, now empty. The Clan Mother had vanished as mysteriously as she'd appeared, leaving Kian and Syssi to circulate among the guests with Allegra.

"I still want to know how she does that disappearing act," she muttered.

Din chuckled. "Some mysteries are better left unsolved. The Clan Mother loves to maintain an air of enigma around herself. She has quite the penchant for drama."

"She does?" Fenella speared a piece of glazed salmon with her fork.

"The Clan Mother doesn't need any tricks to make herself seem more.

She's the most powerful being on Earth." She took a bite and chewed for a moment, still thinking about the appearing and disappearing acts. "I hate unsolved mysteries."

"Is that a warning?" Din asked.

"More like a disclaimer." Fenella grinned. "Just so you know what you're getting into with me."

"I think I have a pretty good idea." His expression turned serious. "And I love every little bit of you."

The warmth in his voice made her heart clench. She might not be ready to say the words he wanted to hear yet, but in moments like this, she was tempted.