Page 6

DIN

D in held on to Fenella's hand as they both watched couples twirling on the dance floor.

His mind kept circling back to the two small words that carried so much uncertainty.

"For now."

"You are brooding again," Fenella said. "You've got that professor face—all furrowed brow and distant eyes."

"Sorry." He shifted to face her. "Do you want to dance?"

"Sure." She started to rise when Kian walked over to their table with Kalugal and his wife and son.

Din had seen Kalugal and Jacki during their visit to Scotland when they'd stayed at the castle, again when he'd visited the village for special occasions, and once again during the wedding cruise, but they'd never been formally introduced.

He still found it difficult to wrap his head around Kalugal being Navuh's son—the offspring of the Brotherhood's founder and leader, the big bad wolf himself, and at the same time being Annani's nephew and Kian's cousin.

It had been bizarre, to say the least, to find out that Navuh was mated to Annani's sister Areana, and that she had given him two sons.

All the other sons Navuh claimed as his own were not related to him by blood.

Kalugal and Lokan were part of the clan now, but Lokan was still straddling the fence, pretending to work for his father while feeding the clan information about the Brotherhood.

"Din, Fenella," Kian greeted them as he reached their table. "I'd like you to meet Kalugal and Jacki and their son, Darius."

Din rose to his feet, Fenella following suit.

"Kalugal, this is Professor Din MacDougal," Kian said. "He is visiting us from Scotland. And this is Fenella, a new member of our community with a long history connecting her to the clan."

Kalugal extended a hand to Fenella first. "Enchanted. I've heard about your performance at the Hobbit Bar. I can't wait to see you in action."

"I'm there tonight." She shook his hand. "Bring an object for me to read and I promise to embarrass you in front of everyone."

Kalugal laughed. "Perhaps I shouldn't come then."

Jacki smiled as she took Fenella's hand. "We'll come together, and you can embarrass me if Kalugal refuses to play along."

"I'll play." Kalugal turned to Din. "Professor, it's a pleasure to meet a fellow archaeologist, although I have to admit that my academic title is fake. I'm self-taught."

Din accepted the handshake. "Your collection of artifacts is quite impressive."

Kalugal looked delighted at the praise. "What portion of it have you seen?"

"Only the pieces displayed in the pavilion," Din said. "But they're extraordinary. The predynastic figurines, in particular, are fascinating."

"Predynastic Egypt is one of Kalugal's particular interests." Jacki took the squirming baby from her husband's arms. "Kian mentioned you specialize in that era?"

"Among others," Din said. "Naturally, my particular interest is evidence of advanced civilizations predating our conventional historical timeline, but those are hard to come by."

"Evidence of gods." Kalugal's lips curled in a knowing smirk. "That's why I entered the field as well." He chuckled. "In academic circles, admission of such interest would be career suicide. But here, there is no need for scholarly euphemisms."

"We've just returned from Egypt," Jacki said. "The political situation is tense, and it's not safe, but it was still worth it. We managed to acquire several remarkable artifacts."

"Which brings me to why I wanted to meet you," Kalugal added. "We're hosting a brunch tomorrow at our home to show the family what we've brought back, and since you're an archaeologist, I'd like to invite you and Fenella to join us."

Din blinked in surprise. A family gathering at Kalugal's home was not how he imagined spending his Sunday morning, and he was sure he would be acutely uncomfortable with the clan's royalty present.

When he glanced at Fenella, she looked equally taken aback.

"That's very kind, but I wouldn't want to intrude on a family event."

Kalugal waved a dismissive hand. "Nonsense. Your expertise would be valuable. Besides, Fenella is family now, isn't she? She's part of the in-laws, so to speak, and you are her companion."

It took Din a moment to process what Kalugal had meant by his comment. Fenella was loosely related to Jasmine, who was mated to Ell-rom, Annani's half-brother, but the connection was so distant that it was nearly irrelevant.

"We'd be honored," Fenella said before Din could formulate a response. "What time should we arrive?"

"Eleven," Kalugal said. "You can find the location on the village map."

"Are you certain we wouldn't be intruding?" Din tried again.

"Family is a fluid concept." Kalugal clapped him on his back. "Blood relations matter less than the bonds we choose to form. I'm inviting you because I believe your insights will be valuable and because of Fenella's newly discovered talent."

Din swallowed. There was something in Kalugal's tone that brooked no argument, and he wondered whether the guy was using compulsion on him.

He wouldn't do that in front of Kian, would he?

"What sort of artifacts did you find?" Din asked, changing tack.

Jacki's eyes lit up. "That's the surprise."

Kalugal turned to Fenella. "Your psychometric ability might become useful as well."

She glanced at Jacki. "That's your talent also, I've heard."

"Yes," Jacki confirmed. "Mine is unpredictable, though. Sometimes I touch an object and see the past, and sometimes I see the future. Most often, though, I get nothing."

Fenella's eyes widened. "It's the same for me, but I thought it was because I'm new to this. Kyra and Jasmine seem to amplify my ability, though. I don't think I can sense anything without them."

Kalugal regarded Fenella with curiosity in his smiling eyes. "Then I sure need to invite Kyra as well. She is with Max, correct?"

"Yes," Kian said. "Max is now in charge of the dungeon, so his security clearance has been bumped up. But Din and Fenella are civilians."

Kalugal didn't seem perturbed by what Kian was implying. "Don't worry about confidentiality, cousin. I can ensure that whatever needs to remain a secret stays a secret."

Obviously, the guy could compel anyone, including immortals, to keep a secret.

The exchange made Din even more curious about the artifact Kalugal was going to reveal.

"Tomorrow at eleven," Kalugal said before departing with his family and Kian.

"Well, that was interesting." Fenella watched them walk away. "It seems that I've been upgraded from Jasmine's distant relation to someone worthy of brunch invitations to the inner circle."

"It would seem so." Din rubbed his jaw. "I'm sorry if I seemed reluctant. I just wasn't expecting to be invited to a family gathering."

"It's a bit intimidating, I have to admit."

He nodded. "Kalugal is an interesting guy. Do you know that he's a three-quarter god?"

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

"His mother is a full-blooded goddess, Annani's half-sister, and his father is a half-god, half-human. That makes Kalugal and his brother Lokan three-quarter gods, which is more than Kian and his sisters, who are only half-god, half-human."

Fenella shook her head. "Does it matter? Does it change the clan hierarchy?"

"Not really. I just find it hard to believe.

We didn't know all that before Kalugal and Lokan joined the clan.

We also didn't know that Navuh's other sons are not really his.

He just claims all the boys born to his immortal concubines, but he is entirely devoted to Areana, proof that even monsters can have a redeeming quality. "

Fenella tilted her head. "How many sons does he claim to have?"

"I don't know." Din chuckled. "Many, I guess. Their portraits are hanging in a room in the office building. Dalhu, Amanda's husband, sketched them for the clan. He is also a former Doomer, but he is not part of Kalugal's men. He found his way to the clan in a different way."

"I bet there is a fascinating story there." She shook her head. "I'm constantly learning new things about this immortal community, but every time I think I get the gist of it, I discover new fantastic stories. Is there a book somewhere that documents everything in a systematic manner?"

"Unfortunately, there isn't." He wrapped his arm around her waist. "We believe that oral transmission of history is the best way to preserve it."

She frowned. "You can't be serious."

"I wish I wasn't. I have no idea why no one's undertaken the task of documenting our history.

" He sighed. "It's a complex world we inhabit.

Gods and immortals, ancient grudges and new alliances.

Sometimes I wonder if humans have any idea how much of their history has been manipulated by forces they don't understand, and it is still being manipulated to this day. "

"Does it bother you?" Fenella asked. "Knowing the truth when the rest of your colleagues at the university are fumbling in the dark?"

Din considered the question. "It used to.

I'd sit in academic conferences listening to theories that completely missed the mark, wanting to stand up and tell them the truth.

But no one would believe me even if I did.

Humans prefer to cling to dogmas and stories that fit the narrative of their beliefs. Truth matters very little to them."

"Very philosophical, Professor," Fenella said. "I imagine it makes writing peer-reviewed papers challenging. 'Ancient Aliens' isn't exactly a respected theory in archaeology."

Din was surprised that she was familiar with the show. "You have no idea. I've had to become an expert in implication and suggestion, presenting evidence in ways that hint at the truth without explicitly stating it."

"Well, tomorrow you can speak freely," Fenella said. "No need to couch your theories in academic jargon when you're among fellow believers."

"True," Din agreed. "Though I'm still trying to wrap my head around Kalugal's invitation.

I understand why you were included—your connection to Jasmine, plus your psychometric abilities, makes you a valuable guest. But why does he need me there?

I'm sure he doesn't expect me to know more about archaeology than he does. "

Fenella's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Maybe he's just curious about the guy who obsessed about a bartender for fifty years until he got to be her boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" Din raised an eyebrow. "Is that what I am?"

"Well, you're certainly not just a friend," Fenella said. "And 'lover' seems a bit old-fashioned, don't you think?"

"I prefer 'devoted admirer,'" Din suggested. "Or perhaps an enamored suitor." He caught her hand, bringing it to his lips.

Fenella's laughter faded, replaced by a curious intensity. "You're serious, aren't you? About us, I mean."

"I told you I love you. I don't say those words lightly. In fact, other than my mother, you are the only woman I've ever said that to."

A complex mix of emotions crossed Fenella's face—hope, fear, longing, uncertainty. "It's all happening so fast, Din," she said quietly. "You need to give me more time."

"We have plenty of it," he assured her. "Take as long as you need."