Page 8 of Dark Rover’s Luck (The Children Of The Gods #95)

8

KYRA

A fter the children had been lured inside by Ogidu with the promise of watching a brand-new animated movie in the living room, the terrace became considerably quieter. Only Cyra remained, still clinging to her mother, and Essa, who also seemed reluctant to leave his mother's side.

"Essa, why don't you join the others?" Yasmin suggested. "We want to talk about grown-up stuff."

The boy hesitated, casting a wary glance at Annani, then turning his gaze to his mother. "Are you sure, Maman?"

"Yes," she assured him. "Go. Enjoy yourself."

With a final concerned glance at his mother, Essa nodded and hurried inside.

Kyra watched the exchange with a mixture of sadness and admiration. The boy had assumed the role of protector since his father's death, a burden no sixteen-year-old should have to bear.

"You have remarkable children," the Clan Mother said when only the adults and little Cyra remained. "Their resilience is extraordinary."

"They've no choice," Soraya said.

Kyra leaned forward. "My sisters have many questions about what the future holds for them and their children here."

"I will gladly answer them all," the goddess promised. "But some answers are better absorbed slowly. There is no rush. You have time."

"We left everything behind." Parisa's voice held an undercurrent of grief. "Our homes, our possessions, my late husband's grave." She glanced at Yasmin. "Yasmin and the children didn't even get to bury Javad. I hope his extended family has given him a proper burial."

"They did," Yasmin said, her voice shaking, but her tears held at bay. "I asked Kyra to check. Javad's older brother took care of the arrangements. Fareed and Hamid went into hiding after what they assumed were the abductions of their families, so they didn't come to the funeral."

"I understand the weight of your loss," Annani said softly. "No place, however beautiful or safe, can erase that pain."

Kyra knew that the Clan Mother was talking from experience. Her own husband had been supposedly murdered by an insane god who had wanted the goddess for himself.

The god Mortdh had been obsessed with wedding Annani, not because he'd loved her but because she was the heir to the throne. As her husband, he would have gotten to rule by her side, and later, after he'd gotten rid of her, as a sole ruler over all the gods.

Kyra had told her sisters about the goddess's quest and what she wanted her to do, so Yasmin knew that the Clan Mother wasn't talking about the pain of loss as an observer but as someone who still bled for her lost love.

"Can we leave if we want to?" Rana asked.

The Clan Mother sighed. "I wish I could tell you that you can leave whenever you feel like it, but that would be a lie. To protect the secret of our existence, no one can leave here with knowledge of us. If you choose to leave right now, you still can because your memories of this place are fresh and can still be erased. That window of opportunity usually closes within two weeks."

"Why would you want to leave?" Kyra asked her sister.

"I don't." Rana waved a dismissive hand. "I just wanted to know if I've traded one prison for another, and apparently, I did, but at least this one is much nicer than the old one and comes with fringe benefits like immortality and all living expenses paid."

Kyra didn't know what possessed her sister to say such things in front of the Clan Mother. She was a sarcastic type, but that was just rude.

"I think you owe the Clan Mother an apology. Her people saved you from Doomers who would have forced you into becoming a breeder, and you know what that would have entailed. They almost did that to your daughter, and if not for this community mobilizing its resources and risking its fighters, they would have succeeded. These people welcomed you with open arms and offered you a cushy lifestyle with immortality as a bonus. The last thing you should be doing is complaining about your lack of freedom."

Rana hung her head. "I apologize, Clan Mother. I realize that I've become a sharp-tongued and unpleasant woman because I was bitter and hated my life, but you saved me, and I'm grateful." She grimaced. "I guess I need reprogramming."

The goddess smiled benevolently. "I understand. You need time and counseling." She swept her gaze over Kyra and her sisters. "All of you can benefit from talking to Vanessa. I know she is extremely busy, but she might be able to squeeze in a video call here and there. It is not as good as talking face to face, but it is better than nothing, and perhaps it is easier in a way."

"I don't want to sound ungrateful," Yasmin whispered, absently stroking Cyra's hair. "It's just that everything seems a little too good to be true. Maybe that's why Rana felt like she needed to cloak herself in sarcasm. It's her armor."

"That is a wise perspective, Yasmin," the goddess acknowledged. "Naturally, I do not expect you to blindly trust our every word. Unlike the fae in folklore, we are not bound by magic to speak only the truth. Although I must admit that I like those stories about the fae, and I've often wondered what prompted them." She leaned forward as if sharing a secret. "In my experience, most myths that have withstood the test of time have a kernel of truth. Like the vampire lore, angels, watchers, and gods."

Kyra smiled. "I don't think my sisters know what the fae are. It's not the kind of reading that's popular in Iran."

"Oh." The Clan Mother leaned back. "But you seem to know."

Kyra smiled. "I had access to entertainment that they didn't."

The goddess looked disappointed. "I hope that you have retained some subconscious memories from your time in the United States."

"I have," Kyra said. "My command of English, for one. He didn't erase that from my memories, and I often dreamt of a little girl, thinking it was me in the past, while all along I was dreaming of my Jasmine."

She didn't need to elaborate on who she was referring to.

Max had told her that the Clan Mother was on top of everything happening in her community. After all, she was the head of the clan, and Kian was her regent. It was his duty to keep her informed.

The goddess nodded. "We will talk about your memories and what can be done about them later." She turned to Kyra's sisters. "Time will prove the truth of my words better than any promises I could make you today."

That seemed to resonate with them, and the goddess continued. "In the meantime, explore, ask questions, and meet people. I suggest you meet with Vrog, who is in charge of our homeschooling program. There is no rush, but at some point, the children need to resume their studies. You can also decide that you want to study something new, and Vrog can help you enroll in online courses."

Little Cyra, who had been quietly observing the adults' conversation, suddenly slipped from her mother's lap and walked over to Annani. The adults fell silent, watching as the four-year-old stood before the Clan Mother, studying her solemnly.

"You are very pretty," she said.

"Thank you." The goddess cupped her cheek. "So are you."

Cyra shook her head. "Not as pretty as you." She lifted her tiny hand and put it on the Clan Mother's exposed wrist.

"Your skin is pretty." She ran her hand over the goddess's forearm. "So soft." Then the child stunned everyone by lifting both her arms in a clear invitation to be lifted into the goddess's lap.

The Clan Mother smiled brightly and didn't hesitate even for a moment before picking the girl up and setting her on her lap. "I adore children." She kissed the top of Cyra's head. "I have a son and three daughters, sixteen grandchildren, and many great-grandchildren, and I cherish each and every one. In fact, most expectant mothers used to travel to my sanctuary to deliver their babies there, and they stayed with me until the girls turned immortal, and the boys were a little older and not as fragile. But nowadays things are different. Most of the recent births were babies born to mothers who have immortal mates and feel safe in the village."

The goddess's grandmotherly gesture, followed by her monologue, released some of the invisible tension, and as Kyra's sisters relaxed, the conversation started flowing more easily.

Eventually, the movie ended, the children returned to the terrace, and it was time to leave.

"We've taken up too much of the Clan Mother's time." Kyra rose to her feet. "We should go."

As her family began to gather themselves to depart, thanking the goddess for her hospitality, the Clan Mother handed Cyra to Yasmin and walked over to Kyra. "Can you stay? We need to talk."

"Of course," Kyra said. "I'll just escort my sisters to the bridge to make sure they don't get lost on their way home. I'll return right away."