Page 23

ANNANI

T he Pearl hummed with activity as Annani stepped through the doorway with two of her Odus flanking her like sentinels. The scents of fresh bread, cardamom, and cilantro enveloped her, triggering memories of markets from the past.

"Clan Mother!" Soraya stepped from behind the register and bowed low. "What an honor to have you visit our store."

Annani glided forward, her silk gown whispering against the floor. "I have heard so many good things about it that I had to come not only to see but also to shop."

She motioned for Ogidu and Oridu to take baskets and go about their task of collecting ingredients for the evening meal.

"You must try our new tea blend." Rana was practically vibrating with excitement. "Yasmin has quite the gift for combining flavors."

"Then I shall have some." Annani followed her deeper into the store.

The transformation of the space amazed her.

What had been a regular house just days ago now bloomed with new life and purpose.

Shelves lined the walls, stocked with a variety of items. The refrigerated section hummed quietly, keeping produce crisp and dairy fresh.

Everywhere were careful touches that spoke of pride, like the hand-lettered signs written in chalk on small blackboards, the artfully arranged displays, and the small potted plants at the register.

A flash of movement caught her eye, and Annani spotted a small figure attempting to hide behind Yasmin's skirts. Little Cyra peered out at her shyly, her dark eyes wide.

"Hello, sweet one," Annani said gently, bending down to the child's level, which, given her diminutive stature, required little effort. "Have you been helping your mother in the store?"

Cyra nodded solemnly but did not leave her hiding spot.

"She's been very helpful," Yasmin said, running a loving hand over her daughter's hair. "Haven't you, sweetie? She helped arrange some of the lower shelves this morning."

"This is wonderful." Annani smiled at the child. "You are such a big girl."

The child nodded in agreement, which was adorable.

"Tell me, Cyra. Have you had any more dreams about the doll man?" Annani asked bluntly.

Normally, she would not have pressed, but she felt in her gut that they were getting close to finding Khiann, and the little girl with her strange dreams, which could be prophetic, might provide a crucial piece of information.

The child's eyes widened further, and she shook her head vigorously, pressing closer to her mother's leg.

Interesting. The denial was too quick, too emphatic. Either she had dreamt of him again and was frightened, or she was picking up once again on Annani's own thoughts about Khiann trapped in stasis somewhere in the desert.

If the child was indeed an empath, as Annani suspected, being around so many immortals with their heightened emotions must be overwhelming—no wonder she hid behind her mother's skirt.

"It is alright, my dear girl," Annani soothed. "Dreams cannot hurt us. They are just stories our sleeping minds tell us."

But were they?

In Cyra's case, Annani wasn't so sure. Empaths often receive information through dreams, processing during sleep what they absorbed during waking hours.

She could have peeked into the child's mind to see what she was hiding, but Cyra was so young that an intrusion like that could potentially harm her.

Annani straightened, offering the child a reassuring smile before turning to Soraya. "Everything looks wonderful. The entire village is talking about The Pearl."

"Really?" Rana's face flushed with pleasure.

"My dear, everyone loves the store. I have heard nothing but praise."

The sisters exchanged delighted glances. It was such a change from when they had first arrived—haunted, broken, and jumping at shadows. Now they stood proud, met eyes directly, and smiled without reservation. They had found their purpose, and with it, their dignity.

"Business has been even better than we hoped," Soraya said. "We've had to triple our bread production, and we still sell out by mid-morning."

Yasmin chuckled. "That's because Parisa is a magician with dough. People are placing special orders for all kinds of occasions or just for everyday consumption."

"As they should." Annani smiled. "Talent should be recognized and rewarded."

She walked through the store with the sisters trailing behind her, pointing out special items and sharing their plans for the future establishment, when they would have more space and could offer a wider selection of items.

Their enthusiasm was infectious.

They spoke of adding a small café area to their proposed site, where people could enjoy tea and pastries, and of expanding their ready-for-the-table section. Yasmin was even thinking about hosting cooking classes.

"You have thought of everything," Annani complimented them.

A steady stream of clients moved through the store as they talked. Each was greeted warmly, like a friend or a neighbor, and not just a customer.

The sisters were not just running a store; they were also managing a family business. They were building relationships, weaving themselves into the community's fabric.

"Mistress." Ogidu dipped his head as he approached her. "We have gotten all the items on our list. Shall I proceed to pay?"

Annani glanced at the laden baskets both Odus carried. "Did you leave anything for the other customers?"

"The selection remains ample," Oridu assured her, missing the joke.

Despite their emerging sentience, the Odus still did not understand most humor and took everything literally.

As they walked up to the register, Soraya shook her head. "It's on the house, Clan Mother. Your money is no good here."

"Nonsense. I will pay like any other customer."

"But you're not any other customer," Soraya protested. "You're... you're..."

"A resident of this village who wants to support your business," Annani said. "If you refuse my money, how can I shop here with a clear conscience?"

"Please," Rana added her voice to her sister's. "Let us do this one small thing. After everything you've done for us?—"

Annani shook her head. "If you insist on this course, I am afraid I will have to take my business elsewhere. My Odus will continue shopping at the supermarket in town where they do not object to accepting my money."

Soraya's stubborn streak had met its match in Annani's determination, and as she looked to her sisters for support, they both shrugged helplessly.

When the Clan Mother decided something, arguing was futile—a lesson most clan members had learned a long time ago.

"Very well," Soraya said with a sigh that suggested great suffering. "But at least allow me to give you the family discount."

"You will charge me the same price as you do everyone else," Annani countered. "Or shall we continue this delightful debate? I have all day."

Soraya's shoulders slumped in defeat. "Before today, I had never met anyone more stubborn than I am." She completed the transaction and accepted the credit card Oridu handed her.

Once the receipt was printed, Annani stepped forward and pulled the startled woman into an embrace.

"Your success brings me such joy. Keep up the good work and never doubt your worth, my dear one."

Soraya stood frozen for a moment, then slowly, tentatively, returned the embrace. When they parted, her eyes were suspiciously bright.

"Thank you, Clan Mother." She bowed.

A slight tug on Annani's gown drew her attention downward. Cyra had emerged from behind her mother's skirts, her little arms raised in the universal child gesture for 'pick me up.'

"I want a hug, too."

Annani's heart melted. "Of course, sweetness. Come here."

She lifted the child easily, settling her on her hip. Cyra immediately wrapped her arms around Annani's neck, burying her face against the goddess's shoulder.

"You have a very special little girl," Annani told Yasmin, who was watching with a mixture of pride and concern. "You should bring her to visit me. Perhaps we could have tea parties with Phoenix. She is about Cyra's age. Would you like that?"

The child nodded against her shoulder, not lifting her face.

"Little girls transition just from spending time around me," Annani told Yasmin, keeping her tone light. It was a lie. The little girls transitioned with the help of a small transfusion of her blood, but that was a secret known only to Alena, Kian, and Toven.

"I thought she was already too old for that," Yasmin said uncertainly. "I thought she needed to be under two years old."

"We can give it a try." Annani smiled reassuringly. "If it works, great, and if not, she will have to wait until she is old enough for the venom bite."

She set Cyra down gently, the child immediately retreating to her mother's side but watching Annani with those too-knowing eyes of hers.

"We should go," Annani said, glancing at her Odus, who stood patiently with their purchases. "Thank you for the lovely visit. Your store is a true asset to our community."

As more customers entered, the lunch rush began in earnest. Annani made her farewells, accepting hugs from all the sisters and even managing to coax a shy wave from Cyra.

She put her protective sunglasses on before stepping outside into the midday sun, and as Ogidu helped her into the golf cart, Oridu secured their purchases in the back.

"Home, Clan Mother?" Ogidu asked as he started the electric motor.

"Yes, please." Annani reached into the pocket of her gown for her phone.

She found a message from Kalugal that had been received a couple of hours ago, probably when she was preoccupied at the store. As she read it, she excitedly pressed on the two images he had sent her.

The first showed the bottom of a figurine with strange markings she didn't recognize, and the second...

Annani's heart seemed to stop.

The figurine depicted a young girl with delicate features and elaborately braided hair, captured in stone with loving detail.

It was Tula, Wonder's little sister. She would have recognized that face anywhere, and the artist had perfectly captured her mischievous streak and the stubborn tilt of her chin.

Memories flooded back. Tula playing along with Annani's shenanigans, much more comfortable participating than her older, more careful sister. Laughing at one of Annani's more outrageous schemes.

Tula was all grown up now, trapped with Areana in Navuh's harem on the Doomers' island, and according to Carol, she was quite a beauty.

She was not Navuh's concubine, who, surprisingly, was loyal to Areana, but she was a prisoner, nonetheless, trapped in that gilded cage he had built for his mate and her ladies-in-waiting with no hope of escape.

It must have been Esag who had carved Tula so lovingly.

He had preserved her image in stone with the same loving attention he had given to Annani's likeness. Was he creating a memorial to everyone he had lost? Trying to ensure they would not be forgotten even if he believed them all dead?

The thought was so achingly touching that Annani felt tears prick at her eyes.

She quickly typed a response to Kalugal.

The figurine depicts Tula, Wonder's younger sister. This is definitely Esag's work, even though the mark at the bottom holds no meaning I can decipher .

After sending the message, she looked up to find they were nearly home. "I have changed my mind. Please take me to the café."

"Of course, mistress." Ogidu changed direction at the next path intersection.

Annani clutched her phone, staring at Tula's stone face.

How would Wonder react to seeing her sister's image captured in stone? It would be painful, certainly, but also proof that Esag had cared enough to preserve her memory. Every figurine they found was another piece of the puzzle, another step closer to finding the artist.

And if they found Esag, perhaps they would also find Khiann.

The café came into view, its outdoor seating area bustling with the lunch crowd.

When Ogidu parked the cart, the three of them stepped out and entered the enclosure. Several customers looked up, stunned to see her walking in, but Annani merely smiled and nodded, her attention focused on Wonder.

"Annani?" Wonder's hand flew to her chest. "Did they find Esag?"

"Not yet." Annani gestured for Wonder to follow her as she walked behind the structure to where the vending machines stood under the shade of trees. "I have other news."

"What news?"

Annani held out her phone, the image of Tula's figurine filling the screen. She watched as Wonder took it with steady hands.

For a long moment, Wonder said nothing, her eyes tracing every detail of her sister's carved features.

"She looks exactly as I remember her. Every detail.

.. her hair, the way she held her head, that little smile she'd get when she was thinking of mischief.

" A tear slipped down Wonder's cheek. "He captured her so perfectly. "

"It had to be Esag," Annani said.

"He's honoring us," Wonder said, still staring at the image. "He thinks we are dead and he's trying to make sure we're not forgotten."

"But we are not dead," Annani said. "We are here, and Tula is with Areana."

"Trapped on that island with no hope of escape," Wonder said bitterly. "With no chance at a real life."

Annani touched her friend's arm. "She could have escaped when we saved Carol. She chose to stay with Areana. Tula is no longer the young girl you remember, and she makes her own decisions."

Wonder nodded. "Maybe that's what irks me the most. She chose Areana over me."