Page 21 of Dark Destiny: The Fates' Bargain

Losham wasn't sure why. It was instinct that dictated his decisions lately.

"I want everyone to know that you are more than my assistant and to treat you accordingly. Showing up with two guards will elevate your status."

Rami looked surprised and somewhat pleased, but not nearly as pleased as Losham had expected.

"Thank you, my lord." He dipped his head and walked out.

There had been something in the set of Rami's shoulders, some old, tired vigilance that Losham had stopped noticing years ago because it had simply been part of his assistant. Rami worried about things Losham had long since stopped worrying about, and he appreciated the sentiment, even if it was misplaced.

Rami was a rare find, and Losham was keenly aware of how hard it was to find someone so capable and so loyal.

Alone, he sat back down at the repurposed dining table and gazed out at the harbor again.

The clan had stolen the one tool that had been holding his authority together.

Why had they done it?

They'd claimed to want to support his rule, so why take the one asset that made it possible?

Could it be that they had no idea?

Could it be that it had been a coincidence?

The clan's stated goal was to keep the island stable, to prevent it from sinking into chaos. They claimed to prefer a manageable Brotherhood under a manageable leader to a Brotherhood tearing itself apart in a war of succession.

It made no sense for them to hollow him out from the inside and leave him to pick up the pieces.

They would call again.

He was certain of that much. Their compeller would reach into his skull eventually and demand something, the way the clan always did, but Losham would have nothing left to give them, because they had taken from him the tool he needed to implement anything they wanted.

He snorted.

Perhaps he should simply ask them to lend him their compeller to replace what they had taken.

11

NAVUH

The first door of the clinic sealed behind Navuh with the familiar hydraulic sigh, and then, after a pause, the outer one opened. As his wheelchair rolled through, he found he wasn't sorry to leave this cage. In fact, he hoped never to return there again, but that was too much to hope for.

His rehabilitation would require more doctor visits than he cared for.

It would be a mercy if they checked him in a different patient room, though. He had spent enough time in that claustrophobic space, cataloging every scuff mark on the floor and every hairline crack in the paint where the wall met the door frame. It was a miracle that he hadn't gone insane in there.

The upside of the move was that he would have a new canvas to examine, but the downside was that it would be just another cage.

At least he would be sharing it with Areana, but even that had a downside. She would function as his nurse, which he was not looking forward to. They had a five-thousand-year relationship,and it had its own dynamic that had served them well over the centuries. Now they were being thrust into a sort of interaction neither of them was comfortable with.

Hildegard had given Areana a crash course in nursing, or rather the particular sort of nursing that he required, and Navuh had listened and filed things away. Instead of getting a physical therapist like he'd been promised, Areana was to watch a series of videos that were supposed to teach her everything she needed to know to become his therapist.

She'd looked overwhelmed with everything that Hildegard expected her to learn, but she'd nodded and smiled and pretended that it was all fine, that she could handle it all.

"That's everything," Hildegard told Areana, one hand on the strap of her bag. "Medication schedule is on the tablet, color-coded, and I've flagged the ones that can't be taken together. Bowel and bladder routine is the laminated sheet. Don't lose it. Call me if anything changes or you are not sure what to do. Don't wait to see if it resolves on its own. And don't let him talk you out of the schedule just because he's feeling charming that day."

Navuh had snorted. "I'm never charming when I'm subjected to indignities."

Hildegard hadn't even looked at him. "Good luck," she'd told Areana and hurried out.