Page 39 of Dark Destiny: The Fates' Bargain

"Whose is it?" he asked even though he had heard Raviki say it was his room.

"It's yours," Sullha said.

"Just for me?"

"Yes."

He looked at the shelves, then at her, and then back at the shelves, paralyzed by the abundance. "Am I dreaming, Mama?"

She laughed. "It feels like a dream, but it's real. All of it is real."

"Welcome to your new life," Raviki said softly.

Sullha stood in the doorway of her son's room, in her loose borrowed clothes and her ridiculous flip-flops, in a house that was hers, in a village too pretty to be real, in a room full of toys, and she cataloged all of it as tears streamed down her cheeks, so she could share it with Yaaf.

16

ANNANI

Ogidu stopped the golf cart in front of the clinic, got out, and offered Annani a hand. "Should I wait for you outside, Clan Mother?"

"You can return home. I will call you when I am ready to leave."

He did not look pleased about being dismissed, but he dipped his head nonetheless. "Of course, Clan Mother."

He waited for her to enter the clinic before climbing back into the golf cart.

It never ceased to amuse her how everybody treated her as if she was fragile. She was the most powerful person in this village, in the world really, and that included her cousin Toven, who was a powerful god, but not as powerful as she was.

She was safe from almost anyone.

She might not be safe, though, from the eight enhanced soldiers with a merged mind.

No one knew for sure if Annani was immune to compulsion because Kian had never allowed it to be tested. What they didknow was that the specialized earpieces that filtered regular compulsion were not going to block compulsion riding on thralling rather than sound waves.

"Good afternoon, Clan Mother." Bridget stepped out of her office with an expression that was part amused and part understanding. "There is not much change since last night."

"I know. But I had to come."

If she was bothering the doctor with her visits, Bridget would just need to get used to it because Annani intended to be in the clinic every day to check on Khiann's progress even if there was none.

If she could, she would have moved into one of the patients' rooms to be near him.

Actually, that was a good idea. There were no patients in those two rooms at this time, so theoretically she could.

But that was silly. She was a five-minute golf cart ride away, and twenty minutes away on foot. Moving into the clinic made no sense.

"I understand perfectly," Bridget said. "Would you like to come into my office so I can give you a proper update?"

"I would rather see them with my own eyes if you do not mind."

"There isn't much to see. They are still unrecognizable."

"I know." Annani held Bridget's gaze steadily. "I would like to see them anyway."

"Of course." Bridget gave her one more of those understanding doctor smiles. "We can go downstairs together. Julian and Gertrude are there to monitor the five, and I only supervise."

"Good." Annani fell into step with her. "You should not overtax yourself."