Annani opened her mouth to respond, then closed it. They might be right. She was asking a lot of Areana. Perhaps too much.
"I think Ell-rom's initial idea has merit," Carol said. "He and Morelle can wait in another room while you and Areana are having your moment, and once she calms down from that, you can call them in."
Given that everyone was nodding, it seemed to be a consensus.
"Very well," Annani conceded. "That is how we shall proceed. I will call for you once Areana and I have had our reunion."
The relief on the twins' faces was palpable, especially on Ell-rom's, the more sensitive of the two.
Ogidu glided forward with a tray of small pastries. "I prepared some sustenance. Lady Areana has been traveling all day and may arrive hungry."
"Good thinking," Jacki said, taking one of the treats. She broke off a small piece and offered it to Darius, who grabbed it with enthusiasm.
They settled into an uneasy silence, broken only by Darius's happy babbling and the quiet clink of teacups. Annani watched the clock on the wall, counting the minutes.
How long did it take to get Navuh to the clinic and ensure he was stable? Kian would have called if something had happened, so hopefully Navuh was still hanging on, not because Annani cared whether he lived or died but because she wanted her sister to be in a good mood for their reunion.
It was selfish, but she was allowed some selfishness once in a while.
When her phone finally buzzed in her pocket, she nearly dropped her cup of tea in her haste to retrieve it.
It was Kian, and she accepted the call right away. "Is everything alright?"
"Yes. We're on our way up. See you soon." He ended the call.
She made a quick calculation in her mind, estimating how long it would take them to get to the elevator and then how long the ride up to the penthouse would take.
Three minutes. Five at most.
"We should make ourselves scarce," Ell-rom said, pushing to his feet. "Any preference for which room we should wait in?"
Lokan shook his head. "Take your pick but leave the door open so you can hear when we call you."
He nodded and offered his sister a hand up. "Come on. We can wait in what used to be my bedroom when I stayed here."
They disappeared down the hallway, and the tension in the room intensified instead of easing.
Kalugal set down his cup. Lokan straightened in his seat. Carol and Jacki exchanged glances. Even little Darius seemed to sense something important was happening, growing still and quiet in his mother's arms.
Annani stood, smoothing her gown though it did not need smoothing. She was the Clan Mother. She had led her people through millennia of challenges. She had faced impossible odds and emerged victorious.
And yet her heart fluttered as she waited to see her sister again.
Two minutes ticked by, and then the doorbell chimed.
Kian's courtesy warning.
The door opened.
And there she was.
Areana.
Tall where Annani was petite. Blonde, where Annani was a redhead. Pale blue eyes, while Annani's were a more intense shade. But she was still unmistakably, undeniably her sister.
They rushed toward each other like gravity had finally properly aligned after being out of alignment for thousands of years.
They crashed into each other's arms, both crying, and nothing else in the world mattered except this moment, this reunion, this impossible gift of holding her sister once more.
