Kian pursed his lips. "I wonder if Spencer being an aura reader has anything to do with Tula. The Fates like to weave an intricate web."
"How old is he?" Wonder asked.
"Eighteen."
She waved a dismissive hand. "Too young for Tula."
"He has a girlfriend." Onegus turned to face her. "Her name is Sophia, and she's a potential Dormant as well. I forgot what her paranormal talent is."
"Precognition," Turner said. "But very weak. Her talent is almost negligible."
Of course, the guy had catalogued the talent of each of the paranormals in the former government program.
Their comms came alive with Yamanu's voice coming through. "We are in position. Team one is ready to deploy."
"Acknowledged," Onegus replied.
Wonder sucked in a breath. "It's really happening." She swallowed hard. "What if…"
"Don't." Kian reached for her hand. "Don't spiral into what-ifs. We've planned for every contingency. We have backup plans for the backup plans. The team knows what they're doing."
"But—"
"Wonder." He waited until she looked at him. "I know you're scared. But you falling apart won't help Tula. Trust the team. Trust the plan. And if you need to keep busy, make more coffee. We're going to need it."
5
AREANA
The silk pages whispered against Areana's fingertips as she turned them without reading a single word. The book was one of her favorites, ancient poetry from the Tang Dynasty, but tonight the elegant characters blurred together, meaningless marks on expensive paper.
Two hours remained until midnight, until she had to part forever with her best friend and confidant.
She forced her eyes to focus on a poem about autumn leaves and transformation, but all she could see was Tula's face when she'd learned only she could be extracted. The devastation. The guilt. The terrible acceptance.
Her hand trembled as she turned another page, and she pressed her palm flat against the silk to still it.
Across the room, Navuh sat in his preferred chair, reading some dense treatise on military tactics from the Napoleonic era. His expression was contemplative, almost peaceful.
She hated how much she still loved him in moments like this. Five thousand years together should have at least dulled thespark, but it hadn't. Even knowing what he was capable of, what he'd been responsible for, she looked at him and saw the man the Fates had chosen for her.
Her truelove mate, who would feel deeply betrayed if he ever discovered the truth about Tula's so-called suicide. He wouldn't understand that Areana was doing it out of love for Tula, not out of spite, not out of wanting to deceive him, not to cause him harm. She was doing it to save the life of her best friend.
But he wouldn't see it that way.
Navuh didn't care about Tula the person. To him, she was another immortal womb to produce sons he could adopt and raise to be his generals. He wouldn't mourn her death even though he'd known her since she was a young girl.
He had very little capacity for love and compassion, and what little he had he gave to Areana.
She should have drugged him with the same sleeping draught she'd given Tula for Tony. The bitter herbs were ground fine and mixed with honey to mask the taste, and they were enough to keep a human asleep until morning.
Tony would wake up tomorrow with a headache and no memory of Tula's final night.
But Navuh was an immortal, and the dose required to knock him out would have been massive. No amount of honey could mask that bitter taste. He would have tasted it immediately, and then?—
Then what? Would he have been angry? Suspicious? Or would he have laughed it off as one of her games, some elaborate seduction?
He'd let her tie him to the bed before. Perhaps she should have gone that route. Except, no ropes could hold Navuh if he really wanted to get free. He would just break the bed apart.
