Stepping out of the penthouse, she stopped by the huge fresh flower arrangement dominating the round console table and ran her fingers along the petals of a gorgeous bird of paradise. Glancing at the door to Carol and Lokan's penthouse, she contemplated knocking on their door and asking if they knew who was maintaining the arrangement, but it was unlikely that they were in. They were busy with a group of humans who had paranormal abilities and were potential Dormants.
It was such a blessing to have them right next door. She'd had coffee this morning with her son and his mate, and it had felt so wonderful to be able to do so. Her only regret was that Navuhwould probably never get to enjoy such simple things, and not just because he would spend the rest of eternity as a prisoner.
His sons didn't seem inclined to visit him.
Right now, he was still sedated, so it wasn't an issue, but she had a feeling they wouldn't want to see him even when that was no longer the case.
Their father wouldn't stay sedated for much longer.
Bridget had reduced the dose she was giving Navuh because he was doing so much better and was no longer in critical condition. His internal organs had already repaired themselves, and his shattered spine and all the other broken bones had been set properly and were on the mend, but the nerve damage would take months to fully heal.
Soon, he would be awake, though, and the thought filled Areana with equal parts of excitement and dread. Excitement that her mate was healing and returning to her and dread when thinking of his reaction to what she had cost him.
What would he say when he saw her? Would he remember what had happened? Would he blame her for his captivity?
With a sigh, Areana pressed the elevator call button and waited.
Her thumbprint had been programmed into the security system, allowing her access to the elevator so she could move freely between the penthouse level and the underground facilities. Without that clearance, the elevator simply wouldn't respond.
It occurred to her that the extensive security measures indicated that Kian shared his uncle's paranoid tendencies. Naturally, he would hate to hear that he had anything in common with Navuh, whom he despised, but he couldn't deny their shared genetics.
As the elevator arrived, Areana stepped inside and pressed the button for the clinic level. It seemed like only seconds had passed when the doors opened, and Areana walked out into the corridor leading to the clinic, her low heels clicking against the concrete floor and announcing her approach.
When she got to the outer door of the clinic's double-door security system, Areana looked up at the camera mounted above it, smiled and waved at the Guardians who were watching the feed in the security office, and then waited.
The door hissed open, and she stepped into the small chamber that was barely large enough for a gurney and two people. When the outer door sealed behind her with a click, she counted the seconds until the inner door opened.
One. Two. Three. Four. Five.
The lock disengaged, and the inner door swung outward.
It was ridiculous, really. All this security for a paralyzed man who wouldn't be able to move for weeks or months to come. Navuh was no threat to anyone in his current state, especially since they were all wearing those specially designed earpieces that filtered compulsion.
Areana didn't need them.
She'd always been immune, perhaps because she was a goddess, and immortal mind manipulation did not work on gods, or perhaps because that was how the Fates had decreed it. It had been one of the things Navuh had been attracted to. Knowing that he couldn't compel her or enter her mind made her more interesting to him.
As Areana stepped into the clinic proper, Bridget walked out of her office.
"He woke up," the doctor said. "About twenty minutes ago. He asked for you. Then he fell asleep again."
Areana's hand flew to her chest, her heart suddenly racing. "You said it would take hours for him to wake up."
"I did," Bridget confirmed. "Frankly, he surprised me. I didn't expect him to shake off the sedative so quickly."
Underestimating her mate was not smart. He was always one step ahead of everyone else, sometimes several steps, and it seemed that his body was aligned with his mind in that regard.
"How was he?" Areana asked. "Was he angry at me?"
Bridget's expression softened. "Your name was the first word out of his mouth. He was terrified that you hadn't survived."
Relief washed through her so powerfully that her knees went weak. "What did you tell him?"
"That you were fine, and that you'd gone to shower and change because you wanted to look pretty for him when he woke up. He was so relieved to hear you were okay that he seemed to forget to be angry. At least initially."
"And then?" Areana braced herself.
"Then he demanded to see Annani."
