"There's always the apartment in the dungeon in the keep," Alena suggested. "It's perfect for him."
"It is not suitable for Areana," Annani said. "I do not want my sister to live underground anymore. She has lived without windows long enough."
Syssi turned to Kian, a small smile playing on her lips. "We're thinking about this all wrong."
Kian frowned. "What do you mean?"
"We keep trying to fit Navuh into existing spaces like the keep, the village, or Kalugal's area of it. But none of those work because no one wants him near, and the inescapable truth is that he's dangerous and toxic. We want to keep him away. The only solution is to create a new space. Somewhere separate, isolated, just for him and Areana, but not too far away so she can come visit her sister and her friends whenever she pleases."
"A new section of the village?" Amanda looked skeptical.
Syssi shook her head. "Not in the village. Somewhere else entirely. A property outside the village that we can secure and staff."
That was an interesting idea. It would require resources Kian didn't want to spare, mainly Guardians who would have to guard Navuh twenty-four-seven, but it was better than the alternatives.
"A separate compound," he said. "Isolated but comfortable, with Guardians watching Navuh around the clock. Safe Haven would have been perfect for that, but it's too far from here." He glanced at his mother, hoping she would tell him that Safe Haven was fine with her, but he knew she wouldn't want Areana so far away when she'd only just gotten her back.
"What about staff?" Alena asked. "Someone has to maintain the property, provide security, and cook meals. Are we going to assign Guardians to permanent Navuh-sitting duty?"
"We would need to rotate them," Kian said. "Short shifts and hazard pay. As for servants, I can't risk anyone doing that. Areana will need to learn to fend for herself."
His mother huffed out a breath. "My sister has spent five thousand years managing Navuh's harem. She does not know how to prepare breakfast or operate a washing machine. She needs at least one maid. Perhaps one of the humans will be willing to work there a few hours a day. She doesn't need full-time help."
"So, we're actually considering this?" Amanda looked around the table. "Building a whole new property just to house our enemy in comfort?"
"We're considering it," Kian confirmed. "Unless someone has a better idea?"
The silence was answer enough.
"Fine." Amanda threw up her hands. "But I want it on record that I think this is insane. We're bending over backward to accommodate a male who would happily slaughter us all if given the chance."
"Noted." Kian turned to Syssi. "Do you have a suggestion as to where this property should be?"
She shook her head. "Do you want me to summon a vision about this?"
"No," he said automatically. "We will figure it out the conventional way. I don't want to become so reliant on visions that I can't reach a decision without them."
Across the table, Kalugal nodded. "I'm willing to contribute financially. After all, this is my mother's comfort we are talking about. I just don't want Navuh near my family. Perhaps you can find another mountain peak nearby, or better yet, further out."
"Noted," Kian said.
Something about having Navuh in a remote location and not within the secure borders of the village bothered Kian. He wanted to keep the guy contained, and the village was impenetrable. Perhaps he could annex a neighboring area for the new compound. That way, it would be within the village borders but not part of it.
"I'll tour the adjacent plots of land to see if we can enlarge the village to contain a new compound."
7
TAMIRA
"Idon't understand how this small device can do so much," Tamira muttered, tapping the screen of her new phone and accidentally opening a calculator. "Do I just touch the numbers?" She tried to make a simple calculation to try it out, but she kept missing the numbers because they were too small. "I'll never learn to operate this thing. How do I get rid of the calculator?"
She glanced at the other patrons of the outdoor café, who were holding similar devices in their hands and staring at the screens as if they were sacred objects worthy of worship.
It wasn't healthy. Even those who were sitting with other people were glued to their phones instead of conversing with each other. Would she grow as attached to this piece of technology once she learned how to use it properly?
Eluheed leaned over her shoulder. "Press the arrow at the bottom to go back."
"What arrow?"
