Kian arched a brow. "I find that hard to believe."
Areana glared at him, her meek and amiable façade abandoned, revealing the steel she hid underneath. "You don't have to take my word for it. You can check the surveillance recordings from Navuh's room. Every conversation we have had since arriving here has been recorded."
The challenge hung in the air between them. Kian held Areana's gaze for a long moment, then nodded. "Don't think that I won't do that."
Areana narrowed her eyes at him. "Your confidence in me is astounding, nephew."
He shrugged. "We all know that your loyalty belongs first and foremost to Navuh, and even though he is vile and deplorable, you are a captive of the truelove bond. I know the power it wields."
"And so does Navuh." Annani waved a hand. "If he really knows where Khiann is buried, keeping the information from me is just another testament to his sadistic cruelty. He kept Khiann from me for five thousand years, perfectly aware of the pain I was in."
Areana flinched. "I can't say anything in his defense."
"Because there is nothing to say," Kian hissed.
Annani leaned toward her sister. "Did Navuh ever mention Khiann to you at all? And if he did, did he ever hint that he might be alive?"
Areana shook her head. "No. Never. I always assumed Khiann was dead, just like everyone else, and I thought that your theory was just a desperate attempt to cling to some hope that Khiann might return to you. Navuh never said anything to suggestotherwise. But that doesn't mean anything. He had kept many things from me."
"Like what?" Kian asked.
Areana was quiet for a moment. "The enhancement program. He didn't tell me about it until trouble started. He also tried to keep the news about conflicts around the world from me. He knew that hearing about people dying upset me, so he tried to protect me."
"He kept you in a bubble," Kian said. "And that's a euphemism for isolation."
"I know." She sighed. "I lived in a gilded cage, but I did the best I could with what I had. Navuh left the management of the harem to me, and I treated it as my own little queendom, making sure that the ladies and the staff were well cared for. But as it turned out, Navuh had his secrets even there."
"What kind of secrets?" Annani asked.
"During the flood, when Elias and the security chief of the harem were doing everything in their power to safely evacuate everyone, Navuh sent guards, and we all assumed that they'd come to help. But they didn't emerge with people. Instead, they carried out large, heavy chests. The ladies and I were outraged because they had done nothing to help evacuate the servants. They came for possessions instead of people."
"Did you ask Navuh about it?" Kian asked.
"I did, but he said that what was inside those chests was none of my concern. I just assumed that it was some sort of treasure. Maybe gold or precious stones."
Annani was not surprised that Navuh had prioritized possessions over human lives. He had never cared about humans. Still, she was curious as to what he had been hiding in there.
"I should speak with Elias," Kian said. "The shaman had visions while touching Navuh, and he might have seen something relevant without understanding what it meant at the time. He and Tamira are coming over to our house for lunch tomorrow, so that will be a good opportunity to ask him."
Tomorrow was an eternity away when Khiann might be within reach. Every hour, every minute that passed was another moment her truelove mate spent trapped in stasis, and Elias might not know anything.
But what was the alternative? Free Navuh? Unleash him back into the world, where he could rebuild his empire, resume his campaign of terror, and undo everything the clan had fought for?
Could she be so selfish?
5
MATTIE
Feet aching and shoulders tight from hours of carrying trays, Mattie made her way to her room. Thankfully it was late, so there was no one in the corridor to see her limp, which was more pronounced because her left leg was throbbing. She'd been on it too long without stretching.
Cleaning rooms had been so much easier than serving drinks, and not just because there had been no guests in the hotel for weeks now, so it had been limited to the occasional refresh. Before, she could take short breaks to stretch her legs or sit for a little bit, and most importantly, she hadn't needed to interact with anyone. Now, in addition to strained leg muscles, she had strained facial ones because of the fake smile she had to maintain throughout her shift.
When she opened the door, Alina looked up from her bed. "Finally. We were starting to think that Nuri put you back on scrubbing floors."
"I wish." Mattie toed off her shoes with a sigh of relief. "The bar is a different kind of torture."
"At least you get tips," Yana said. "Must be nice to have some spending money."
