"True." She sat next to him, and as he immediately wrapped his arm around her, she leaned her head on his arm. "Big, scary daddy."
"That's me." He kissed the top of her head. "What were you saying about the vision?"
It took Syssi a moment to gather her thoughts and remember what she'd wanted to say. "I promised Eluheed to summon a vision that would help him find his charges, but with Khiann on my mind, the vision will most likely be about him." She paused, searching for the right words. "Besides, Khiann feels more urgent. I have a sense that we're running out of time."
He nodded. "I feel the same. If Losham gets to Khiann first, we will lose our advantage. Eluheed can wait. We need to prioritize Khiann."
Allegra rushed to them from the jungle gym, yelling, "Swing! Daddy, swing!"
"In a minute, sweetie." He pushed to his feet and turned to Syssi. "When are you going to summon it?"
"Tomorrow. I want to be well rested and have a clear head. The Fates will show me what they want me to see and not necessarily what I'm looking for, but I have a feeling that if I go looking for the hidden charges, what I'll find is Khiann anyway."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because everything seems to point to him." She rose to her feet and took Allegra's hand. "Let's go to the swings."
Kian lifted Allegra into the bucket seat, and Syssi began pushing her gently. "The Fates are weaving with gusto these days, and the threads are coming together."
Kian leaned against the swing set frame, watching their daughter soar through the air with her arms stretched wide. "If you're right, and everything is connected, then maybe finding Khiann will help Eluheed, too. Maybe the Fates are showing us that we need to solve one puzzle before we can solve the other."
"Or maybe they're all pieces of the same puzzle, but right now I cannot see the connection."
"That's a terrifying thought," he murmured.
"Is it?" Syssi smiled. "I find it comforting. It means that there's a plan, and that we might have an answer to the Eternal King's threat. You said so yourself."
He chuckled. "It feels to me like we're stumbling in the dark while someone shines a flashlight in our eyes occasionally, but instead of illuminating the way, the flash of light only confuses us further."
"Still, a blinding light is better than no light at all."
Allegra's swing was slowing, and she kicked her feet impatiently. "Mommy! Higher!"
Syssi gave her another push, sending her arcing through the air again. The simple joy on her daughter's face was infectious, a reminder that life was precious and perfect despite all the cosmic mysteries and ancient secrets.
"I keep thinking about Navuh and why he decided to bring Khiann and the others to his island," Kian said quietly. "He had no reason to suspect that he would ever get captured by us. TheBrotherhood was always much stronger than our clan, and direct confrontation was not feasible. He was also paranoid and never left his island. What made him think that he would one day need to use Khiann as leverage against my mother? That's why I have a hard time believing that he has Khiann. What makes more sense to me is that the chests he had removed from the flooded harem contained goods rather than people. He knew we would learn about them from the ladies or even from Areana herself, so he concocted a story that would fit that scenario."
What Kian said made sense, but her gut was saying that they would find Khiann in one of those chests. "We know that Navuh is paranoid. Maybe he collects leverage against everyone, just in case."
Syssi caught Allegra's swing and brought it to a gentle stop. Her daughter protested immediately. "More swing!"
"Maybe later, baby." She lifted Allegra out of the seat and set her on the ground. "Why don't you go play on the slide for a little bit?"
Allegra considered this offer, then nodded and ran off toward the colorful tubes.
"Stay where I can see you," Syssi called after her.
"She's not going to listen." Kian pushed his hands into his pockets.
"I know. But I have to say it anyway." She watched Allegra navigate the steps with careful concentration. "You might be right about Khiann not being there, but we still need to act as if he is. We don't have the luxury of dismissing the possibility."
A shriek from the climbing structure made them both turn. Allegra had made it to the top of the slide and was preparing to launch herself down with reckless abandon.
"Both hands on the sides!" Kian called out.
Allegra ignored him completely and slid down with her arms in the air, giggling the whole way.
"She gets that daredevil attitude from you," Syssi accused.
