"He doesn't sulk," Syssi whispered. "He expresses his displeasure through passive-aggressive tea preparation."
Annani laughed. "We cannot risk it. Tea should be served with a side of calm."
As Okidu emerged from the kitchen with a platter of golden waffles, fresh berries, whipped cream, and warm maple syrup, Allegra lunged for the whipped cream. "For me!"
"Yes, sweetness. For you." Annani dolloped a modest spoonful onto Allegra's plate. "Do you want a waffle and strawberries with your whipped cream?"
Allegra nodded, but she was already dipping her spoon in the cream and bringing it to her mouth.
As his mother placed a waffle on Allegra's plate and cut it into small pieces, Kian was struck, as always, by the contrast between Annani the goddess and Annani the grandmother. Except that the contrast was just in appearances. Annani was regal and commanding when she presided over clan ceremonies or on the rare occasions that she attended council meetings, but she treated her extended family with the same love and care as she treated her little granddaughter.
Feeling his gaze on her, she shifted her eyes to him and smiled. "Now that the waffles are served and we have tea, tell me your news before I explode from curiosity."
Kian set his fork down. "Yesterday, Syssi and I had lunch with Elias and Tamira. Just as an aside, his real name is Eluheed. He used Elias because he thought it would raise fewer questions."
"Questions about what?" Annani asked.
"His origins. I can't say more because I promised him I would not reveal his secrets until he approves it. I'm sorry. I don't like keeping things from you."
Annani nodded. "I hope this is leading to the good news you mentioned."
"It is. As I told you, I wanted to question Eluheed about the visions he provided Navuh and whether he saw anything in them that might hint at Khiann's location. He didn't, but Tamira mentioned the treasure chests that Navuh's guards removed from the flooded harem, the ones that Areana talked about, and she added that Navuh built a very secure and peculiar glass enclosure in the basement of his mansion and filled it with sand. She speculated that he did it to store the chests from the harem. Five chests, each large enough to contain a body." He leaned toward his mother. "Remember Cyra's drawing of the five stick figures sleeping in the sand?"
"How could I forget?"
"Allegra drew five golden stars and brought them to Eluheed as a present. It could all be a coincidence, but it looks to me like the Fates are pointing us in a certain direction."
Annani's eyes shone brighter with each detail, and by the time he finished, she was practically vibrating with excitement.
"Five chests, each big enough to hold a person," she repeated his words.
"Yes. According to Eluheed, the enclosure also had its own climate control, which is another clue."
Annani closed her eyes momentarily, and when she opened them again, they blazed with so much fury that Kian leaned away.
"That monster." Her voice was low and controlled, but it vibrated with barely contained rage. "For five thousand years, he hoarded my mate like a stolen treasure."
"We don't know for certain that he has always had Khiann. He might?—"
"No." Annani cut him off. "That is precisely what Navuh would do. He knew that a day would come when he would have to negotiate with me, and he held on to Khiann for that day. "
Sensing the tension, Allegra patted Annani's cheek. "Nana sad?"
"No, precious one." Annani kissed her forehead. "Nana is angry. There is a difference."
"Angry at waffles?"
"I am angry at someone who does not deserve waffles and is never going to get them."
Allegra nodded solemnly, as if this made perfect sense.
Annani turned to Kian, and her expression hardened. "I want to see him. Today. I want to look into his eyes and tell him that I know. That his leverage is gone. That he will rot in a tiny prison cell without ever even smelling freedom."
Kian had expected this. "I know that it will be incredibly satisfying for you to see his face when you tell him that his leverage is gone, but I think it would be better if I went alone."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Why?"
"Because Navuh will try to manipulate you. He'll use your emotions against you and find a way to twist every word into a weapon. He's prepared for you, but he's not prepared for me. With me, it's business. With you, it's personal." Kian met hergaze steadily. "Let me deliver the blow. Let me be the one to wipe that smug smile off his face. You can watch the surveillance feed if you want, but don't give him the satisfaction of seeing your pain in person."
