"How do you know?"
He walked over to the couch and sat down. "We placed the call as planned, and Losham answered. When Toven commanded him to stop trying to breach the enclosure, he informed us that we were too late. The irony is that it happened just shortly before wecalled. He must have been working on it day and night for days. The section of the basement with the enclosure collapsed, and Losham said it will take weeks to dig through the rubble."
"So, we do not know whether anyone survived in those chests?"
The silence that followed was answer enough.
Kian let out a breath. "Toven believes there's a chance, and I agree. Navuh might have designed the traps to appear destructive without actually destroying the contents. A bluff. But we won't know for certain until they dig through the debris."
A chance. There was still hope. The thread was so thin that it might snap in the slightest breeze, but it was better than nothing.
Annani had built her entire existence on threads like that.
"We need to talk to Navuh," she said, the words coming out flat, emotionless despite the storm raging inside of her. "Right now."
Kian nodded. "I agree. Losham said something peculiar. He asked Lokan if Navuh had included him in the global alert to all of his sons, and I wonder what that's about. I intend to ask Navuh about it."
She nodded. "I am ready to leave right now."
"Anandur and Brundar won't be happy about driving to the keep this late in the day," Kian murmured as he pulled out his phone, typed a short text, and sent it.
The return texts came in within seconds, just as Annani had expected.
There were advantages to her status. No one said no to her, not out of fear but out of love and respect.
As if summoned by her thoughts, Ogidu appeared with a light wrap. "Will this suffice, Clan Mother? Or would you like a more substantial outer garment?"
Normally, the pashmina shawl would have been enough, but today, she needed the added warmth of a proper coat. The chill of the evening air would turn into the cold of the night, and she was already chilled to the bone.
"Please bring me the velvet coat."
"Right away.” Ogidu bowed and retreated to get what she had asked for.
Kian observed the exchange with a frown. "Are you ready to face Navuh right now? Perhaps it would be better to wait until you are more collected. He's a master at finding weaknesses and exploiting them. He'll use your pain against you if you allow him in."
"I know who and what Navuh is." Annani let Ogidu drape the velvet coat around her shoulders. "I have had five thousand years of practice hiding my emotions. I think I can handle one manipulative immortal."
Kian knew her well, and he was right about her emotional state being fragile right now. It would have been better to appear at Navuh's room with Morelle and Mia at her side, one to siphon Navuh's vitality and the other to reinforce Annani's ability, but she was not ready for an all-out battle.
Not today.
She was too weak. Too devastated.
The golf cart arrived within minutes, Anandur at the wheel and Brundar a silent shadow beside him.
Tonight, neither of them was smiling.
"Clan Mother." Anandur hopped out to help her into the back seat even though Kian was right there. "Please don't lose hope."
"Never." She patted his arm. "It is not in my nature to give in to despair."
The ride to the glass pavilion was short, silent, and dark. The sky was cloudy, so there was only a little moonlight to navigate by, and the air smelled of rain. Somehow, it was fitting that nature appeared somber on a night like this.
Please send me a sign, Annani beseeched the Fates.Keep my hope alive.
She watched the quiet village they were passing by, admiring the peaceful sanctuary that Kian had built for their people to hide from those bent on their annihilation and to enjoy the illusion of safety.
And it was an illusion because, as Navuh's capture had proven, no place guaranteed security.
