In her selfishness, Annani had caused the devastation of the ancient world and ended the rule of the gods. On the other hand, thanks to her, he had gotten Areana.
No, that was not the right way to think about this.
If Annani hadn't set in motion the chain of events that had forced Areana to take her place as Mortdh's bride, Navuh could have courted her slowly and won her heart over time. They were fated mates, so his success had been guaranteed.
Except, he hadn't known that back then, and he had believed that the goddess would never consider a mere immortal like him, even though he was the son of the second most powerful god on Earth.
Would he have had the courage to approach her?
He wanted to believe that he would.
Still, there was no point in ruminating on the past and entertaining what-ifs. He needed to focus on the future, and the way things were looking now, getting Khiann to Annani in exchange for his freedom had just gotten much more complicated.
His sons had received their call to action following the booby traps being sprung, and the house of cards Losham had built was about to crumble.
"You said that if the booby traps were sprung, Khiann would be lost forever. Now you are claiming that no harm came to him." Kian's voice was accusatory. "One of those statements is a lie. How do we know which one?"
"The threat of destruction was meant to motivate you to accept my terms quickly. If you had simply agreed to release me, none of this would have happened."
"Are you certain that Khiann survived the explosions?" Annani worked hard to mask the fragile hope in her tone, but she wasn't fooling him.
"As certain as I can be without being there personally." Navuh softened his tone slightly. There was no point in being unnecessarily cruel when he needed her cooperation. "The chamber was built underneath the enclosure with reinforced walls, and the chests the bodies are in are nearly indestructible without being completely isolated because bodies in stasis still need some exposure to the elements to survive. The problem is that reaching them has become much more complicated. Digging through all of that debris will take weeks because they need to be careful, or the entire mansion will collapse. It also depends on how determined Losham is to discover what I was hiding in there. I have a feeling that he will be very busy very soon."
"Why?" Kian asked. "What was triggered by those explosions other than the collapse of your basement and part of your backyard?"
Was it prudent to tell them about the emails that had gone out to all of his sons? It might create a sense of urgency because the island would become chaotic, but then chaos was an advantagefor the clan. A divided enemy was easier to conquer, and Navuh didn't want the clan to win.
Then again, his freedom should be his top priority in his negotiations with the clan. Without him, the Brotherhood would not survive for long, so even if he didn't prioritize himself, he wouldn't be doing the island and the Brotherhood any favors.
"The explosion triggered an alert that went out to all of my sons." He folded the edge of his blanket to give himself a moment to gather his thoughts. "I got the idea while building the enclosure. I decided to build three of its walls from glass purely for my own personal enjoyment, knowing that it was safe in the basement of my mansion. But then it occurred to me that if I were no longer around, whoever took my place would want what's in there, imagining that it was some great treasure. My next realization was that whoever took my place was probably the one who eliminated me, and I wasn't going to allow the bastard to enjoy what was mine after killing me. That was how I got the idea to booby-trap the enclosure, and if the traps were sprung, an email would go out to all of my sons, informing them that I had been murdered and that either a traitor or an occupying force was taking possession of what was supposed to be divided between them. I could not have foreseen these circumstances."
He waved a hand over the blanket. "I don't know how Losham is holding on to power, but I suspect that he's hiding my absence, claiming that I suffered a nervous breakdown and refuse to see anyone."
Kian arched a brow. "Has that ever happened, to be believable?"
Navuh had no choice but to admit it. "It was never a nervous breakdown, but I had periods of rage that required me to isolate myself from others. It has only happened twice."
It had happened more than that, but only twice had he isolated himself for days, fearing he would harm Areana or others who were crucial to his continuing rule.
"Losham could have been claiming that he's just been filling in for me. But now his brothers will be converging like vultures, each one hoping to claim the throne for himself. He'll be busy defending his position and consolidating power."
"You set your sons against each other," Annani said, and there was derision in her voice. "Your revenge on whoever might have eliminated you."
"Yes, but not just that. It's a test. The strongest will survive. The weak will be eliminated. Whoever emerges victorious will have proven himself worthy of leading the Brotherhood."
"That is so heartless," Annani said. "So like you."
"That's the way of the world." Navuh smiled. "Survival of the fittest."
"Where does Losham fit into this?" Kian asked.
"Losham is smart and capable, and he probably believes he's already won. Of all my sons, he's the only one who has a chance of holding the Brotherhood together. My instructions in the alert were for them to form a council and work together, but I doubt they will do that."
He hadn't groomed them to cooperate. On the contrary, he had done everything he could to alienate them from each other so they would not conspire against him.
Navuh watched as Annani and Kian exchanged glances, trying to gauge their reactions and figure out how this new information might shift the balance of power between them.
He was at a disadvantage, physically weakened and imprisoned, dependent on their goodwill for his very survival. But information was power, and right now, he had something that they desperately needed. That gave him leverage.
