"I'm a one-of-a-kind weapon, and I've made my peace with that. The problem is that they might be overestimating my abilities. I can compel a group of people at once. A roomful, maybe more if I'm focused and they're not shooting at me. But I can't do what Navuh does. I'm nowhere near as strong as he is."
Despite her legendary big ego, Drova sounded unsure.
"Ruvon told me that paranormal abilities grow with age," Arezoo said. "That's part of why Navuh is so powerful. He's thousands of years old, and his compulsion has built up over time. Naturally, it's also genetics. Your genetics are strong, and you are still young. You will grow more powerful as you get older."
"Give me a few thousand years, and I'll be unstoppable. That's a comforting thought."
"You're already badass."
"Thank you. I work hard at it, or rather, my infamous genes do. I don't like to be reminded where I've gotten mine from."
Her father had been powerful and evil as well. The clan couldn't control him, so they opted to put him in stasis rather than execute him on the off chance they would need more information from him in the future.
Would they do the same to Navuh?
Compared to the head of the Brotherhood, Drova's father had been small fry. They should give Navuh a similar treatment, but they probably wouldn't because Navuh was part of the family.
Arezoo shifted on the bed, drawing her knees up. "It's funny, isn't it? How everyone is connected. Annani is actually Navuh's, what, second cousin? Something like that?"
"First cousin once removed, I think." Drova sounded like she was frowning, which was her default expression for any information that she was not an expert on. "I still don't have a good grasp on how those familial connections are defined. Mortdh was the son of Ekin, who was Annani's father's half-brother. Both Ekin and Ahn were sons of the Eternal King. So Annani and Mortdh were half-cousins, and Navuh is Mortdh's son. It's..." She trailed off. "It's too complicated."
"It gives me a headache," Arezoo admitted. "All these gods and half-gods and immortals, and they're all related to each other somehow. Annani and Navuh have been enemies for five thousand years, and they share a grandfather. It's like the worst family feud in history."
"Most wars are family feuds if you trace the bloodlines back far enough. The Kra-ell tribal wars are legendary. They have been tearing themselves apart fighting over things that seemridiculous in hindsight, and we are all descended from the same founding clans."
Drova had been born on Earth, so what she knew about her people she'd heard from her mother, and Arezoo wondered if it had been embellished. Jade was just as no-nonsense as her daughter, so making up things to aggrandize the Kra-ell history seemed unlikely, but she might have exaggerated a little.
"Can I ask you something?" she said.
"You're going to ask regardless of whether I give you permission."
"True. Are you worried?" Arezoo asked. "About the mission?"
"Worried is not the right word. I'm excited, but I'm aware of the danger, and I prepare. Training and planning for contingencies eliminates the need for worry."
Arezoo shifted her legs to her other side. "That's a very military answer."
"I'm a very military person."
"Drova. You don't have to pretend with me."
A sigh came through the phone, and it was clearly more meaningful than Drova's usual sighs of exasperation. "I'm cautious. The island is an unknown environment with a large, hostile population. Even a targeted operation carries serious risk, and the more complex the plan, the more things can go wrong. I'm confident in my ability, and I'm confident in the Guardians and the Kra-ell warriors. But nothing is certain, and shit happens."
"That's a much better answer."
"I'm glad you approve."
There was a long moment of silence, during which Arezoo listened to the faint ambient sounds coming through Drova's end of the call. Wind, the distant crash of waves, and in the distance, someone shouting orders in a language she didn't recognize.
"Tell me about this cocktail party that Amanda is planning," Drova said in a clear attempt to change the subject.
"Oh, you know Amanda. She's already in full production mode. The Odus are handling the food, Ruvon and his friends are setting up decorations on the village green, and Amanda has declared that the theme is 'elegance without formality,' which I think means she wants everyone to look gorgeous but doesn't want to deal with assigned seating."
"Has she picked your outfit?"
"She's offered to take me to her favorite boutique, but I know how much things cost there, so I said no. Ruvon took me shopping in the mall, and I got a very nice dress on sale."
"I hope it's comfortable," Drova said. "And wear low-heeled shoes. Don't let Amanda pressure you into sacrificing comfort for showing off. It's not worth it."
