Page 93 of Dark Witch Resurrection

Opening the one drawer with her most precious possessions, she pulled out a lapis lazuli bracelet. It was priceless not because the stones were precious or the silver binding was costly, but because it was an antique. For her, though, the value came from the memories attached to the item. It was the first gift Khiann had ever given her when he was still pretending to be her tutor.

Even now, so many centuries after his untimely death, the sight of it brought tears to her eyes and a bittersweet ache to her chest.

She slipped it onto her wrist, the cool metal warming quickly against her skin.

When the doorbell rang in the living room, she turned around and stepped out of the bedroom to greet her son.

"Hello, Mother." Kian dipped his head to kiss her cheek. "You look lovely today. That color suits you."

"Thank you." She kissed him back. "I am ready to see my brother again."

Kian winced. "Are you sure I cannot convince you to wait? At least until Morelle wakes up as well. Wouldn't it be better to tell them the good news together?"

Smiling, she patted his arm. "That was an excellent argument, but I do not wish to wait." She moved her hand to her chest. "I feel that I need to tell him now, and I trust my instincts."

Kian nodded. "I won't argue with that. Your gut feelings are rarely wrong."

She gave him an amused haughty look. "Almost? Were they ever wrong?"

"I can't recall right now, but I'm sure you've not always been right."

"If you cannot think of an example, I must have been right every time." She strode toward the front door. "Did you bring the golf cart?"

"Of course, Mother." He opened the door for her. "I'm thinking of buying one that has air conditioning." He helped her up and walked around to the other side to sit behind the wheel. "It usually doesn't get hot enough in the village, so it's not a necessity, but occasionally we get very hot days." He smiled as he pulled into the path. "Imagine it was one of those days, and you were sweating on the way to an important meeting. You would be annoyed."

Annani knew what he was trying to do, and she appreciated the effort, but it was unnecessary.

She was not apprehensive about revealing who she was to Ell-rom and did not need to be distracted. She was excited, yes, but not nervous.

"I would not sweat during the five minutes it takes to drive the golf cart from my house to the pavilion, even on the hottest days, but it might benefit someone, and it is not a great expense, so go ahead. You do not need my permission to get it."

Kian smiled. "I am not asking for your permission, just for your advice."

Annani adjusted the folds of her skirt. "You are a very good son, Kian, but you were never very obedient."

He arched a brow. "When was I ever disobedient?"

She laughed. "Unlike you, who cannot remember even one occasion of my gut steering me wrong, I remember each of your many acts of defiance."

68

KIAN

"Itook Allegra to see Evander yesterday," Kian said as Anandur started the engine and pulled the SUV out of its parking spot. "Or E.T., as she named him. I was surprised at how emotional she got. She was so quiet when Alena held her together with little Evan, just staring at him until Alena told her that she could touch him. She brushed a finger over his hand and looked at Alena to make sure that it was okay. When Alena complimented her for being so gentle, she finally smiled, put her head on her aunt's chest, and just kept looking at the baby."

His mother smiled softly. "That is the wonder of new life, Kian, of creation. Even a little girl who is still a baby can feel the magic."

From the front seat, Anandur chuckled, his eyes twinkling with mirth in the rearview mirror. "Just wait until Evander is old enough to start causing trouble. Then we'll see how magical he seems. But that's nothing compared to Allegra. That little girl of yours is a rebel at heart. One look at her eyes, and it's obvious that she will be a major troublemaker."

Kian laughed. "Thank the merciful Fates we've got a few years before we need to worry about that."

"So, you don't deny it?" Anandur asked.

"No, I agree. My mother accused me of not being an obedient son, and she gave me several examples to prove her point. I don't expect my daughter to be any different."

Annani chuckled. "I cannot really blame you. You have gotten that from me. I was not an obedient daughter either."

"Thank the merciful Fates for that." Kian patted her hand. "Imagine where we would be if you followed your father's commands to the letter."