Page 62 of Dark Awakening: Hidden Currents

Toven leaned back, his expression serious. "This is a lot to take in, and it's not a decision to be made lightly. Becoming immortal seems like a no-brainer, and it opens up a world of possibilities you've never imagined, but it has some downsides that you should be aware of, so take your time deciding."

The words hung in the air, heavy and impossible. Rob felt a hysterical laugh bubbling up in his throat. This had to be some kind of joke, right? Some elaborate prank to distract him from his heartbreak?

But as he looked at his sister's earnest face, he felt the laughter die in his chest. "What downsides?"

As Toven began to explain further, Rob felt a strange mix of emotions washing over him. Fear, excitement, disbelief, hope—they all swirled together in a dizzying emotional dance. But beneath it all, there was a spark of something he hadn't felt for a long time, much longer than the recent breakup. It was a possibility.

The world as he knew it had already been turned upside down by Lynda, but now the future didn't look as glum anymore.

By the time the god was done explaining the possible dangers of transitioning into immortality and the limitations of leadinga life that had to be shrouded in secrets, Rob had made up his mind.

"I don't want to wait. I want to do it as soon as possible."

Toven looked at Margo before returning his gaze to Rob. "There is one slight complication. Your transition probably needs to happen in the immortals' hidden village, and Margo can't come with you. I didn't explain about her transition and why her situation is unique. I leave it up to her, but I need to call the leader of our community to ask how we should proceed."

"Who is your leader, the goddess?" Rob asked.

If it wasn't Toven, the only other one could be the other surviving goddess. The Clan Mother, the one who had created this clan of immortals.

"Her son," Toven said. "The goddess is semi-retired. She is still the head of the clan, but her son runs the American part of the clan, and her daughter runs the European one."

"When can I go there?"

Toven sighed. "If I get approval from Kian, I can take you there right now, but I'm sure that you need a few days to organize things so you can take the time off. The transition process can take between several days to several weeks."

Rob felt a thrill at the idea of leaving everything behind right now and starting a new adventure.

"If the boss agrees, I would love to go with you. I don't want to go back to the house I shared with Lynda. The only thing I need is my laptop, and I have it with me. I can work from anywhere as long as there is internet access."

Margo snorted. "Don't be silly. You need to get some clothing from the house. You can't just go. Where will you even stay?"

"Rob can stay with us," Mia offered. "We have an extra bedroom. And as for clothing and other things, we can stop at a department store on the way and get him whatever he needs."

Margo shifted her gaze back to him. "Is that what you want to do?"

"Yes. More than anything. I don't want to see Lynda's face ever again if I can help it."

Toven pushed to his feet. "I'll call Kian from the terrace."

45

KIAN

Kian paced between the living room and the closed door of Allegra's room. The silence stretched on, broken only by the soft sounds of his daughter's steady breathing coming through the baby monitor. Syssi had been in there for what felt like an eternity, and with each passing minute, his worry grew.

Summoning a vision wasn't easy, and the intensity, duration, and effect on Syssi varied tremendously. Some left her just a little shaken or puzzled, while others made her lose consciousness, and those were the ones he feared the most.

She was immortal, he reminded himself. Nothing was going to happen to her.

It wasn't self-talk to make himself less worried. It was the absolute truth, and yet he couldn't help the churning in his stomach. Maybe Syssi was right, and it was his obsessive need to be in control of everything that made her visions seem so dangerous to him. He didn't understand them; he couldn't do anything about them, and they affected the person he loved most in this world.

Syssi would be appalled to hear him say that, which was why he never did, but as much as he loved their daughter, one day Allegra would fly the coop to find her own destiny, and then it would be back to just Syssi and him, and that was fine. She was his entire world.

It was taking her too long this time.

Perhaps he should check his emails as a distraction from the gnawing concern in his gut.

When his phone rang the moment he pulled it out of his pocket, he nearly dropped it. Cursing under his breath, Kian checked the caller and was surprised to see the name on the screen.