Page 92 of Dark Awakening: Hidden Currents

Then again, the discovery of the pod had not been Syssi's first or only successful vision. She had found David's mother and stepfather as well. It had been too late for the poor man, but David's mother had been rescued and was now living in the village, happily mated to Merlin.

Refusing to succumb to negativity, Annani put the hairbrush down, pushed to her feet, and exited her room.

"My dears," she said as she entered the dining room. "How wonderful it is to share a midweek meal with my family."

Kian rose to his feet and embraced her. "Hello, Mother," he said, his voice warm but with an undercurrent of tension that Annani immediately picked up on.

Syssi's hug was equally warm, but Annani could feel the strain in her shoulders. Whatever news they had brought, it was clearly weighing heavily on both of them.

Allegra, though, seemed oblivious to the undercurrents of adult tension and let out a happy squeal at the sight of her grandmother. Given that the baby had her own foresight, that was an encouraging sign.

Annani smiled, reached for her granddaughter, and pulled her out of the highchair, the simple joy of the child momentarily pushing aside her worries.

"How is my little princess today?" she cooed, planting a soft kiss on Allegra's cheek.

"Nana." Allegra cupped both her cheeks with her chubby hands and kissed her back with lips full of baby slobber.

"She's been excited all morning about seeing her Nana," Syssi said.

Annani walked over to the head of the table and sat down with Allegra in her lap.

"Let me put her back in her highchair." Kian reached for his daughter.

Annani was hesitant to let go of her shield, the bundle of joy that would keep her warm no matter how cold the news Syssi delivered, but she let her son take the child away because she was not a coward. Whatever news they brought, she could handle it.

When Allegra was securely fastened in her highchair, Annani rearranged the folds of her gown and lifted her chin. "You said you had news."

"I summoned a vision last night," Syssi said, her voice stronger than Annani had expected. "I thought about Khiann and hoped to see something that could lead us to him, and I think that the universe answered, but as is usually the case with my visions, what it showed me was just a hint that leaves more questions than answers."

Annani nearly sagged in relief. A hint was good. A hint meant that there was a reason to search, and hopefully, not just to bring Khiann to a proper burial.

"Tell me everything," she commanded.

"Of course." Syssi launched into a detailed description of her vision.

Annani listened intently, absorbing every word. The vast desert landscape, the mysterious woman with golden-flecked eyes, the ancient ruins half-buried in the sand—each detail painted a vivid picture in Annani's mind.

"The vision didn't show Khiann directly," Syssi said. "But I have a strong feeling that he's out there, buried somewhere in that desert, in stasis. And I think that Jasmine is supposed to help us find him."

Despite the warnings from her grandmother and the Oracle, Annani felt a spark of hope ignite in her chest. "You said that the face was partially covered with a scarf and that you could only see the eyes. The person was dressed in what is customary for men in that region. Are you making the assumption that it was Jasmine just because of the golden-flecked eyes?"

Syssi nodded. "It makes sense since she was able to scry for the pod. Otherwise, it wouldn't have occurred to me that it might be her."

Annani nodded. "Then we must act on this hint. What is the next step? Are we going to talk to Jasmine? Perhaps she could be given a map of the area and use her scrying abilities."

Kian looked hesitant. "I am planning to talk to her, but we probably need more clues to narrow the search. I don't want you to get your hopes up only to be disappointed."

Annani felt a flash of irritation. "My hopes are already up, Kian. I choose to believe that this vision suggests Khiann is alive." She took a deep breath, calming herself. "I want to visit Ell-rom today. We can go together, and I can talk to Jasmine directly."

Kian and Syssi exchanged another look, one that Annani could not quite decipher.

"Alright," Kian agreed. "We can go visit him after lunch."

That was easy. Usually, Kian required more prodding to fulfill her wishes. He probably felt bad for her and wished to please her.

"I need to change my plans with Amanda," Syssi said. "We were supposed to meet in the playground later."

Kian cast her a sidelong glance. "Allegra shouldn't miss her playdate. I'm sure Amanda will be happy to babysit her while we visit Ell-rom and Jasmine." He leaned toward his wife and smiled. "We haven't had an adults-only dinner in a while."