Page 50 of Dark Princess: Shadows

"That's alright," he said. "Your voice will come back. I'm certain of it." He hugged her again, pressing kisses to her tear-stained cheeks. "I love you so much, and I've missed you terribly, even when I couldn't remember exactly what I was missing. There was just this huge hole in my chest. Jasmine filled some of it, but it would never mend completely unless I had you back in my life."

Settling more comfortably on the edge of her bed, he kept hold of her hand. "I have so much to tell you. Jasmine is the one who helped our sister's people find us. We would have died if they hadn't reached us when they did. The stasis chambers had stopped working long ago, and they were sealed, so we couldn't absorb nutrients from the environment. We were nearing our end."

When Morelle's eyes widened, he realized that he was jumping ahead of the story. "We have a half-sister here on Earth, the daughter of our father. She is the leader of this community that shelters us, and she is incredible. Her name is Annani, and she isa full-blooded goddess. She is as magnificent as our father was, and maybe more. She is also loving and warm and has welcomed us into her clan with open arms." He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her fingertips. "I wonder how much Brandon has told you. Did he tell you about Annani?"

Morelle blinked twice.

"That's odd. I was sure he was telling you about the gods and immortals and their history on Earth." He chuckled. "Now I wonder what he has been telling you through the long hours he sat with you. Jasmine also sat by my bedside for days, talking to me, singing to me, pulling me back to consciousness. She did the same for you, just not as often, but it didn't work. I guess you needed a different kind of voice to reach you."

A small smile curled Morelle's lips, the first expression she'd managed other than the widening and narrowing of her eyes.

"Brandon has barely left your side since we moved to the village." Ell-rom put Morelle's hand down on her chest. "I think he fell in love with you at first sight." He chuckled. "As Kra-ell, we are not supposed to believe in love, let alone love at first sight. But the humans believe it, and I've learned that it can be very real. It happened to me with Jasmine."

He noticed Morelle's eyelashes starting to flutter, her eyes fighting to stay open. "You're tired," he said softly. "You should rest." Leaning down, he pressed another kiss to her forehead. When her eyes popped wide open, he quickly added, "Don't worry. I'm in the room next to yours, and I'll come back as soon as you wake up again. I'm not leaving you. I promise."

Morelle's eyes closed, and she let out a sigh.

He stayed for a moment longer until her breathing evened out into the rhythm of sleep that seemed frighteningly similar to a coma, but he had to trust that this was natural rest.

Morelle was back. His other half returned to him.

33

ANNANI

When Annani's phone rang, displaying Kian's name, her heart skipped a beat. Her son rarely called during work hours unless something significant had happened.

"Hello, Kian," she greeted. "Is everything okay?"

"Morelle woke up," he said, matter-of-fact. "She's resting now, but she was fully conscious and responsive, and Bridget says that she seems of sound mind and fully cognizant."

Joy surged through Annani's chest. "Thank the merciful Fates. I want to see her as soon as possible."

"I thought you would. I'll come get you with the golf cart as soon as Bridget lets me know that Morelle is awake again."

"I want to go now. Ell-rom must be overwhelmed with emotion, and I should be there with him to support him."

There was a brief pause before Kian responded. "You're right. I'll be there in a few minutes. Anandur is getting the golf cart."

After ending the call, Annani walked into her bedroom and examined her reflection in front of her full-length mirror.

Should she change into a different gown for her first meeting with her sister? It was a most special occasion, a heralding of a monumental shift in their family dynamic, but did it really require a different gown?

It was a silly thought since all of her gowns were equally beautiful and appropriate, designed for both comfort and elegance, but while she waited for Kian, she needed to do something to release the excited energy coursing through her.

Looking through her wardrobe, she chose a purple gown that complemented her red hair and exchanged it for the blue one she had put on that morning. The gowns were almost identical in their design and type of fabric, so the improvement in her looks was not significant. Living as long as she had and never changing, Annani had figured out a long time ago what made her look the best with the least amount of effort on her part.

Annani did not wear makeup or style her hair, which prompted complaints from her youngest daughter. Amanda often teased her about her low-maintenance style, but Kian, on the other hand, claimed that she was high maintenance, always requiring his time and attention.

Nonsense. She hardly ever called on him for anything.

Children.

No matter how old they were, they always found a reason to complain about their mothers.

Annani brushed her hair more out of habit than necessity, dabbed a touch of her favorite perfume behind her ears, andthen pulled out a pair of earpieces from her jewelry box and put them in.

She did not need them to filter compulsion, even though Kian insisted that she always wear them around Ell-rom and Morelle, but she did need them to translate. She also needed the teardrop to communicate with Morelle if she got a chance.