Page 79 of Dark Princess: Shadows

"Thank you," Brandon replied as he exited the cart.

He came around to help her down and offered her his hand, but she was still observing the two strange males.

Something about them bothered her. Their scent was wrong. Not quite living, but not dead either. She wrinkled her nose, trying to place the strange chemical undertone. "Who are these people?"

Brandon's arm slipped around her waist, supporting her as they walked. "Have you heard about the Odus?"

A shiver ran through her body as she remembered what she had learned about the creatures. "I have, but I've never seen one. They were destroyed on Anumati, and no more were made. Is that what those two are?"

"Yes, and they serve the Clan Mother. You have nothing to fear from them. They were vilified on Anumati through no fault of their own. The gods reprogrammed their servants to become killing machines and fight the Kra-ell, and then they blamed the Odus for the bloodshed. It's like blaming the weapon for killing and not the person pulling the trigger."

"We were told that they malfunctioned."

"It was a lie." Brandon helped her climb the stairs to the porch, patiently waiting as she lifted one leg and then the other. "The Eternal King, your grandfather, realized that the Odus could be mobilized against him once everyone knew it could be done. That was why he ordered them to be destroyed, along with the blueprints for how to make them. Naturally, he put a benevolent spin on the move, making himself look like the victim and the savior."

After she had made it over the three steps, Morelle had to stop and catch her breath. "It is embarrassing how difficult it was for me to climb these. I should be able to leap over them."

"You will before you know it."

She looked over her shoulder at the Odus, who were done unloading the cart and were waiting for her and Brandon to clear the steps before following them with all the packages.

They seemed so accommodating, so harmless, and yet she couldn't shake the feeling that they were dangerous.

But Brandon was right.

They were just a device, a tool, possibly a weapon, and how they were used was up to their owner. She had to trust that Annani would only use them for good.

"How did they get to Earth? I thought they were all destroyed."

Brandon's arm tightened around her waist. "Someone must have sent them to Earth to save them. Perhaps the god who created them wanted his creations to survive. These two and five others were found wandering the desert, their memories of their past wiped away. One of the gods found them, and they were given as a gift to Annani."

"Excuse us," one of the Odus said as he and his twin passed them by, each carrying a mountain of packages.

They disappeared into the house, and a moment later, one of them returned. "Please, come in. The Clan Mother is awaiting you in the living room." He bowed and retreated inside.

"They are very efficient," Morelle whispered.

Brandon chuckled. "They're also excellent cooks, keep the house spotless, and never sleep. Your sister is very fond of them, and she treats them as if they are sentient, which we all believe they are becoming."

The hint was obvious. She needed to treat the Odus as if they were people because that was what her sister expected.

As they entered the reception room, Annani rose to her feet, looking resplendent in a green gown, her flowing red hair looking like a live flame in the light streaming through the large window.

"Welcome home, sister of mine," Annani said and opened her arms to Morelle.

50

KIAN

Kian was halfway to the door when his phone buzzed. Seeing Onegus's name flash across the screen, he paused, pulled out a chair next to the conference table, and sat down.

His mother hadn't specified a precise time for lunch since she didn't know when Morelle and Brandon would be done with their tour, so he could spare a few minutes to talk with the chief.

"Hello, Onegus," he answered.

"We may have stumbled onto something bigger than we anticipated," the chief said. "I put Roni on tracking potential targets, and what he found was shocking, to be honest."

"That bad?"