25. Annani

25

ANNANI

A s Annani turned into Kian's walkway, she saw him waiting at the door with Allegra in his arms.

"She is excited to see her Nana," Kian said.

"Nana." Allegra stretched her arms toward Annani.

That was the best good morning possible, and Annani's heart felt immediately lighter. "Come to Nana, sweetness." She took the child and kissed her on both cheeks.

Allegra leaned away, looked into her eyes with that too-old gaze, and then leaned back in and kissed the tip of her nose.

"You are so precious, my sweet little granddaughter." Annani hugged her to her chest and followed Kian inside.

The smell of Okidu's famous waffles mingled with the smell of Syssi's cappuccino and the sweet smell of the child in her arms was the best mix of aromas.

It smelled like home.

"I have your cappuccino." Syssi leaned to kiss her cheek. "Made with real milk the way you like it."

"Thank you." Annani sat down with Allegra in her arms. "I do not know how you can drink that vile oat milk." She held the child with one arm, lifted the cup with the other, and took a sip. "Perfect."

Syssi beamed at the compliment. "Thank you."

Annani tilted her head. "Am I keeping you from going to work?"

Smiling, Syssi sat down next to her at the kitchen table. "I called Amanda and asked her if leaving a little later today was okay. She has no classes on Fridays, so her schedule is more flexible. The postdocs can handle the research in our absence."

"I am glad I get to enjoy your company for a little longer." Annani reached for one of the waffles and handed it to Allegra, who snatched it with her usual glee at something tasty to munch on.

"So, what's got you so worried?" Kian asked as he sat on her other side.

Annani sighed. "The queen is insisting that we at least come up with a solid plan to fake the twins' deaths, and between the lines, she implies that if we cannot do that, we will have to resort to a less savory solution. We cannot afford even an iota of doubt to form in the Eternal King's mind regarding the twins' survival. He must be led to believe that they are dead and that their threat to him has been eliminated along with them. Our ruse needs to be perfect." Annani rose to her feet and put her granddaughter in her highchair. "I recommend doing so sooner rather than later because my grandmother is not a patient lady."

Kian chuckled. "I beg to differ. Someone plotting against her husband for thousands of years must be very patient."

"She deems my siblings a threat." Annani took a sip from her cappuccino. "Mostly, it is because the Eternal King will stop at nothing to ensure their elimination, even if it means obliterating Earth to achieve that goal, but also because of who they are and the powers they supposedly have, which might pose a direct threat to me. I tried to convince her that we need all the help we can get, and since we share a common enemy, the twins would naturally ally with me."

"That's an excellent argument," Syssi said. "How did she respond to that?"

Annani put the cup down. "She agreed with me but then pointed out that the twins might have their own agenda and that we must be careful."

"Nothing new there," Kian said. "We are taking every precaution with them. The plan is to induce momentary death, record it, and then revive them, but we can't do that until they are restored to full health. First, because they need to look as perfectly preserved as the Kra-ell who perished, so no one will suspect they entered unaided stasis, and second, so they survive the poison."

"Can I tell her that during our next chat?"

Kian hesitated. "Bridget needs to experiment with different doses of the poison to make sure it will work as intended and that she will be able to revive them. We might have to find another way if she says the poison is out. That's why I didn't want to tell the queen anything yet."

"We have to give her something," Annani said. "I think she is allowing us to nurse them back to health only because she knows it is important to me. If not for that, I do not doubt that she would have ordered Aru to get rid of them while still in Tibet. She might still do that once they no longer look emaciated." Annani glanced at her granddaughter, who was happily munching on the waffle.

"They are also her grandchildren," Syssi said. "How can she be so cold?"

Annani sighed. "Ani has been a queen for a very long time. She no longer thinks as a mother and a grandmother, if she ever did. I am precious to her not because I am her only son's daughter but because I am the heir, and she has no qualms about eliminating her other descendants if she deems them a threat to her plans."

Setting his drink down, Kian was considering the input. "Let me see how they are doing today and if Bridget has more insight about how to proceed. Hopefully, I will have more for you to share with the queen in your conversation with her tonight. But until the twins are awake, there is little point in you going to the keep."