41. Kian

41

KIAN

" W hat's your impression of him?" Kian asked when Bridget was done telling him about the prince.

There was a long moment of silence. "He opened his eyes and spoke. He recognized Jasmine as the one whose voice he had been hearing, and he responded to my questions with clarity and coherence. On the other hand, he had no idea that he was a prince and asked a prince of what? He remembered having a sister; that was the first thing he asked about. When Jasmine told him that his sister was alive, there were tears in his eyes. I might be wrong, but he doesn't seem like the scary, powerful creature that the Eternal King is afraid of. He didn't try to use compulsion on me or Jasmine, and if he even has the ability, he doesn't remember having it."

"How do you know that he didn't try?"

Bridget chuckled. "Come on, Kian. Do you think that I wouldn't have known? He didn't even ask me to do anything. Aside from asking about his sister, he was just reacting to me and my questions."

"He's recovering. I'm sure he will be less agreeable when fully healed."

"I don't think so," Bridget said. "He seems like a gentle soul to me."

Beside him, Syssi nodded sagely. "The prince was raised as a servant of the goddess. I don't know what that implies, but if it's anything like human monks and priests, it requires a certain level of humility and compassion."

Kian lifted a brow. "Not all monks and clerics are blessed with those two qualities, and that's putting it as mildly as I can. Some of those who call themselves men of god are servants of evil."

"I know, my love." Syssi patted his thigh as if she was gentling a wild horse. "But there are many good ones as well, and there is no reason to get all upset over nothing."

"Daddy?" Allegra looked at him with worried eyes from her spot on the floor.

"Everything is okay, sweetie." He forced a smile. "Daddy is not angry."

When she nodded regally and returned to her toys, the gesture was so like his mother that it made him smile.

He turned back to his phone and the doctor, who was still on the line. "I'll let my mother know. I'm sure that she would want to see her brother immediately, so get ready for a visit."

He'd managed to keep his mother away from the twins by convincing her to wait for them to wake up, and now that one of them had, she wouldn't want to wait another minute.

"You should bring Jade along," Bridget said. "Maybe seeing his people will jog his memory. I was very surprised he didn't react to how Jasmine and I looked. I thought he would assume we were goddesses, and maybe he did, but it didn't prompt a negative reaction from him, which is strange for someone who grew up surrounded only by Kra-ell and fearing gods."

Syssi shook her head. "He and his sister grew up in isolation. We don't know what they were taught by the priestess they were apprenticed to."

"True," Bridget agreed. "Let me know when you are on your way."

"I will." Kian ended the call.

"Your mother will be so thrilled," Syssi said.

Kian nodded, his mind already racing ahead to the safety measures needed to protect her.

With a sigh, he dialed his mother's number.

"Good morning, Mother."

"Good morning, my son." Annani sounded cheerful. "Are you bringing Allegra over?"

"Not today. Bridget just called to tell me that the prince was awake. He's weak and confused, but he's alive and speaking. I'm sure that you want to visit him as soon as possible."

"Of course. When are we leaving?"

"As soon as you are ready, I want you to wear a disguise."

There was a long moment of silence. "Why?"

"Precaution. I don't want him to know who you are until we are sure of his intentions. I wish you still had the Nurse Rachel costume."

Annani laughed. "Oh, yes. That was such a lovely outfit, but I am afraid that I do not know what happened to it. I might have donated it along with other old clothing."

"You probably did. I think a pair of jeans and a T-shirt will do the trick. That and tamping down your glow and making yourself less beautiful. He is only half god, so he might not be immune to your shrouding."

His mother scoffed. "If I need to shroud myself anyway, what do I need a costume for?"

"It's less tiring when you don't have to shroud everything for a long period."

Syssi leaned in close to whisper in his ear. "I could get a pair of jeans and a shirt from Lisa. She's much taller than your mother but just as slim."

Kian nodded. "Good idea." He turned back to his mother. "Did you hear that?"

"Yes, but it did not make me happy. You know how much I detest jeans."

"I do." He pulled out his trump card. "But I also know how much you want to see your brother."

"Very well," she said. "Are you coming over to collect me?"

"It's up to you. I can come over, and we can continue from your place, or you can come here. I still need to call Jade, and Syssi needs to get the clothing from Lisa, so let's make it an hour?"

"I will come to your place," his mother said. "Do I need to bring along my Odus?"

"That's an excellent idea, but one will suffice."

The Odus were the best protection for his mother, and they were immune to compulsion, but given the prince's weakened state, there was no need for more than one.

"I will be there in an hour." His mother ended the call.

Syssi pushed to her feet. "Can I come with you? I'm curious to see the twins."

"Of course, you can." He stood up and pulled her into his arms. "You don't need to ask. I'm always at your command."

"I know, my love." She stretched up on her toes and kissed him. "But I'm worried that your sisters will be upset for not being included while I was."

"Don't worry about them. Alena is not going anywhere because she can barely walk and is about to go into labor at any moment, and Amanda doesn't like to get involved in the early stages of anything."

Syssi laughed. "You know your sisters well. What are we going to do with Allegra? I don't want to take her with us, and I don't want to leave her with Okidu either."

"Take her to Andrew. Allegra loves playing with her older cousin."

"What if he asks why?"

Kian shrugged. "You can tell Andrew. It's not a big deal if he knows. By now, the entire village knows the twins are at the keep."

"That's good." She kissed him again. "The fewer secrets I need to keep, the better."