52. Kian

52

KIAN

T he prince was nothing like any of them had expected, but then the guy didn't remember anything, including possible instructions to eliminate Ahn or whatever other agenda he had been ordered to follow.

Kian didn't like how close his mother was sitting to the guy or that she was holding his hand like he was a child. He was weak, that much was obvious, but it wouldn't take much for him to snatch the earpiece out of Annani's ear and compel her to do his bidding.

He couldn't imagine the amount of damage his mother could do if someone else hijacked her power.

At least she hadn't told the prince that she was his half-sister, but Kian wasn't sure how long she would be able to hold that back. If he were a human, his mother's impulsiveness would have given him an ulcer.

Still, it was difficult to feel threatened by a male who teared up over everything.

This male didn't appear to be the powerful, dangerous creature they had been warned about, which on the one hand was a relief because he didn't seem like a threat, but on the other hand, he was not a powerful ally who could help their cause either.

It was too early to make a definitive judgment, though. Time would tell, and in the meantime, Kian would ensure that no one neglected safety precautions just because the guy had leaky eyes.

He had seen enough monsters who had done horrific things, crying like babies when the tables were turned on them.

Filthy cowards.

Kian shook his head, dispelling the thoughts that didn't belong in this room.

The prince seemed like a genuinely gentle soul, and Kian was starting to think that the warnings about the twins' powers had been deliberate misinformation.

Their mother might have spread the rumors of their power and their danger on purpose to protect her children from their grandfather and others who might have wished them harm.

If so, it was a clever plan, he had to admit. It made the twins seem too formidable, too terrifying to attack, but the queen had miscalculated.

The worst thing she could have done for her children was to draw the Eternal King's attention to them and make him think that they might pose a threat to his throne.

"He's like a child," Jade whispered almost inaudibly behind him. "No grown Kra-ell male would tear up over every other sentence. His mother did a poor job of raising him. She didn't teach him the way of the sword or prepare him for life."

Her words were harsh, but they echoed Kian's thoughts. The prince had grown up sheltered and coddled, which hadn't done him any favors.

It didn't make sense, though.

Kian's mother had pushed him to take on responsibilities and become the leader she'd needed him to be from a young age, and Annani was a sweetheart. The twins' mother had to be a tough female, or she wouldn't have been a queen of the Kra-ell.

Perhaps she had done precisely what she had intended, though, and had raised her son to be gentle and loving and to value compassion and empathy over strength and power.

It was a radical idea, a concept that went against everything the Kra-ell valued, but maybe the queen hoped that her children would create a different society in the colony on Earth. The odd configuration of the twins' pod fit this radical idea. It was the only one with an equal number of females and males. Another possibility was that the sister was the powerful one of the two.

In the Kra-ell society, males were subservient to females, so it wasn't such a far-fetched idea.

"Why did you ask Jasmine to leave?" the prince asked Jade. "Is anything we discuss a secret that should be kept from her?"

"I am the secret," Annani said. "I do not wish to burden you with too many details, so I am not going to explain why I like to keep my identity hidden from any who are not part of my clan or affiliated with it. At the moment, Jasmine's affiliation is still in question."

The prince looked troubled. "Why is it in question?"

Annani was about to answer when the door opened, and Bridget stepped inside. "I apologize, Clan Mother, but I'm afraid this will have to do for today. The prince is exhausted, and his vitals are all over the place. He needs to rest now."

"Of course." Annani rose to her feet and leaned over the prince. "I shall visit again." She kissed his cheek. "Hopefully, next time I come, you will be well enough to tolerate me for a little longer."

The guy looked at her with so much affection, admiration, and longing that even a cynic like Kian was touched.

"I enjoyed every moment of your visit, Clan Mother. Every word was a revelation and a comfort. I am looking forward to many more talks with you." He smiled. "Someone needs to tell me who I am and where I came from."

Annani cast a glance at Jade. "There may be no need because your memory will return. It would be better for you to remember who you are than for someone else to shape your self-perception."

"Then we will spend time together talking about you and your world."

"I would like that," Annani said. "Now, close your eyes and sleep, my sweet brother."

Kian froze, but the prince just smiled. "Thank you, my lovely sister. I will obey your command."

He must have thought that Annani had called him her brother as a term of endearment and that it meant something other than an actual blood relationship.

Nevertheless, it was a slip-up that shouldn't have happened.