Chapter 18 Arezoo #2
Her father had been powerful and evil as well. The clan couldn't control him, so they opted to put him in stasis rather than execute him on the off chance they would need more information from him in the future.
Would they do the same to Navuh?
Compared to the head of the Brotherhood, Drova's father had been small fry. They should give Navuh a similar treatment, but they probably wouldn't because Navuh was part of the family.
Arezoo shifted on the bed, drawing her knees up. "It's funny, isn't it? How everyone is connected. Annani is actually Navuh's, what, second cousin? Something like that?"
"First cousin once removed, I think." Drova sounded like she was frowning, which was her default expression for any information that she was not an expert on.
"I still don't have a good grasp on how those familial connections are defined.
Mortdh was the son of Ekin, who was Annani's father's half-brother.
Both Ekin and Ahn were sons of the Eternal King.
So Annani and Mortdh were half-cousins, and Navuh is Mortdh's son.
It's..." She trailed off. "It's too complicated. "
"It gives me a headache," Arezoo admitted. "All these gods and half-gods and immortals, and they're all related to each other somehow. Annani and Navuh have been enemies for five thousand years, and they share a grandfather. It's like the worst family feud in history."
"Most wars are family feuds if you trace the bloodlines back far enough. The Kra-ell tribal wars are legendary. They have been tearing themselves apart fighting over things that seem ridiculous in hindsight, and we are all descended from the same founding clans."
Drova had been born on Earth, so what she knew about her people she'd heard from her mother, and Arezoo wondered if it had been embellished. Jade was just as no-nonsense as her daughter, so making up things to aggrandize the Kra-ell history seemed unlikely, but she might have exaggerated a little.
"Can I ask you something?" she said.
"You're going to ask regardless of whether I give you permission."
"True. Are you worried?" Arezoo asked. "About the mission?"
"Worried is not the right word. I'm excited, but I'm aware of the danger, and I prepare. Training and planning for contingencies eliminates the need for worry."
Arezoo shifted her legs to her other side. "That's a very military answer."
"I'm a very military person."
"Drova. You don't have to pretend with me."
A sigh came through the phone, and it was clearly more meaningful than Drova's usual sighs of exasperation.
"I'm cautious. The island is an unknown environment with a large, hostile population.
Even a targeted operation carries serious risk, and the more complex the plan, the more things can go wrong.
I'm confident in my ability, and I'm confident in the Guardians and the Kra-ell warriors.
But nothing is certain, and shit happens. "
"That's a much better answer."
"I'm glad you approve."
There was a long moment of silence, during which Arezoo listened to the faint ambient sounds coming through Drova's end of the call. Wind, the distant crash of waves, and in the distance, someone shouting orders in a language she didn't recognize.
"Tell me about this cocktail party that Amanda is planning," Drova said in a clear attempt to change the subject.
"Oh, you know Amanda. She's already in full production mode.
The Odus are handling the food, Ruvon and his friends are setting up decorations on the village green, and Amanda has declared that the theme is 'elegance without formality,' which I think means she wants everyone to look gorgeous but doesn't want to deal with assigned seating. "
"Has she picked your outfit?"
"She's offered to take me to her favorite boutique, but I know how much things cost there, so I said no. Ruvon took me shopping in the mall, and I got a very nice dress on sale."
"I hope it's comfortable," Drova said. "And wear low-heeled shoes. Don't let Amanda pressure you into sacrificing comfort for showing off. It's not worth it."
Arezoo laughed. "That's sage advice from a girl who will probably wear combat boots with her bridesmaid dress. You are also over six feet tall, so you don't need to make yourself any taller."
"Neither do you, even though you are a shorty. You're perfect the way you are."
It hadn't escaped Arezoo's notice that Drova hadn't denied intending to wear combat boots with her bridesmaid dress, but she wasn't going to press the issue. Drova would look stunning regardless of her footwear.
"Thank you. It's very sweet of you to say that, but it's also annoying. You could wear a trash bag and make it look good."
"It's the confidence. It makes anything look good."
There was some truth to it, but a tiny waist, a flat chest, and an exotic alien beauty had a lot to do with that as well. The Kra-ell were built like fashion models.
Deadly fashion models with fangs who drank blood for sustenance.
"I'm working on it," Arezoo said.
And she was.
The girl who had arrived at the village barely able to make eye contact was still in there somewhere, but she was getting pushed further into the background by the woman Arezoo was becoming.
Drova's friendship had a lot to do with that.
It was hard to remain timid when your best friend was a deadly six-foot-something warrior who was also a powerful compeller.
"How's Ruvon taking the postponement?" Drova asked.
"With stoic acceptance." Arezoo smiled. "He said that waiting two more weeks is a small price to pay for having everyone there. Then he asked me if I was okay, and I said I was even though I wasn't, not fully, and he held me until I actually was."
"That's good. I see that my warning is effective."
Arezoo snorted. "I think he's forgotten about your threats if he mistreats me. He just wants to make me happy. That's his whole thing. He'll move mountains to give me what I want. Sometimes I feel like I don't deserve him."
"Stop that," Drova said. "You survived things that would have destroyed most people. If anyone has earned the Fates' boon, it's you."
Arezoo's eyes stung, and she blinked hard. "Since when do you invoke the Fates and not the Mother of All Life?"
"The Mother is not a kind deity. The Fates the clan believes in are much nicer, and the lore is that they reward those who suffered greatly or sacrificed greatly for others."
"Now you're being nice, and that's suspicious."
"I'm always nice."
"Right." Arezoo laughed again, pressing Ruvon's sweatshirt sleeve against her eyes to catch the few tears that had managed to escape despite her efforts to stop them. "I should let you go," she said. "It's late here, and you probably have things to do."
"I do. Save me something from that cocktail party. A cracker. A piece of cheese. I don't care. I just want evidence that you had a good time."
"You don't eat food. I can save you one of those fake juice boxes filled with blood. I'll put it in the freezer."
"Don't." Drova made a gagging sound. "Blood tastes gross after it has been defrosted and frozen again."
"I'll save you a decoration," Arezoo said.
"Take photos."
"I will."
They were both smiling, Arezoo was sure of it, even though she couldn't see Drova's face. Some things didn't need to be seen to be known.
"Good night, Arezoo, and don't worry about the mission. We know what we're doing. Well, most of us know what we're doing."
"Good morning, Drova. Be safe."
"I'm the most dangerous person on this island."
"I know. Just don't do anything stupid. Don't play the hero."