Dark Island Bargain (The Children Of The Gods #103)

Chapter 1 Areana

AREANA

Areana's new reality was a mixed bag, some of it wonderful, some of it difficult.

Only three days had passed since she and Navuh had arrived at the keep, he on the verge of death, and she clinging to him desperately, terrified that if she didn't constantly watch him, he would be snatched away from her and taken beyond the veil.

It seemed like so much more time had elapsed, which was just one more indication that her sense of temporal continuity was thoroughly scrambled.

The important thing, though, was that Navuh was no longer teetering on the edge of death, and she could allow herself to focus on mundane things like trying on the dresses that Annani had commissioned for her.

The seamstress must have worked overnight to deliver the first two so quickly. The woman had used the same patterns she had ready for Annani's dresses but had made adjustments for Areana's taller and broader frame.

The results were perfect.

Standing in front of the full-length mirror in the bedroom of Amanda's old penthouse, Areana smoothed her hand over the teal silk gown, finally feeling like her old self again.

Wasn't it ridiculous to derive so much comfort from a familiar style of clothing?

The dress was beautiful, and it made Areana feel beautiful as well. It made her feel like the goddess she was and not a displaced female with nothing to her name.

The teal color complemented her pale complexion, and it was so much more comfortable than all the borrowed modern clothing she had been wearing since the rescue.

Had it been a rescue, though?

Perhaps for the others, but not for her. She hadn't wanted to be saved. She hadn't needed saving. It had been an accident. But everyone else was calling it a rescue, including her sons, and she didn't bother to correct the misconception because what would be the point?

It would only reopen old wounds that might be finally healing.

Her sons couldn't understand her refusal of extraction from the island, couldn't comprehend her love for their father or appreciate her role in protecting countless people from Navuh's cruelty if it was left unchecked, and Areana was tired of trying to explain.

Areana was happy for Tula, Tamira, and the other ladies, who were all living among Annani's people in the village and enjoying the community and each other, but it would have been nice if they were with her in the clan's keep in downtown Los Angeles, so she wouldn't be so alone.

The penthouse was more spacious than her quarters in the harem, but it lacked the softness and familiarity of what had been her home for so many decades.

It was also deathly quiet and lonely.

Thank the merciful Fates for Lokan and Carol, who were staying in the other penthouse across the vestibule, or she would have been starved not only of company, but literally. She didn't even know how to prepare her own meals, and if not for them, she would have been subsisting on tea and coffee.

At least she knew how to make those.

Areana chuckled. Here she was, a five-thousand-year-old goddess who was scared of operating an oven and learning how to take care of herself without the help of a maid.

Unlike her, Annani had been on her own since she was eighteen years of age and had accomplished the impossible. She'd built an empire with nothing but their uncle's tablet and had raised accomplished children who loved and respected her.

Areana couldn't help but feel a little envious of her petite powerhouse of a sister. It wasn't fair that Annani had inherited their father's tenacity and ability, while Areana had only inherited his looks.

She sighed.

She shouldn't question the Fates. They were wise and merciful and had crafted a destiny for each sister according to her ability. Annani was born to lead, while Areana was meant to be the calming and balancing force that had kept Navuh from burning down the world.

Thankfully, Annani understood that, and she didn't look down her nose at her meek sister or condemn her choices.

Instead, Annani had wrapped her arms around Areana and had told her that she understood that truelove mates stood by each other's side no matter what, and that she would have done the same if their roles were reversed.

Areana was not sure that was true, but it had been nice of Annani to say so. Knowing that her sister didn't condemn her for staying by Navuh's side made her feel accepted when she'd expected to be scorned.

Casting one last look at the mirror, she combed her loose hair with her fingers instead of trying to fashion it into an elaborate updo. She had no maid to help her anymore, and she didn't want to waste any more time on her looks when she should be heading back down to the clinic.

Besides, Navuh preferred her hair this way.

Stepping out of the penthouse, she stopped by the huge fresh flower arrangement dominating the round console table and ran her fingers along the petals of a gorgeous bird of paradise.

Glancing at the door to Carol and Lokan's penthouse, she contemplated knocking on their door and asking if they knew who was maintaining the arrangement, but it was unlikely that they were in.

They were busy with a group of humans who had paranormal abilities and were potential Dormants.

It was such a blessing to have them right next door.

She'd had coffee this morning with her son and his mate, and it had felt so wonderful to be able to do so.

Her only regret was that Navuh would probably never get to enjoy such simple things, and not just because he would spend the rest of eternity as a prisoner.

His sons didn't seem inclined to visit him.

Right now, he was still sedated, so it wasn't an issue, but she had a feeling they wouldn't want to see him even when that was no longer the case.

Their father wouldn't stay sedated for much longer.

Bridget had reduced the dose she was giving Navuh because he was doing so much better and was no longer in critical condition.

His internal organs had already repaired themselves, and his shattered spine and all the other broken bones had been set properly and were on the mend, but the nerve damage would take months to fully heal.

Soon, he would be awake, though, and the thought filled Areana with equal parts of excitement and dread. Excitement that her mate was healing and returning to her and dread when thinking of his reaction to what she had cost him.

What would he say when he saw her? Would he remember what had happened? Would he blame her for his captivity?

With a sigh, Areana pressed the elevator call button and waited.

Her thumbprint had been programmed into the security system, allowing her access to the elevator so she could move freely between the penthouse level and the underground facilities. Without that clearance, the elevator simply wouldn't respond.

It occurred to her that the extensive security measures indicated that Kian shared his uncle's paranoid tendencies. Naturally, he would hate to hear that he had anything in common with Navuh, whom he despised, but he couldn't deny their shared genetics.

As the elevator arrived, Areana stepped inside and pressed the button for the clinic level. It seemed like only seconds had passed when the doors opened, and Areana walked out into the corridor leading to the clinic, her low heels clicking against the concrete floor and announcing her approach.

When she got to the outer door of the clinic's double-door security system, Areana looked up at the camera mounted above it, smiled and waved at the Guardians who were watching the feed in the security office, and then waited.

The door hissed open, and she stepped into the small chamber that was barely large enough for a gurney and two people. When the outer door sealed behind her with a click, she counted the seconds until the inner door opened.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five.

The lock disengaged, and the inner door swung outward.

It was ridiculous, really. All this security for a paralyzed man who wouldn't be able to move for weeks or months to come. Navuh was no threat to anyone in his current state, especially since they were all wearing those specially designed earpieces that filtered compulsion.

Areana didn't need them.

She'd always been immune, perhaps because she was a goddess, and immortal mind manipulation did not work on gods, or perhaps because that was how the Fates had decreed it.

It had been one of the things Navuh had been attracted to.

Knowing that he couldn't compel her or enter her mind made her more interesting to him.

As Areana stepped into the clinic proper, Bridget walked out of her office.

"He woke up," the doctor said. "About twenty minutes ago. He asked for you. Then he fell asleep again."

Areana's hand flew to her chest, her heart suddenly racing. "You said it would take hours for him to wake up."

"I did," Bridget confirmed. "Frankly, he surprised me. I didn't expect him to shake off the sedative so quickly."

Underestimating her mate was not smart. He was always one step ahead of everyone else, sometimes several steps, and it seemed that his body was aligned with his mind in that regard.

"How was he?" Areana asked. "Was he angry at me?"

Bridget's expression softened. "Your name was the first word out of his mouth. He was terrified that you hadn't survived."

Relief washed through her so powerfully that her knees went weak. "What did you tell him?"

"That you were fine, and that you'd gone to shower and change because you wanted to look pretty for him when he woke up. He was so relieved to hear you were okay that he seemed to forget to be angry. At least initially."

"And then?" Areana braced herself.

"Then he demanded to see Annani."

Areana's breath caught. "So, he knew where he was?"

"He's smart," Bridget said matter-of-factly. "He figured it out almost immediately. He knew that he'd been captured by the clan."

Of course he did. Navuh was brilliant and incredibly astute. It was part of what made him so dangerous.

Bridget smiled. "He tried to use compulsion on me. It was almost cute how surprised he looked when it didn't work. I showed him the earpiece, and he took it remarkably well, all things considered, immediately changing his tone and saying please instead of issuing demands."

That was because he had already been planning how to work around it. He was always planning. Always thinking multiple steps ahead.

"Did he panic when he realized that he couldn't move?"

Bridget nodded. "I told him that it would take four to six weeks before he could walk with assistance.

Two to three months for anything approaching full mobility.

" The physician met Areana's eyes. "He's going to need a lot of physical therapy.

And patience. Something I suspect he doesn't have in abundance. "

That wasn't true. Planning things decades ahead, acquiring compromised assets, and growing plants in key positions around the various governments of the world all required a lot of patience. But that didn't translate to him having patience with the small things.

"Can I go in?" Areana asked.

"Of course." Bridget pulled out her phone and activated the door mechanism with a click on the screen.

The door to the patient room swung open with a hiss.

Areana stepped through, and the sight of Navuh lying motionless in the hospital bed speared a pang of guilt through her.

He looked so different from the powerful, commanding presence she'd known for millennia.

So vulnerable. Bandages covered his head where his skull had fractured.

His arms lay at his sides, connected to IV lines and monitors.

At least the breathing tube had been removed, thank the merciful Fates, and he was breathing on his own now.

She walked over to the bed and leaned over him carefully, brushing her lips against his forehead through the bandage.

His skin was warm. He was alive. He was healing.

He didn't wake.

Areana sat on the chair beside Navuh's bed, the same chair she'd occupied almost constantly since their arrival. She'd sat here while he was unconscious, holding his hand and talking to him even though he couldn't hear her.

She'd told him about reuniting with Annani and meeting their sons and their little grandson and about discovering that she had half-siblings she'd never known existed.

She'd told him she loved him, and about the cozy apartment waiting for them in the underground, without mentioning that it was in the dungeon, only that they'd be together, and that was what mattered.

Areana wasn't looking forward to living underground again, to giving up the windows and natural light she'd enjoyed in the penthouse. But she'd do it gladly to be with Navuh.

The question was whether he would want her there once he remembered how he had gotten into this mess.

Areana's chest constricted with a wave of panic, but she forced it down, refusing to let it overwhelm her.

Today was a good day. Her mate was alive. He was healing. He was no longer in danger of dying.

She took his hand in hers. "I'm right here, and I want you to know that I'm not leaving. No matter what you say when you wake up, no matter how angry you are at me, I'm not going anywhere."