Chapter 11 Annani
ANNANI
Annani lifted the teapot and refilled Morag's cup, the jasmine-scented steam curling between them in the afternoon light filtering through her living room windows.
Morag was in the middle of describing her latest architectural project, a meditation pavilion she had been commissioned to design by a famous spa, when the doorbell rang.
Morag put her cup down. "Are you expecting anyone, Clan Mother?"
"No." Annani frowned. "I wonder who that is."
A moment later, Ogidu entered her reception room and bowed. "My apologies for interrupting your afternoon tea, Clan Mother. Mistress Wonder and Master Esag are here to see you. They say that they have an urgent matter to discuss with you and that it cannot wait. I showed them to your office."
Annani's chest tightened. Esag and Wonder arriving together was unusual, and combined with the urgency of their visit, it was worrisome.
Annani set down the teapot and turned to Morag. "I am so sorry for cutting our afternoon short, but it seems that there is an emergency requiring my immediate attention."
"Of course, Clan Mother." Morag rose gracefully, smoothing her skirt.
"I promise to arrange another meeting soon," Annani said, walking her guest to the door. "Perhaps next week?"
"That would be lovely." Morag dipped her head. "I hope whatever has come up resolves quickly."
As soon as Morag stepped outside, Annani motioned for Ogidu to bring Wonder and Esag to her reception room.
"What has happened?" she asked as they walked in.
Wonder opened her mouth, then closed it, seeming to struggle for words.
"I had a vision," Esag said. "I saw Tula."
Annani's hand flew to her chest. "Is she hurt?"
"She's pregnant," Wonder said, the words coming out in a rush. "Esag saw her in a vision, and she's pregnant and terrified."
For a moment, Annani could not process the words. Pregnant. Tula was pregnant on Navuh's island, where boys were taken from their mothers to become warriors and girls were kept mortal, aging and dying while their immortal mothers watched helplessly.
"Sit," she commanded. "Both of you. Ogidu, please bring fresh tea and something stronger to give it a bite."
She guided them to the couch, Wonder sinking down as if her legs could not hold her, while Esag perched on the edge of his seat, appearing ready to spring up at any moment.
Annani sat across from them. "Please tell me your vision and do not skip over any details."
Esag ran his hands through his red hair, making it stick up at odd angles.
"I was trying to carve a figurine of Wonder for Anandur.
He'd commissioned it. But every time I tried, it came out wrong.
The features weren't quite right, the expression was off.
I made three attempts, and each time, the same face emerged from the wood. "
He reached into his pocket and withdrew something wrapped in cloth.
As he unwrapped it, a beautifully carved figurine was revealed.
Annani leaned forward to examine it, and her breath caught.
The resemblance to Wonder was unmistakable, but the features were slightly different.
She recognized the stubborn expression, remembering the young girl who had followed her and Gulan around five thousand years ago.
"It is her," Annani whispered, picking up the figurine and holding it with care. "She is older now, but I still remember that expression."
"The vision came when I was working on it," Esag continued.
"Suddenly she was standing in front of me, as clear as you are now.
She was wearing a loose silk gown, the kind designed to hide a woman's figure, but her hand was resting on her belly in that protective way pregnant women do.
Her stomach was slightly rounded. She looked to be maybe three or four months along. "
Wonder made a small, pained sound.
Annani gave her an encouraging look and prodded Esag to continue. "Did she say anything? Was there any message?"
Esag shook his head. "She didn't speak, but her eyes... it was like she was trying to tell me something, willing me to understand. She looked right at me, not through me like visions usually do. She saw me, and she wanted me to see her."
"She wanted help." Wonder's voice was thick with emotion. "My little sister is pregnant and trapped on that island, and she's desperate enough that somehow she reached out through whatever connection allowed her to appear in Esag's vision."
Annani set the figurine carefully on the coffee table, her mind racing through possibilities and implications. "Areana did not mention it when I spoke with her last Wednesday. If the pregnancy is that obvious, she must have known. I can see no reason for her to keep it from me."
"She might not know," Esag suggested. "If Tula is only a few months along and wearing concealing clothing, she might be hiding it, and Areana either did not notice or chose to respect Tula's wishes and pretend like she didn't know."
Annani shook her head. "Areana would want to help Tula."
"Maybe Tula is afraid," Wonder said. "She might think that even Areana can't help her. You know what happens to children born in the harem, and Areana can't stop it. She's had to deal with the same thing herself."
The reality of the situation unsettled Annani.
Ogidu returned with a fresh tea service and a bottle of whiskey with three glasses, setting everything on the table with his usual care.
"Will there be anything else, Clan Mother? Would you like me to pour the tea?"
"I can do it myself. Thank you, Ogidu. That will be all."
After the Odu withdrew, Annani poured tea for Wonder and Esag. "Would you like some whiskey in your tea?" she asked.
"I wouldn't mind some," Esag said.
Wonder eyed the whiskey for a moment before nodding. "I think the situation calls for it."
After Annani added a shot to each cup, she leaned back with hers and gave herself a moment to think.
"I will speak with Areana on Wednesday and find out exactly what is happening.
If Tula is indeed pregnant, we need to know what she wants to do.
The father must be Tony, her current paramour, so if she wants to escape the island, she probably wants him to escape with her, which is a problem.
Staging her suicide like Carol did would be believable, especially if her pregnancy is discovered, but a double suicide is less likely to pass even superficial scrutiny.
" She looked at Esag. "I assume that you have heard of Carol's island adventure. "
He nodded. "She was incredibly brave. But I think a double-faked death might work. They could stage it as if Tula wanted to kill herself and Tony found out and tried to stop her, and they both fell over the cliff."
Wonder looked at him with appreciation. "That's not bad, Esag. Have you been watching Mission Impossible movies?"
He shrugged. "When I need a break from carving, I watch television. I like action movies."
Annani observed the exchange with a smile playing on her lips. It seemed that the two had relaxed a little after sharing the burden of Esag's vision with her, or maybe the whiskey was starting to do its thing.
"Your idea has merit, Esag, but we need to be smart about how we approach this. First, however, we need to find out whether Tula is indeed pregnant and wants to be rescued."
Esag sipped on his whiskey-laced tea. "The vision felt urgent. Not immediate crisis urgent, but time sensitive. Like we have a window, but it's closing."
"It might be the progression of the pregnancy," Annani said. "The further along Tula gets, the harder it will be to hide it. And once Navuh knows, she will be guarded even more closely than she is now."
Tula would be watched constantly, her every movement monitored to ensure she carried to term. Any chance of escape would vanish.
"I should call Anandur," Wonder said. "He's with Kian in Safe Harbor. They need to know about this."
"Wait," Annani said. "Let me confirm the situation first. We should not start mobilizing resources based on a vision that might be symbolic or might be of the future rather than the present."
Wonder's jaw clenched stubbornly, reminding Annani of the young Gulan's expression when she had been told she could not do something. "It's not symbolic. Esag's visions are real."
"I am not doubting the vision," Annani said gently. "I am saying we need more information before we act. On Wednesday, I will ask Areana about Tula, and if she does not know, I will insist on speaking with Tula directly."
"That's two days away," Wonder said. "A lot can be done in two days, at least planning-wise. It took months to plan Carol's infiltration and her extraction."
"Two days will not make a difference, and Kian has enough on his plate right now without adding this."
Esag set his empty cup down. "Annani's right, Wonder. We need information before we can act."
Wonder groaned. "I'm not suggesting that we start mobilizing forces or anything. What harm could it do to speak with Kian? He could delegate it to Turner, who can start strategizing."
Annani nodded. "I will consider that. I might mention Esag's vision to Kian when I speak with him next and leave it at that.
He will decide what to do with it. What I can tell you right now is that a direct assault on the island is out of the question.
We are not powerful enough to wage war against the Brotherhood. "
"I know that," Wonder said. "What can we do?"
Annani raised her hands in the air. "I am not a strategist, my dear friend. Let the experts figure this out."
After Wonder and Esag left, Annani took the carved figurine of Tula in her hand.
The girl she remembered had been fierce and brave, always ready for adventure, always eager to prove herself.
That girl had become a woman who had chosen to stay with Areana rather than accept freedom when Carol offered it.
And now she was pregnant, trapped in a nightmare.
"What have you gotten yourself into, little one?" Annani murmured to the figurine.
She thought about calling Kian immediately but decided against it. He had enough on his plate with Safe Harbor, and besides, she needed to think before she called him.
She cared about Tula's fate, but naturally she cared about Areana more. If they somehow managed to rescue Tula, what would Navuh do to Areana when he discovered her betrayal? Because he would discover it. When Tula disappeared—however they managed it—he would know Areana had been involved.
Their love, as twisted and incomprehensible as it was, might not survive this.
Worse, Areana might not survive Navuh's wrath.