31. Kian
31
KIAN
K ian checked his watch as he stood in the parking lot beside the large "Welcome to the Village" banner that Amanda had commissioned a long time ago. It had served multiple arrivals before and would hopefully serve many more in the days and years ahead.
The gods would arrive any minute, and he was grateful he'd managed to make it despite the chaotic day.
The investigation into the pedophile rings had uncovered more disturbing evidence, and he'd spent hours in meetings with Onegus discussing strategy. But this was a celebration, and he refused to let the darkness of his work cast shadows over such a joyous occasion.
Syssi squeezed his hand. "Stop thinking about work," she whispered. "I can feel the tension radiating off you." She tilted her face up to look at him. "Think about Allegra with your mother. Sometimes I wonder who the stronger personality is."
That got a chuckle out of him, and he lifted their conjoined hands to plant a kiss on the back of hers. "You always know what to say to make me feel better."
"What, it wasn't the balloons?" she teased.
Margo, Gabi, and Frankie were juggling an assortment of colorful balloons, which Amanda had also provided from her growing stash of decorations.
They had been visiting the village regularly, but today they were moving in officially and joining the community with their mates.
Good times .
Kian collected them like gems to add to his collection. As someone who had lived for over two thousand years, he knew how rare and precious days like these were.
Although, to be frank, every day had been a good day since first Syssi had come into his life and then Allegra.
"Do you think they remembered to pack everything?" Margo asked Frankie. "I bet Negal forgot to pack up the bathroom. All my makeup is there?—"
"I'm sure he remembered," Frankie said. "And if he didn't, we can get it later." She turned to Kian. "Right? Are we getting clan cars anytime soon?"
"Soon," he confirmed. "For starters, each couple will get one vehicle, but we are getting a new shipment in a month, and then you'll each get a car."
Frankie grinned. "I can't believe that everything is free. I kind of feel bad about it."
"How is your cousin Angelica doing with Edgar?" Syssi asked. "Did he tell her already about her potential?"
Frankie winced. "I think he's scared. Getting dumped by Jasmine did a number on him. He wants to be sure that Angelica is in love with him before he tells her. The problem is she has some baggage too and is afraid to commit."
The sound of the car lift engaging drew their attention, and a few moments later the first car appeared, with Hildegard at the wheel and Dagor sitting beside her. The lift engaged again, and while Dagor and Frankie celebrated their reunion, the other car emerged with Merlin at the wheel, Aru sitting beside him, and Negal in the back.
"Negal!" Margo launched herself at her mate the moment he stepped out of the car, sending her balloons flying up to the ceiling.
Kian watched with a smile as Gabi wrapped her arms around Aru's neck while he lifted her off her feet.
Frankie and Dagor were still in a lip lock, kissing as if they hadn't seen each other in weeks rather than this morning.
"Welcome to your new home," Kian said, extending his hand to Aru once Gabi had released him.
The god's eyes were suspiciously bright as he shook Kian's hand. "Thank you, Kian. I'm so grateful for everything you have done for us."
"You've done a lot for us as well."
Aru chuckled. "Yeah, brought you bad news."
"You helped us find Ell-rom and Morelle. My mother is overjoyed to have her brother and sister." And a connection to her grandmother, but that wasn't something Kian could mention in public. Negal and Dagor didn't know that Aru was on a secret mission and that he could communicate telepathically with his twin sister on Anumati.
Naturally, Margo and Frankie didn't know that either.
Once the gods collected their belongings from the trunks of both cars, they all made their way to the elevators, with Margo and Frankie chattering excitedly about the homes they had chosen to settle in.
Gabi didn't say much and seemed content to have her arm threaded through Aru's.
As the group spilled out into the glass pavilion, Kian was glad to see the way the gods gazed at the village vista that stretched out before them. The setting sun painted everything in soft hues, making the carefully maintained greenery and paths look almost magical.
"My mother has prepared a welcome dinner," Kian said, "but first, let's get you settled in your new homes." He gestured to the two waiting golf carts.
"We chose three homes that are right next to each other," Gabi said. "Frankie and Margo wanted to be next to Mia like they had dreamt of doing since they were little girls, but that area was full. The good news is that our homes are in the original phase of the village, so we get to be close to the café and the village square, and that's where everything is happening."
"As long as I'm with you, I don't really care where we live." Aru pressed a kiss to her temple. "But I have to admit that this place is even nicer than I imagined."
"It's no more than ten minutes' walk," Kian said after the bags had been loaded into the back of the carts. "But since we have the carts here and we need to get to my mother's later, I suggest that we all hop on."
Merlin and Hildegard said their goodbyes, and then the rest of them got on board, with Kian driving one and Gabi the other.
As they wound through the village paths, Kian couldn't help but notice how the gods were taking everything in, and he felt a sense of pride at what he'd created. The question was whether this place would sustain his people down the line or whether they would need to find a new location that was better hidden.
He'd been thinking about it a lot lately, but he was reluctant to accept that the village might be too small or too vulnerable despite the current abundance of houses and their best efforts at keeping it hidden.
As they pulled up to the first house, Gabi hopped off the cart. "This one is ours," she told Aru, practically bouncing with excitement.
As they headed toward the front door, Kian noticed several curtains twitching in nearby houses. News traveled fast in the village, and everyone was curious about their new neighbors, even though they had all met them during the cruise.
"Let me give you a tour," Gabi said, taking Aru's hand and leading him up the front steps. The god followed, looking around and grinning like someone who had just won the lottery.
Well, he had.
Finding his true love mate on Earth was like winning a galactic lottery, and then being able to move into their community was a boon on top of that.
The house was similar to most of the homes in this part of the village in terms of its floor plan and amenities. Its exterior sported one of the handful of specs finishes that the architect and Ingrid had put together. Similarly, it had Ingrid's interior design touches that varied a little for this model, making it both elegant and homey. None of the homes in the village, Kalugal's being the exception, were nearly as high-end as the penthouses the gods had just vacated.
Still, Aru seemed happy, and the other two couples who had joined them for the house tour were commenting excitedly about how nice everything was.
The tour of Dagor and Frankie's house next door went similarly, though with considerably more squealing from Frankie as she showed off every feature. Then, it was Margo and Negal's turn.
"We should head to my mother's," Kian said after they'd completed the final tour. "She's eager to welcome you properly, and the Odus have been cooking all day to prepare a feast for you."
"Will Ell-rom and Jasmine be there?" Margo asked.
"Of course," Syssi said. "And Morelle and Brandon. For now, they are still staying in the Clan Mother's house, but I expect them to move out soon. Morelle will probably move in with Brandon, and Ell-rom and Jasmine will need to choose a home."
Kian wondered if Brandon would be willing to host the other couple. The twins would most likely want to live right next door to each other, and there were no more vacant homes in their part of the village.