Page 106 of Dark Destiny: A New Thread in the Tapestry

"He-am."

The last time she had asked, he had refused, and Alena had taken it as fear of being seen, given how vulnerable his position was. He was still in bed, but now he could say a few words and had devices to translate for him, and he must feel more confident.

He had said yes.

"Then I shall send for him," she said, reaching for her phone before he could tire and the moment was lost.

Khiann's short-term memory was better now, and he was not forgetting as much between one waking and the next, but she did not want to risk him forgetting that he had agreed to see Kian.

Khiann is awake. He has the translating earpieces and wants to see you. Can you come right now? He will not stay awake for long. She sent the text.

Kian's reply came almost immediately. On my way.

Fifteen minutes later, the ward's double doors opened, and Kian strode in. He stopped a few feet inside the door, as if the space around the bed belonged to someone he did not wish to crowd.

"Can I come in, Mother?" he asked.

"Please do." Annani waved him over.

Khiann tapped his earpieces on.

She rose to her feet, and as Kian reached her side, she laid a hand on his arm. "Khiann. This is my son, Kian. He is a little younger than Alena, but much older than Sari and Amanda."

Kian inclined his head. "It's good to finally meet you."

Khiann's eyes went to his face with open interest. "He-am."

"That means yes," Annani said. "Khiann's vocabulary is still very limited, so yes means he is glad to see you as well."

Kian glanced at her, a smile lifting his lips. "I know what he-am means, Mother."

"Yes, of course you do." She looked at Khiann, who was watching them with interest but no alarm. "William says the earpieces have a limited vocabulary for now, so choose simple words."

Kian winced. "What should I say?"

"Just talk about whatever interests you. Khiann must be bored out of his mind with only my stories to entertain him. Anything you say will be a break in the tedium."

Julian came over with a plastic chair and set it next to Annani's. "Easier done sitting down."

"Thank you." Kian rewarded him with a smile. "Do you have any suggestions for conversation topics?"

Julian shrugged. "I'm sure you can talk endlessly about what you're passionate about, and since you're very good at managing the clan's business empire, I assume you're passionate about it. Just talk about that."

Kian nodded. "You're right that I'm passionate about it, but it will probably bore Khiann so much that he'll fall asleep."

"Try it." Julian patted Kian's shoulder. "You never know until you do."

Khiann watched the exchange with fascination, and Annani knew exactly what he was seeing and deducing from it because she knew her mate. Five thousand years in stasis had not changed who he was, only what he remembered about himself.

"All right." Kian crossed his legs at the ankles. "The clan owns businesses all over the world. Technology, mostly. We promote innovation, financially but also with knowledge my mother brought with her in the form of Ekin's tablet. We own mines. Rare metals, but also coal. Hotels and other building projects. We even own a cruise ship, but so far, we have only used it for clan celebrations and special missions. The plan was to make it another business enterprise, but it has been put on hold."

Khiann listened eagerly to every word, but Annani could see which words did not translate properly by the creases in his forehead. There was no word for cruise ship in the old tongue, and she could only imagine what the device chose for it.

Most of what Kian was telling him was going over his head anyway. But he was listening and watching Kian's hand gestures as he spoke, and he did not seem bored or sleepy.

Then she remembered that Khiann had been a merchant and the son of a merchant, and that he had loved the trade and the long journeys in search of new goods. Ahn had wanted him to enter politics so he could help govern the gods once her father stepped down and she became ruler, but Khiann had wanted nothing to do with it.

No wonder he found what Kian was telling him fascinating rather than boring.