Page 29 of Dark Destiny: A New Thread in the Tapestry

Annani had humored his request to look at photos of the guards, but she had not expected him to recognize the faces of males he might have seen in passing five thousand years ago.

"I don't think he was apologizing to me," Alena said. "It was more to himself. He told me he'd been carving the four guards obsessively, hoping his hands were being guided by some divine power, and he was disappointed when the photos didn't match any of the faces he'd carved."

Annani glanced at the guards in the other beds.

Like Khiann, they were waking intermittently, staying awake for short periods of time before drifting back into restorative sleep. Their bodies were still working hard to repair the wasting that had occurred over thousands of years in stasis. Sadly, they did not know their own names, nor did anyone else who was alive.

Khiann probably did not know his own name either, but at least he had her to tell him what it was. The others had no one, and as the one who had appointed herself their ambassador, she was not doing enough for them. If there was even the slightest chance that Esag recognized any of them, she should let him come.

"Perhaps Esag will have better luck when he sees them in person. They are much thinner than they used to be and mostly hairless, so even if he knew them back then, they no longer look the same."

Alena lifted an eyebrow. "Does that mean you will allow him to visit?"

"Yes. Call Esag. Tell him he may come this afternoon."

Alena's face brightened. "What made you change your mind?"

Annani smoothed the blanket over Khiann's arm. "These four guards are awake but have no names. If, by some miracle, Esag remembers any of them, I need to allow him to see them."

"That's what I've been saying all along," Alena said. "I'm glad you finally saw reason."

Annani shot her daughter a glare. "The reasonable thing to do would have been to prioritize Khiann's well-being and keep everyone out, but I am compromising for them. Tell Esag to come alone."

"Of course. I didn't think otherwise." Alena took a deep breath. "I'll go outside to make the calls."

Annani sat back in the rocking chair, watching her beloved's face and waiting for him to open his eyes.

She had expected to feel worse about handing over to Esag some of the precious moments she had with Khiann, but now that she had relented, it felt right. Perhaps seeing Esag would jog Khiann's memory.

Khiann's eyes opened slowly, without alarm, and traveled across the ceiling before coming to rest on her face. The moment he found her eyes, his expression settled.

"Good morning," she said. "It is nearly noon, but I have decided that we shall call every waking a morning."

A ghost of a smile lifted one side of his mouth.

It had happened a couple of times before, but she had not been sure if it was a real smile and not just an involuntary grimace.

"I need to tell you a few things." She turned her hand so his larger one lay on top of hers. "If you understand what I am saying, squeeze my hand once. If you do not, squeeze it twice, and I shall go back and say it another way. Do you understand?"

One squeeze.

"Good." Annani smiled. "Do you remember that I told you about a male named Esag?"

He squeezed her hand twice.

Panic constricted Annani's throat. She had told Khiann about his best friend yesterday, and he had already forgotten? Perhaps she had celebrated too soon, and he was not all there in his head after all.

She refused to succumb to negativity. He had been exhausted when she told him about Esag, and he had fallen asleep immediately afterward. He must have been hazy.

"Esag was your best friend. You had a brief falling-out over his treatment of my best friend, but that is a story for another time. Esag has wanted to come see you for days, and I kept saying no because I did not want to overwhelm you. I am also a selfish woman who protects my time with you."

And there it was. One more tiny smile.

"Anyway," she continued, "I finally caved and will let him come see you this afternoon. It will probably be during your next waking time. Do you understand so far?"

One squeeze.

"I might as well tell you a little about your relationship with him."