Page 52 of Dark Destiny: A New Thread in the Tapestry

He could not let that happen again.

My name is Khiann, and I am the groom. Her name is Annani, and she is the bride. She gave me that ring.

He said it again and again until he lost the battle against his drooping eyelids and let sleep claim him.

18

ANNANI

Annani stayed longer than she had meant to.

Amanda had started a story that had Sari laughing until she could not breathe, and Annani had sat at the table, letting herself enjoy her family for a little longer.

"Now I really have to go." She rose to her feet, and everyone rose with her to say their goodbyes.

"I am so glad that you decided to come." She hugged Sari. "Tomorrow morning, I will meet you at the clinic and introduce you to Khiann."

"I'm looking forward to it." Sari kissed her on both cheeks. "Is there a chance you will join David and me at the café after the visit?"

"That would be lovely," Annani said, thinking Khiann would be asleep after the visit, so there was no harm in her leaving to have breakfast with her daughter and son-in-law.

"Wonderful." Sari beamed. "I'm so excited."

Annani hoped Khiann would not mind. He had not objected when she told him about Sari, but there was a good chance he would not remember and would wake up tomorrow anxious once more about her children visiting.

When she walked through the ward's double doors, Julian greeted her with a tight smile.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Nothing troubling, Clan Mother. He's asleep now."

"Was he upset that I was not here?"

"He woke about an hour after you left and stayed awake for twenty-some minutes. He was quiet at first, but then his heart rate climbed and stayed elevated. He got agitated for some reason."

"He probably forgot that I told him I would be gone and got upset that I was not here when he woke up. Is his agitation a reason for concern?"

"Not clinically. But it was notable, and he made some progress, so it might even have been good. He lifted his right arm off the blanket. Only a few inches and then he dropped it again, but it was more than he's done since waking up. A few minutes later he tried that again. He might have been agitated because he was frustrated with how little he could do."

"That is possible." Annani looked at the bed. "Was he trying to reach for something or signal that he needed something?"

Julian shook his head.

"There's nothing on that side. I walked over and stood where he could see me. I talked to him just to let him know that I was there, and I think he was trying to tell me something but couldn't. After a while, he settled and went under. That's all I have to report."

"Thank you." Annani sat down in her chair and took Khiann's hand.

He had lifted his arm, and it was good progress even if he had managed only a few inches off the bed. He could squeeze her fingers, he could move his eyebrows, and he could produce half a smile. She had coaxed all that out of him, but he had tried to lift his arm of his own accord.

He had wanted something badly enough to expend all of his energy on that small movement.

Had he been in pain?

He could not tell them when something hurt, but he had squeezed her hand twice when she had asked whether he was in pain. She had accepted his answer at face value, and it had not occurred to her to ask again.

But Julian would have known if Khiann was hurting. The monitoring equipment would have told him.

Had it been fear, perhaps?