Page 113 of Dark Destiny: The Turning Of The Loom

"Give it here."

Esag stood in front of him, buttoned the shirt to the collar with quick fingers, flipped up the collar, and looped the strip of silk around it.

"Watch so you can do it yourself next time. Longer end on the right. Cross it over. Up and through. Now the short end folds like this." He pinched it into a loop and held it against Khiann's throat. "And the long end comes over the front and through the back. Hold still."

Esag pulled, tugged, straightened, and stepped back. The bow sat under Khiann's chin, small and neat.

"Thank you. So, what do you think?" Khiann lifted his arms and turned in a circle. "Do I look good enough to marry Annani again?"

"You look dashing." Esag grinned. "Annani will swoon."

Khiann rolled his eyes. "She is no longer a young girl. I do not think she swoons that easily."

"She will on the inside." Esag put a hand on his shoulder. "Come out. Kian just walked in with a case of fine whiskey and a cigar box, and they are all waiting for you to enjoy both."

It was touching that Annani's son was helping him celebrate before the ceremony, and in a way, it felt right.

Khiann was here thanks to Kian, who had organized a rescue mission so his mother could have her truelove mate back. For that, Khiann would be forever grateful to his adopted son. Well, adopted in his heart and mind. He doubted Kian would ever want him to actually adopt him or ever call him Father.

Nor did he want that.

They were a family, but their roles were not defined. He just did not want to think of Kian only as Annani's son. He had a small claim on him, if only for the simple reason that Annani had chosen the human who had fathered Kian based on his resemblance to Khiann, and that resemblance was unmistakable.

One wall of the penthouse's main room was all glass, overlooking a terrace with a narrow pool of water and a lot of greenery, so it was not directly suspended over the city. That was good because standing next to the railing and seeing the great height had unsettled him.

The men were all wearing black and looked like a bunch of ravens, except for the white of their shirts. His four guards had been fitted with borrowed tuxedos that were going back to the store tomorrow, and that was another concept he found strange. It was like wearing a costume for a play and then returning it so another actor could use it.

They were all sitting on the long couch, with Ell-rom across from them and asking about their progress.

Kian stood by the bar with the bottle, pouring into glasses that Kalugal was distributing to the men, and Lokan was making the rounds with a box of cigars for the men to choose from.

Orion and Toven stood next to the glass wall with drinks in their hands, and David and Dalhu were sampling the lamb skewers from the selection on the buffet that Oridu was manning. Ogidu was doing the same on the other side of the vestibule for Annani and the ladies.

They all turned when he came in.

"To the groom!" Kian lifted his glass as Kalugal walked over to Khiann and handed him one.

"To the groom!" a chorus of male voices answered.

Kalugal took Khiann's empty glass, returned it to the bar, and came back to stand next to him. "Now that you are here, we can finally light the cigars. We were all waiting for you."

Lokan slid the glass doors open, and the men started drifting outside.

"Do I have to smoke?" Khiann asked.

By now, he knew he could tolerate alcohol pretty well, but he had never smoked, and Annani had warned him that if they offered him a cigar, he should not inhale the smoke.

"Yes." Lokan clapped him on the back. "At least one puff. And who knows? You might like it."

"Well, if I must." He let Lokan escort him out to the terrace, but he made sure they did not go anywhere near the glass railing.

He did not know Lokan and Kalugal well, but he had noticed how different they were from each other, even though they were both the sons of Areana and Navuh, Annani's sister and Annani's archenemy, who had kept Khiann and his men locked inside chests for five thousand years.

Kalugal had apologized for that the first time they met, as if any of it were his fault. Lokan had just looked pained and nodded along with his brother's apology.

His beautiful flower had a strange family, and he was still learning its various branches and connections.

Toven walked up to them with a glass of whiskey in one hand and a cigar in the other. "So, Khiann. Are you ready?"