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He might get an opportunity to take Aru aside and talk to him privately, away from the ears of his companions.
The god inclined his head. "We would be honored to attend."
Alena
"Carol!" Alena squealed as the tiny blonde sauntered into the cabin. "You are a sight for sore eyes." She opened her arms to welcome the clan's hero.
The petite blonde walked into the embrace with a grin on her face. "Why are your eyes sore? This is your wedding day. You should be merry."
"Your being here makes my day even merrier." Alena kissed her on both cheeks.
After extracting herself from Alena's arms, Carol turned to Annani and dipped her head. "Hello, Clan Mother. How have you been?"
As the question seemed to take Annani by surprise, Alena realized that people rarely asked her mother how she was feeling, which was a testament to how well she played her role.
"I am overjoyed to be here, helping Alena get ready for her wedding." Annani smiled at Carol.
Carol nodded and moved to hug Jacki and caress Darius's cheek. "Hello, little guy. I've missed you all so much." She walked over to the couch and sat next to Syssi. "And where is your little darling?"
"Allegra is with my parents. I won’t get her back until the wedding tonight. She and my mother are bonding."
Carol smiled. "It may persuade your parents to finally retire and move into the village."
"I doubt it." Syssi sighed. "My mother is one stubborn lady."
Carol patted her knee before changing the subject. "I heard that I missed a big event last night."
"Yeah, well." Syssi put her half-empty margarita glass on the coffee table. "Everyone already knew about the gods, but only a few had seen them before last night. Then we had a bit of excitement when Mia's human friend fainted."
Carol frowned. "Since when is Kian allowing human friends to visit clan territory, which this ship technically is?"
"Frankie is a potential Dormant," Amanda said. "Toven likes her and Mia's other best friend a lot, and given that he's a recluse who doesn't like many people, we suspect that it's affinity at work. We also had Lisa sniff them both, and she thinks they are both Dormants."
"Lisa, David's little sister?" Carol looked doubtful. "She's still human, so even if she can identify Dormants, I find it hard to believe it's developed enough to work."
"True." Syssi sighed. "But Toven insisted on inviting Frankie and Margo on the cruise, and at the end of it, he will thrall away their memories of immortals and gods or compel them to silence, depending on whether they come to work for him in the village."
Carol shook her head. "I find all of the latest developments strange. We have a new group of aliens living among us, and Kian’s entrusted the village's protection to them, and now humans are coming to work in the village. What happened to him?"
Alena sighed. "That's just the tip of the iceberg. I'm glad that we have the Kra-ell to reinforce our ranks, although, given the danger we are facing, they will not be all that helpful."
"Can you stop that?" Amanda got to her feet. "Stop talking about depressing things. You are getting married tonight, and we are here to help you get ready, not only with makeup and hair but also with mood."
"It's hard." Alena caressed her belly. "I can't help worrying."
Amanda grimaced. "And I can't even get you drunk because you're pregnant. That would have helped get you in a festive mood."
"Maybe Carol can entertain us with stories about China," Annani suggested.
"Lokan and I are enjoying China more than we expected. Lokan is in his element, talking to government officials and meddling, and I practically run the fashion business, which is very exciting."
As Carol kept telling them about the clothing industry and the difficulties of working with and around the Chinese regime, Alena leaned back against the couch cushions and closed her eyes.
"You look tired," her mother said. "Perhaps you should rest a little before the party."
"I can't." Alena opened her eyes. "I'm too excited to rest."
"Do you want me to sing you to sleep like I did when you were a little girl?"
