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“I know.” Syssi smiled. “I was just kidding about Jade. But you can't admire me more than your mother. That's just not right. She's the Clan Mother, the only legitimate heir of the Eternal King, and therefore, the second most important person in the galaxy, or perhaps even the most important one if the resistance takes the Eternal King down.”
Syssi
Kian's steps faltered for a moment, but then he let out a sigh and continued walking. “For some reason, hearing you say that has driven it home, and it scares the shit out of me. I was always apprehensive about my mother's safety, paranoid even, but that is mostly because of how reckless she used to be. She and Alena would fly to a random destination with just their Odus for protection, and she wouldn't even tell me. I never knew where she was or what she was doing. Thankfully, she hasn't been doing that lately, but then new worries surfaced. The sanctuary is the safest place for her, but I can't force her to stay there and not go anywhere.”
“Right.” Syssi nodded. “I don't think it's a good thing. It worries me that your mother seems to have lost some of her mojo. Not having a companion to travel with is the main reason she doesn't go on excursions anymore, but she might also be a little depressed.”
That wasn't healthy for the goddess on several levels. She needed adventure and excitement to keep her positive attitude and sharp mind, but as important as that was, it wasn't as critical as the knock her sex life must have taken.
No son wanted to think about his mother's needs as a female, but Annani needed the excursions to pick up bed partners. She couldn't do that while cooped up in the village or the sanctuary.
After losing Alena as her companion, Syssi had hoped Annani would choose a new one from the immortal females in the sanctuary or even in the village or Scotland, but she hadn't, and she wasn't the type who enjoyed hunting for companions alone.
If Annani had lost her libido, it meant that she was depressed, and that was not good.
“Did you notice anything specific?” Kian turned around, heading back toward his mother's house.
“It's nothing major, and there isn't one thing I can point to. It's just that I don't think she is as happy and exuberant as she used to be. It's not like her to be satisfied with her roles as the head of the clan and its matriarch. She needs to get away for at least a little bit, and she hasn't done that in a while.”
“I've noticed.” Kian let out a breath. “I was happy that I could finally sleep at night without worrying about her shenanigans, but you are right that it's not good for her. Perhaps I need to talk to her.”
He looked like he'd just bitten into a lemon.
“I think that your sisters are better suited for that kind of conversation. We should talk with Alena.”
The best and safest solution for Annani would be to bring human lovers to her and then thrall them before returning them to where they'd been picked up from, but Annani wouldn't agree to that. Syssi had never spoken to her mother-in-law about matters of the heart, or rather of lust, but given the goddess's personality, she enjoyed choosing her bed companions herself, and she loved the seduction part.
Not that she ever had to work hard on that.
Annani was the most beautiful woman in the world, even when she used shrouding to make herself look more ordinary.
When they were a few feet away from the goddess's front porch, Kian stopped, scanned the area again, and nodded at the Guardians stationed nearby to protect her.
He'd thought Syssi hadn't noticed him doing that when they had passed the house before, but he should have known that there wasn't much he could hide from her. “Your mother doesn't need the extra security. These Guardians can't stop anyone or anything that she's incapable of stopping herself.”
“I know.” Kian lifted the stroller and carried it up the three steps leading to Annani's front porch. “It's for my peace of mind. Besides, she's as defenseless as any of us when she's asleep, and she can't be constantly alert and scanning for danger when awake. The Guardians are there twenty-four seven, but they rotate, and they are on high alert.” He knocked on the door.
It was opened immediately by one of Annani's Odus, who bowed deeply. “Good evening, Master Kian, Mistress Syssi, and Mistress Allegra. Please, come in.”
Syssi wanted to point out that the Odus never slept and that they were the best defense for the goddess, but she knew it wouldn't change anything. Kian had admitted that the Guardians were there mainly for his peace of mind, and she could understand that.
He needed to have an active role in his mother's defense.
Annani smiled from the couch. “Please, join me. I have tea and an assortment of desserts ready.”
The spread was on the coffee table, and as Syssi eyed the elegant teapot, she thought about her vision of the luminous goddess and the modern art she'd had in her receiving room.
Details of that vision were starting to fade, but she remembered the golden vase vividly. Or did she?
She was unsure whether it had been a vase or a statue, but given the spotlight above it, the piece was artwork and not something that had utility beyond the beauty of its form.
“Syssi, my dear.” The goddess's voice cut through her musings. “Are you having another vision?”
“No, Clan Mother.” She dipped her head. “I was thinking about the vision I had before the last one. It was also about a luminous goddess, and although I don't think it was the same one as in my latest vision, I think that the two are connected somehow.”
The goddess inclined her head imperiously. “You will tell me all about it after we have tea.” She patted the couch cushion next to her. “Come sit with me.”
“Yes, Clan Mother.”
