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Max was handsome, charming, and confident, and if she weren't with Dagor, she would have flirted with him right back. But Dagor was leaving soon, and Max was a perfectly suitable replacement. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to even think about him in romantic terms, let alone show interest.
Kian
"Orion, buddy." Kalugal wrapped his arm around Orion's shoulders. "Let me give you the prescription for married bliss."
Kian felt that his cousin was inebriated, although he hadn't seen Kalugal drinking to excess. Four of the ten bottles of whiskey he'd brought for the occasion were empty. Still, given the number of partakers, that wasn't enough to get anyone drunk.
Anandur had brought two cases of Snake Venom, though, so perhaps Kalugal had gotten some of that before moving on to the superb whiskey.
"I'm all ears." Orion's smile was a tad too bright.
Maybe they had started drinking before coming to the bachelor party. That was the only way they could already be drunk.
"Never disagree with your wife," Kalugal lectured with a raised finger. "Say yes first, and then present counterarguments if you have any. It'd be better if you didn't, though. Most of the time, it's not worth the effort because she will get her way no matter what you say, and arguing about it will only rattle your nest."
Orion pretended to consider his words for a long moment. "I don't see how this is any different from what I'm doing now. Given that my mate is much older and wiser, it only makes sense for me to defer to her."
Toven lifted his glass. "My son is a smart male."
"What about you?" Dagor asked. "Your mate is a very young female. Do you defer to her judgment?"
Toven's expression turned serious. "On some subjects, yes. I'm ancient, but I still have a hard time understanding humans. Mia is better at this than I am."
Kian hoped others would join in the discussion so he could take Aru aside and ask him whether he had communicated his findings about Annani to his supervisors on Anumati, or wherever the resistance leadership was located.
"Relationships are complicated," David said, "but if there is mutual respect and open communication, even couples who don't see eye to eye on some things can have a successful relationship."
Catching Aru's eyes, Kian lifted his drink and motioned for the god to follow him to a corner of the balcony that wasn't occupied.
Aru said something to Negal and then followed Kian. "Don't you find the discussion interesting?" He leaned against the railing, cigar in one hand and a glass of whiskey in the other.
"I do, but since my cousin summarized married life so succinctly, I have nothing to add."
Aru's lips quirked on one corner. "I sincerely doubt that."
Kian leaned on the railing next to him and puffed on his cigar. "In many ways, females are smarter than us. The things males do better are not the qualities I'm proud of."
Aru nodded. "I know what you mean. I have been fortunate not to fight in real battles, only simulations, but even those consumed a piece of my soul. I don't like killing, even if it's computer-generated evildoers."
The answer made Kian's heart constrict with sympathy and foreboding. Aru was still young, but he was eternal, which meant that one day he would have to fight and kill to protect those he loved. The cycles of peace and war might be longer on Anumati, but from what Kian had learned from Jade, the gods had yet to evolve out of warfare.
It was an ugly world, and it was kill or be killed, or rather, kill or see your loved ones murdered.
Shaking his head, Kian took another puff of his cigar and then one more until he felt the tension abate. "Have you communicated to your leaders what you learned yesterday?"
Aru affected a frown, but it looked fake. "How? I haven't left the ship."
It was an evasive answer, but it wasn't an outright lie, which meant that Aru didn't enjoy lying or that lies didn't come easily to him. In either case, his response earned him merit points with Kian.
"Let's cut to the chase," Kian said. "I suspect that you can communicate telepathically with someone on Anumati, and that person has access to the resistance leadership. You don't need to leave the ship to do that."
Aru didn't confirm it, but the fear that passed through his eyes was as good as an admission. "What makes you think that?"
"Logic and conjecture. Two members of my clan, a mother and her daughter, can communicate telepathically as if they were conducting a phone conversation. They can do that regardless of distance, no matter how vast. It's a rare ability, and they are the only two I know of who possess it, but if mere immortals have it, then I'm sure some gods can do it as well."
"It's a rare ability among gods, too," Aru said. "Those who are found out are either eliminated by the Eternal King or made to work for him."
"I see." Kian took another puff. "You are afraid of admitting your ability because you are protecting the person on the other end, who I assume is a family member. I don't need to know who they are, only that they can access the resistance leadership." He pinned Aru with a hard look. "You've learned my most guarded secret. It's only fair that you share yours with me."
