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Mia let out a long, shaky breath. "I can't handle this, and I will gladly accept Toven's help to erase the past twenty minutes from my mind. I know it's wrong, but I can't let this poison me from the inside. I want the bliss of ignorance."
But that was the problem. So many people were ignorant, most willfully so, because it was easier to believe the lies than acknowledge the ugly truth.
Syssi refused to be part of the uninformed masses, even if it meant sacrificing her peace of mind. "I'll take that drink." She lifted her head and scanned the room for the Odus. "Okidu, can you get me a giant margarita, please?"
"Of course, mistress." He bowed and rushed to the bar.
Amanda lifted her hand. "Make me one too."
"I'll get the whiskey." Dalhu pushed to his feet.
He had responded to Jacki's retelling the same way all the other males had, with glowing eyes and elongated fangs, but while Kian, Andrew, and David wrestled theirs under control, and Kalugal's, Toven's, and Lokan's had retracted halfway, Dalhu's were still fully elongated.
It was ironic that Syssi found Dalhu's rage reassuring.
The answer to violence shouldn't be more violence, but sometimes nothing else worked to eradicate evil and protect the innocent and the defenseless, and Syssi was glad to have the powerful warrior on her side.
Her father eyed the gods and immortals with fascination rather than trepidation, which was good, and her mother looked like she was on the verge of tears, but she did not allow them to fall.
Anita had always been an iron lady, the cornerstone of their family, and Syssi wished she had half of her mother's resilience and strength. She was also glad that her mother hadn't commented about her being overly sensitive like she used to when Syssi was a teenager.
They were nothing alike, and it had always been difficult to reconcile their different personalities.
Perhaps being a doctor had hardened Anita, or maybe she had chosen to become a physician because she had that hard core inside of her that Syssi lacked. It was no coincidence that Syssi hadn't followed in her mother's footsteps and had chosen to major in architecture with a minor in business. Neither field involved any human drama.
When Dalhu was done pouring whiskey for the guys and Sari, Okidu handed out margaritas to the rest of them, save for Mia.Even the Clan Mother accepted a glass with a salty rim and slowly sipped on it.
Taking the large glass with her, Annani leaned back in her chair and looked at Jacki. "You did not say anything about who was behind the attack other than the cartel thugs. They are known to be vicious, but usually not to such an extent. Did you notice anything that would indicate they were being directed by an outside force?"
Yeah, they were probably possessed by demons.
Syssi couldn't imagine a society that produced such monsters. It was beyond gang wars and drugs and even trafficking. Who were their mothers? Their fathers? Who had raised such twisted creatures?
"I didn't," Jacki said. "All I got were visuals of the attack. There might have been some clues, but I was too overwhelmed and shocked to notice anything else."
Annani nodded. "That is perfectly understandable, dear."
Syssi felt in her gut that touching the amulet would make her see more, but maybe it wasn't a good idea to do it with Carol in the room.
She and Lokan were still out on the balcony, but they would no doubt come back inside when Jacki brought the amulet to show them.
"Let's see that amulet," her father said. "I'm curious to see the thing that has caused so much trouble."
"The thing didn't do it." Jacki rose to her feet. "It was only a tool, and it helped us rescue the victims. Still, remember not to touch it with your bare hand. Use a cloth napkin."
"I don't have any psychic ability," her father said when Jacki ducked into the bedroom. "I can touch it as much as I want and not get any visions."
Her mother patted his arm. "It's better to be careful, Adam. You never know. Perhaps Syssi got her paranormal ability from you. She surely hasn't gotten it from me."
"I wish that was true." Her father cast her a reassuring smile. "But I'm not a Dormant."
What if he was, though?
They had never considered the possibility that her father could be a carrier of the immortal genes as well. Perhaps Dormants weren't as rare as they had initially believed, and the affinity Dormants and immortals felt for each other increased the chances of Dormant pairings.
Not that it mattered. Both her parents were way over the age of attempting to transition safely.
Kian
