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"Hello." Bob grinned at her. "What can I get you, Mistress Frankie?" He tilted his head. "Is it Francine or Francesca?"
"Both, and two more. My parents named me after my great-grandmothers, so my full name is Francine, Emilia, Francesca, and Fiona. My brothers used to tease me that I was triple F."
Bob assumed a frown, which didn't really work since his metallic skin didn't wrinkle, but it was close enough. "I have never heard that expression. What does it mean?"
"I'd better not tell you. Can I have a strawberry daiquiri?"
"Of course." The grin returned.
As Bob turned to get what was needed for her drink, it occurred to Frankie that he might know more about the change of the ship's course than the rest of them.
"Do you know why we have turned around?" she asked.
"We did?" He looked surprised, which worked pretty well with his mechanic eyebrows lifting and his camera eyes widening. "I was not aware of that."
"Oh, well. It was worth a try. I thought you were connected to the ship's mainframe or something."
In sci-fi movies, all the machines on board a spaceship were usually connected to the main ship's computer, so she assumed it was the same on cruise ships, but evidently Bob operated independently of the navigation and other systems.
He placed the drink on a napkin, added a paper umbrella, and pushed it toward her. "Enjoy."
"Thank you." Frankie took the glass and walked over to the table she and Dagor had sat at before.
A few more people had arrived while she'd been talking to Kaia, and several cast her curious glances, probably wondering how she was walking around after being shot the previous day.
In a way, it was odd for the immortals to notice her rapid healing.
Several of the Guardians had been shot as well, but their immortal bodies expelled the bullets and mended their flesh so quickly that it was as if it had never happened. So yeah, everyone knew that she was human, but she had thought that most of them wouldn't give it a second thought because they were so used to seeing people heal rapidly.
Evidently, she'd been wrong.
Kian
"Hold on." Syssi put her hand on Kian's arm. "I need to talk to you."
"Is it urgent? I called an emergency meeting, and everyone will be waiting for me in the dining hall."
"They can wait a moment longer."
She waited until it was just them, his mother, and the Odus. "There was more to the vision that I didn't mention. There was a third goddess in the room with the queen and the seer that had no glow at all and looked like the female version of Aru." She arched a brow. "Is there something you are not telling me?"
The guilty look in his eyes was enough of an answer. "I'm sorry, but it wasn't my secret to tell. Aru was adamant about keeping his sister's part in this top secret, and I understood why. She's putting her life in danger."
"Doing what?"
When he hesitated, Annani let out a sigh. "Just tell her, Kian. Syssi already knows that the queen, the seer, and Aria are working together, and the rest is not as important. Besides, if you don't tell her what's going on, she will just have another vision about it. Apparently, the Fates want her to be part of our little conspiracy."
"There is nothing little about it." He reached for Syssi's hand. "Aru and his twin sister can communicate in the same way that Ella and Vivian do. Their telepathic connection is independent of time and distance. It's instantaneous. Aria works as a scribe for the Supreme Oracle of Anumati, who is also the queen's best friend. Aru told his sister about my mother, she relayed the information to the Oracle, who told Queen Ani that she has a granddaughter on Earth. The queen was overjoyed, and now she wants to talk to my mother through the twins. We didn't arrange the first telepathic meeting yet, but it should happen soon."
As Syssi's eyes darted to his mother, she smiled. "I am very excited. My grandmother wants to teach me about Anumati's history, its politics, and its social structure. I have no doubt that I will learn many fascinating things about the planet of the gods and how they became the creators of so many intelligent species throughout the galaxy."
"She wants to teach you how to be a queen," Syssi said. "Is she involved in the resistance?"
Kian nodded. "I think she is its leader. We will know more after my mother's first session with her."
"Can I attend?" Syssi looked at his mother with pleading eyes. "I can be your scribe, writing down everything Aru says so you could later go over the notes and study them. It's easy to forget important details while listening to lectures. I always took notes,and when I got home, I copied them to make a clean version that I could later study from for the test."
"I would love that." Annani leaned over and patted Syssi's hand. "But we need to ask Aru's permission." She sighed. "Usually, a task like that would be Alena's, but I cannot share this information with her."
