Dark Secrets Unveiled (The Children of the Gods #45) - I.T. Lucas Page 0,42

to bed.”

He smiled. His wife was the sweetest, most accommodating person in the world, but only after she had at least three cups of coffee in the morning. Otherwise, she was grumpy.

Regrettably, the modest room they had been given in the castle didn’t come equipped with a coffeemaker, and even if it had, Syssi would not have been happy with the quality.

If there was one thing his wife was snobbish about, it was that. She didn’t care for fancy clothes, or for jewelry, or any other status symbols, but she was very particular about her coffee.

He loved it that she had that small quirk. Otherwise, she would have been too perfect, which was imperfect.

On his way to the clinic, Kian stopped by the kitchen, poured himself a cup, and drank it on the way. The sooner he was done with Bridget, the sooner he could return to Syssi.

Expecting to see his sister sitting by David’s side, he was surprised to find only the two doctors in the clinic, and not in David’s room but in Steven’s office.

“Good morning.” He joined them. “Where is Sari?”

“She went to shower and change,” Bridget said. “I told her that she should get back to work, but she wouldn’t listen.”

“She’s worried.” He pulled out a chair and sat down. “How is your patient doing?”

“Not so great,” Bridget admitted. “If David’s temperature keeps rising, I will have to reduce it, and that will interfere with his transition. But our first priority is to keep him alive.”

Kian frowned. “Is it that bad?”

He’d thought that David was doing more or less the same as all the other transitioning Dormants, but Bridget’s somber expression had him worried.

“No, it’s not that bad. I just wanted to give you a fair warning before Sari gets back. I don’t want to worry her. It’s important for her to keep a positive attitude, and she’s already struggling with that.”

“She should be told.”

Bridget shook her head. “Not yet. David might stabilize, and then I would have worried her for nothing.”

“I’ll leave it to your discretion.” Kian pushed to his feet. “Do you need me to bring you anything?”

Bridget smiled. “Miranda is taking care of everything. She’s getting me breakfast, and Ojidu is preparing David’s old room in the tower for me, which means that I’m going to spend most of my time in here. I have no intention of climbing up and down those stairs all day long.”

“If you need anything, call me.”

“I will.”

Heading out, Kian didn’t go back to his room. Instead, he pulled his phone out and texted Alena.

Are you and Mother awake?

The answer came right back. We are. Would you like to join us for breakfast?

Perfect. I’m on my way.

It seemed like David would need Annani’s special help to transition, and they needed to plan for that in private. Kian hated keeping secrets from Syssi, but it was for her own good. Being privy to the true nature of Annani’s blessing was a burden he and Alena carried alone, and it had to stay that way.

29

Annani

“Good morning.” Kian walked in and took the chair Oshidu pulled out for him.

“Good morning, my son.” Annani smiled tightly. “Have you seen Bridget already?”

She had been informed that the doctor had arrived and gone directly to the clinic. That had been over an hour ago, and she had not heard from the doctor yet. Hopefully, Bridget’s assessment of David’s condition was positive, or at least not negative.

Kian nodded. “She’s with David. His temperature and blood pressure are rising. They haven’t reached critical limits yet, but Bridget seems worried. You might need to give David your blessing.”

Annani had been expecting that. “Of course. He is Sari’s mate.” She lifted her coffee cup and took a sip. “But let us wait a little longer and see if it is needed.”

“It’s karma,” Alena said.

Annani knew what she meant by that, but Kian raised a brow. “How so?”

“It’s Mother’s story to tell, not mine.”

“Is it about the nonsense of meeting David’s prior incarnation?”

“It is not nonsense.” Annani put her cup down. “You may choose to believe it or not, but since you were not there, you cannot dismiss it so easily.”

“That is true, but given what I have been told, you and Sari are basing your convictions on a vague sense of familiarity and the dreams of an adolescent boy. If David could confirm details of what happened between you and the man you think was him in his previous life, it would be proof of some kind of