Page 64 of Dark Rebel's Fortune

When a chorus of voices answered in the affirmative, he smiled. "Bon voyage, everyone." He sat next to Kyra.

"Who were they?" she asked.

"Airport security. Something about lack of proper documentation. Yamanu convinced them they'd made a mistake."

She chuckled, more in relief than amusement. "I'm grateful for his particular brand of persuasion. He could be a world leader if he chose to be."

Max snorted. "When you get to know him better, you'd realize that he's the last person who would want such a position or be any good at it. Perhaps that's the reason the Fates bestowed such incredible power upon him. They knew he wouldn't abuse it."

"I wish those Fates of yours would be that discriminating with everyone they allow into a position of power."

Max nodded sagely. "True. Personally, I don't think that the Fates are all-powerful. They are limited in what they are allowed to do, and there areother forces in the universe that don't share their good intentions. Given all that's been going on in the world in the past two decades or so, I'd say that the forces of evil are rising rapidly, but I don't want to be a pessimist. Not today." He looked back to where her family was sitting. "Today, the forces of good won. We should celebrate the victory."

"Definitely." She took his hand and squeezed it. "Thank you for saving my family."

He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "You would have done the same for mine."

32

FENELLA

Out on the penthouse terrace, Fenella leaned against the railing and watched the sprawl of Los Angeles. There were no birds so high up, but for some reason, she imagined a hawk gliding through the air, riding the thermal currents, free to do as it pleased—a king of the sky. For half a century, she'd been drifting wherever instinct led her. Now, she was about to join a community of immortals in a secret location that she wasn't sure she could leave if she didn't like it.

"Thinking about Din?" Jasmine joined her at the railing.

"Not at all. Just enjoying the view."

In truth, Fenella hadn't thought about Din the entire morning. She'd been weighing her options. She could still walk away and disappear into the urban maze below like she'd done countless times before.

"The girls are nervous about going to the village," Jasmine said. "They feel safe here, and they don't want to leave."

"Can you blame them? They've been through hell, and this penthouse is their sanctuary. Of course they are wary about leaving it."

Jasmine tilted her head. "Are you nervous about going to the village too?"

"For different reasons," Fenella admitted. "I'm an independent spirit who hates being tied down, literally and figuratively, and commune-style living is not for me."

Jasmine pursed her lips. "I think you will like the village, but I get how someone who is used to a nomadic lifestyle can feel restricted in a small community. On the other hand, aren't you tired of constantly being on the move? You did it out of necessity, but now you have an alternative."

Fenella turned around, leaning her back against the railing and folding her arms over her chest. "That's why it's not an easy decision. I just hope that the decision is still mine. I have a feeling that they wouldn't let me go now that they know of my existence." She leaned closer to Jasmine. "I'm too valuable."

She hoped that Jasmine would argue that she was not a commodity and that no one would force her to stay, but instead, Jasmine just sighed. "I need to check on the girls. I didn't tell them to pack so theywouldn't be scared. I told them that we were just going to visit and check out some houses. That if they like it there, we would come back for their things."

"Everything we have was bought for us by the clan," Fenella said. "I'm sure that they expect something in return." She pushed away from the railing and headed for the sliding doors. "My stuff is packed."

Everything fit in a single duffel bag.

Inside, the four girls were clustered around the breakfast counter, picking at fruit and pastries. The excitement from the day before had evaporated, and they'd been subdued all morning, worrying for their mothers, aunts, and cousins.

Kyra had called Jasmine once with updates, but it had been a while ago, and they hadn't heard from her in nearly twenty-four hours. Fenella was sure that someone would have notified them if something had gone terribly wrong, so she wasn't as worried, but she picked up on the nervous energy emanating from the girls.

"Are you all ready to go visit the secret village?" Jasmine asked, a little too cheerfully.

"What's the village like?" Azadeh asked.

Jasmine had talked about it constantly, so Fenella doubted there was much to add to what she'd already said, but the girl's question was a plea for reassurance rather than new information.

Jasmine sat down beside them. "It's beautiful—nestled in the mountains with views of the ocean. It's probably one of the safest places in the world. No one can get to you there, and you'll be among your own kind."

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