Page 32 of Dark Shaman: Eternal Hope
Areana pushed the thought aside. She had more important things on her mind. Today was Wednesday, her scheduled call with Annani, and there was so much she needed to pack into those short minutes. The easy part would be telling her sister that the harem had been restored, and their Wednesday calls would resume as usual. A hard part of the conversation would be asking about Darien and whether he was one of the men who had escaped with Kalugal. The hardest part, though, wouldbe what to do with the information, and it didn't even matter whether she got good or bad news.
Even if the answer was that Darien was alive and well and living in the village among Kalugal's men, Areana couldn't tell Tamira about it because her communication with Annani was her most guarded secret.
Only Tula knew, and it was best that it stayed that way.
If this mode of communication were severed for whatever reason, losing her only connection to her sons and her sister would devastate Areana.
"Keep watch," she murmured to Tula.
"I always do." Tula turned so that she was sitting on the bench sideways, giving her a clear panoramic view of anyone approaching, allowing her to sound the alarm.
Areana pulled the earpiece from a hidden pocket in her purse and put it in her ear. The second part of the device was hidden in the pendant she wore under the neckline of her dress, and she pulled it out as well. Ironically, the pendant had been a gift from Navuh, and now it hid the means by which she communicated with his archenemy.
She wasn't betraying him because she never told Annani anything that could undermine Navuh, but if he ever found out, he would see it that way.
"Lady Areana," William said as soon as she activated the connection. "It's good to hear from you again. I'm patching you through to your sister."
The relay was almost instantaneous.
"Dearest sister of mine," Annani said. "I am so glad that you can finally call me. How are you?"
"I'm well." Areana kept her voice low, even though the wind and the sound of the crashing waves would mask her words. "The ladies and I are back in our quarters in the harem. The restoration is still in progress, but most of the structure is habitable."
"What remains in need of restoration?"
"Books, furnishings, some of the artwork, but let's not waste our time talking about that. How are you, Annani?"
"Over here, everything is fine. It is you I worry about."
"Thank the merciful Fates, things are back to normal.” Areana put a hand over her heart. “And how are my sons?"
"They are excellent. Lokan and Carol were put in charge of a group of humans with paranormal abilities, and Lokan is inducing the men. So far, no one has transitioned, but we are still hopeful."
It was good that Lokan had been put in charge of the project. After finally severing his connection to the Brotherhood and escaping his father for good, Areana worried about him finding a place in Annani's clan.
"Did Kalugal arrange for Lokan to get the position?" she asked.
"Oh, no. I believe Lokan volunteered."
"Good." Areana let out a breath. "I'm glad he has something to do. By the way, do you know the names of Kalugal's men? I'm particularly interested in someone named Darien."
"I know all of them, and none of them go by that name."
Areana's heart sank. "Are you sure? Darien is the son of one of the ladies."
"I am sure that none of those residing in the village is called Darien, but it is possible that some adopted new names. Also, several of the men who escaped with Kalugal left the unit. Some wanted to explore the world, others sought independence. Kalugal did not try to stop them. Whoever wanted to leave was allowed to."
"Could you ask Kalugal what happened to Darien?" Areana's fingers tightened on the pendant. "Or perhaps I should call him directly next week?"
"I can ask him," Annani said. "Whose son is he?"
"Tamira's. I didn't know that Darien served under Kalugal, or even that he retained the name she'd given him. The ladies and I visited the beach, and one of the guards who was assigned to us told her that he knew Darien. He immediately saw the resemblance. He told her that Darien served under Kalugal and was part of the unit that defected. Now she thinks that I knew about it and kept it from her. Naturally, I had no idea. Navuh told me that he believed that Kalugal survived and that he'd escaped, but he never mentioned the names of the men who went with him."
"Oh." Annani's voice carried understanding and sympathy. "That must be difficult, especially since you cannot tell her anything, even if Kalugal sheds light on what happened to Darien. I will call him as soon as we are done."
"Thank you." Areana touched her earpiece, a nervous habit when she was emotional.
"Lady Areana!"
