Page 92 of Dark Island: Rescue
"You're awake early," Navuh's voice rumbled from behind her, still thick with sleep. "Come back to bed."
Affixing a smile to her face, she turned around and did as he asked, sliding under the covers beside him.
He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her back against the solid warmth of his body. "Bad dreams?"
"No dreams at all," Areana said, which was true. She'd barely slept because her mind had kept spinning with plans, contingencies, and consequences.
It was Saturday, and she'd promised Annani to consider calling her today if she dared, but did she?
"Then why are you restless?" Navuh pressed a kiss to her shoulder, his lips warm against her skin. "Something's troubling you."
The truelove mate bond was both a blessing and a curse. It allowed them to sense each other's emotions, to feel the subtle shifts in mood and energy that words might hide. Right now, it meant Navuh could detect her agitation no matter how carefully she tried to conceal it.
Thankfully, the bond didn't open a channel to her thoughts, and Navuh still couldn't compel her to tell him the truth.
"I'm not restless. I'm just making plans," she said. "We are learning so much about rebinding books, and the more we learn, the more materials and tools we realize we need. I keep making mental notes and trying to figure out how long it will all take. I have afeeling that by the time we are done with the last book, we will have to start working again on the first. There is no end to it."
Navuh rolled onto his side to face her, propping himself up on one elbow. "There is a simple solution, you know. We could digitize everything and get rid of the library."
She gasped in genuine horror. "That's sacrilegious. Some of those manuscripts and scrolls are priceless. We brought them with us from one location to another throughout the millennia."
He smiled. "I was just teasing. I know how important those books are to you."
"They're pieces of history. Knowledge that could be lost forever if we don't preserve it properly." Areana reached up to trace the line of his jaw, the gesture automatic after their years together. "I know it might not seem important to you, but it matters to me and the other ladies. It has become our lifelong project."
"Anything that matters to you, matters to me." Navuh caught her hand, bringing it to his lips to press a kiss to her palm. The tender gesture made guilt twist in her chest. "What can I do to help?" he asked.
"Just be patient, my love. It's delicate work, and it takes time, and sometimes it gets frustrating. You know how it is."
"Oh, I do. Believe me." He turned onto his back. "Elias thinks that I should terminate the enhancement project."
Areana's heart started beating faster. "I think he's right. You are playing with fire."
He chuckled. "Playing is not the right word, but Iknow what you mean. I'm considering it. I'll give Petrov two weeks to show me progress. If he can't, I'll terminate the original test subjects and start from scratch."
He was talking about killing those soldiers, but for once, Areana didn't mourn the loss of life. It was unfortunate that those males had been turned into monsters, but if there was no way to undo what had been done to them, everyone on the island would be safer with them gone.
"Perhaps you could find a small, deserted island and drop them off there instead of killing them."
He turned to look at her, amusement dancing in his eyes. "You are merciful to a fault, my love, but sometimes mercy leads to evil. What do you think they will do on a deserted island? Live in peace and harmony?"
"Why not?"
He chuckled. "Because that's not in their nature. They will kill each other or find a way to get off the island and go on a killing rampage somewhere else."
"Why? Is that the result of the drugs?"
He shook his head. "That's what they know, what they were taught to do. Asserting their dominance by brute force is what brings them pleasure."
Navuh pressed another tender kiss to her temple and got out of bed, glorious in his nakedness. Even after millennia together, Areana still found him beautiful—the lean strength of his body, the confidence in his movements, the raw power contained in his frame.
She loved him. Fates help her; she loved him with everything she had, even knowing what he was, what he'd done, what he was capable of doing.
After Navuh disappeared into the bathroom, Areana lay on her back and stared at the ceiling, trying to organize her thoughts.
Should she call Annani today? Get the information about the rescue plan so she and Tula could start preparing.
The problem was that Navuh's weekend schedule was unpredictable. During the week, he had meetings and obligations that kept him away from the harem for most of the day, so she felt more confident about contacting Annani during those days.
