Page 49 of Dark Island: Rescue
"That would be nice, thank you."
Navuh studied her for a long moment, and Areana held his gaze steadily. Let him see her concern for Tula, her desire to help. Both were absolutely true, even if he would see the help she planned as betrayal.
"You have such a tender heart," he said finally, reaching across to clasp her hand. "It's one of the things I love most about you. You care for everyone under your protection, even when they don't deserve it."
"They're my responsibility," Areana said. "And you've given me the authority to manage the harem as I see fit. I take that trust seriously."
"I know you do." He raised her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "You're the only one I trust completely. The only one who's never betrayed me, never schemed against me. You're my anchor, Areana. The one stable constant in my life."
The words were like a knife to her heart. Guilt crashed over her in waves so powerful she nearly gasped. Her mate, the one she'd chosen and who'd chosen her, declaring his absolute faith in her loyalty to him, and in a couple of hours, she would shatter that faith by arranging the escape of four people from his island.
"I love you," she said. "Never doubt that my heart belongs to you."
He smiled, that rare unguarded smile he showed only to her. "And I love you, my sweet, beautiful goddess."
He tilted her face up, studying her with that penetrating gaze that seemed to see straight through to hersoul, and for a terrifying moment, she thought he knew. Thought he could read her intentions written in her eyes.
Then he kissed her, deep and possessive, claiming her as his. When he pulled back, his expression was soft again.
"I'll see you at dinner," he said.
Areana watched him dress, transforming from her lover into the warlord, with his hair brushed back and his expression hardened into the mask he wore for everyone except her.
This was Lord Navuh, master of the island, head of the Brotherhood. Ruthless, calculating, feared.
And she loved him anyway, Fates help her.
18
ANNANI
The sun had set an hour ago, and the automatic shutters had gone down, blocking all interior illumination to hide the village from craft flying overhead at night. During the day, different camouflaging methods were used, but Annani wasn't sure how they worked, only that they did.
Sitting beside her on the couch, Wonder was a coil of stress. Her spine was rigid, and her hands were clasped tightly in her lap. It was unusual for someone as easygoing and relaxed as Wonder to assume such a pose, and it revealed how anxious she was about her sister.
"Would you like more tea?" Annani asked, even though Wonder's cup sat full and cooling on the table before her.
"No, thank you." Wonder's voice was tight. "I don't think I could swallow anything right now."
Annani understood completely. Her own stomach had been in knots since morning, anxiety building with each passing hour. She'd kept herself busy with meetings,hosting clan members, and chatting about their lives and their goals as she usually did, but her mind kept straying to the approaching call.
Now the moment was nearly upon them.
She glanced at her phone. Seven fifty-eight. Areana would call at precisely eight o'clock, as she had every Wednesday except after the flooding in the harem, when she had not had access to the cliff. Areana claimed that consistency was necessary for security and that deviation from the schedule could draw attention and raise suspicions, but Annani had a feeling that her sister was simply superstitious.
The schedule worked, and she had not been caught, so she clung to it as if it were a magic cloak.
Two more minutes.
"What if she doesn't know?" Wonder asked. "Tula might have been hiding it from everyone, including Areana."
"Then we will ask to speak with Tula directly." Annani leaned back, projecting a calm she did not feel. "One way or another, after this call, we will have our answer."
"Can we really save her?" Wonder's green eyes were frantic. "Kian said it would be difficult, dangerous?—"
"Wonder." Annani put a hand on her friend's thigh. "Take a deep breath and relax. We will not abandon your sister. If she is indeed pregnant and wants to leave, we will do whatever it takes to get her out of there."
"Even if it means revealing the clan's involvement? Or Areana's?"
