“Syssi, my dear, I need a few moments of Kian’s time,” Annani said when Okidu served after dinner coffee. “Would you mind if I borrow him for a short walk?”

“No, of course not. I’m sure the two of you have a lot to talk about.”

Kian watched Syssi’s expression closely, looking for any signs of her taking offense at Annani’s request, but there were none.

His mate was the best.

“We won’t be long,” he said as he leaned to kiss her cheek.

“Take all the time you need. You don’t spend enough quality time with your family.”

“I love you,” he whispered.

“I love you too. Now go.” She gave him a little push.

One of Annani’s Odus helped his mother with her cloak, draping it over her shoulders. It was getting chilly, and although Annani belonged to a race of beings who preferred cooler places, her thin silk gown provided no protection against the elements.

Besides, a cloak with a hood worked well to diminish her natural glow, so she wouldn’t have to spend her mental energy on suppressing it.

Annani eyed his dress shirt. “You should wear a jacket over this, Kian.”

“I’m fine, Mother.”

“As you wish.” She walked out the door, her Odu holding it open for her with a deep bow.

As they walked in companionable silence, Kian wracked his brain searching for the best way to present his request to Annani. On the one hand, his mother was a romantic and might be moved by Bridget and Turner’s plight. On the other hand, she was a diva with an attitude and might view his request as presumptuous.

“So what did you want to talk to me about?” she asked after a few moments. “I am incredibly curious. I could barely eat anything and could not wait for dinner to be over.”

“Do you remember the human who helped us find Carol?” Kian decided to start with a reminder of their debt of gratitude to Turner.

The man had been paid handsomely, and Carol had ended up rescuing herself, but the fact remained that Turner had provided a service to the clan no one else could have.

“Yes, of course. Turner, right? Bridget’s newest fling.”

It seemed the keep’s rumor machine was working as well as ever, and Annani had heard the latest gossip.

“He is much more than a fling. Bridget loves him, and he loves her back.” Maybe. As much as the guy was capable of love.

“Oh, my.” Annani put a hand over her heart. “How sad for her. It is tragic to fall in love with a human.”

“It gets worse. Turner has cancer, and he wants to attempt transition even though he is too old, in addition to being sick.”

“Does he have any Dormant indicators?”

“It’s unclear. He is so bright that the tests come out skewed. Just by using logic and his deductive powers, he can predict a lot of the outcomes.”

“Interesting.”

“Before allowing him to go for the transition, Bridget convinced him to try chemotherapy. She hoped the treatments would send the cancer into remission. But he didn’t react well to it.”

“That is double tragic. Is there anything that can be done for him?”

Kian raked his fingers through his hair. “Funny that you'd ask.”

She looked up at him with a puzzled expression. “What are you suggesting, Kian?”

It was the moment of truth. He had a feeling she knew what he was about to ask but was refusing to make it easy on him.

“I know it’s highly irregular, and I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t have a strong gut feeling that this is the right thing to do, and not only for Bridget. Turner is one of a kind, and he could be a real asset to the clan.”

Saying nothing, she raised a brow.

Damn it. She wanted him to sweat it out.

“I’m asking if you’ll be willing to do for Turner what you did for Andrew.”

Annani shook her head. “Do you intend on inducing him while I am here? If he starts transitioning and is in trouble, I might consider helping out.”

That was progress. But he needed more than that from her.

“I believe it will need to be done in two stages. One injection to heal his cancer, and then another one if he needs help transitioning.”

“I see.” Annani adjusted her cloak, bringing the two halves closer together as if suddenly chilled.

“Did I offend you by asking?”

She looked up and smiled at him. “No, my son. You did not. I am moved by your compassion and your regard for Bridget. I was contemplating how this could be done. It is one thing to inject someone unconscious with no one any the wiser. But it is trickier to do so to someone who is aware. Especially one who possesses a powerful brain that is most likely immune to thralling. I have encountered humans that even I could not thrall.”

“I know. I was also trying to come up with a solution to that problem.”

“Any ideas?”

“The best I came up with was to swear him to secrecy. He is very good at keeping secrets, and he doesn’t need to know what’s in the injection. Except, the guy is too smart for his own good, and I’m afraid he will deduce it. This secret is too big to share with anyone.”

“Yes, it is. As much as I feel for Bridget’s plight, I cannot risk my secret being revealed.”

Kian sighed. “I know, and that is just one part of the problem. Let’s say we find a way to inject him without his knowledge. How do we explain the miraculous healing? And even if that can be explained away, he will need another injection if he indeed transitions. Would you be willing to come again?”

Annani waved a hand. “I can stay for a few days after the wedding. That is not a problem.”

For a few moments, they walked in silence, each trying to figure out a solution to the problem.

“If I could knock him unconscious, that would solve it,” Kian said.

Annani clapped her hands. “That is it. That is what you need to do.”

“What? Just punch him in the face and knock him out?”

“No, silly. You slip something into his drink. It should not be too difficult during the wedding. You just hand him a glass and suggest a toast. He will think nothing of it. And if he passes out, everyone will assume he got drunk.”

“Everyone except Turner. I need him to believe that he passed out naturally. The guy is not only smart but also paranoid. He will suspect something.”

“Then you must make sure that he does not. A human drinking with a group of Scottish immortals who goad him into keeping pace should do it.”

“What about the miraculous healing?”

Annani shrugged. “Schedule the induction ceremony the day after the wedding. This will not give him enough time to figure out something is wrong, or rather right.” She smirked.

Kian was starting to warm to the plan. “What do we do after he passes out?”

“You’ll carry him to your home to recover, and I will be waiting for you there.”

“That requires careful coordination.”

Annani smiled. “I think a goddess and her demigod son can manage.”

“I think you’re right.” He leaned and kissed her cheek. “Did I tell you that you’re the best?”

Annani put on a mock scowl. “Earlier you told me that I am stubborn, impulsive, and irrational.”

“I did. But that’s what makes you so special. Without those traits, you wouldn’t be Annani, the bright light that illuminates our lives.”