Her expression somber, Annani remained quiet during all of Bridget’s abbreviated presentation, listening intently but not offering comments or asking questions.

It wasn’t like her. She almost looked subdued, which greatly unsettled Kian. His mother was a force of nature who didn’t know the meaning of accepting defeat or even slowing down her forward movement.

“What are your thoughts, Clan Mother?” Bridget asked when she was done.

Annani sighed. “If you are asking me whether I am shocked, I am not. This is nothing new. Women and girls have been exploited throughout history. It saddens me on many levels, but fighting this phenomenon is larger than the clan, larger even than the capabilities of superpowers. I still believe that the only way to cure humanity’s maladies is more education, more progress, and more innovation. Redirecting our resources to a Sisyphean effort is not going to solve this problem or any of the others.”

Fuck, Kian had been so sure that Annani’s soft heart would make her an enthusiastic supporter of their undertaking. The one time he was counting on it, his mother decided to respond with her brain rather than her heart.

Deflated, Bridget sank in her chair. “Does it mean you’ll oppose it?”

Annani re-crossed her legs and leaned forward. Taking one of Bridget’s hands in both of hers, she smiled. “This is a very big and ambitious plan you have hatched. We need to take it apart and address each section separately. Perhaps some are less costly than others. Unless you can show me that none of the other projects we are working on will suffer as a result, I cannot support this effort.”

Bridget cast Kian a pleading look, but there was not much he could help her with. Annani was right.

Still, he was not going to give up so easily. “Several of our businesses are just for profit and have nothing to do with innovation. We can sell a couple to finance this project.”

Annani arched her brows. “I know that, Kian. But I also know that we need those profits to finance our technological and educational agendas.”

She got him there.

Annani rose to her feet and walked over to him. “Do not look so despondent, my son. You just have to work harder to find a solution. If you can increase profits while maintaining the current trajectory of progress, I will consider approving a less ambitious plan.”

Easier said than done. It wasn’t as if he was idling and not dedicating every moment to achieving just that. How the hell was he going to increase profits enough to finance such a huge project? He’d already stretched the clan’s finances by building the new village. They were operating on a barebones budget.

It was impossible.

“I’ll prepare a financial plan for you to look at.”

What that plan was going to be eluded him, but he wasn’t going to admit he had nothing.

“Very well. When you are working on it, I want you to concentrate on education and increasing awareness. Those are not as costly as some of the other things Bridget mentioned.”

“If I may,” Bridget interjected.

Annani waved her on. “By all means.”

“This is not as clear cut as it seems. We need the old Guardians back. The keep and the new village are not safe with only nine of them serving. The problem is that in peacetime they have not much to do. Training only takes up so many hours of the day and it’s not enough to give them a sense of purpose. Rescuing enslaved girls will give them that. I believe most will come back if given a good enough reason.”

Annani nodded. “There is something to that.”

Encouraged, Bridget continued. “The Guardians’ salaries represent a big portion of the budget, but we would have been paying those regardless of the project just to maintain the force in case we needed it. I think we can take it out of the cost projection and apply it to the security budget, which needed fortification regardless of anything.”

Kian regarded Bridget with even greater appreciation than before. It didn’t matter that the money to pay the Guardians still came from the same pocket, which wasn’t as deep as he would’ve liked it to be. Perception mattered. If they took out the salaries out of the projected cost of the project, the budget would be much more palatable to the clan members.

The cost of security was at Kian’s sole discretion, and he didn’t need to get the clan’s approval for it.

Annani sat back in her chair and readjusted her floor-length gown. “I think the two of you still have a lot of work to do before the big assembly. First of all, clean up from the budget all the items that do not belong in it, like the salaries. It will make it easier for you to sell your plan. Then reevaluate everything based on what will bring the most bang for the money and discard the rest. Also, I want that financial plan before the assembly begins. Preferably several hours before so I will have time to go over it.”

“Of course.” Kian stood up only to kneel in front of Annani. “Thank you, Mother.”

She leaned and kissed his forehead. “You are welcome, my son. And next time you come, I want you to bring your lovely wife and stay for a few days.”

“I will.” Once he surfaced for long enough to take a breath.

Mothers were not the most rational of people. Or maybe it was just his. Annani had just dropped a huge chunk of work in his lap but was still expecting him to take time off to visit her.

Back on the plane, Kian dove right into the financial reports. It would take days to go over everything and figure out where the money would come from. The bottom line was that he needed to find a way to make more of it.

“You’ve been awfully quiet during this trip,” Bridget said.

Kian lifted his head, but it seemed she was talking to Anandur. The guy hadn’t said much during the meetings, but he usually didn’t butt in during those. Except, he hadn’t said a word on the plane ride either, which was unlike him.

“Did Syssi tell you about her dream?” Anandur asked.

So that was his problem. Again, Kian lifted his head but the question had been addressed to Bridget, and he decided to keep his mouth shut. Syssi’s dream could’ve meant anything.

“No, she didn’t. Was it a prophetic one?”

“Maybe. She dreamt that I was comforting a crying young woman. But she didn’t know what the girl meant to me.”

“It can be anything,” Bridget said. “You hang around clubs where a lot of young people go, and there are bound to be dramas. Someone says something offensive, a breakup, a lost purse, there are plenty of reasons for tears. Not every tear is shed over a catastrophe.”

“I know. But Syssi never dreamt about me before. That’s why I think it must mean something.”

“Not necessarily,” Kian butted in. “She dreamt about a little boy and thought he was ours, but he was Eva and Bhathian’s. Her visions are real, but the problem is interpreting them. I wouldn’t lose sleep over this.”

“Listen to the boss,” Bridget said.

Right. When it was convenient, he was the boss. Which reminded him that he hadn’t complimented Bridget on her quick thinking yet. A good boss should offer praise when it was due.

“You did well in there. I would’ve never thought of the Guardian angle.”

“Thanks. Though I should have realized that earlier and removed it from the budget. Without the sticker shock, we might have gotten Annani’s approval.”

Kian shook his head. “Annani is more shrewd than she lets on. I thought we had it in the bag. But apparently, she only gets emotional when it suits her agenda. She was all business today.”

Bridget chuckled. “Who would have thought, huh?”

Kian closed his laptop and leaned back in the comfortable seat. He was exhausted. “I should have known better. With all her drama-queen antics, it’s easy to forget who we are dealing with. Annani wouldn’t have achieved all that she did by being soft and emotional. Her remarkable journey required smarts and unyielding determination.”