Page 37 of Dark Witch: Entangled Fates

The truth was that it wasn't really necessary for him to be with his mother when the meeting commenced.

It wasn't as if Kian feared for Annani's well-being when alone with Aru. First of all, she could take care of herself, as Toven had reminded him time and again, and secondly, she had her Odus with her, and not even Aru's immense strength was a match for two Odus who were charged with protecting their mistress.

Still, his mother appreciated the moral support. Besides, Syssi had volunteered to transcribe everything that was being said, and he couldn't argue with her logic that the best way of keeping the notes an absolute secret was writing them by hand.

In today's hackable world, recording things with pen and paper was the only hack-proof method, provided that the records were well hidden and well guarded, which he would take care of as soon as they got back to the village.

Syssi sighed loudly and turned to Kian. "My feet are killing me. Are you ready to call it a night?"

Across the table, Amanda lifted a brow. "Leaving so early again? What's your rush?"

"It's not that early," Kian forced a casual tone. "Syssi has been dancing for hours, and she's tired."

"So were you." Syssi grimaced. "Just not in high heels. I'm dying to take my shoes off."

"You can dance barefoot," Amanda suggested. "Many do." She waved her hand at the dance floor.

"True, but they are not shorties with giants for mates." She cast a fond look at Kian. "Kian would look like he's dancing with a little girl."

He snorted. "No one would mistake you for a girl." He leaned closer and nuzzled her neck at the spot he planned on biting later tonight. "You are all woman."

Amanda rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. You should have said that you were eager to take your wife to bed from the get-go."

Predictably, Syssi's cheeks reddened. "It's not that. I am really tired, and we also need to go pick up Allegra from your mother's. We don't want to keep her up too late."

Suspicion flashed in Amanda's eyes.

His sister was sharply perceptive, always had been. It was part of what made her such a great researcher. She never accepted things at face value and always asked why.

Kian's jaw clenched at the need to hide things from her, but Aru insisted on keeping his ability to communicate with his sister a secret, and Kian had given him his word.

"I see." Amanda's tone was carefully neutral. "Well, don't let me keep you." Her gaze cut to Syssi, a silent question in their blue depths.

Syssi leaned over the table and clasped Amanda's hand. "The decorations were beautiful tonight."

Amanda shrugged. "Not my doing. Cassandra did all that on her own. I didn't even help with the menu. Geraldine insisted on doing it. Not that I minded." She leaned forward to whisper in Syssi's ear. "It left me free to do some matchmaking." She turned to Kian. "By the way, did you remember to talk to Edna about Jasmine?"

"Not yet. I'll speak with her first thing in the morning."

Amanda's eyes narrowed. "Don't put it off too long. I've already put the rest of the plan in motion."

"You did?" He glanced at the dance floor where Max was dancing with Darlene.

Amanda followed his gaze. "Oh, not with Max. He declined the offer. Something about Jasmine reminding him of someone he disliked."

"Then who?"

"Edgar."

That surprised Kian. He hadn't seen that coming. Edgar was still a kid in immortal years, but he had a reputation for being a ladies' man. Like most immortal males, he was handsome, but in a more boyish way than Max. He didn't have the heft and swagger of the Guardian.

Kian wasn't sure how he felt about the pilot pursuing Jasmine. It wasn’t that Edgar was undeserving of a mate. It was just that he was still young and there were many who were more deserving.

Jasmine being a Dormant was not a certainty, though, and at the moment, it was only a theory.

"We still don't know what Jasmine is about, and having a Guardian befriend her would have been better."

"I know," Amanda admitted. "But Ed overheard me talking with Max, and when Max declined, he jumped on the opportunity to take his place. I couldn't say no."

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