Perhaps what he had seen then hadn’t been real either?
People who were vision impaired from birth couldn’t dream visuals, which meant that dreams and hallucinations originated in the brain’s visual cortex. The soul didn’t see or hear things. Only the mind could do that. It stored the information it received from the visual and auditory cortexes and then reshuffled it to create dreams or hallucinations.
Had Jonah been a hallucination? Nothing but memories that David’s brain had remixed to create his brother’s ghost?
But then how had he known that David was the reincarnation of Olek and not Gudbrand?
Maybe it was just wishful thinking. David couldn’t empathize with Gudbrand, but he could with Olek. It was much easier for him to accept that he had been the younger brother who had had a wife he’d cared deeply about, and not the arrogant elder brother who’d been obsessed with a beautiful priestess, or rather a goddess who pretended to be a mortal.
He had so many questions for Annani. What she’d told Sari had been only the bare bones version of what had happened. There had been so much more that he wanted to know. She’d spent time with him earlier, telling him things in a language he couldn’t understand. Was that proof that not all dreams and hallucinations originated in the brain? Or maybe he could actually hear what was going on around him?
How could he know if any of it had been real? The dreams, the conversations he’d thought that he had overheard, all of that could have been the product of his imagination.
Jonah, if you can hear me, I need your help.
Light entered his vision as his brother’s form first shimmered and then solidified next to him.
“You called?”
“I need you to help me wake up. Can you do that?”
“I can guide you, but you will need to do the work yourself.”
“I’ve never shied away from hard work.”
“Focus inward and search for a thread. If you find it, grab it and use it to climb out.”
David closed his imaginary eyes and looked inward, but all he could see was darkness. “I can’t see anything. There is no thread.”
“Then you are not ready yet. Give yourself more time.”
“How long have I been out?”
“Not long. Less than twenty-four hours.”
“It feels as if I have been gone for weeks.”
“That’s because of the dreams. You can spend a lifetime in a dream while only a few hours have passed in the real world.”
“Isn’t that amazing?” David smiled. “Makes me question reality.”
Jonah chuckled. “I still remember you after we watched the first Matrix movie. You were sure that we were living in a computer program.”
“Sometimes, I still am. Except, reality is stranger than fiction. I could have never imagined immortals living hidden among humans, or that I am one of them.” His smile wilted. “If you had not died, you could have been immortal.”
“But I am.” Jonah put a hand on David’s chest. “And so were you even before the transition that you are going through now. Our souls never die. The only difference between humans and the descendants of gods is that they spend much longer in one body. If you ask me, humans have a better deal. I would have been bored out of my mind if I had to live as the same person for thousands of years. It’s much more fun to start each time anew with a fresh slate. Can you imagine how much guilt can accumulate over such long lives? Who needs that?”
“You have a point. But I still want to spend eternity with the woman I love.” He looked at his brother. “What about you? Did you ever have anyone you loved during your many incarnations that you want to find again?”
“Other than you? No. And I can’t say anything more.” Jonah floated off the bed. “I’ll come back tomorrow. Hopefully, by then, you’ll feel well enough to find the thread.”
“Is that a promise?”
“Yes. Focus on getting stronger, David.” Jonah’s eyes softened. “I wish I could tell you that your troubles are over, but I can’t.”
Jonah’s form dissipated before David could ask him what he’d meant by that. Was it about his recovery? Was it going to be difficult? Or was it about something else?
David could bear almost anything except for losing Sari. And if that was the trouble waiting for him, he would rather not recover.
He didn’t remember being Olek, but from what he’d been told, it seemed that he had a very hard time recovering from the loss of his wife and from killing his brother. It had taken him many cycles to get over that.
In fact, he hadn’t gotten over it until meeting an immortal demigoddess who was practically indestructible. Before Sari, he hadn’t allowed himself to get close to anyone. He’d been afraid of losing another person he loved.
45
Kian
“I found a great place for us to hang out in,” Callie said as their group left the dining hall. “Did you know that the castle has an awesome library?”
Alena nodded. “But it’s not a good place for social gatherings. We will need to keep quiet.”
“But no one goes there,” Callie retorted. “It’s always empty. Besides, it has a beautiful outdoor terrace with tables and chairs. We can hang out there.”
Kalugal glanced at Kian. “Sounds like a perfect place for cigars and whiskey.”
“Isn’t it too early to celebrate?” Syssi asked. “David is not out of the woods yet.”
Amanda wrapped her arm around Syssi’s shoulders. “As much as I feel for Sari and David, we are here to celebrate the signing of the accord, and Kalugal and Jacki are on their honeymoon. We haven’t done much to celebrate either.”
“True.” Syssi leaned against Amanda. “But with David fighting for his life and Sari going nuts with worry, it’s difficult to get into a celebratory mood.”
“I know, darling. But we need to try. Life is full of sorrows, and we shouldn’t squander any opportunities for celebration.”
“I agree,” Annani said. “Let us adjourn to the library’s veranda, and I will ask my Odus to serve us drinks out there.”
With Annani supporting the notion, no one dared to argue against it.
“I’ll meet you there.” Kian reached for Syssi’s hand. “I need to get the cigars, and I also need to call Turner back. Do you need me to bring you anything from our room? Maybe a cardigan? It’s chilly outside.”
“That’s a good idea.”
“All my ideas are good.”
She smiled indulgently. “Don’t take too long.”
“Are you bringing cigars for all of us?” Anandur asked.
“Naturally.”
Anticipating the demand, he’d brought a couple of cigar boxes with him.
Back in his and Syssi’s room, he pulled out his phone and called Turner.
Turner picked up on the third ring. “Hello, Kian. Thanks for calling me back so soon.”
“What’s up?”
“I talked with Kri about infiltrating the cult, and Eleanor was with her. Kri suggested Eleanor as her partner. I would have dismissed the idea out of hand if not for Eleanor’s compulsion ability. It might come in handy. Also, she and Kri seem to be a good team. Eleanor is handling the warm-ups and cool-downs of Kri’s self-defense class, and according to Kri, she’s a natural. Kri even recommends her for Brundar’s advanced training without going through the intermediate. She says that Eleanor doesn’t need it.”