Her emphasis on the word “finally” made Annabeth flinch.
“Thank you,” the new mother said.
Mother Rachel nodded briskly and left. Her bearing was almost as imperious as her husband’s. She could afford to be haughty. Her status was secure.
Annabeth secretly hoped her own position might one day be that unassailable too. As it was, her rank was still precarious. Daniel’s two other wives had each produced one daughter. Annabeth only held ascendency over them by one child—this boy. She would need to become pregnant again soon. That was easier said than done since her husband was so unwilling to make conjugal visits to any of his wives. Well, she had managed to persuade him before. She could do it again.
She leaned her head back and gave a sigh of relief at the thought that the diviner was pleased with her. What a welcome change. Her mind drifted back to her previous face-to-face encounters with Father Abraham. Annabeth cringed inwardly at the memory of his withering disapproval. First, he had blamed her for Daniel’s lack of offspring. Then he went on to accuse her of being an instrument of the devil. He had frightened her so badly that she was sure she could hear demons whispering in her head. Sometimes, if she became very quiet, she could still hear echoes of their mockery ringing in her ears.
She opened her eyes and shook herself out of her reverie. All of that was over now. The birth of her son had made everything better. Annabeth regarded him pensively. The baby slept on undisturbed. She lifted his little fist with her index finger. Such a small creature to hold her future happiness in the palm of his tiny pink hand. He was her guarantee of salvation. The Lord could never shut her out of the celestial kingdom now. The devil could never have her soul no matter how he whispered in her ear and scratched at her thoughts. The principal wife of the scion was safe—at least for now.
Chapter 8—An Overview of India
Cassie raised her coffee cup to her lips and took a slow sip. She reveled in the relaxed start to this day knowing that while her team was already in India, Daniel had only just begun to work on cracking the next clue. His procrastination had given the Arkana a sizeable head start. Without the Nephilim breathing down their necks, the trio might find the next few weeks downright enjoyable. She gazed out at the spectacular view stretching beyond the open-air restaurant on the roof of the Cosmopolitan Hotel. The sight of the Arabian Sea dancing in the morning light had a rejuvenating effect.
She turned her head to watch as Griffin pulled out a chair and sat down next to her.
“How are you this morning?” he asked tentatively, apparently expecting her usual jet lag complaints. The flight from Chicago to Mumbai had been daunting. Twenty hours of air travel followed by a pre-dawn taxi ride to the hotel.
She smiled at him and gave a thumbs-up. “I’m OK.” She cast a doubtful glance down toward her coffee. “Of course, that could be because I’m hopped up on caffeine.”
The scrivener stifled a yawn. “Caffeine. What an excellent suggestion.”
A waiter appeared at that moment to fill his cup.
“Now that’s a change,” Cassie observed. “I’m usually the one with the time zone problem.” She shielded her eyes and glanced up at the sky. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s the climate. Maybe it’s the view, but I feel downright peppy.”
“Peppy, huh?” Erik joined them. He slid into the remaining chair at the table. “Then that makes one of you.”
“What’s the matter, road warrior? A little sleepy this morning?” The pythia’s voice held a note of mockery.
The paladin refused to take off his sunglasses. “Why’s it so bright out here?” he complained.
“Being a vampire must be hell,” Cassie observed dryly.
“I blame the kid with colic who boarded the plane in Newark,” Erik explained. “I didn’t get any shut-eye at all last night.”
“Even I heard the wailing, and I was seated a dozen rows behind you,” Griffin admitted. “It’s fascinating that a creature weighing no more than twelve pounds should possess such powerful lungs.”
“And for that many hours.” Erik groaned.
The trio hadn’t been seated together on the crowded flight. Because of an error in their ticketing, Cassie received a first-class seat while the two men were relegated to coach.
Once the waiter arrived to pour Erik’s coffee, he downed the entire cup in two gulps.
“Careful, that’s hot,” Cassie cautioned.
“A burned tongue might wake me up,” the paladin retorted.
“I think I figured out the cure for jet lag,” the pythia said brightly. “Well, mine anyway. The trick is to always sit in first class. My seat reclined flat like a bed, and I was in a suite which is a mini-cabin all by itself. Then the stewardess gave me something called an amenity bag, and it had pajamas and slippers and an eye mask. With all that pampering, even I could sleep. It was great!”
Erik slid his sunglasses down his nose long enough to fix her with a scornful stare. “And you think Maddie’s gonna foot the bill for your upgrade every time we take a long-haul flight?”
“She might if I explain how much jet lag throws me off my game.” Cassie appealed to the scrivener. “Tell him, Griffin. Remember what you said about pythias and their delicate nervous systems?”
“Oh, don’t drag me into this,” he demurred, vigorously stirring cream into his coffee.
At that moment, the waiter invited them to help themselves to the breakfast buffet. They wandered over to a long cloth-covered table bedecked with a vast array of breakfast foods. Aside from fresh fruit and various meats, the biggest surprises were bagels, cream cheese, and lox.
“Frankly, I expected curry,” Cassie mumbled to Griffin.
“This hotel caters to an international clientele,” he remarked. “The food served here is meant to suit a Western palate.”
The trio advanced to a separate
