by T. A. White
They were interesting questions to ponder.
Finn shadowed them as they disappeared through one of the tunnel offshoots to the main cavern.
Kira felt the path tilt upward, the climb a gradual one as they ascended. Eventually, oshota clad in House Roake colors came into view, guarding a staircase leading up. Above their heads fluttered the deep blue of House Roake's banner.
The oshota murmured greetings to their Overlord as they passed, their curious gazes flitting to Kira and then away.
Seeing the question on Kira's face, Harlow explained, "The etheiri welcomes all, but the individual pathways belong to the Houses. Roake defends what's ours."
"Are you expecting an attack?" Kira asked.
"Such an occurrence is always possible. I find it wise to be prepared."
Paranoid. Always ready for the worst outcome. Who knew such traits were inheritable?
"How did you find the etheiri?" Harlow asked.
Kira cast a significant glance behind her.
"I would have been informed if you'd passed through here."
She lifted her eyebrows in surprise. "Keeping tabs on me?"
His answering smile was slight, a micro expression similar to one she'd seen on Graydon. "Did you expect any different?"
Kira thought about it and then shrugged. "Not really."
In his shoes, she'd likely do the same.
Finally, she answered. "Graydon showed me your ocean and the feilli. I found the cavern from there."
Harlow made a show of looking around as if to say he didn't see Graydon anywhere.
This time Kira's grin was crooked. "He was called away on important business."
Harlow shook his head. "That boy hasn't changed."
Unprepared to have a man such as Graydon referred to as “boy”, Kira bit back a laugh. It somehow seemed wrong using a word such as that to describe someone as dangerous and deadly as Graydon. She supposed it pointed to the type of relationship the two shared that Harlow could get away with such things.
Harlow's gaze was oddly fascinated as he took in her amusement. "He is the emperor's man. It's unlikely that will ever change."
One corner of Kira's lips quirked up. "Romantic advice, uncle? I didn't think we had that sort of relationship."
Harlow tipped his chin. "You're right. We're not typical uncle and niece. The formation of our bonds was delayed, but that doesn't mean they cannot be built."
Harlow didn't strike her as being overly sentimental. He was too focused on his mission, that of protecting and securing his House. It was one of the reasons she couldn't help questioning his insistence on her presence there. She was a stick thrown into the highly efficient cogs of his world. Why go to such lengths to ensure she remained when it would be easy to let her ki poisoning run its course?
Was it really because of duty? Or was there something more?
"I was surprised to see you in the etheiri," Kira finally said.
Harlow's passage was silent as he padded beside her, unable to hide the deadly grace with which he moved. Like Graydon, he was a predator. A killer. The way he passed through the world made that easy to see.
Their similarities weren’t surprising. After all, her uncle had trained Graydon into the force he was.
"Why would that surprise you?" he asked. "The etheiri is where we go to grieve."
"But the Sorrowing happened ninety-two years ago," Kira said, watching him carefully. "That's a long time to cling to the past."
Harlow looked at her. "Is there a length I should shoot for? Perhaps twelve years is enough?"
Touché. Well played, uncle, Kira thought as she tipped her chin at him.
"We're not humans. We don't grieve in the same way. Our lives are long; our memories longer."
They reached the top of the stairs, stepping out under a starry sky, the fortress lurking above them, its smooth walls waiting for a signal before revealing the door Kira knew waited.
She hesitated, looking up at the sky. "A place like that only serves to keep your pain fresh."
She couldn't see the purpose behind such a thing.
"I agree. The etheiri is a double-edged sword." He took in the stars. "Loudon is one of the most disciplined people I know, yet he spends more time in that place than is wise. For the unwary, the etheiri can become a crutch, an endless reminder of what they've lost."
Kira studied her uncle. "Yet, you still visit regularly."
He looked at her, his face difficult to read in the dark. "Sometimes, I find myself in need of remembering what failure looks like."
In light of Loudon's revelations, his words were oddly revealing. And concerning.
"How does that help?" Kira asked.
"My twin was taken from me during the Sorrowing, his wife slain steps away from your crib. My niece was stolen." There was a suppressed rage in his voice. It was all the more terrifying for how controlled he sounded, as if he embraced the fury, allowing it to coldly burn until he could unleash it. "My failure was in not protecting my family. It won't happen again."
He blamed himself for her parent’s deaths, Kira realized.
That was the piece she'd been missing.
From the sound of it, he didn't seem like he'd done any healing in the years following. His visits to the etheiri had kept the wound open, and Harlow had allowed it to fester, bleeding into everything that he was.
"You never found those responsible?" she asked carefully, sensing she was in dangerous territory.
"Not all of them." His answer was soft and succinct.
She'd suspected as much. If he had, the pain wouldn't still be so bright and immediate. Maybe he would have allowed himself to heal if he'd found and punished his brother's killers.
That was the real reason Harlow still visited the etheiri. He wanted revenge—and he was using Kira to get it.
That was the only thing she could think of. There had to be a traitor within Roake. Too much damage had been done too quickly. The assailants had known right where to hit them.
He'd said it himself—she was his niece, but they never got the chance to discover what that meant. The bonds of blood and family never developed.
Fishing expeditions were always easier when you used bait you weren't emotionally attached to.
"I see," she said after a long pause.
It wasn't that she blamed him. In his position, she'd likely have done the same. Hell, wasn't that why she'd embarked on her mission? Revenge and a chance to right the wrongs done to her.
"I'm not sure you do," Harlow said. "Either way, it's best you head to bed. Tomorrow will be eventful."
"So, people keep telling me." Kira readied for the door to appear.
Harlow remained where he was. "One last thing, niece."
She paused, looking at him in the dark.
"Three unidentified objects left orbit around Ta Da'an while the barrier was down."
Kira fought to cover her surprise. "Is that so?"
"You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"
For once, she didn't have to lie. "No."
He nodded, raising his hand and setting it against the wall. A door shimmered into existence.
Kira paused on the threshold. She might eventually leave this place, but these people were hers in a mixed-up fashion. She couldn't leave them defenseless.
"If I were you, I'd increase your security and add redundancies designed to ferret out traitors. If the Tsavitee were on those ships, they won't come at the Tuann directly like they did in Ta Da'an. They'll use manipulation to de-stabilize your military and government. Expect betrayal. They have a nasty habit of exploiting people's weak spots."
Kira didn't wait for his response, walking through the door with a final wave over her shoulder.
"Sleep well, niece." Harlow’s words followed her into the darkness.
*
When Kira finally dragged herself to her room, it was to find a surprise waiting for her as soon as she opened the door. Only reflexes honed in
the worst life and death situations saved her from a shot to the chest.
She jerked sideways, letting the energy blast skate by her. Adrenaline abruptly flooded her limbs as she prepared to attack.
A blanket floated up from the bed. "Password."
"Jin?"
"Password," the blanket demanded again.
"You know who it is," Kira snapped as Finn moved silently into position behind her, his en-blade already out. At the sound of Jin's voice, he relaxed slightly, shifting to resume his position against the opposite wall.
"I don't plan on leaving the room until morning. You can get some rest in a real bed," she informed Finn.
Truthfully, she was too tired to go anywhere.
Finn eyed the sheet. "I'll wait until you're inside, and the door is closed.
"Not until she gives me the password," Jin insisted.
Kira glared, her lips flattening into an angry expression. "You know who I am."
"Do I, though? You've been in contact with Odin, who is a sneaky, devious toadstool. Who knows what deceptions she's enacted?"
Finn seemed entirely too interested in their conversation for Kira's comfort. In the rooms around them, she could hear people stirring. It wouldn't be long before someone got up the courage to open their door. If they caught Kira talking to a floating blanket, it wasn't going to be good.
"If you don't let me in right now, I'm going to fry your circuits and reassemble them as a toaster oven," she threatened through gritted teeth.
There was a pause.
"Yup, that's definitely you."
Finally.
There was a slight buzz and the field covering the door disappeared. Kira waved at Finn. "I'll see you tomorrow."
He didn't look exactly reassured, but at least he didn't try to follow her into the room either.
Kira closed the door as she heard two others open.
She leveled a glare at her friend. "What the hell was that?"
Jin didn't answer as sharp jolts of electricity darted through her limbs.
Kira held in her yelp, knowing the sound would draw Finn, no doubt provoking an extreme reaction.
When the electricity died, Kira said through clenched teeth, "Jin, you're seriously making me mad."
"With Odin in the mix, I thought it best we up our security precautions."
"By electrocuting me?" Kira knew her voice was edging toward hysterical but found she didn't care. This was extreme, even for Jin.
"I needed to destroy any bugs she might have left on you. I'm not risking a single piece of her coding reaching my hardware," he told her.
She stared at him in disbelief.
"You're paranoid," she told him.
"No, I'm not. I found two suspicious lines in my coding," he argued. "I don't know what they do yet, but I will."
Unfortunately, Jin had good reason for his paranoia. This wasn't the first time Odin had pulled a stunt like this. The two had been locked into this odd war for as long as they'd known each other.
Odin thought it was a game. Jin didn't help matters, retaliating every time she snuck something by him.
"From now on, we're going to have a four-point authentication system and two sterilization sessions any time you return," Jin informed her as he swept around her to cut off her path to the shower.
"Not happening." She sidestepped him and entered the shower.
He stayed outside, raising his voice so she could still hear him over the sound of running water. "I thought you might say that."
Kira eyed the open door with suspicion. He sounded way calmer than he should have.
She finished up, grabbing a clean towel and wiping off before donning a shirt and panties for bed.
Dry and moderately warm again, she headed for the bed, collapsing into it, almost groaning in bliss at finally being horizontal again. She was so tired.
Her eyes had barely closed when the bed moved under her. She popped upright, staring at the covers in horror as they bulged.
"That's why I took the liberty of coming up with an alternate plan," Jin said proudly.
Kira drew aside the sheet to find a small metallic lizard. He cocked his head at her, his movements incredibly lifelike as his tongue flicked out, tasting the air.
"Ta da," Jin sang. "I've spawned. Meet the new mini Jin."
Kira choked, dismay and disbelief written on her features as her gaze lifted. She shook her head.
"What?" Jin asked. "He's cute."
"No," Kira finally managed to say. She shook her head again as if by doing so Jin might listen. "Absolutely not."
Jin happily talked over her. "I've decided due to certain events, you can no longer be trusted on your own."
"What events?" Kira asked through gritted teeth.
Jin ticked them off one by one. "The primus. The confrontation in the classroom. Meeting Odin unsupervised. Jumping off a cliff to have sexy time with Graydon."
Kira's glare burned hotter.
"I've decided I need eyes on the ground, so to speak. This is the best solution." Jin flew a figure eight over the lizard as it rose onto its hindquarters and tried to bat at the drone. He missed, plopping onto all fours. With a dissatisfied flick of his tail, the lizard waddled toward Kira's pillow.
She slowly shook her head again. "What part of you have to stay hidden and not draw attention did you not understand?"
"All of it."
Kira rubbed her temples. All she wanted was sleep.
"Mini Jin can be with you while I'm stuck in here," Jin promised. "And bonus, he'll make sure Odin can't get her greedy little claws into my hardware by ensuring you, the weak link, is protected."
This time, Kira snatched the pillow from under the lizard and lobbed it at her friend. It hit him before bouncing to the ground. The lizard righted itself, its mouth opening in a silent mew.
Kira fought the urge to feel guilty, knowing the lizard wasn't a living creature. It was harder than it should have been, mainly because of the pain in her ass hovering in midair.
"Rude," Jin complained.
"What's if he's seen?" Kira asked.
"Min, play dead."
The lizard froze, his surface hardening until he looked like he was carved of stone with faceted jewels as his eyes.
“Min?” Kira asked.
“Short for mini Jin,” he explained.
Kira sent him an unamused look. Cute—not.
"The Tuann will never see anything but a very interesting bracelet," Jin promised.
"A very weird bracelet," Kira muttered.
"His presence means I won't feel the need to explore," Jin cajoled.
Kira frowned at him. "You're starting to make a habit of ultimatums, and I don't like it."
Jin's snort was unimpressed. "Too bad."
Kira picked the lizard up. He had a surprising heft to him, his body warm and lifelike despite the metallic sheen to his skin. Had he been green, she might have thought he was real.
She set him on the edge of the bed. "Do I want to know what you used to make him?"
"Probably not."
That meant he'd appropriated Tuann technology for the lizard's construction.
"Did you hear my conversation with Harlow?" Kira asked, changing the subject.
She'd lost. Resisting further would only result in a loss of dignity.
"I did."
"Your analysis?"
Jin was quiet for several moments. "I found it interesting he chose to share this information with you."
"You think it's a trap? Meant to lure us into doing something that tips our hand?"
Jin made a thoughtful sound. "That's unclear, but I suspect your uncle is skilled at political games and intrigue. He will be one to watch."
That had been Kira's assessment as well. "At least we now have an idea of how Odin got on the planet."
She probably used the distraction by the Tsavitee on Luatha to slip through the Tuann’s security net along with the other ships Graydon had told her about.
"But
we can't assume," Jin was quick to add.
"No, we can't," Kira agreed.
Assumptions had a habit of leading you to mistaken conclusions that inevitably got you knocked on your ass or staring into a Tsavitee infantry squad.
The two of them shared a look. They'd been down this road before.
Kira stretched out on the bed. "I'm getting sick of this."
"Watch for the betrayal from behind. That's how they always come for us."
Kira grumbled an agreement, resting her hands on her belly. "Just when I was getting comfortable."
"Yes, I heard how comfortable you were getting with the commander," Jin teased.
Kira sent him a flat stare. "Stuff it, Tin Man, or I'll have to comment on this weird flirting thing you and Odin are doing."
Jin made a choked sound of denial. Kira hid her grin. She'd thought that might work.
TWENTY
Kira trudged into the Warrior's Hall, feeling out of sorts and tired. The night had been long, but her sleep short. A headache lingered behind her eyes, likely a result of the lack of sleep and the keeva she'd consumed.
Most of her fellow initiates were already present, many of them practicing diligently with their wooden swords. The announcement by Wren seemed to have lit a fire in them. No one knew for sure when the trial would take place, but they all wanted their shot at advancing.
Kira didn't blame them. She did too. Hence the reason for her presence despite her need for more sleep.
Blue sat against a wall, tinkering with a device between her legs. She looked up, her expression unwelcoming as she caught sight of Kira.
Guess Blue was still upset about last night.
Kira ignored the small pang the thought brought, telling herself it was better this way. Blue and Raider were part of the past. There was no going back, no matter how nostalgic she'd found last night.
"This is what you've been doing all this time?" Jin asked from her collar.
"There's usually a lot more running involved," Kira told him. "Also, I thought we agreed you would be motionless and silent."
The lizard's face was stubborn as he looked up at her.
