by T. A. White
Whoever had commissioned it had spent a pretty penny on its construction. These weren't the sort of garments you'd find just anyone wearing. Their quality spoke of wealth and privilege. The sort most couldn't even fathom.
Kira smoothed an admiring hand on the front of the jacket, trying to puzzle out how she'd come to be in possession of something so nice.
Jin, taking advantage of her distraction, launched a rock at her shoulder. Kira barely felt the high-speed projectile as it bounced off the fabric, a slight shimmer marking the area where it had hit.
Seconds later, the shimmer disappeared, leaving the dark black of the uniform behind.
"It has anti-ballistic properties," Jin observed, drifting closer for a better look. "I've never seen a bulletproof fabric that was this thin or flexible. You'd better keep this out of Blue's hands."
"Do you think it would take a bullet?" Kira asked, twisting and turning as she tested the way the fabric moved with her. It was surprisingly comfortable if you discounted the choke collar.
"We could always test it out," Jin said, brightening.
"Maybe later." The last thing she needed was him poking holes in her right before the trial.
Especially when she was already running behind.
Kira tapped the mirror, turning it invisible before heading to the door.
Jin zipped in front of her. "What do you say I tag along?"
"Isn't that what the lizard is for?"
Jin bobbed in front of her. "My spawn is amazing, but he isn't me. With the Tsavitee presence on this world confirmed, I think it would be best if you had backup."
"I really wish you'd stop calling him that." It sent chills down her spine every time he referred to the lizard as spawn.
"What else would I call him?" Jin asked, sounding baffled. Before Kira could answer, he pressed his argument, "I know he's great, but he lacks my sleek, debonair air. Most important, he doesn't have my offensive weapons. Face it, you need me."
Kira couldn't help poking at his pride. "That sounds like a design flaw to me."
Jin growled. "I was on a time limit. Don't worry, the next spawn will be even better."
What a dreadful thought.
Kira sidestepped Jin, scooping up the lizard and draping him around her neck. The lizard responded automatically, clasping his tail with his paws to create a necklace.
"Don't let him hear you say that. You might hurt his feelings," Kira said, cupping her hand over the lizard's ears as she stepped past her friend.
Jin whirled. "You know he doesn't have feelings, right? He's a machine."
Kira shook her head. The irony in that statement.
She opened the door, waving over her shoulder. "I'll be back soon."
Finn was already there waiting, as he'd been every single time she opened the door. Kira started toward him.
"I would like to go on record and say this is a mistake," the lizard said in Jin's voice.
Kira pursed her lips to hide her smile. "Noted. I'll file it with the advisory board next time we meet."
"Also, you'd better not grow to like him better than me," Jin snapped. "I'll see that you never have a warm shower again if you do."
Kira cupped the lizard, warming his strange metallic skin with her hand. "Don't worry, Jin. You'll always be first in my heart."
The lizard bussed her hand before settling with an irritated grumble.
"Ready?" Finn asked.
Kira nodded. "Any advice?"
He started toward the stairs. "Be true to yourself and focus on your task."
That wasn't enigmatic or anything.
Finn led her through the fortress, their path to the Hall of Ancestors a direct one. There were to be no detours this time.
Despite that, they found the halls crowded with Tuann. Some were in the synth armor of warriors and oshota. Each of them lifted their chins in a sign of respect as Kira passed. Interspersed throughout their ranks were those wearing clothing similar to Kira's. The artisans or those among Roake who had chosen a path not lined with violence.
They cradled bundles of flowers similar to the type she'd seen her uncle place in front of the memorial. As she passed, they bowed and set the flowers at their feet, lining the path behind her on either side with a riot of color.
"What are they doing?" Kira asked.
Her pace slowed as she watched the Tuann acknowledge her passage with reverence and a hushed appreciation, more than one of them touching their chest and then their forehead before offering their hands in her direction.
Finn remained facing forward as he padded down the corridor. "The Trial of the Broken is dangerous. Initiates have died in the undertaking. They're paying their respects to your courage, and asking you to come back alive."
Kira waited for several seconds, taking in the faces of those present. They didn't know her. Not really. Why then had they gone through the trouble? They would have had to take time out of their day to do this. The flowers said this had taken preparation and thought.
"Why?" Kira found herself asking, feeling overwhelmed.
Finn paused, glancing at her. "Because you're a daughter of our House. You're family."
Kira had no response to that, instead choosing to keep her own counsel as they continued. This was much more than she had expected. More than she had prepared for.
"It's kind of nice, if you think about it," Jin said quietly.
Kira didn't answer. She couldn't. Her throat felt thick with emotion.
Finally, they reached the familiar doors to the Hall of Ancestors. Finn stopped in front of them as Kira peered inside. The room was empty. Each initiate would take the trial alone, the rest waiting until the previous had passed or failed—whichever fate and their talent decided.
"I await your success," Finn said.
She didn't answer for several seconds, oddly intimidated. There was something about it all. She'd flown countless missions, faced death numerous times, yet standing here on the precipice, she found herself nervous.
"You've done much harder things," Finn assured her.
She nodded. He was right. She had. Just because the stakes felt high, her entire future resting on the outcome, that was no reason to stress.
"Finn," she said, stopping him. She waited until he looked at her. "In case I didn't say it before—thank you. It was nice to have someone watching my back again."
Even if she hadn't always let him do his job to the fullest extent of his abilities. That didn't mean she didn't appreciate his efforts.
"And I will again," he promised.
Her smile was crooked. "No talking you out of it?"
He shook his head, not bothering to answer as he walked away.
Yeah, she hadn't thought so either.
Kira stepped into the Hall of Ancestors, the statues lining either side of the walkway watching as she marched toward the wall Graydon had shown her the last time she stood here.
She stopped in front of it, her gaze tracing the lines and circles that still reminded her of a stylized version of a solar system's orbit.
"Looks like you're the only thing standing in my way," she told the wall.
Kira settled into wait.
Last night, Rheya had explained how the test worked. Each initiate stepped past the wall on their own. Only once they had passed or failed would the doorway appear again.
The soft fall of footsteps alerted Kira to the fact she wasn't alone. Wren joined her at the wall, studying it in the same way she had.
"I thought Loudon would be the one to see me off," Kira said.
"Normally, yes, but I asked him if I could be the one to prepare you for your trial."
Kira waited, knowing he'd likely reveal his reason soon enough.
"You should reconsider this path," Wren finally said.
Kira sighed. There it was.
She’d been half-expecting this.
She cast a glance at Wren, wondering how he had ended up being the one to broach this topic with her. She could see Graydon—e
ven Harlow—undertaking this task. But Wren?
It wasn't like they were close. He had been clear in his interactions with the initiates. He wasn't their friend and probably didn't care one way or another about their success.
His teachings were amazing—astoundingly so given his cold manner—but he wasn't the type to sit you down and offer advice. No, orders were more his speed.
Kira had to wonder why he wasn't resorting to that tactic now.
"This won't lead where you think," he said, not taking his eyes off the carvings.
Kira shook her head. "It continuously astounds me how arrogant some Tuann are. What do you know about anything concerning me?"
"More than you think," he said.
She seriously doubted that.
He flicked the inhibiter around her wrist. "It takes more than a few weeks to recover from ki poisoning. You're risking your life on something that you could conquer easily if you wait."
Frustration was an unexpected sight on his face. He was normally so controlled—almost scarily so.
"Quillon," Kira growled. The healer had broken his promise. "He wasn't supposed to reveal my progress."
"He didn't have to."
Kira paused, taking in his stiff expression.
"You're the other patient he treated for ki poisoning," she said in realization.
Wren held still for several seconds, before finally unbending enough to nod. "Indeed. That's how I know you're making a mistake. You're talented, probably one of the best I've ever seen. With time and training, you could be a force to be reckoned with—but only if you resist the urge to take shortcuts."
Not an option. Her mission had already been delayed enough.
Kira faced forward, her back and shoulders straight. "No."
Wren's advice held merit. Regardless of that fact, Kira was still going to ignore it.
He opened his mouth to argue, but a steady glow along the carving's lines interrupted him. Identical looks of surprise filled their faces as the blue filled more and more of the lines, the hard surface of the wall beginning to fade.
"That was quick," Kira said. She'd expected to be waiting hours. Everything she'd been able to gather about the test said it took time to complete. Devon had likely only stepped through the wall a few minutes before Kira appeared.
"Too quick," Wren agreed.
The same oppressive feeling from earlier spilled out as the wall disappeared, revealing the darkness beyond. Fingers of dread and self-doubt wrapped around Kira's heart and squeezed.
"Where's Devon?" she asked, not seeing him appear from the darkness.
Wren shook his head, his body tense as he stared into the abyss.
Kira took a step, only to find her way blocked by Wren's arm.
"Something is wrong," he said, not looking at her. His forehead furrowed as he frowned at the spot where the wall had been. "The uhva na doesn't open like this."
She paused as she gazed uncertainly into the room beyond. "All the more reason to investigate, isn't it?"
His expression was grave as he shook his head. "Interfering with another's trial might result in the Mea'Ave refusing you entry when it comes time for your own."
Meaning if she did this, she might not get a second chance until the next time the House trial was administered, which could be years.
Choices. Choices.
Kira stepped past the line marking the wall's previous existence. "If I turned back now, wouldn't it mean I didn't deserve to ascend anyway?"
Faint approval lingered on Wren's features as he joined her. "As long as you understand the risks."
"Don't worry. I won't blame you if anything goes wrong," she said dryly.
"No, because the only one who would be to blame is you and your damnable curiosity," Jin whispered in her comms.
Kira grimaced. He had a point.
There was a low hum as the wall coalesced into existence.
Wren touched it, seeming disturbed.
"I guess that settles the question of what we should do. Our only option now is forward," Kira said, somehow unsurprised to be cut off from their path of retreat.
It seemed fitting somehow—though she was hard-pressed to say why.
Kira started moving; Wren slow to follow. Their footsteps echoed in the cavernous space. The chamber was Tuann made, the same stone that formed the rest of the fortress had been used to create this place as well.
That was where the resemblance ended.
This place, like the Hall of the Ancestors, felt ancient. The mammoth corridor they were in was long and seemingly never-ending.
Kira paused next to a tall, narrow window no wider than her torso. It looked out onto stone and more walls. No view of the ocean or land was forthcoming.
Strange.
Kira touched the windowpane, an interested hum escaping her as her hand passed right through, a tingling sensation warning her she'd interrupted an energy field.
Instead of withdrawing, she stuck her body as far as she could through the field, leaning out. She didn't make it far. The window ledge was at least two feet deep, and the opening was so narrow it was impossible to fit through.
She dropped onto her heels, watching as the illusion of the window snapped into place. A window looking into what amounted to a cave. How strange.
Kira stepped away from it, studying the rest of the hallway as she slowly followed Wren.
Banners at even intervals marked their path, evidence the place had a caretaker. Architecturally, the place was as beautiful and serene as the rest of Roake. It was cold and lonely, somehow—as if the people who had made it a home were long dead.
"Is there another way out of here?" Kira asked.
"Only the Overlord or Loudon can open a passage to this place," Wren said.
Convenient.
"Perfect place for an ambush," Jin muttered.
Kira thought so too.
Maybe she should have let the real Jin come with her after all.
"Be careful. The trial preys on your fears and doubts," Wren said. "Remember who you are at all times. Don't be led astray."
Not going to be a problem.
Every sense she had was on high alert. This place felt ominous. The atmosphere heavy, as if it was waiting for something.
Yeah, dropping her guard wasn't happening.
They moved on, past columns and doors that Kira didn't have to open to know she wanted no part of.
Time felt different here, moving too slow and too fast at the same time. Almost as if they existed outside its constraints.
Their path led them to a circular room where the floor was etched with a complicated repeating pattern. It was a rotunda, the roof high above, impossibly complicated, reminding her of some of the holy places of old Europe.
Their footsteps echoed in the room as they ventured further inside.
The pattern laid into the floor ended in fifteen points along the edge, each one leading to a door that opened to incredible scenes. Some led to landscapes. Snowcapped mountains next to sand-swept deserts. Endless forests followed by oceans as far as the eye could see.
That wasn't all, Kira realized catching a glimpse of a gas cloud billowing across thousands of lightyears’ worth of stars. Some doors led to places she had no frame of reference for.
"What is this place?" Kira asked, drawn to the doors.
Wren shook his head. "Something I've only heard about in stories."
"Didn't you take this trial?"
"Every trial is different, customized to the individual."
Kira paused in front of one door. "For what purpose?"
He hesitated, his gaze moving over the different scenes. "We're descended from monsters. This place weeds out those who might waver from the path our ancestors set us on."
Kira stopped. "And who decides the criteria needed to pass."
His look was significant. "The Mea'Ave."
Kira's frown was troubled as she took in the room and its doors. She didn't like the thought of trusting the
fate of an entire people to an entity she understood so little of.
"Come on. We should continue," Wren said.
Kira hesitated, glancing around one last time. She had a feeling these doors were only the beginning. What kind of power would they bestow on a person?
A dozen worlds existed here; a dozen chances to conquer.
Or to escape into.
They drew to an abrupt stop as they sensed another's presence at the same time.
Kira frowned as a figure stepped out of the shadows. "Joule, what are you doing here?"
He didn't answer, stepping further into view, his hands held up, palms facing them.
"Behind him," Jin warned.
Wren crouched, his hand sliding to the pommel of his en-blade as Aeron moved into view, a Tuann zuipi aimed at Joule's back.
"Surprised?" Aeron asked.
Kira shrugged. "Not really. Having someone pose as an initiate is the most logical choice if the Tsavitee planned to infiltrate Roake."
The initiates were essentially strangers to Roake. Any idiosyncrasies would be easy to overlook.
"Lothos did say you were clever." Aeron's smile lacked its normal cheeriness.
Kira struggled not to look at Joule. His terror would only slow her reflexes and make her job harder.
"I had a feeling you would find your way here.” Aeron nudged Joule. “It’s why I brought insurance. The others were clear that you had an overdeveloped need to protect people. Threaten someone you care about, and you're powerless."
This time Kira held quiet as the lizard slowly slipped from around her neck, making his way under her jacket and onto her back as he headed for the ground.
Kira hoped Aeron didn't notice.
It was possible. The room was dim, and he was far away.
"No response?" he asked. "Not even a sarcastic quip or a meaningless attempt at convincing me he doesn't matter to you?"
"Why waste my breath? It's obvious you've got me. Let him go and then finish the job."
Scorn filled his expression as he abruptly pointed the zuipi at her. "Do you think I'm here for you?"
Kira blinked. Was that a trick question?
"I take it you're not?" Her tone rose, making the statement a question.
Rather than answer, Aeron fired the zuipi, a bolt heading straight for Kira. Wren appeared in front of her like a ghost, his blade deflecting it.
