by T. A. White
For now, Jin’s presence on Ta Sa’Riel had been overlooked, Loudon’s and Aeron’s actions overshadowing his trespass. In light of what had almost happened, Roake was more distracted with dealing with the fallout from that rather than assigning punishment and blame for Jin’s presence here.
It helped that Kira’s uncle seemed content to pretend he’d known about Jin all along. Kira wasn’t going to argue.
She traced the patterns of the marks on her wrists as she waited for Wren to speak.
The seon’yer looked pretty good for a man who had been inches from death only a few days ago. Tuann medicine at work. It was impressive, to say the least.
In the end, he said nothing, simply setting a medallion on the railing next to her.
Kira picked it up, tracing the raised ridges. "What's this?"
"Proof of your apprenticeship," Wren told her.
"And you've given this to me why?"
He fixed her with a cool look. "You're bright. I'm sure you can figure it out."
She rolled the medallion in her palm, as she considered the Tuann in front of her.
Wren was a hard one to read. It made dealing with him difficult. Manipulation was out of the question. He saw too much. Behind that stiff reserve was a very smart man. There was a reason Rheya had salivated at the thought of an apprenticeship with him.
He didn't wait for her response, moving toward the balcony door.
"Awful arrogant, don't you think?" Kira commented to his retreating figure. "Assuming I'll accept?"
He stopped, regarding her with an enigmatic gaze. "You'll accept."
Kira set the medallion on the stone beside her, before leaning against the railing and lacing her fingers over her stomach. He seemed very sure of himself. This should be good.
"You called the memories because you couldn't fight them both alone," he said. "You got lucky Graydon and Harlow showed up just as Loudon fought his way free of your trap. Next time you might not be so lucky. I promise that by the time I finish with you, you'll never have trouble with enemies of that caliber again."
Her head tilted. There were many responses she could have given him. Defenses. Excuses. Reasons why she'd chosen that route instead of another.
None of them mattered—because he was right. She hadn't been sure she could take both of them on at once. Not without possibly sacrificing Devon.
“I plan to keep an eye on you,” he told her in warning. “Never forget that.”
Kira stiffened, internally cursing. He remembered.
Wren moved toward the door, saying over his shoulder, "We ship out in a week; I expect to see you there. It seems the Haldeel have called a quorum. You and the others who passed will be part of a delegation handpicked by the emperor."
Jin rose behind her as Wren disappeared into her room. "Care to explain what that was about."
Kira scrubbed a hand over her face before facing the ocean again. "Not particularly."
"But you're gonna anyway," Jin sang.
Kira's head dropped. "I may have implied the daughter he lost in the Sorrowing is still alive."
Jin dipped. Long moments passed before he said, "I see I missed a few things after my spawn was incapacitated."
Kira grunted. That was an understatement.
"What are you going to do?" he asked. "You know what the group will do if they find out you're sharing secrets."
Kira had made certain promises. Promises she'd broken for Wren. The rest wouldn't be happy if they learned about it.
"I’m well aware of all the ways this could go wrong,” Kira said, resigned.
She was playing a dangerous game, with stakes she no longer felt certain she wanted to pay.
After several minutes, Jin floated to the railing next to her. "The Haldeel. Their territory was where Odin said Elise was last seen, wasn’t it?"
Kira’s lips curved. "And Wren just handed us the perfect excuse to go investigate."
Jin chuckled as he swung toward her door. "There's something I found that I think warrants investigating."
Kira stretched and stepped away from the railing. "I was starting to feel a little cooped up now that you mention it."
*
Hours later, Kira crouched in the shadow of the fortress, watching the perimeter wall, Jin a dark shape beside her.
Sneaking out without Finn discovering and following hadn’t been easy. Luckily for Kira, her new quarters came with a balcony, handy for escaping undetected from an oshota who had a habit of staking out her front door.
"Wait for it. Wait for it."
Kira tensed.
"Now," Jin said.
She raced forward as Jin lit up the wall with red tracer dots, showing the safest places for her to ascend. She scaled it in seconds, up and over before anyone had a chance to see her.
She landed softly on the other side, wincing as her ankles protested the long fall.
Jin lowered beside her. "Well, that was a little easier than I thought."
Kira glanced at the wall. Maybe a little too easy. "Getting back into the fortress when we’re done with this little escapade will be harder."
The defenses were geared to keep people out, not in, after all.
"We'll worry about that later," Jin decided. "For now, let's get moving."
He led the way, racing over the knee-high grasses with ease as he headed for the forest where Kira typically trained.
An hour later, they were under the trees and nearly to their destination when Kira stopped.
"You can come out now," she said.
Raider stepped from the shadows, his hands in his pockets as he sauntered toward them.
Kira slid a hard glance at Jin. He whistled as he floated into the dark, giving them an illusion of privacy. She didn't have to ask if he'd known Raider was following him. Jin would likely have picked up on the other man's presence as soon as he'd started trailing them.
It seemed this was a discovery Jin thought Raider should know about.
"Following me now?" she asked.
He shrugged. "I did warn you I wouldn't make things easy for you."
He did at that.
"I have a right to know. You weren't the only one who loved her," he said.
He was right. In his place, she would have been just as tenacious.
The instincts that had kept her alive all these years warned that trust was a precious commodity. Once a secret was out, it couldn't be put back in its box.
If she did this, there was no going back.
Could she trust Raider like that?
Kira stepped around him.
"Kira," he protested.
She stopped and tilted her head at where Jin had disappeared. "You coming?"
Shock was replaced by determination as he followed at her heels.
They resumed their trek, Raider silent as he trailed them. Jin was a bobbing shadow in front of them as he scanned the area.
He stopped abruptly, before darting through a pair of trees.
"Found it," floated softly to Kira.
She started after him, stepping into a wide clearing, her steps slowing as the hulking form of the Wanderer greeted her. Half covered with branches and other vegetation to disguise it from surveillance, it sat in the shadow of several boulders.
Kira circled it as Raider stared.
"How the hell did you land a ship on this planet?" he asked.
Kira didn't answer, too busy ensuring the Wanderer wasn't damaged in any way. She was going to kill the person who'd flown it here. Kill them very dead.
The risks they'd taken. The danger they'd put her ship in—not to mention themselves.
It was enough to short circuit Kira's brain.
"Dead. Very, very dead," she muttered, storming toward the landing ramp.
She pressed her palm to the security lock. It beeped before flashing red.
Access denied.
A high-pitched growl escaped Kira. That little—
Kira's motions were jerky as she popped off the pane
l. "Lock me out of my own ship? We'll see who's laughing soon."
She pulled out a few wires, crossing them and then splicing another set before slamming the panel in place as the circuits rebooted. Kira waited, barely resisting the urge to tap her toe as it came back online.
Kira stabbed the buttons as she inputted her override code.
Raider didn't comment as she worked.
The light flashed green, and the ramp started to lower.
Jin was the first through, slipping into the narrow gap as soon as it was wide enough. Kira and Raider were forced to wait until the ramp was fully extended.
It hadn't even touched the ground before she was striding up it, her footsteps an angry accompaniment to her mood.
Kira headed straight for the room they called the bridge. Consisting of two chairs in front of the ship's controls, it was small and usually unoccupied since Jin mostly ran the ship's functions and didn't need to be on the bridge to do so.
Today, however, one of the chairs was occupied by a slight figure wearing a cloak.
"You have a lot of explaining to do, young lady," Kira snapped.
The figure turned her head, the cloak's hood sliding off. Curly hair the color of gold slipped free as the occupant looked up at Kira with a crooked grin.
"Auntie, took you long enough to find me. I was expecting you an hour after I shot the general."
Kira's eyes narrowed. "I was trying not to draw attention to you—something you should have been careful about yourself."
The waif seemed less than intimidated as her gaze alighted on Raider. Wonder crossed her face as she scrambled upright, her legs hitting the deck. She brushed her hair from her face and adjusted her clothes.
Her gaze darted from Raider to Kira and back again. "Is that him?"
There was yearning and excitement in the girl's eyes, as if Kira had brought the best gift she'd ever received.
Kira exhaled. This was why she hadn't wanted to bring Raider. It was also the reason she couldn't force herself to leave him behind.
It was time—even if it would upset any gains Raider had made toward trusting Kira again.
The girl nearly bounced with excitement. Seeming the same age as Joule, her hair was short, and her eyes were a vivid amber. A bandanna wrapped around her forehead, hiding ears Kira knew were as pointed as her own.
"Yes, it's him," Kira said.
The girl clapped her hands together and raced forward. Kira stepped into her path, leveling a hard stare on the girl. If she thought she was getting out of trouble because of Raider's presence, she was mistaken.
Chastened, the girl backed up, finding her seat again.
"What are you doing here?" Kira asked. "I left you planetside with someone who would look after you for a reason. Does that person know you’re here?"
The waif shrugged, pulling her legs up and crossing them under her. "I got worried when you went radio silent. I hitched a ride on a transport and tracked the Wanderer to O’Riley.”
Kira should have anticipated this. The girl’s caretaker should have as well.
“When I broke into the ship, your friend was here,” the girl explained. “She needed a ride but couldn’t get the ship to work. Since you keyed me into the controls, I decided to tag along."
"Odin," Kira ground out.
When she got her hands on the woman, she was going to strangle her for putting the waif in jeopardy.
"Why are you still here?" Kira asked.
The girl leaned back, studying her fingernails.
Kira closed her eyes. "Because you couldn't get off the planet without alerting the Tuann of your presence."
The guilt in the girl's face was confirmation enough.
"Kira," Raider finally said. He stared at the girl, thoughts moving across his face as he put the pieces together. "Who is this?"
Kira leveled a warning look on the girl. "Don't think you're off the hook. We're going to talk about this later."
The girl flashed her an unrepentant smile. "Whatever you say, Auntie."
Kira didn't have time to do more than frown as she faced Raider. She hesitated, not knowing what to say.
He tore his gaze away from the girl, his eyes landing on Kira. "Why does she look like Elise?"
Kira's lips parted, but no words came out.
"Kira," he said again. "Who is she?"
Graydon's large form stepped into the doorway. "I confess I'm curious about that myself."
Kira made a strangled sound as Graydon was joined by Harlow. Her uncle's frown was the stuff of nightmares as his gaze moved over those present before stopping on the girl, where it lingered.
She groaned internally as recognition and shock descended. Harlow's accusing gaze fell on Kira.
"Jin," she growled.
"Don't blame me. Their camouflage makes them invisible to my sensors," he said.
"Maybe see about fixing that so we don't keep having unexpected visitors," she said through gritted teeth.
He blew a raspberry at her.
Graydon watched the two of them with an unamused expression. "Harlow's oshota caught sight of you slipping out of the fortress. We decided to follow you." His gaze rose to take in the ship. "Imagine my surprise when we found you entering this ship—your ship."
The girl stood on her chair, leaning against Kira as she peered at the two men. "Is he the one Odin says you have your eye on? I like him; he's handsome."
Kira shoved her off, pointing at the seat with a no-nonsense stare. With a grumpy frown, the girl obeyed, dropping into it only to swivel around. "Sure thing, Auntie."
"Aunt," Graydon repeated, his gaze shooting to Kira's.
Raider hadn't moved, staring at the girl with a growing look of betrayal. His gaze slowly rose to Kira.
Kira gestured. "This is Elena." She took a deep breath. "My niece—and your daughter."
Elena shot the rest a gamin grin. "Nice to finally meet you, sperm donor. Auntie and Uncle Jin have told me so much about you."
TUANN TERMS
Adal – Loosely translated it means the reckoning – challenging to dangerous undertakings
Adva Ka – A rite of passage Tuann must pass
Aksa – Fist sized animal who is stubborn and blood thirsty
Azala – Child
Azira aliri – Cat ear shaped flower
Aza – Polite form of address, ex: Sir or Ma’am
Cheva nier – My love
Choko trees – A tree on Ta Sa’Riel
Coli – Affectionate term of endearment similar to sweet heart
Colina – A formal form of coli
Etheiri – Place of remembrance
Etair – Horse-like creature
Feilli – Symbiotic creatures in the ocean
Fendrik – An enemy on Roake’s border
Iffli – Insult. Roughly translated – mutt, half-breed, waste
Kattas – Warrior forms
Keeva – Alcoholic drink
Ki – Soul’s breath.
Kueper – A snack wrapped in a pastry
Loaw – Hoverbike
Lu-ong – Dragon like creature who is able to manipulate ki.
Mea’Ave – The soul of the planet
Ooros – Beast of burden, pulls carriages, looks like a cross between a bison and woolly mammoth
Ooril – Night animal
Oshota – Elite Tuann warriors – their name means shield
Seiki Stone – Drains ki
Seon’yer – Teacher or guide
Sirav Rytil – Second chances
Tala dog – Cross between boar and wolf and armored tank
Tilu – A Tuann invention that looks like butterfly wings and allows the user to fly
Tijit – A small angry rodent
Uhva na – Trial of the Broken. A rite of passage those of House Roake must pass before receiving a teacher who will prepare them for the adva ka.
Ural – Similar to synth armor but not as advanced.
Zala – Infant
Zuipi
– Tuann energy/projectile weapon that looks kind of like a bow and arrow
TUANN HOUSES
Luatha – Major House - Kira’s mother, Liliana, is descended from this House. Its Overlord is Liara.
Maxiim – Minor house who has pledged allegiance to Luatha. Its Overlord is deceased. Joule is attempting to resurrect the House.
Roake – Major House – Kira’s father, Harding, is descended from this House. Its Overlord is Harlow.
Danai – Major House – Overlord is still unknown
Dethos – Minor House who has pledged allegiance to Danai. Overlord is still unknown.
Asanth – Major House
Kashori – Major House
DISCOVER MORE BY T.A. WHITE
The Firebird Chronicles
Rules of Redemption – Book One
Age of Deception – Book Two
The Broken Lands Series
Pathfinder’s Way – Book One
Mist’s Edge – Book Two
Wayfarer’s Keep – Book Three
The Wind’s Call – Book Four
The Dragon-Ridden Chronicles
Dragon-Ridden – Book One
Of Bone and Ruin – Book Two
Destruction’s Ascent – Book Three
Secrets Bound By Sand – Book Four
Shifting Seas - Novella
The Aileen Travers Series
Shadow’s Messenger – Book One
Midnight’s Emissary – Book Two
Moonlight’s Ambassador – Book Three
Dawn’s Envoy – Book Four
CONNECT WITH ME
Twitter: @tawhiteauthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tawhiteauthor/
Website: http://www.tawhiteauthor.com/
Blog: http://dragon-ridden.blogspot.com/
Click here to join the hoard and sign up for updates regarding new releases.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Writing is my first love. Even before I could read or put coherent sentences down on paper, I would beg the older kids to team up with me for the purpose of crafting ghost stories to share with our friends. This first writing partnership came to a tragic end when my coauthor decided to quit a day later and I threw my cookies at her head. This led to my conclusion that I worked better alone. Today, I stick with solo writing, telling the stories that would otherwise keep me up at night.
