66. Kian

66

KIAN

K ian put the phone down and turned his chair to look out the window at the village below.

From his vantage point on the second floor, he could see the bustling activity of the café and even hear the laughter and shouts of Kra-ell children playing on the playground. The small pond glittered in the sunlight, its surface rippling with the gentle breeze that stirred the leaves of the trees.

It was a peaceful scene, a tableau of harmony and contentment that should have filled Kian with a sense of pride and satisfaction. After all, he had worked so hard to achieve this—a community where immortals, former Doomers, Kra-ell, and humans could coexist in mutual respect and understanding. But it was an illusion, and dark currents were circling underneath the surface.

The recent string of thefts and acts of sabotage, and then Borga's unprovoked attack on Marina, were all troubling signs of unrest that he knew better than to ignore.

It was like dismissing a slight whiff of smoke when what was causing it was an inferno raging undetected underground.

For the sake of the children, his daughter, his newborn nephew, and all the others, he needed to make this place a sanctuary again, and if harsh steps needed to be taken, so be it. His people, his clan, always came first.

That was why he had called Jade and Onegus and asked them to join the meeting with Kagra, Peter, and Marina. They had to get to the bottom of this and do it fast before the smoke became suffocating and the fire consumed his village.

When his guests arrived a few moments later, he guided them to the conference table.

"Borga is not the main instigator behind this," Kagra said without preamble. "I'm sure of it. But I'm also sure she knows who the leader is, who else is involved with the saboteurs, and what they hope to achieve."

Jade's eyes flashed with anger. "I can get her to talk."

Kian did not doubt that, but there were better ways of handling the situation. Lifting his hand, he got everyone's attention. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Borga may or may not have operated on her own, but until we know what's going on, I would rather not tip our hand." Remembering that some of the people present might not know the idiom, he added, "We don't want them to know we are on to them, so they don't go into hiding. I want to do it discreetly."

Jade crossed her arms over her chest. "I can throw Borga in the brig just for being rude to Marina. I'm curious who will come to speak on her behalf."

Kian nodded. "That's a possibility, or just put a bug on her and find everything you need to know."

"Which is?" Jade asked.

"I want to find out who the other players are and what their agenda is."

Jade scoffed, her lip curling in a sneer. "What does it matter? Their grievances are irrelevant. There is no excuse for breaking the law and endangering everyone in the village." Her eyes were blazing with anger. "How are they even doing that? They shouldn't be capable of sabotage."

Kian sighed, rubbing a hand over his face in frustration. "We assume the Kra-ell are responsible, but maybe they are not. It occurred to me that some of the clan members might not be happy about the village's latest changes, and they are showing their discontent."

Jade frowned. "You told me everyone got to vote, and the decision was unanimous."

"People succumb to peer pressure," Onegus said. "They might not want to look like the bigots who refuse to invite a group of alien refugees. It's also possible that they believed things would work out better between the two groups, but contact between the groups is minimal. Except for you, Phinas, Vanessa, and Mo-red, even friendships between Kra-ell and clan members are rare or nonexistent." He flashed his charming smile. "Maybe we should organize parties so everyone will get to hang out together, and barriers will get broken."

That suggestion had been raised before, but it had never materialized. The younger immortals and Kra-ell had tried to bond over music and form a band, but even that had fizzled out. People tended to stick to the familiar and the comfortable, and forming friendships with members of a significantly different tribe was not easy. It needed work and the will to do it.

Kian sighed. "You know my opinion about all that kumbaya. Seems good in theory but seldom works in practice."

Onegus didn't seem discouraged. "Just give the assignment to Amanda, and it will be done."

"That's not a bad idea," Kian said. "But we need to solve this mystery first. Who's doing it, why, and how."

Onegus leaned back in his chair. "If they are Kra-ell or humans, that would require impressive creative thinking on their part to excuse malfunctioning shutters as a prank. Light at night gives the village away and renders our sophisticated camouflaging measures ineffective. Everyone knows that."

Kagra nodded. "I was thinking about that on the way here. It's possible that the saboteurs convinced themselves that they are doing it for the greater good, for the benefit of the community."

Kian frowned. "How could that be for the benefit of the community?"

Kagra shrugged, a bitter smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "They might think separating the Kra-ell from the clan would be better for everyone. I know that some think we'd be better off on our own."

"That's ridiculous," Marina said. "We're stronger together. I mean, you are stronger together. Humans are inconsequential to both groups in that context." Kian nodded. "Marina is right." He turned to Jade and Kagra. "Find out whether Borga is working with others or is a lone player, and at the same time, snoop around for clues about the saboteurs. Once you have the information, report back to me, and we will decide how to proceed."

Jade looked like she wanted to argue, her jaw clenching with barely contained frustration. But after a long moment, she nodded. "We'll do it your way, Kian. But if this backfires, and Borga and her cronies cause more serious damage, don't blame me, and remember that I wanted to put her in the brig."