12. TEN

ten

“You’re not that someone, are you?” Jin said into the sudden silence.

“No. More’s the pity. He was like that when we found him.” Graydon’s jaw flexed, his expression pissed as hell that he’d missed his chance to exact a pound of flesh from the culprit.

“Once we’re out of here, I’ll get started on finding the owner of that ship,” Jin interjected.

Kira kept her expression blank, giving no sign she’d heard him as Alexander started speaking again.

“The fate of the person who did this isn’t up for debate.” Alexander fixed Jarek with a flat look. “We’re here to discuss the ramification of your actions. Had you taken any amount of time to figure out the truth of the matter, we wouldn’t be here.”

Jarek’s expression tightened. “Time was limited and she had trespassed on a sacred area.”

Alexander’s smile didn’t touch his eyes. “A total of forty-three minutes passed from the time the defense network activated to the time the Wanderer crash landed. It took me fifteen minutes to procure this footage and find the moment in question. Don’t blame others for your own ineptitude.”

Jin chuckled. “I never thought I’d enjoy watching him do this to someone else.”

Kira didn’t share Jin’s same level of amusement. Memories of Alexander doing something similar during one of their few encounters made her empathize a tiny bit with the inquisitor.

“I had credible intelligence that a soul bound was on that ship,” Jarek argued.

Poor guy. He still didn’t realize Alexander would rip him apart.

Though Kira would be interested in knowing who the tattletale was. Probably one of any number of Tuann who’d encountered her and Jin while on Jettie.

“I’m so glad you mentioned that,” Alexander said with an icy smile. “Let’s talk about J1N, a valuable piece of property belonging to the First division of Centcom. Specifically, the squad known as the Curs.”

At that, Kira stiffened, no longer as amused as she’d been before.

“Easy, Nixxy,” Jin cautioned as Kira’s fists clenched. “I knew about this beforehand. He asked permission and I okayed it.”

Kira struggled to find her composure, taking a deep breath and then another when that didn’t work.

No matter how many times they had to play this card, she still hated the idea that Jin could only be safe as long as he was regarded as “property”.

It was wrong.

No one could own Jin. He was a person. A thinking, feeling being who deserved the respect of being seen as such.

“Kira, I really am okay with it.”

Jin’s whisper made Kira’s eyes smart. “I know.”

That still didn’t make it right.

Kira’s expression showed nothing as Alexander shot her a cautious look.

He didn’t have to worry. She was fine. There wasn’t going to be any meltdown. She wasn’t going to shift to her primus form and go on a rampage.

Everything was fine. For now.

Jarek scoffed. “Humans hold no power here. If we decide to destroy one of their toys, there is nothing they can do about it.”

“Oh?” Alexander asked in a silky voice that made Kira shiver from remembered trauma. It was the exact same tone he used on her whenever he went in for the kill.

She had nightmares about that voice sometimes.

“Are you saying that might makes right?” Alexander asked. “If that’s the case, then the Tuann can have no objections to what members of the Consortium did during first contact?”

Kira looked alertly between the two. What was this?

“I believe a few of those humans are still imprisoned on one of your planets,” Alexander said.

Kira shot a questioning look at Jin to see if he knew what was going on.

“I’ve no idea either,” Jin answered through their comms.

Shock was written on Jarek’s face as he watched Alexander carefully. “How do you know about that?”

Alexander’s lips twisted. “My youngest sister may have been ignorant of her origins but the same can’t be said of the rest of us. The forty-three have been watching you. We are not impressed by what we’ve seen.”

Jin whispered a curse.

Alexander was practically taunting the emperor and the rest with the knowledge that their lost children knew about them and still did not seek them out.

“Is this who the Tuann are?” Alexander’s gaze swept the room. “The type of people who take things that do not belong to them? Who pursue their agenda so aggressively that they don’t care who is hurt in the process—including children, who, by the way, you and your people attacked multiple times. If Kira hadn’t taken her primus form, would you have gone so far as to kill them?”

The silence that fell was stark as Alexander paused to let the gravity of that image sink into their brains.

Jin whistled. “Oh, wow. He’s just like you—but way better at using his words.”

“Mistakes were made in the handling of this matter.” Eurus cut a look at Jarek whose gaze had fallen to the floor, shame written on his face. “A fact my inquisitor will answer for.”

Kira felt the tension she’d been carrying start to slip away, only for her hopes to be dashed a second later.

“Be that as it may, the issue of a potential soul bound is one that cannot be ignored.” Eurus’s expression remained grave.

Alexander adjusted his glasses. “I’ve heard stories of the soul bound. J1N does not fit the description found within. He shows neither madness nor a desire for death and destruction.”

Eurus looked deep in thought as he considered Alexander. “If the J1N, as you call him, is truly the property of the military, it is all the more reason to question his presence here.”

Alexander lifted his tablet as several documents appeared in the air.

“As you can see, Kira underwent a mental health assessment after the war. The doctors recommended a service animal to assist with her mental state.”

Kira’s head whipped toward Alexander.

He flicked his fingers in their silent language, signaling “eyes front.”

Kira grumbled internally as she listened, Jin’s cackling howls making her want to beat someone.

Preferably Alexander.

“Only Kira isn’t skilled at caring for living creatures. As a result, J1N was given the programming to act as Kira’s mental health support drone.”

Humiliating. That’s what this was. Absolutely humiliating.

Jin gasped for breath. “I can’t. This is too much. Ahahahahaha. Stop. I can’t breathe.”

Kira gritted her teeth. “You don’t have lungs.”

Jin’s chortles continued through the comms, his mirth unchecked.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Torvald covering his mouth to hide his smile. Graydon coughed into his hand as his shoulders shook.

Caius leaned over to Makon. “The heir and her companions are more humorous than you led me to believe.”

Kira ground her teeth, wishing that a hole would open up and swallow her.

“I see,” Eurus said after a protracted silence. “Very well. I’ll allow the drone’s presence on Ta Sa’Riel, but we will be watching for any sign that he is not what he seems.”

Kira released the breath she’d been holding.

“Don’t feel too relieved just yet. I’m not done,” Eurus advised. “You are the one who will be held accountable if this goes wrong. As an heir of Roake, your fate is shared with theirs. Everything you do reflects back on them. I want you to truly think about which pieces of your past to keep and which to let go.”

In other words, he was saying Jin should be relegated to a dark closet somewhere and forgotten.

Kira held Eurus’s gaze. “Jin will never be a part of my past.”

Maybe it would have been better to nod and act like she would consider his advice.

Something in her couldn’t do that. Not after Jin was already designated as property. There had to be a line, and this was hers.

“If Roake ever has a problem with that, they are welcome to find another heir,” Kira said, meaning every word.

She wouldn’t abandon Jin for Roake. No how; no way.

Eurus sighed. “You’re every bit as stubborn as your parents.”

So Kira had been told.

Eurus waved his hand at her. “You’re dismissed.”

Kira started to turn when Eurus’s voice brought her up short.

“Not you, Overlord. We still have things to discuss.”

Kira hesitated, looking up at Harlow in uncertainty.

He set a hand on her shoulder and nudged her toward Makon. “Go. I’ll be fine. Makon will get you settled in my absence.”

Kira sent one last look Harlow’s way as Makon gestured for her to proceed him.

“Heir, this way, if you please.”

Reluctantly, Kira started after Makon, following him up the stairs as Finn and Alexander trailed behind them.

“What do you have to say for yourself?” Eurus asked as the doors to the chamber closed behind Kira and the rest, cutting off Harlow’s response.

Kira stared at the wood paneling for a second more, uncomfortable at the turn of events.

Jin let out a whoop as he did a quick loop in the air. “It feels so good to be out of there. I thought I would suffocate.”

Makon started down the hallway as Caius stopped next to Kira. “You needn’t worry about the Overlord. Harlow is skilled at taking care of himself.”

There was a playful smirk on Caius’s face that didn’t quite match the penetrating look in his eye.

This man was trying to get her measure, Kira realized. Analyzing every expression and gesture to see if she was wanting.

Huh.

Caius wasn’t the friendly, easy-going person he seemed.

Kira supposed that was a given considering he was one of her uncle’s trusted subordinates. He wouldn’t be here otherwise.

Kira kept her thoughts to herself as she started after Makon, Caius strolling in her wake.

Finn looked from Alexander to Jin, a question lingering on his face.

“Go ahead. Say what you’re thinking,” Alexander told him.

“Lying to Eurus was a mistake.”

“I didn’t lie. Kira really was given a mental health assessment when she woke up from her coma which expressed a concern for her mental wellbeing. They even issued a tixsi as a companion animal.”

Tixsis were a common choice for military veterans, particularly those who served on ship. Looking like a cross between a rabbit and a chinchilla, the tixsi was smaller than either a dog or cat and fit easily into ship life.

It was the minor empathic abilities they possessed that allowed them to anticipate when their companion was in mental distress and provide relief.

Alexander’s lips quirked as he looked at Kira. “She had that tixsi for a whole two hours before she lost it. They found it a day later trembling and terrified in a small closet in the belly of the station.”

“It wasn’t my fault,” Kira said defensively, feeling Finn and Caius’s stares on her. “The tixsi ran away.”

“Yes, apparently her mental state scared the poor thing so bad that it preferred to flee rather than spend another moment in her company,” Alexander agreed.

Kira stomped ahead, joining Makon as he led them through the halls.

“After that, it was agreed it would be best if Kira wasn’t responsible for another living creature,” Alexander continued. “As a compromise since Kira couldn’t be released under her own cognizance, Admiral Himoto designated Jin as her support drone and ordered a program be uploaded to help him with his new duty.”

“Then he really is what you claimed,” Caius said, sounding impressed as the exit of the palace came into view.

A woman’s silhouette stood in the doorway, the sun beyond casting her face into shade. Despite that, Kira could guess her identity as Alexander’s entire being seemed to soften.

“On paper anyway,” he said, distracted as Selene stepped forward to meet them.

Caius frowned as Alexander’s pace increased. “What does that mean?”

Alexander barely looked at him as he reached Selene. “Whether Jin ever acted in the capacity of a support drone is up for debate.”

Selene tilted her face up to look at Alexander. “Did you accomplish what you needed?”

“I did. My victory was never in doubt.”

Kira rolled her eyes. And he called her arrogant.

Alexander touched Selene’s elbow, his body hovering protectively over hers. “I’ve kept you waiting too long.”

“You know I don’t mind,” Selene said with a soft smile.

Alexander looked over at Kira as he started to herd Selene away. “Do me a favor and try not to cause any further trouble.”

Selene glanced a Kira. “I will find you later. I imagine you have a few questions for me.”

Kira watched them go, disappearing into the palace with a pair of oshota shadowing their movements.

“His bedside manner hasn’t gotten any better,” Jin observed.

Kira didn’t think it ever would.

“It’s curious,” Caius said from beside her. “House Asanth is notorious for their arrogance. I never thought I’d see one of their descendants willing to assort with a woman whose affinity is so common that it is no help in pinpointing her birth House.”

Jin started for the door where Makon waited. “I dare you to call Selene common to her face. I want to be there when she shows you how ‘common’ she is.”

Kira laughed softly under her breath as she and Finn strolled after Jin, stepping onto one of the five avenues that extended from the palace like spokes on a wheel. This one was maintained by House Roake. If they followed the several miles long avenue they’d eventually arrive at the Fortress of the Vigilant, Roake’s stronghold on Ta Sa’Riel.

“Don’t take me wrong. I meant no insult. I simply find it amazing that a House notorious for their arrogance has a descendant like him,” Caius said in a conversational voice. “You do realize our House has blood feud with his?”

Kira looked away from the sky as she walked toward the fortress in the distance. “That has little to do with either of us.”

Caius pursed his lips. “I beg to differ. You proclaimed yourself heir to this House. As such, you’ve inherited our vendettas. Eventually, your old ties will have to be severed.”

Kira stopped walking. “First—I called myself a daughter of Roake. The word heir was never mentioned.”

Caius started to speak, stopping when Kira lifted a hand.

She shot him a hard smile. “I’m not done. Second—I will never undertake an action that would threaten or cause harm to any of the forty-three. No matter what vendettas or blood feuds my House may have. They are family.”

“We don’t hurt family,” Jin added.

A smile played on Caius’s lips. “I notice you didn’t say anything about the humans.”

“The Consortium is a more complicated case.” Kira started walking again. “Did I pass your test?”

Caius stopped, barking out a laugh. “I like you, little heir. I think we’re going to get along nicely.”

He turned back to the palace.

“You’re not coming?” Kira asked in surprise.

He raised a hand in goodbye. “Someone has to make sure the Overlord returns in one piece.”

“So much for Harlow being able to handle himself,” Kira grumbled.

Caius’s voice spoke into her ear, sounding like it was coming from right next to her. “Harlow is a good Overlord who allows us the luxury of fussing over his safety. Never doubt his capabilities, little heir.”

“I don’t know whether to find him irritating or wise,” Jin said from above Kira as they watched him walk into the palace, whistling as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

“Caius holds command of the sixth quadrant of Roake’s territory and is the House’s military adviser. He means well, but he is an acquired taste,” Makon said, facing forward. “Come along. I will show you to your room.”

Kira and Jin didn’t argue, allowing the rest of the journey to be completed in silence.

The longer they walked, the bigger the Fortress of the Vigilant grew in the distance until it dominated the sky. The dark stone of the fortress’s walls seemed to absorb the light as House Roake’s crest flapped in the breeze coming off the ocean beyond. Birds circled in the air, their cries reaching Kira and the others. The fortress was imposing, almost austere as they passed through the avenue gate and crossed a small bridge that spanned the long drop on either side.

Oshota in armor greeted Makon, their curious gazes resting for a second on Kira before moving to Finn.

Jin hummed as he kept pace with Makon, drifting a few feet over his shoulder. They passed through several hallways containing members of Roake, all of whom stopped to stare at Kira’s presence.

Used to it after her previous visit, Kira sent them a respectful nod as she passed.

It wasn’t until they reached a section in the upper levels of the fortress that Kira didn’t recognize that she finally spoke.

“This isn’t the way to my room,” Kira said.

Her room had been on the opposite side of the fortress and several levels below this one.

“That room is no longer acceptable. As an heir of Roake, you deserve quarters in the area designated for the Overlord’s family,” Makon said over his shoulder, his pace never varying.

Kira frowned at his back. “How long do you plan to refer to me by that title?”

She’d hoped it was a passing thing, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

“You are the heir. It is only proper I call you as such.”

Kira shot a look at Finn, asking for help. He turned his head, pretending to examine the artifacts that decorated the wall.

Kira scowled. Did he really think she was stupid enough to believe he was fascinated by sights he’d probably seen a thousand times?

“You accept me just like that?” Kira asked. “No objections? No tests like Caius?”

Makon reached a door and stopped, facing her with the same calm he always seemed to have. “I do not need to. You will be good for this House. I already see that.”

Kira scoffed. “You don’t even know me. I could be a Tsavitee sleeper agent for all you know.”

The corner of Makon’s lips lifted in a tiny smile that was chilling. “If that was the case, you would already be dead.”

Kira had always known Makon wasn’t someone to trifle with, but this confirmed it.

His presence was a little less loud than Caius or Harlow’s, but Kira was guessing he could be just as dangerous.

Maybe more so considering you probably wouldn’t see him coming.

There would be no warning before he cut your head off. Just a slice and then a spray of blood.

She should know, having seen him in action once before. He’d been a ghost. Right up until the moment he killed a man.

“These are the quarters you would have had, had you been raised in Roake,” Makon said. “Your parent’s former room is located right across the hall. Harlow had me program your biometric data into the permissions so you can visit any time you’d like. It has been kept in the same condition as it was when they were alive.”

Kira couldn’t help taking a quick look at the set of doors he indicated, a strange yearning filling her.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Kira said, opening her own door and stepping inside.

She came to a quick stop as she got her first glimpse of the room.

To call it a bedroom was to do the suite a disservice.

The room was massive, with a set of French doors leading onto a balcony overlooking the line of cliffs the fortress perched on and the ocean beyond. Decorated in dark tones, it didn’t feel gloomy with the large windows on either side of the French doors allowing light to illuminate the room.

A bed sat in the middle; a blanket made of white fur tipped in specks of black draped over its end.

The room was fit for a princess—or the heir of one of the strongest Houses.

Jin disappeared through one of the doorways off the main room.

“Kira, get a look at this bathroom.” Jin’s words echoed from the other room. “It’s huge.”

Unable to resist, Kira moved a few more steps into the room, looking through the doorway to catch a glimpse of the space that had put an awed note in Jin’s voice.

The room was even more luxurious, and over the top, than the bedroom.

A glass shower with black, stone walls took up one side. To the other was a massive in ground tub that Kira would have to step down into.

There would be enough room in that tub to fit Kira, Graydon, and his entire pod of oshota if they’d wanted.

Kira didn’t think she’d ever seen a bathtub that big. The mere thought of how much water it would take to fill was enough to boggle the mind.

“Do you know what happened to my ship?” Kira asked, distracted by her surroundings.

“It took heavy damage in the landing.”

Makon’s answer came from behind her as she ventured toward the balcony, stopping on the threshold.

“At the moment, it is no longer space worthy.”

The answer was expected but it didn’t stop the tiny curl of pain in Kira’s middle.

“The Overlord suspected you would want it repaired,” Makon continued when she remained quiet. “He had it taken to one of our docks and assigned several of our engineers to bring it back to its former glory.”

At that, Kira looked over at him. “That was kind of him.”

“The Overlord loves you.”

Kira smirked as she leaned against the balcony doors and crossed her arms over her chest. “How many trackers is he going to put on my ship before he’s done?”

Makon’s gaze was steady.

Kira chuckled to herself. Jin was going to have quite the time locating and destroying all of them.

Still, Kira wouldn’t put it past Harlow and the Tuann to have some sneaky type of tracker Jin couldn’t detect.

“Should be fun,” Kira murmured.

Makon moved toward the door. “I suggest you get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be a long day for you.”

“Oh?” Kira asked curiously.

“Your seon’yer deals with his emotions through an abundance of training and you’ve made him quite unsettled of late.“ Kira caught her flinch as Makon slid her a look. “The Overlord possesses a similar temperament. You should prepare mentally for what you will face.”

“Lovely,” Kira muttered, slumping.

She could see it now. Wren had probably designed a training regimen straight out of the bowels of hell.

The worst part was Kira couldn’t even complain because she’d emerge stronger on the other side.

“Your oshota can take one of the attached rooms,” Makon instructed as he departed.

Jin popped out of the bathroom as Kira flopped on a settee.

She sprawled along it, lifting her legs onto the cushions as she put her hands behind her head and looked at the ceiling.

Jin drifted into her line of sight, using his “eye” to look down at her. “Fancy digs.”

Kira hummed an agreement.

“From the look of this place, they’re going to do everything they can to convince you to stay. I don’t think they plan on letting you go.”

“No.”

She was beginning to see that.

“What are you going to do?” Jin asked as Finn stepped out of the room he’d chosen to lean against the wall.

Kira glanced at the oshota before sitting up.

“Are you going to play the part of their heir?” Jin asked, moving to give her room.

“For now,” Kira said, leaning against the settee’s back. “The future is still undecided.”

There were still a lot of things Roake didn’t know about her. Jin and how he was treated was also a factor.

She’d be lying though if she said she hadn’t thought about what it would mean to stay. For the first time, she could picture the life she’d have if she allowed Roake to become her new family. If she became the heir they wanted.

The temptation was there.

So many things would be easier—but not all.

Kira draped one arm across the back of the settee. “What do you think our chances are of making it through this adva ka without anything happening?”

Finn pushed off the doorway he’d been leaning against, strolling across the room before taking a seat on one of the chairs across from Kira. “Before I met you, I’d have said pretty good.”

Jin snickered. “You’re a slow learner, but it seems you do learn.”

Kira ignored the irritated look Finn shot Jin. “Tell me what I’ll be facing.”

At her question, Finn turned serious. “The adva ka itself is closed to all but those attempting its passage. The Houses will not be able to directly interfere.”

“You’re saying any threat I face is likely going to come from the initiates themselves,” Kira said.

On the surface, that didn’t seem too bad. Those who attempted the adva ka were among the youngest of the Tuann. Except for outliers like Kira, their skills would be along the same level.

Unfortunately, things were never as simple as they seemed at first glance.

For a House to rise in power, they needed to increase their number of warriors and oshota. Obstruct that path and you could hamper a House’s military readiness.

Someone like Himoto would keep a few subordinates who were highly trained in reserve so he could easily take out those who might become a future threat.

Kira was willing to bet the other Houses would have taken the same stance.

That was to say nothing of the sleeper agents the Tsavitee had likely seeded throughout the Tuann who would like nothing more than Kira’s death.

Even for her, this would be a tough fight if she couldn’t rely on the backing of her House.

“If Elise is really on this planet as Aeron said, she’ll likely use the influx of Tuann attending the adva ka to hide her presence,“ Jin said.

Since this was considered a major rite of passage, most Houses would have some level of presence. That was a lot of people going back and forth. Perfect for someone like Elise and a few Tsavitee generals to slip in unnoticed.

“It would help if we knew what they wanted,” Kira said.

“Any leads yet?” Finn asked.

Kira and Jin stopped to look at him.

He spread his hands. “I’m assuming you’ve already started looking.”

“Jin’s right. You are learning,” Kira said, a little amused.

Finn inclined his head. “It’s either anticipate your actions or watch you almost die. I prefer the first—even if I don’t always agree with your choices.”

Kira rubbed her forefinger and thumb together as she considered Finn. “Jin, feel free to tell him.”

A hologram of the station formed in the air in front of Jin.

“Graydon’s not the only one who thought to check the station footage. I took the liberty of hacking the feed while we were there,” Jin said as Finn sat forward in surprise.

“You realize if you’re caught Alexander’s efforts to get you legal protection will go down the drain,” Finn pointed out.

“Big rewards sometimes necessitate taking a few risks,” Jin said. “I’m glad I did. Take a look at this.”

The angle of the camera changed to a different section of the dock.

A group of six Tuann wearing cloaks, the hoods raised, marched down the walkway.

Kira focused on the one at their center. The person’s build suggested a woman or a youth.

“I’ve gone through most of the feeds. There are a couple of groups that trigger some red flags, but this one is the most suspicious,” Jin said.

Finn’s brow furrowed as he examined the group. “They’re wanderers.”

Kira glanced over at him. “How can you tell?”

Finn nodded at the group. “Zoom in on what they’re wearing under their cloaks.”

The image adjusted to show the mismatched armor that peeked out from beneath the fabric of their outer layer. It looked like each suit had been assembled from different sets.

“No Tuann would wear armor like that. Even someone in low standing with their House rates something better,” Finn instructed.

You could tell a lot about a person based on how well they cared for their gear. Someone lazy would skip steps in favor of expediency. They were the type you wanted to avoid entrusting your life to.

These Tuann treated their armor like it was something precious. Previous damage had been carefully repaired and the metal polished until it shone. There were also long swords strapped to their backs, the hilts sticking up over their heads.

“We don’t wear our weapons like that either,” Finn continued. “That method is favored solely by wanderers.”

“Or people who want to look like wanderers,” Jin pointed out.

Finn’s lips flattened.

Kira glanced at him. “I thought the wanderers weren’t an accepted part of your society. How could they be here?”

Finn hesitated. “The adva ka is open to all Tuann who have not broken our laws. For those who wander, this can be a chance for re-entry into our society by winning the favor of a House through their performance.”

Kira studied the frozen images. “I can’t imagine that’s easy.”

Even as the heir of House Roake, she’d faced resistance. Some thinking she was insane for living alone on a ship except for the company of a drone.

She imagined it was worse for the wanderers. The exiles of their society.

“It is rare that such an endeavor succeeds,” Finn admitted.

A short silence fell as Jin shut off the hologram.

“When is the last time a wanderer has attempted the adva ka?“ Jin asked.

Finn paused, looking away as he considered. “Over a hundred years.”

Jin bobbed slowly.

“Either these six are anomalies or Elise is using the identity of a wanderer hoping for redemption to conceal her movements,” Kira said slowly.

“That about sums it up,” Jin responded.

Kira grimaced. “I’m assuming confirming either one will be difficult.”

Finn’s nod didn’t make her feel any warm fuzzies.

“Maybe if he hadn’t drawn the attention of the inquisitors,” Finn told her. “They’ll be watching him now. Any signs of aggression or anything out of the norm and they will destroy him.”

Kira looked up at Jin. “Do you hear that? It’s danger close. No shenanigans.”

“You worry about yourself.”

Kira planned to.

“A little more caution before you jump off the deep end is all I’m asking.”

“Right back at ‘cha, Miss wants to play chicken with a ship.”

One side of Kira’s lips tilted up in a wry acknowledgement. “Then we’re agreed.”

They would both think twice before throwing themselves into danger.

“Not yet—when are you planning to inform Raider of Elise’s current status?”

Kira looked away, wishing she could delay the coming conversation a little longer.

There hadn’t been a lot of privacy after the attack on Almaluc before they boarded the Tuann ship.

Kira never got the chance to tell Raider she’d met the real Elise, only that the Elise that died wasn’t the one he knew and loved. She wanted to wait until she was sure they weren’t being monitored.

“If I were you, I’d do it sooner rather than later. Wait any longer and you risk him considering your withholding information a betrayal. I don’t think you want that.”

No, she didn’t.

Kira would never forget the look Raider had given her when he learned she’d kept the existence of his daughter from him all these years. Like she’d walked up and plunged a knife on his back

“I’ll take care of it,” Kira said.

Truth was a medicine. One that sometimes burned on the way down. Raider would get through this—and so would she.

“I need you to do me a favor,” Kira said.

Jin snorted. “What else is new?”

“Find out everything you can on that ship and who owns it. I have a feeling any clue you find will be very important for identifying our newest batch of enemies.” Kira paused. “Also take another look at House Danai. They might have nothing to do with this incident, but their name has been in the mix too many times when things have gone bad.”

“You have a plan?” Jin asked.

Kira shook her head. “I wouldn’t call it something like that.”

At least not yet.

“As far as we know House Danai is unrelated to everything that’s happened.”

It could be they were a scapegoat, and any links were circumstantial.

“It’d help to know more—including their relationship with Roake,” Kira said, glancing at Finn. “I want to know their strength and weaknesses—just in case.”

Kira frowned as Jin started for the balcony. “Where are you going?”

“I’m off to complete the task you gave me.”

The doorknob rotated.

“Jin—“ Kira started.

Jin threw the door open. “You didn’t think I could complete an investigation like that locked in this room, did you?”

Kira’s mouth shut. That was in fact what she’d been hoping for.

Jin chortled as he glided toward the railing. “I know you’re not that naïve.”

He disappeared over the balcony before Kira could raise an objection.

Movement from the chair across from her drew her attention to Finn as he rose. “Where are you going?”

“Bed. You heard Makon. Tomorrow is going to be rough.”