18. SIXTEEN

sixteen

Kira’s pulse pounded, drowning out the sudden silence that resulted from the third challenge.

Its rhythm grew louder and louder. It wasn’t until Boden, Edris and the rest on the balcony looked around them with confusion that she realized that pounding sound wasn’t coming from her.

The floor of the balcony exploded upward, raining pieces of tile and other debris on those around them.

A shape shot out of the hole, stopping to hover several feet off the ground before twisting to focus its “eye” on Kira—or more accurately, the mug she held.

“Is that chai?” Jin asked as if unaware of the tension in those around them—or the fact that Boden and Edris had drawn their en-blades.

Kira ignored his question as she sent a glare at the Kashori oshota threatening her friend. “Put those away.”

Before I feed them to you, she finished silently.

The back-to-back challenges to Joule had already put her in a foul mood. Pointing a weapon at Jin in this moment would be a good way to send her over the edge.

“I would listen to her if I were you,” Selene advised.

Kira’s body was a coiled spring as she regarded the oshota, wanting nothing more than to throw herself at those in front of her to work off some of this rage.

Finn dropped down from the roof, landing lightly behind the oshota. His en-blade already drawn and pointed at the duo as he rose to his full height.

Edris whirled to face him, putting his back to Boden.

Finn’s gaze flicked past the pair to Kira, full of irritation and blame as if to say he’d anticipated this scenario upon his arrival and was disappointed to find he was right.

“Impressive,” Selene observed. “There was at least ten more minutes in my construct.”

Kira ignored both Selene and Finn as she stared down Kashori’s oshota. “Did you not hear me the first time? Put. Your. Blade. Away.”

The Tuann’s constant hostility toward Jin was growing wearisome. She’d lost count of the number of times his mere presence had sparked a similar reaction.

Boden’s nice guy act shredded. “Or what?”

For a moment, Kira didn’t move. She sat there staring at him, motionless. Then she smiled.

It was a peaceful smile. Beatific really.

Kira exploded forward, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye. She stopped just outside his reach, happy when he tensed.

“Or I feed it to you.”

Kira gave him another deranged smile, liking that confused look in his eye. It suited his brutish features as did his troubled frown that showed he didn’t know what to do with her.

That was okay. He didn’t need to. Kira would be happy to educate him.

Finn’s shoulders rose and then fell as he heaved a sigh. “Kira, that’s enough.”

“I don’t think it is.”

People kept forcing her to teach the same lesson over and over again. How hard was it to understand that the drone wasn’t to be touched?

“You don’t need to get involved in this,” Finn said. “I’ll be the one to challenge him.”

Selene’s hand landed on Kira’s wrist. “He’s right. There are a lot of people watching. It’s better to let him take the attention away from you.”

A look of caution entered Boden’s face as his grip tightened on his en-blade.

Kira found it mildly insulting that Boden regarded Finn as more of a threat than her.

She’d worked hard to earn a reputation as a terror. How disappointing that years of effort meant nothing in Tuann society.

Perhaps it was time she start again—this time among the Tuann.

Kira’s gaze was cold as she smiled at Boden. “I dislike playing by other people’s rules—so I think it’s time I stopped.”

Tension crackled.

Kira started to lunge forward when a sheet of ki came out of nowhere to whack Kashori’s oshota in the side, making them stumble. A second shield rose from beneath their feet, physically lifting them and sending them careening over the balcony.

Kira was quick to react, manipulating the air molecules to guide their descent just the tiniest bit. Enough so Boden crashed into Joule’s new challenger and Edris into his companions.

Selene arched an eyebrow at Kira in question.

Kira shrugged. “You can’t blame me for a little interference.”

She was sure people would hardly notice.

Selene’s smile was gentle as she shook her head and glided toward the balcony railing, lifting her long dress so she could climb on top of the chair and then onto the railing. She stepped off, ki forming under her foot and then dissipating as soon as she took her next step.

Selene descended toward those on the ground. A goddess deigning to spend time with her supplicants.

“I’ve decided you’re right, Kira,” Selene said over her shoulder. “The boy shows promise. I’ll have a word with him before I go.”

Selene stepped onto the ground next to Kashori’s oshota who still lay on their backs, staring up at the sky and looking like they weren’t sure what had just happened.

Selene inclined her torso in a shallow bow. “I understand it is unorthodox for someone who hasn’t passed their adva ka to challenge one who has. Should you wish, you may file a complaint with the emperor over my behavior.”

From beginning to end, Selene’s tone was polite. If she felt anger, there was no sign of it in her voice.

Jin moved up beside Kira as Selene stepped past the Kashori oshota, gliding toward an awestricken Joule.

“Why do I feel like we don’t understand Selene and the rest as well as we thought we did?” Jin asked.

Kira shook her head as a shield of ki formed around Selene and Joule, cutting them off from the rest of the crowd for a private conversation.

Joule was safe—for now.

Finn moved up beside Kira, radiating unhappiness. “This makes the second time you wound up attacked while in the company of that woman.”

“Technically, I wasn’t attacked,” Kira corrected.

Jin snickered. “That’s because you were the one doing the attacking.”

“My argument holds.”

Being attacked and attacking were two very different things.

Frustration detonated in Finn. “You two are ridiculous and you know it.”

Kira and Jin shared a look that ended with her nodding. “That’s a fair assessment.”

“What are you even doing here?” Finn snarled, for a brief moment looking like he was on the cusp of violence.

“Saving the day—like always?” Jin questioned.

Finn’s mouth flattened as he reached for control. “You’re supposed to be keeping a low profile.”

Jin moved closer to Kira as she reached for her mug. “You never answered my question earlier—is that chai?”

There was an almost tangible snap as Finn lost the tenuous hold on his temper. He stalked away, rather than continue to engage with Jin.

“Finally! I thought he’d never leave,” Jin muttered.

“He still hasn’t.”

Finn’s presence hovered on the edge of her senses, a sentinel who had decided to keep his distance but was still within reach should she need him.

Kira shifted to give Jin a look. “Besides, weren’t you the one who told me to treat him like a Cur? Why drive him away?”

Jin snorted. “You act like we never kept things from the Curs.”

One side of Kira’s mouth hooked up as she conceded his point. Neither of them had ever believed in sharing more information than what was necessary.

Kira turned back to the plaza. “He does have a point though. That was reckless.” And way more dramatic than necessary. This was a perfectly good balcony. He could easily have chosen a more accessible entrance point that didn’t destroy someone else’s property or cause the oshota to treat him like a threat. “What are you doing here?”

Kira didn’t think it was chance Jin arrived at exactly that moment. Right when she was contemplating doing something very foolish in Joule’s behalf.

“Information gathering. Identifying our enemies. You know—the usual.”

“Find anything out?”

Jin slunk a little closer, gently bumping Kira’s hand that held the mug. “How about you let me ride your senses in exchange for information?”

“You’re going to share anyway.”

“True but this way I get something out of it.”

Kira cupped the mug in both hands, letting the scent wash over her as she let the moment lengthen.

She’d say yes but hearing Jin beg was rare and too tempting an opportunity to pass up.

It was quite by accident that they’d discovered Jin’s ability to ride her senses. Since then, it had been an infrequent but highly coveted experience. One Kira was loath to deny him. Especially since she was beginning to suspect it was one of the reasons he’d never gone soul bound mad.

“Please. Please. Please,” Jin wheedled, the lens on his “eye” making a sound as it focused on her.

“Fine. Just do me a favor and stop with the puppy dog eye. You know it doesn’t work for you.”

“Considering it got me what I wanted, I think it worked just fine,” Jin grumbled.

Kira ignored his sulky words as she reached for the connection that was always present between them. Most of the time it hovered in the background at the periphery of her consciousness. As long as neither of them concentrated too hard, that was where it would remain.

It was only when they pulled it to the forefront, widening that connection from a pinprick that things changed.

Jin moved from the back of her mind to the forefront, intruding on the area solely reserved for Kira.

It was a stressful process for them both, leading to headaches on Kira’s end and increasing confusion on Jin’s as each of their senses of self deteriorated the longer the connection stayed open.

Normally, they wouldn’t try this so soon after what had happened on the Wanderer, but Kira wanted to give Jin an experience that didn’t center around pain and fear.

Something that was based in pleasure and comfort.

She took a small sip of the drink, allowing herself to linger on each part of the experience. The warmth still contained in the mug. The steam she breathed in right before letting the drink touch her tongue. The fascinating scent of the spices.

And finally, the taste of the drink itself.

It wasn’t chai, but it was something damn close. It tasted like a memory floating just out of reach. A feeling similar to the one she’d had the first time she tasted chai.

Hmm. Perfection, Kira and Jin thought, perfectly in sync.

His contentment filtered to her, making her choke on a laugh. Disgruntlement at her amusement came next. Quickly forgotten as Kira took another sip.

She let the liquid coat her tongue before swallowing, not hurrying so Jin could get the most out of the experience.

His satisfaction left her with a warm feeling. Such a simple thing and yet he derived such pleasure from it.

She needed to do this for him more often.

No need. This is enough, Jin’s whisper made her smile sadly before she shoved the emotion away, not wanting it to taint his experience.

Jin stayed with her until she finished the drink, leaving Kira with a soft “thank you” before withdrawing.

The connection dampened, stretching until it was gossamer thin, and they were each alone in their own minds again.

For a moment the sensation of aloneness felt strange. Wrong. As if the rug had been yanked out from under her, leaving her to feel as if she was in free fall. Nothing to catch her.

She resisted the urge to reach out to him, knowing it would prolong their confusion.

Kira steadied herself against the table, sinking into the physical sense of touch. The cool feel of metal under her fingers. The way her muscles flexed as she lowered herself into the chair, re-learning what it was to be her again.

Kira Forrest. The Phoenix. And now, daughter of Roake.

As was always the case, the re-acclimation was brief. A handful of seconds until she felt stable enough to resume their conversation.

From the outside looking in, no one would be able to tell anything out of the ordinary had happened. Kira would simply be a woman enjoying a cup of tea. Jin silently watching.

“Your turn,” she told him.

Jin made loops in the air, unable to stay still as he worked through the same sense of disconnection on his end.

“Remember how you asked me to identify the owner of that ship? The one whose timing oh so conveniently allowed the bog’s hag to be attached to the Wanderer’s hull without us noticing?”

“You’re telling me the people on that balcony are them?”

Kira’s blood heated at the knowledge that her quarry was so close. A railing and a few feet of space were all that separated her from her maybe enemy.

“That’s not all. Those two who challenged Joule first are from the same House.”

In other words, they were targeting Joule. Because of Kira? Or another reason?

Kira leaned an elbow on the table before giving up and sprawling across it.

The entire conversation was conducted in Japanese since the likelihood of the Tuann knowing an ancient language of old Earth was small.

Japanese, along with many other languages, had fallen into disuse once humanity reached the stars. While not considered a dead language, the number of people who knew how to speak it was quite small.

The reason Kira and Jin were among them was entirely due to Himoto’s influence.

“Before you ask, they’re not House Danai. They don’t share the smallest affiliation with them. Outwardly, at least.”

Kira’s gaze sharpened as she eyed the balcony next to theirs with renewed interest. “Who are they?”

Jin switched to their comms. “A House called Votair. As far as I could tell, they share no ties to any of the major five Houses.”

That was quite a feat since most of the Houses were arranged in a type of pyramid. The major Houses at the top and many affiliate Houses making up the bottom levels of the pyramid.

“No idea why they’re targeting Joule, then?”

“No. Not yet.”

Knowing him though, he wouldn’t rest until he’d uncovered the rest of the mystery.

“Those challenging Joule aren’t all from that House,” Kira observed.

“Good eye. You’re right. Only the woman and Notus were from Votair. The last was a man from Terot, a sub-House of Danai. Spreading the challenges among Houses like this is a smart tactic. It makes it look less like a single House is bullying Joule.”

Kira tapped a finger against the table, lost in thought. “How did you stumble on them?”

“Like I said, I tracked the owner of the ship which led me to House Votair. Imagine my surprise when I discovered the Overlord of Votair exiting House Danai’s stronghold after a meeting—so I followed them.”

He wouldn’t be Jin if he hadn’t.

“We need to learn more before we make any conclusions,” Jin said.

Kira understood what he was saying. There was every chance Votair was a red herring designed to draw their focus from the real enemy. Another proxy appointed by Danai to fight their battles.

Or maybe Danai had nothing to do with this at all and everything was simply coincidence.

“Either way, they’re becoming a problem I no longer want to deal with.” Kira sat back in her chair to stare across the plaza.

It was time to deal with them in a more permanent manner.

“Tell me about the one in charge,” she instructed.

“His name is Terrel. Their Overlord, and from what I gather, he’s ambitious.”

Kira made a disgusted sound in the back of her throat. “Not surprising.”

It was always those with the most ambition who were the first to fall prey to the Tsavitee’s manipulations. It was like they had a sixth sense for those who were unhappy with their position but lacked the talent to achieve their dreams.

They’d done it with humans and now it looked like even the Tuann weren’t immune.

“They do have a type,” Jin agreed.

The Tsavitee would know how to use Terrel’s desires against him, luring him ever deeper until he compromised his values. Once he crossed that line, the Tsavitee would own him body and soul.

“I want a solution for the next time he goes after Joule,” Kira ordered.

Jin’s chuckle sounded evil. “I’ve already got a few ideas.”

Kira grunted. “As long as it gets me the results I want, you have clearance to create as big a splash as you want.”

She’d probably end up regretting that offer but that was a problem for future Kira.

Current Kira was more interested to know why the wanderers, the second most suspicious of those Jin was investigating, were paying a little too much attention to Kira’s balcony.

Kira tapped her finger on the table, surreptitiously indicating the group not far from them in the plaza. “How about our mysterious friends? Do any information gathering on them?”

“What kind of drone do you take me for?” Jin asked with a snort. “Of course, I did.”

Kira arched an eyebrow at him when he said nothing further. “And?”

“I found nothing to indicate they were anything other than what they portrayed themselves to be.” Jin moved up beside Kira, focusing on the group that had caught her attention. “I looked too.”

If Jin said he’d looked, it meant he had left no stone uncovered. In this, he was absolutely trustworthy, putting most intelligence networks to shame.

Either the wanderers were exactly what they appeared, or they were keeping a low enough profile that even Jin couldn’t get anything on them.

“Keep an eye on them anyway,” she told him.

She wanted to know the second there was any suspicious movement. Something about them set her instincts to tingling. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but she knew there was more to them than what they were showing.

“I’ve already assigned a few of my spawn to keep an eye on them.”

Kira’s head snapped toward Jin as her mouth dropped open. “How many of them did you make?”

A smug pride radiated through their bond. “Enough that some would consider it an army.”

What a terrifying thought. An army of mini-Jin’s running around Ta Sa’Riel creating who knew what sort of havoc.

“You have a problem,” Kira informed him as she rose from her chair.

“What?”

She shook her head at him as Finn reappeared at her side like a ghost. “You need help.”

Jin trailed after them as they headed inside the café.

“I’m procreating. Isn’t that what people our age do?” Jin complained.

There was a long-suffering expression on Finn’s face as he stared at Jin.

“That’s not what that is called,” Kira informed Jin as they reached a set of stairs, leading down into an alley that would allow them to depart without attracting attention.

“What would you call it then? I created more of my progeny. That fits the definition of procreating.”

“That’s not—“ Kira shook her head as she trailed off.

She wasn’t going to win this argument. She could already tell.

“Let’s get out of here,” Kira told Finn.

“Are you sure there aren’t any other dangerous situations you want to throw yourself into?” Finn asked with a touch of sarcasm.

Kira’s smile spread across her face. “Don’t tempt me or I might do exactly that.”

She was sure there was plenty of opportunity for someone who looked hard enough.

Leaving the café, Kira wasn’t quite ready to return to Roake’s fortress and the expectations waiting for her there, instead preferring to wander the city in the company of the other two.

Jin’s delight rang through their bond as he swooped and dove to examine anything that caught his interest. Kira trailed behind him; her hands tucked in her pocket.

It hadn’t dawned on her until just now how long it had been since they had enjoyed such simple pleasures. Meandering aimlessly. Without destination or agenda. Not worrying about when their enemies would strike next.

Just the feel of the sea breeze on her face and the waning light of the sun as it began its descent.

Though the streets were a little more crowded than the last time she’d traveled these paths with Graydon, it didn’t take away from her enjoyment.

The day’s shadows were beginning to lengthen by the time Kira made her way toward the fortress, her body tired but her soul exuding with contentment.

Luckily, they encountered no further incidents as they walked through the city, and by the time the exterior walls that guarded the fortress came into view, most of Finn’s antagonism had eased.

His relaxation didn’t last long as he spotted Graydon and several of his oshota waiting for Kira in front of the walls of the fortress. A tension entered his body as his guard immediately slammed up.

Finn slowed. “I think news of your escapades has spread.”

“The Tuann are as gossipy as a bunch of human teenagers,” Jin grumbled.

Kira made a face that said she agreed. They were as bad as the space force where gossip had a way of taking on a life of its own.

“I suppose we should see what he wants,” Kira started toward Graydon.

Solal and Amila stood at his back. She found Isla and Baran not far away. Amila acknowledged her with a wry smile before her expression returned to its typical blankness.

“Fancy meeting you here,” Kira said in lieu of a greeting.

Graydon leveled a look on her. “You’re lucky your uncle chose to send me and not someone else.”

“I suppose that means he knows.”

Lovely.

Graydon suppressed a smile. “It’s hard not to when Kashori’s heir shows up on his doorstep demanding an audience with you.”

“Please tell me you’re kidding.”

“I wish I could. They showed up not long before you did.”

Kira cursed silently to herself. “Fucking tattletales.”

A doorway formed in the wall, the stones parting to allow Kira and her companions through.

It was one of many defenses embedded into the fortress’s design and quite the clever one.

It was more difficult for enemies to invade if they constantly found their way obstructed by unrelenting wall and impassible rock. While the sturdy walls wouldn’t stand up to anyone truly determined to get inside, they would create enough of a barrier to slow the enemy down long enough for those within to mount a defense.

Of course, all the hidden doorways and defenses in the world wouldn’t protect you if the enemy was on the inside already.

“Harlow was most interested to hear how your oshota was nowhere in sight,” Graydon remarked as he prowled at Kira’s side.

Finn grunted; his expression unaffected.

Trust Graydon to poke her oshota’s sore spot right when he’d finally recovered some of his mood.

“And he sent you to summon me home?” Kira asked, casting him an arch look.

Graydon’s smile was easy. “He didn’t have to. I volunteered.”

Kira doubted he’d made that offer out of the goodness of his heart.

“Afraid I can’t handle the pampered heir of another House?”

Graydon’s head dipped, his lips hovering a centimeter from her own.

Kira’s eyes darted to them. As always, the banked desire she had for him was quick to rise, tempting her to close that minuscule distance.

Her lips tingled with the knowledge of what he would taste like. The way he would feel against her.

“Coli, you’re never the one I worry about,“ he whispered, his lips brushing hers before he withdrew. There was a wicked look in Graydon’s eyes that said he’d had fun toying with her.

Kira cleared her throat, forcing herself to return to the subject at hand.

“I assume the emperor would prefer I not humiliate one of his loyal subjects and start a House feud.”

The warm weight of Graydon’s palm landed on the small of Kira’s back, sending a jolt of awareness through her as he guided her forward. “I’m sure your uncle would prefer that as well.”

Kira snorted. “Then perhaps he should stop trying to make me Roake’s heir.”

“I think you would make a fine Overlord.” Graydon had a way of smiling without ever moving his lips. The grooves around his eyes deepening as warmth entered them.

If she didn’t love seeing that expression on his face so much, she’d be tempted to kick him.

They entered the fortress’s inner courtyard, the door sealing behind them.

There was a minimalistic beauty to the Fortress of the Vigilant that Kira had always appreciated. It stood stalwart and tall. Its walls built from a stone that seemed to absorb the light. Tall spires stabbed the sky’s underbelly, an austere monument to the stoic warriors who called this place home. The towers merged into one another. A self-contained city in its own right.

Kira crossed the courtyard, avoiding the exterior buttresses.

House Roake wasn’t what you’d call welcoming. They viewed strangers as hostiles who hadn’t yet declared themselves as enemies.

It was why Kira found it extremely unlikely that Harlow would allow their guests to step foot within the fortress’s walls.

That left one place for Kashori to cool their heels while awaiting Kira’s arrival. The formal entrance for the fortress.

Technically speaking it wasn’t inside the fortress itself but rather just outside. Part of the same raised bridge that extended all the way to the Shining Palace.

It didn’t take long for Kira and Graydon to reach the impractical, if intimidating, archway that framed the massive stone doors that acted as the fortress’s formal entrance. The doors were carved with the crest of House Roake. A lu-ong, fringe flared as it guarded a blue stone that acted as the handles for both doors.

Harlow stood in front of them, his face an impassive mask. Every inch the Overlord, despite the synth armor he wore being no different than the oshota flanking him on either side.

No one would ever mistake him as anything but what he was. The ruler within these walls.

Beside him, Wren was an aloof presence. Unflappable and stoic as he stared down the trio from Kashori.

It was easy to identify the two oshota as the ones Selene threw off the balcony.

They hovered protectively in front of the third, a woman a few years younger than Kira. Her hair was a reddish gold, hanging loose except for a single section near the front that had been woven around a strand of leather into a thin braid.

Kashori’s heir, Kira assumed.

She certainly looked the part. Her clothes were made from ethieri, a material Kira recognized since her own garments contained it.

Clothes made from the pricey fabric contained anti-ballistic properties able to stop most forms of small weapon fire. It also had a climate control function that ensured the wearer became neither too hot nor too cold in most environments.

“This is going to be a pain,” Kira said.

“Indeed, it is, but avoidance never fixed anything, Nixxy Poo.”

Jin evaded Kira’s swat, darting away to find a hiding spot among the shadowed recesses of the fortress before anyone could see him.

Before Kira could avoid it, Harlow and the rest looked in her direction, cutting off Kira’s last opportunity to hide and hope this all went away.

With a feeling of resignation, Kira trudged forward.

“Regretting anything yet?” Graydon asked.

“Hush, you,” Kira told him, lifting her chin as she joined Harlow and the rest.

“Niece,” Harlow said in greeting.

Kira was proud when her response contained only a little awkwardness. “Uncle.”

“I’m glad to see you found your way.”

Kira glanced up at the mountain beside her. “How could I not when you send such an insistent guide?”

Graydon’s lips tilted up on the ends before he focused on Kira’s unwelcome guests all of whom seemed more than a little surprised at his presence.

Edris’s expression was carefully blank as he stared at the emperor’s Face. Boden, on the other hand, seemed almost disconcerted, eyeing Graydon like he was some zoo animal who’d just sat up and talked.

The woman at their center was the least affected, more interested in Kira than why the emperor’s Face would be in her company.

Kira’s expression remained bland, giving them no hint as to the reasons behind Graydon’s presence.

Mostly because she didn’t understand it either.

“Our guests have been filling my ears with such interesting stories,” Harlow drawled.

“Is that right?”

“Indeed.” There was a wry curve to Harlow’s smile. “I found several parts most fascinating and am looking forward to discussing the details with you later.”

Kira was betting she wouldn’t enjoy that conversation or the repercussions that came from it.

There was a subtle amusement in Harlow’s gaze that disappeared almost as quickly as it had come as he focused on their guests.

“House Kashori has grown bold since the last time I dealt with them,” Harlow said in a pleasant-sounding voice that was still vaguely threatening. “To think their heir would make demands of an Overlord.”

The woman maintained her calm as she sent Harlow a respectful bow. “It was not my intention to make demands.”

“Whether it was or not, that is exactly what you’ve done.”

There was an air of disapproval in Harlow’s words that made those in front of him stiffen.

The woman’s face showed alarm as her head lifted. “No—“

The pressure in the air dropped as fury settled on Harlow’s face.

“You’ve arrived at the gates of my fortress, a place used for centuries to declare vendettas, then insist I call forth my niece. Do you expect me to stand idly by while you challenge her to a duel?” Harlow’s voice had grown to a thunderous roar by the end of his statement. “Has Kashori grown so fat and bloated that they’ve forgotten how Roake earned our name?”

Boden placed one hand protectively in front of the woman, keeping his gaze on Harlow as a precaution. “You’re mistaken about our purpose here.”

Kira had to give it to the woman. She was brave in the face of Harlow’s wrath. Even Kira felt the hot splash of his anger, lapping at the periphery of her senses.

In the same position, Kira wasn’t sure she would have risked poking the beast further.

Who was she kidding? She probably would have taken a giant stick and whacked him on the head with it.

“Oh?” Harlow said in a silky voice that managed to sound scarier than the shout of before. “Then enlighten me—why have you come here?”

“To apologize,” the woman burst out, ignoring the way Boden tried to stop her as her gaze found Kira. “That’s why we’re here. To atone for attacking you.”

The air went electric.

Ki manifested around Harlow, a rare phenomenon that Kira had experienced a handful of times. It coiled around him, snapping and crackling as the pressure in the atmosphere dropped.

Storm clouds roiled above the fortress. Thunder cracked.

A monster looked out of Harlow’s eyes. “Tell me again. You did what to my niece?”