Threshold of Annihilation (The Firebird Chronicles Book 3)

by T. A. White

FOURTEEN

  A SHORT TIME later, when Elena landed on her back again, she lay there, panting as she stared up at the ceiling.

  Kira bent over her. "Had enough?"

  Elena gave her a resigned nod. "I should have known I couldn't beat you."

  Kira grinned as she patted her niece's face. "What does this make? One hundred and one wins for me."

  "One hundred and seven, but who's counting," Jin said from the sidelines.

  Elena and Kira looked over to find he wasn't the only one to join them while they'd been preoccupied. Auralyn, Zoella, and Maksym waited next to him, oshota from other Houses Kira didn't recognize trickling in behind them.

  Kira remained crouched as her niece jolted upright with a happy expression. "Uncle Jin! When did you get here?"

  Jin headed their way. "Right around the time you hit the ground."

  Elena's expression turned sheepish. "You'll have to be more specific. I hit the ground a lot this time."

  Jin snickered. "A little while before she let you use ki. I have to say you didn't do too bad, sprout."

  "It still wasn't enough to make Auntie get serious." One side of Elena's mouth pulled down in disappointment.

  "Interesting teaching method," Auralyn observed. "It’s rare for the young to train without their ki."

  "Auntie says that mastering your body is a crucial first step in any foundation," Elena volunteered.

  To Kira's surprise, Auralyn's eyes warmed, her perpetual look of boredom fading slightly. "Oh?"

  At the unspoken question in Auralyn's expression, Kira shrugged. "Your young are used to planets with a Mea'Ave. Unless they're forced to the brink, they probably have never felt ki depletion."

  The Mea'Ave was a semi-sentient entity whose presence allowed ki to flourish. A symbiotic relationship that Kira didn't entirely understand existed between it and the Tuann. While it wasn't quite a god in the Tuann's eyes, it did guide many of their beliefs and actions. As a result, the Tuann had grown up in an environment conducive to the replenishment and maintenance of ki.

  Most were overly reliant on it as a result in Kira's opinion. They trained their ki but often neglected their bodies.

  If they were always able to fight in ideal conditions, this might be an effective tactic, but in Kira's experience the things that could go wrong would go wrong.

  Kira wanted her niece to know how to handle herself when her ki failed her. Himoto had taught her to always have a backup plan. It was why she was versed in both the sword and hand-to-hand combat. You couldn't always guarantee you'd have the appropriate weapons when walking into a fight. Those who prepared for the worst-case scenario would have the advantage.

  "Also, the gains from ki manipulation is greater if her body is already in good shape," Kira finished.

  "Smart," Auralyn complimented.

  Kira was about to respond when a screech from the entrance to the gym distracted her.

  "Seon'yer!" Ziva shouted.

  The girl had stopped inside the gym, her eyes wide as they fixed on Kira. Joule next to her looked over with interest, the same happiness on Ziva’s face showing briefly on his before he buried it.

  "Oh boy," Jin said as Kira fought the urge to cover her face with a hand.

  Elena sent her a sidelong look as Ziva marched in her direction. "Auntie, you've picked up another one."

  "Be nice," Kira told her.

  An impish grin flashed across Elena's face. "I'm always nice to your strays."

  "Would Tommy say the same if I were to ask him that?"

  Elena scowled. "He doesn't count."

  "Hmm."

  Ziva reached them in the next second.

  "Seon'yer," she repeated.

  Auralyn slid Kira a look. "Interesting."

  Kira ignored her, fixing Ziva with a hard look. "What in all my actions makes you think I'm your seon'yer?"

  Ziva stopped and blinked. She lifted a hand, pointing at Kira. "Mentor." Next, she pointed at herself. "Mentee."

  Finn leaned over. "That is the basic definition of a seon'yer."

  Kira shot him an accusatory look that said he was supposed to be on her side.

  The corners of his eyes crinkled, but otherwise his expression didn't shift.

  With no help coming from that quarter, Kira studied Ziva. The girl was a surprisingly difficult opponent. Like a certain other somebody Kira knew, she heard what she wanted and not necessarily what was being said.

  Or else how would she have latched onto this ridiculous notion of Kira being her seon'yer.

  "Joule, please talk some sense into your sister."

  When all else failed, appeal to the people who knew Ziva best.

  Joule's mouth opened and then shut. He looked from Ziva to Kira, the former's face determined, the latter's frustrated. Many thoughts raced across his face.

  Finally, he gave Kira a hopeful expression. "Seon—"

  Kira pointed at him, her expression sufficiently threatening to freeze the words on his tongue. "Don't even think it."

  Maksym doubled over, his shoulders shaking as Zoella looked on with amusement. Even Auralyn seemed to find some humor in the situation, her lips twitching up the barest bit.

  Kira focused on Ziva. "You're not old enough to have a seon'yer."

  From Kira's understanding, one had to be past their uhva na to gain that privilege.

  "Then you'll be my seon'yer at that time?" Ziva asked, nothing in her demeanor making Kira think she had given up.

  Kira hesitated with a denial on her tongue.

  Ziva was still young. It would be decades before she advanced enough to join any House's selection process. By then, it was possible Kira would be long gone.

  Once, she would have even said her leaving was inevitable. Things had changed since then. No one was more surprised than her when leaving Roake proved more difficult than she'd imagined. She felt like she'd left a piece of her behind.

  It was an oddly unsettling feeling.

  Yet, there it was.

  There were things still to be discovered in Roake. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't a little curious about her uncle and the stories he could tell her about her father.

  That being said, she didn't want to make promises she couldn't keep.

  "We'll discuss it then," Kira finally said.

  Rather than adjusting Ziva's expectations in a more reasonable direction, her answer caused hope to shine in the girl’s eyes.

  Kira hadn't said yes, but she hadn't given an outright no.

  For someone like Ziva, who persisted against all odds, it was enough for her to cling even harder to the seon'yer she'd chosen.

  Kira saw all these thoughts flit across Ziva's face and wanted to close her eyes. Rather than dissuade the child, it seemed she'd only made her more determined.

  Story of her life.

  One of those who'd been watching from afar approached with a sneer. "You should reconsider, zala. This woman can't even handle fighting a child." His eyes flicked toward Elena in unmistakable meaning. "If you follow a seon'yer like her, you'll never amount to anything, let alone pass the adva ka."

  Ziva spun, a snarl rumbling in her chest. "Shut your face hole, offspring of a fendrik."

  "Ouch," Jin said. "That's quite the insult."

  The man stared at Ziva, his nostrils flaring.

  "Well said, little sister." Elena moved toward the two taking up a position on one side of Ziva as Joule raised his hands in the first stance for a shield on the other side.

  Ziva's forehead wrinkled as she frowned at Kira’s niece. "We're not related."

  Elena held up a finger. "Here is your first guidance from your senior. Auntie says family can be chosen as well as born. This means any disciple of Auntie’s is also a sister or brother to the rest. Understand?"

  Ziva's nod was solemn.

  "And I am her first disciple." Elena tapped Ziva's nose. "So, I will always be your elder."

  This time Ziva nodded twice, her eyes shining as she soaked in Elena's words.
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  "What are you teaching that child?" Maksym asked.

  Kira's expression was grim. "That is the question, isn't it?"

  Kira would really like to know where Elena pulled all that from—because the last part had never come out of Kira's mouth.

  Elena's expression was coy as she glanced at the oshota who'd insulted Kira. "Second guidance—don't be as blind as this one."

  The man went ramrod straight at that. "Insolent child."

  Her niece's lips twisted. "Being young doesn't prevent me from seeing the truth. If you were paying proper attention, you'd have realized that while I used ki, Auntie never touched hers, yet she controlled the tempo the entire time. Forget landing a blow. I couldn't even make her take a step back. I wonder if you could do the same." Elena looked him up and down, her expression saying she wasn't very impressed with what she saw. "Would you like to find out?"

  Kira stepped forward, inserting herself between the two as she shook her head. "I don't think so. That's enough out of you."

  Now she remembered what she'd been teaching her niece. Those comments—especially the last one—was right out of Kira and Jin's playbook.

  "Spoilsport," Elena told her.

  Kira looked at her. "What did I tell you about picking fights?"

  Elena gazed innocently up at her. "Not to get caught?"

  "Try again," Kira said dryly.

  Elena started to open her mouth but was interrupted by a cool voice coming from the direction of the doorway.

  "Yes, I'm interested in hearing this too. Exactly what are you teaching her, Kira?" Raider strode toward them, Wren at his back.

  Elena's teasing expression drained away, leaving her quiet and withdrawn.

  Kira studied the two of them, not answering immediately.

  The oshota who'd insulted Kira looked like he'd bitten into something sour as he caught sight of Wren. Kira’s seon’yer apparently had a bit of a reputation. A deserved one if his display in the uhva na was anything to judge by.

  Elena, picking up on her tension, glanced up at her in question.

  Kira patted her shoulder, signaling all was well and not to interfere. Whether her niece would deign to listen was another story.

  "Is there a problem?" Wren asked, sweeping a gaze over the strange oshota.

  Silence lingered until Auralyn straightened. "Nothing beyond the normal. Just a few pests sticking their noses where they don't belong."

  The strange oshota bristled but remained silent.

  Kira whistled silently. She'd really like to know what Wren and his oshota had done to create such an interesting reaction in another House's oshota.

  The Tuann thrived on confrontation and duels. Opposing Houses clashed on a regular basis. She'd never seen an oshota retreat this quickly. At least not before a few blows were exchanged to test the other's mettle.

  "And you, yer’se? Are you of the same opinion?" Wren directed the question at Kira.

  The oshota paled, his gaze meeting Kira's before lifting away.

  The oshota probably thought Kira was an easy target. She wasn't well known among other Houses. Of those who’d heard of her, she doubted any would recognize her face.

  His unease was reflected in the faces of his companions.

  "Yup. No problems here," Kira said, staring at the man who'd thought to ridicule her only to end up being the one ridiculed.

  There was a certain poetry there that Kira enjoyed—especially since he'd gone after Ziva to get to Kira.

  "In that case, follow me,” Wren ordered. “There are things we need to address.”

  Kira was afraid he'd say that.

  A part of her would have preferred to put the coming confrontation off indefinitely.

  From the careful control in Wren's expression and the way he seemed to soften when he looked at Elena, Kira had a feeling the thing she'd been most afraid of had already happened.

  Wren had guessed at the nature of Elena’s relation to him, and it was clear he’d already begun forming an attachment.

  If it ever became necessary to remove Elena from the Tuann’s sphere of influence, Kira would have a fight on her hands.

  Whether her niece realized it or not, her family had grown to include an extremely powerful Tuann.

  "Jin, stay close to Elena and get in touch with our friend." Kira tilted her head at Elena. "You know the one."

  Jin's sigh was heavy. "I do indeed."

  Odin had a lot of explaining to do. He was supposed to watch Elena, not let her get caught by the Tuann.

  Elena ignored them in favor of slinging an arm over Ziva's shoulders. "How about I show you my fun moves?"

  The Tuann who’d picked a fight earlier, summoned his courage from somewhere. He curled his lip at Kira’s niece.

  "What would a wet-behind-her-ears infant know about anything? You should let those with something to offer have the floor." He jabbed Elena's shoulder with a hard finger.

  Kira, who'd started to walk away, came to a stop.

  Did that man just touch her niece?

  Kira did an about face. A sweet smile touched her lips, the corners of her eyes crinkling as she took a step toward the oshota.

  "Girls, step back. Step back now,” Jin ordered, sounding alarmed.

  Elena moved quickly, drawing Ziva and Joule with her. "Third and most important piece of advice—never, ever, ever insult someone Auntie cares about."

  Ziva nodded with an intent expression, looking like she was taking mental notes.

  Joule's eyes widened in understanding and alarm. He, more than his sister, knew what Kira was capable of.

  "Someone sure is brave," Kira said in a silky voice.

  She'd tried to be kind. Everyone had seen it.

  She'd let him off without extracting even the tiniest bit of revenge, but did he learn from his experiences? Did he appreciate her leniency?

  No. He did not.

  He just had to go and show his ass. Now it was time to learn what happened when you mooned a predator more dangerous than the ones he was used to.

  "Kira, do not kill him," Jin warned.

  Kira padded closer to the dead man walking.

  "I mean it," Jin said when she didn't answer. "Roake is not going to back us in a blood feud if you nuke the oshota of another House."

  "Are you sure about that?" Maksym asked.

  Blood lust rose off him, matched only by the intensity of his companions.

  Auralyn looked at the oshota and those behind him as if they were dog shit she'd found under her shoe. Simply scraping them off would be too kind a fate. Only complete annihilation would do.

  Kira noted all this distantly, too fixated on her prey to care.

  For the first time since she'd donned the inhibitor, she could feel her primus form crouched in her psyche. A solid wall separated her from it, but that didn't stop the lust for vengeance from seeping through.

  The other wanted to rip and tear and, then, howl its supremacy to the sky. It wanted to teach these lesser beings to fear where it trod.

  The concept of right and wrong was hazy for that creature. All it cared about was protecting those it considered theirs.

  Power flushed through Kira's veins as the primus pressed against the barrier. Pain followed swiftly on its heels; Kira's body unable to withstand the influx.

  The inhibitor contracted around her wrist in warning, sending jolts of agony up her forearm.

  Sensing the shift, Elena's attention shot to Kira, a cautious look entering her expression. "Auntie. No."

  Kira stopped, taking a deep breath to compose herself. Elena was right. Losing herself to the primus would be self-indulgent and reckless.

  Only when the pain abated and her ki settled did Kira focus on the oshota again. It was his lucky day. He got to live.

  Raider threw himself forward as Kira started to speak. He hammered a punch into the other man’s face.

  Not content to end it there, Raider snapped a kick against the side of the man's knee. The man fell to the groun
d, catching himself with one hand. Raider didn't give him time to recover, kneeing him in the face.

  The man's companions stepped forward with the intention of assisting their friend.

  Kira bared her teeth at them. "Do it. I dare you."

  She couldn't be sure if they backed down because of her or if it was the way Maksym and Zoella shifted in defense of Kira. Even the oshota who'd been guarding Elena earlier made clear his intentions. If there was a fight, it wouldn't only be Kira and Raider against the other House. Wren's oshota would bloody their hands too.

  "Bullying children. I didn't realize House Remie had fallen this low," Wren observed. "I will be sure to let our Overlord know so we can cut ties with such a weakling."

  There was something in the way Wren stood that whispered if Raider hadn't acted, he would have.

  It was confirmation of what Kira already suspected. Wren considered Elena his, and like all Tuann he protected his own.

  What confused her was the fact he'd let Raider act before him. It showed restraint and consideration for the human.

  Had the relationship between the two changed so much during her absence?

  It wasn't outside the realm of possibility. No one was more acquainted with Raider's abilities than Kira. If the Tuann ever got past their superiority complex, they'd realize not all humans were weak.

  Raider was a wolf. People remembered the Phoenix, but Kira would never have accomplished all she had without Raider and the other Curs.

  If Wren acknowledged Raider's skills, that would be the best outcome for both Raider and Elena.

  "That's enough, don't you think?" Wren asked emotionlessly.

  Raider paused, his fist still upraised as he thought it over.

  "Any further and you'll kill him." Wren's statement held no judgment. Rather he was making an observation.

  Kira was impressed.

  Wren already understood the secret to Raider. Try to force him and he'd balk. Persuade him with sweet words and he'd turn those words around on you. Meet him with logic and he'd cool down.

  Most of the time.

  Raider let the oshota drop. "The sound of his voice offended me."

  Kira looked at the man Raider had beaten half unconscious. He'd certainly solved that problem, hadn't he?

  Raider straightened, looking neither left nor right as he stalked out of the now silent room. The oshota from the beaten man's House looked green as if they wanted to challenge Raider but were too afraid of House Roake's oshota to do so.