Threshold of Annihilation (The Firebird Chronicles Book 3)

by T. A. White

  He lifted a hand at Devon. "I saw the race. Nicely done."

  Devon acknowledged the praise with a nod as Kira watched closely. The two seemed to have grown closer in her absence.

  "Are you heading out for your event?" Devon asked.

  Joule paused in the middle of peeking at Kira and nodded. "Yes."

  "What event did you decide on?" Kira asked.

  She'd never gotten the chance to hear when they were on the dropship.

  Joule's smile was shy. "Castles."

  The quorum ran a gamut of possibilities. From races like the one Kira and Devon had chosen to join, to events featuring various forms of combat, to feats focused on intellect and logic.

  Unsurprisingly, most Tuann gravitated toward combat-based games.

  The Haldeel, on the other hand, trended to those events that were more mental based. Castle was one such example. Designed to test a competitor’s luck and strategic capability, it was a game easy to pick up but difficult to master—and one Kira had never seen played in person.

  "Do you mind if I tag along?" Kira asked.

  Joule's expression brightened. "I'd like nothing better."

  Devon frowned. "I'd like to come too."

  Joule nodded, outwardly excited as he led them to the door outside.

  Graydon leaned toward Kira. "What are you up to?"

  Kira concealed her involuntary shiver as his breath brushed against the sensitive skin of her neck. "What makes you think I'm up to anything?"

  "You're always up to something."

  Kira couldn't argue with that, so she didn't even try.

  "Are you planning to put me under house arrest?" she asked him.

  "Coli, I wouldn't dare."

  Yeah, right. There wasn't much Graydon wouldn't dare. Including locking Kira up and throwing away the key.

  To Kira's surprise, Graydon followed them outside.

  "What are you doing?" she asked.

  "I thought I should join you."

  Kira's frown became more pronounced. "Don't you have business to attend to?"

  The innocent look he aimed at her wasn't fooling anyone. "What could be more important than supporting the friend of my yer’se?"

  Ahead, Devon and Joule were careful to stay out of the conversation, pretending not to listen.

  Kira shook her head as she bit down hard on the unwise words she wanted to stay. Even a child would be able to see through Graydon's motivations. He hadn't even attended Devon's race, and he expected Kira to believe he cared about Joule’s event?

  Please. She wasn't that naive.

  "Besides, Yukina represents the Face of the Tuann among the Haldeel. I would just get in her way. She'll call me if there's anyone she wants killed."

  "So humble," Kira said dryly.

  Graydon inclined his chin. "I endeavor to please."

  *

  The sun was completing its descent, twilight deepening into the evening hours as Kira and the rest headed toward the city center.

  The streets of Zara were different in the evening. The crowds were denser and the atmosphere celebratory.

  Holographic advertisements fought for attention against the smaller game stages known as the stratagem to the Haldeel. The continuous stream of sounds and images bombarded bystanders from several directions.

  Unlike Castles, the stratagem wasn’t considered an official part of the quorum. There were numerous variations. The more poetic claimed there were as many versions as there were grains of sand.

  Winning any of them wouldn’t bring the same acclaim or reward as doing well in Castles. Despite that, there was no shortage of visitors wanting to try their hand.

  It wasn’t unheard of for those who did well in the stratagem to be groomed for greater things. Though rare, there were some who’d won fame and status after a particularly good showing.

  It was the Haldeel’s version of gambling, only instead of luck, you used talent and skill to win.

  Kira paused as she watched a Haldeel ascend the stage to her right. He crossed to the center and the waist-high column waiting there. After a second of perusal he pressed his hand onto it.

  Four pillars of light rose around him, forming a square as the solid column in front of him dissolved into the floor. Transparent armor formed over his chest and arms.

  His gaze was calculating as he stared at the pillars.

  Lightning arced from them. The Haldeel evaded, dancing between the pillars as he tried to dodge the unpredictable bolts.

  Noticing where Kira’s attention had gone, Graydon paused. “Ever tried?”

  Kira started after Devon and Joule. "Once or twice."

  Jin referred to that part of her life as her dark period.

  She’d found it too painful to be around humans and had landed on the edge of Haldeel territory as a result.

  In those days, she’d been on edge. Vicious some might say, hitting back at the least provocation.

  That was when she first encountered the stratagem. It filled Kira’s need for distraction.

  Popular among all ranks of the Haldeel, the stratagem allowed her to lose herself in its world. For a brief time, she’d earned quite the reputation while playing.

  "Not going to watch?" Graydon asked, studying her.

  Kira glanced over her shoulder, casually assessing the player. "No need. He won't advance to the next level."

  As if to prove her right, there was a low hum from behind them as the holographic scene dissolved around the player.

  "Good eye.” Graydon nodded at a stage set for dual play. "I don't suppose you'd fancy a match?"

  "Aren't we here to watch Joule participate in Castles?"

  Graydon lifted an eyebrow. "Why can't we do both?"

  Kira hesitated, feeling torn.

  It had been a long time since she’d played.

  Calling her competitive was kind. She’d never been good at turning the other cheek and Graydon was one of those rare individuals who could give her a real challenge.

  The unmistakable provocation in his expression made resisting even more difficult.

  “Unless you're afraid,” Graydon taunted.

  He was just asking to have the arrogance wiped off his face. Kira had time in her schedule.

  Kira was careful not to let herself appear too eager. "Fine. One match."

  Solal and Amila exchanged a look as if they knew something Kira didn't. Finn, on the other hand, seemed worried as Kira and Graydon stepped onto the stage.

  "Do you have a preference?" Graydon asked, raising his hand.

  The act triggered the menu screen. Several Haldeel icons in the midst of various actions appeared in front of him.

  "This was your idea. Your choice."

  It made no difference to Kira. She'd played most of them at one point or another.

  He gave her a considering look before selecting the icon of a crouched Haldeel, sword held defensively across their body. "Let's try a practice round first."

  Kira shrugged to show she didn't care. Practice or not, it was the same to her.

  The stratagem Graydon chose was called Barrage. It was a bastardized, simpler version of Castles. Whereas in Castles, you had to take over enemy territory while dealing with the obstacles the puzzle master embedded in the game, with Barrage you only had to defend.

  There were two ways to earn points. For every laser beam you destroyed cleanly, you got two points. If you only managed to deflect or damage it, you got a point.

  The crux, however, came when you dodged.

  A rebounded laser picked up points every time it hit the wall. If it hit the wall once and was destroyed, it brought the gamer four points. Two times and it was six points.

  The only catch was every time it hit, it also picked up speed and would change direction, making it a potentially dangerous wild card—especially in the latter half of the game when the number of lasers increased.

  Because the game would end when one opponent was struck, most chose to cleanly destroy the lasers so as n
ot to risk ending the game early.

  While it was more straight forward than Castles, it wasn't without its dangers.

  A transparent blade stretched from Kira's hand, sending a tingle through her palm.

  Reflexively, Kira squeezed the hilt, feeling like she was holding an actual sword. As always, she couldn't help but be impressed by the level of sensory feedback. If the sword hadn't been nearly translucent, she would have believed it real.

  Thousands of small shapes unfolded from the stage, rising into the air. No bigger than the tip of a pen, they arranged themselves in two fifteen by fifteen squares around Kira and Graydon.

  The mini drones shimmered, their colors changing until a box formed around them, their appearance giving the illusion of falling water.

  Graydon smirked at Kira through the nearly transparent wall separating them. "Are you ready?"

  In answer, Kira fell into a stance similar to the Haldeel's stance of beginning. Her right leg slid forward, the knee bent as she brought her sword diagonal across her body, the tip pointed to the ground with her elbow to the sky.

  In his square, Graydon widened his stance, his sword held at his side.

  Color bloomed in the water. Beams shot toward them, all three from the front.

  Kira dealt with them in three clean moves, Graydon doing the same on his side.

  Finished, Graydon took the time to study Kira. "Well, well. Someone is a little more familiar with this game than they led me to believe."

  Kira lifted a shoulder. "I never said I was a novice."

  It wasn't her fault if that was how he chose to take her words.

  Graydon's eyes held a feral gleam that said he was looking forward to this. "This is going to be fun."

  Kira hoped so.

  Before she could say anything, she caught movement in the audience that had begun to gather along the edge of their stage.

  The Tuann who’d taunted Elena earlier stood out from the crowd, the skin around one eye discolored and red with the faintest swelling. He also had a split lip. Other than that, he looked remarkably unharmed after the beating Raider had given him.

  Kira supposed there were some perks to being Tuann. Fast healing among them.

  He sneered when he spotted Kira.

  Walk away; pretend you didn't see me, she told him silently.

  He'd already come up the loser in one exchange. Why add insult to misery?

  "Friend of yours?" Graydon asked.

  Kira rotated the hand holding the light blade as she considered. "I'm pretty sure he sees me more along the lines of an enemy."

  Intrigue touched Graydon's face. "You were only in the villa for a couple of hours. How did you upset an oshota from House Remie so quickly?"

  Kira frowned at him. "I thought you saw the exhibition with Elena."

  "It seems I missed a few parts," Graydon said. "I'll have to pay more attention in the future."

  "You know there's a word for people like you." Kira turned away from the audience to face him fully, her expression taunting. "It's called being a stalker."

  "Why did you call us over, Niland?" someone asked from the audience below the stage, interrupting Graydon’s response. "I thought we were here to watch Castle. Why waste time with stratagem?"

  "I've found something much more fun." Niland tilted his head at where Kira and Graydon still stood on the stage waiting for the game begin again. "Remember the arrogant brat I caught pretending to be a seon'yer? That's her."

  Kira jerked a thumb at Niland, making sure to keep her voice down. "Is he really an oshota?"

  She simply couldn’t see it. The oshota she knew weren’t this arrogant—or dumb.

  Graydon looked like he was trying to suppress his amusement. "You've been spoiled by the quality of Roake, coli. Not all oshota are created equal."

  That was becoming increasingly clear. Picking fights just for the sake of having someone to push down to make yourself feel better was the act of a bully—a behavior she had never associated with the oshota.

  "Wait. I think I know her," one of Niland’s companions said. "Isn't she the lost child of Roake?"

  Niland's smirk widened. "You're right." He looked over at where Roderick stood stiffly to the side. Not really part of the group except through proximity. "Luatha, didn't your Overlord wipe her hands clean of this one?"

  The question was meant to embarrass—whether Kira or Roderick was the question.

  Kira looked over to find Roderick frozen in place, looking up at her with a complicated expression like he didn't know if it would be better to interfere or stay quiet.

  He'd gotten smarter since the events on Ta Da'an. Back then, he would have cried insult immediately and made the entire matter worse.

  Kira took pity on him, signaling for him to wait.

  To her relief, he didn't say anything—good or bad.

  Seconds later, an arm landed on Roderick’s shoulder as a stranger leaned into him. Very slowly, Roderick looked at the hand touching him, his face twisting in a disgust that made Kira struggle to hide her laughter.

  "Don't tease the poor man. House Luatha has been through a lot lately. Fighting off an invasion is exhausting work,” the newcomer said, sending the others a charming smile.

  "Lorcan, you're always so kind," Niland said.

  Kira scoffed.

  What kindness? The man managed to insult both Roderick and Luatha in a few simple sentences.

  Eyes filled with a fiery impatience met Kira's. There was the Roderick she remembered. The hothead who took himself entirely too seriously.

  To her surprise, he stayed quiet, his expression aggrieved as he held himself rigid.

  Niland smirked at Kira. "Would you be interested in a bet?"

  The side-eye Roderick sent Niland was filled with enough rage to strip the man's flesh from his bones if it had contained tangible heat.

  "Yeah, Roddy. How about a bet?" Kira said, interfering before Roderick could act on the violence she could see brewing.

  Some of the anger faded from Roderick's face as he watched her carefully.

  "You're right. The zala is cocky." There was a sharp glint in Lorcan’s eyes that reminded Kira of Graydon for a moment.

  She ignored the similarity, putting on an innocent expression. "You don't have to if you're afraid."

  She wasn't entirely sure why she was playing their game. Maybe it had something to do with the careful restraint Roderick was displaying or the way they'd badmouthed Liara.

  Kira might not have wanted to be stuck on Ta Da'an, but that didn't mean she'd let other people look down on House Luatha, the birth house of her deceased mother. After all, they were family—and supposedly protecting one another was what family did.

  "What're the stakes?" Lorcan asked.

  "You're the ones who offered the bet in the first place. Shouldn't you be in charge of the stakes?" Kira asked.

  Lorcan's arm dropped from Roderick's shoulders as he straightened.

  Triumph flashed in Niland's eyes. He opened his mouth but before he could speak, Lorcan interrupted. "A favor that doesn't clash with either House's interests."

  Not bad. The request showed a certain wisdom. Niland and Lorcan were both convinced Kira would lose—and badly. Yet, Lorcan had the presence of mind to protect himself. Not many would be so careful.

  It would be enough to make her respect him a little if not for the fact he seemed so intent on needling her.

  She just didn't know why yet.

  "Done," Kira said as the low hum of the drones warned the game was about to resume.

  "You're so confident that you'll win?" Graydon asked as she turned away from the audience.

  Kira flexed the wrist that held the blade. "I won't know until I try."

  Graydon's chuckle was intimate. "Then how about a side wager?"

  Kira paused as ripples spread through the falling water, a prelude to the start.

  "What sort of wager?"

  Graydon's eyes twinkled. "Same as the one you just made. Lo
ser owes the winner a favor."

  Kira debated with herself for half a second. If she refused, it would seem like she wasn't confident in her abilities.

  Not that she really cared about that.

  The possibility of Graydon owing her one was simply too tempting to pass up. There were all sorts of interesting ways to turn a favor of that magnitude to her advantage.

  "All right, you're on," Kira said as a beam of light lanced at her.

  Kira dodged, not bothering to destroy the beam, unsurprised to find Graydon doing the same on the other side.

  Only when it had hit the wall twice did she eliminate it.

  Three more beams shot out right after. Kira danced aside, easily dodging the beams as they hit wall after wall.

  From the other square, she caught the bzzzt as Graydon destroyed his beams.

  Kira didn't pause, evading another wave of beams as they joined the first. By this point, there were seven laser beams she had to avoid.

  Not enough.

  Graydon was a powerful opponent. She'd need every advantage she could get against him.

  Soon, the world faded away as Kira fell into the rhythm of the game. Nothing mattered other than the stray streaks of light that darted around the square.

  She didn't bother with flashy moves, each strike efficient.

  She wouldn't fall into the trap many players made in the early stages. Arrogance was different than confidence. While the latter would give you the strength to face the difficult things in life, the former would cause your downfall in an instant. There was a reason the saying “Pride goeth before the fall” had endured throughout the millennia.

  A lull allowed Kira to catch a glimpse of Graydon. Where she relied on speed, her movements almost elegant, he was a battering ram, destroying the obstacles one after the other.

  There was a savage smile on his face as he leapt forward, a sweep of his blade destroying four beams in a move Kira couldn't help but admire.

  His eyes met hers for an instant. The same yearning that echoed in her was apparent in his gaze, leaving her feeling like she was balanced on the edge of a blade.

  The moment broke as the soft ping of the mini drones fired.

  Almost as if they'd planned it, they whirled to meet the next barrage, their movements mirroring each other’s.

  Faster and faster until sweat beaded on Kira's temple and her chest heaved with the force of her breaths. Her movements were fluid, no hesitation as her blade sliced through the air.