Rules of Redemption (The Firebird Chronicles Book 1)

by T. A. White

  Kira forgot about the strangers as the seneschal approached. Alma’s expression was haughty as she looked Kira over.

  "I'm here to speak to the Overlord about the people she had taken into custody," Kira said, stepping forward and speaking before Graydon could interfere.

  The seneschal’s mouth tightened and she looked down her nose at Kira. "The Overlord doesn't have time for your problems. She’s a busy person. You'll be informed when a decision has been reached."

  "A decision," Kira said, fighting dismay. "I won't take up much of her time, but I'd like to understand why they were placed under guard."

  And convince Liara why that wasn't necessary.

  A ladylike sound of derision escaped Alma. "They're human with inferior morals and a penchant for deceit, that's why."

  "What a Tsavitee-like thing to say," Kira said, her eyes narrowing as anger warmed her belly.

  The Tsavitee had called humans inferior and tried to wipe them out. To hear the same thing from her mother's people was disquieting.

  Alma sneered. "We found evidence they were poking where they didn't belong. I suspect it's only a matter of time before we tie the attacks to them as well."

  "What do you mean?" Kira asked.

  "One of them was caught in our solarium. She had no business being there," Alma said.

  Blue—it had to be. Her scientific mind was curious and bright. If she'd seen something of interest, she would have pursued it. She wouldn't have been able to help it.

  Although Kira didn't understand why a location like a solarium would be considered off-limits.

  "The Overlord would be in her right to have them all executed," Alma continued. "It's what she should do, and as her seneschal, it’s my duty to guide her onto the right path."

  She didn't wait for any further comment, flicking her fingers at the guards before turning and striding back into the room.

  With a look of regret at Kira, they closed the door behind her before arranging themselves in front of it. Their message was clear; Kira wasn't getting by them without a fight.

  "Come on," Graydon murmured, taking her arm and drawing her away. “Arguing with them right now will cause trouble for you later.”

  "I can't let them stay locked up," Kira said.

  "Yes, you can. I have my men standing guard with Roderick's. They'll protect them from harm. Your Curs will be fine for now."

  Kira hurried to keep up as he propelled her down the hallway. She shot a look over her shoulder at Jin, mouthing “Find them.”

  He shot up to the ceiling and followed it until he found a hallway, disappearing within seconds. Joule watched him go with wide eyes, his gaze dropping to Kira. She gave him a wink before turning to face forward again.

  "Why is it that every time I see you, your oshota is nowhere around?" Graydon asked conversationally.

  "Because Roderick came and detained his replacement," Kira said in as pleasant voice as she could manage.

  Graydon frowned in frustration. "I'd like to say I'm surprised, but the level of incompetence here has become a theme."

  Kira's attention snapped to Graydon as she considered his words. She wasn't the only one who suspected betrayal and deceit.

  "What would happen if I died while under Liara's care?" Kira asked.

  Graydon steered her out of the maze of hallways and into the sunshine. They walked through a courtyard, towers surrounding them on all sides as it overlooked a small section of the forest.

  They turned down a small path, well-trodden and narrow as it meandered through the many bushes and trees inhabiting the lush space.

  She looked around in unconcealed pleasure, appreciating the hidden oasis, one of many throughout the Citadel.

  Kira let Graydon lead, knowing that for this conversation it would be best if they were away from any potential listeners.

  "It would weaken her politically and could have very real consequences for her and Luatha in general. Her House is a strong one, but it suffered during the Sorrowing," Graydon said. "Liara is a relatively new overlord. She's fifteen years older than you and her rule is considered unstable."

  "How am I considered a child and she adult enough to rule?" Kira asked, sidetracked momentarily.

  "She has survived the highest form of the adva ka and earned her name," Graydon said.

  "So, I have to survive this adva ka and I’ll be considered an adult?" Kira asked.

  "Yes."

  "That is a ridiculous way of determining someone's maturity," Kira complained.

  Graydon shook his head at her and walked up to a statue. He set his hand against it. His forehead furrowed. There was an explosive crack as power flashed around Graydon's hands. The statue remained standing for several beats before it slowly folded in on itself, collapsing into finger-sized bits of rubble.

  "Attend, Kira. The stage you now stand on is dangerous. Many wait in the wings looking to topple you. This was a tiny drop of my power. Until you can defend yourself from this and other powers like it, you will always be considered under the protection of another, your wishes superseded by theirs," Graydon stated, his seriousness giving his words weight. "Some never reach this stage."

  Kira studied the statue, considering his words carefully.

  Himoto and the rest of the military lacked some very crucial pieces of information when it came to understanding the Tuann.

  This wasn't a simple feudal society with clear lines. Hidden subtleties shaded everything.

  Children were protected. They were the fragile future of the race. Kira could see why she was lumped in with them. A child couldn't be challenged to personal combat by an adult, nor could they carry out any of the many duties of an adult Tuann. They weren't responsible for their mistakes as an adult would be—all necessary factors to consider when you were entering their society as an adult with none of their training.

  Without proving her control over the soul’s breath, she would always be relegated to a supporting role, her desires overridden by those more powerful than she.

  Fear kept her silent. She did not want to be trapped here forever.

  Revealing she had inherited more from them than they assumed, might do just that. Her control was elusive at best. If she'd tried Graydon’s trick, she'd have reduced the statue to dust—along with everything else within twenty feet.

  "Just because someone doesn’t possess the ability to harness the soul’s breath doesn't mean they should be considered a second-class citizen," Kira said softly.

  People could have other skills, ones as important as manipulating energy.

  Graydon inclined his head. "I agree with you, but there are things you aren’t considering. Just as much duty rests on the shoulders who pass the adva ka as those who do not."

  Kira knew Graydon meant what he said. There was a purity when he spoke about the obligations each had to the other. Unfortunately, the Tuann were entirely too much like humans, their emotions complex and their motivations just as likely to be selfish.

  Graydon might believe what he was saying, but she'd seen too much to think it could be anywhere near that simple. People in power inevitably took advantage of those weaker than them. Just as those who could never rise, would eventually become resentful of those they envied.

  She sighed, the issue was more morally complex than it seemed.

  As an outsider she saw things differently, but it didn't mean she was right. For that reason, she left the subject alone. She couldn’t argue against something she was only beginning to understand.

  "Why would my death impact her at all?" Kira asked. "Besides the fact the Consortium would strongly object."

  Unless they were offered a dozen ships and an ironclad alliance. Then they might overlook the fact Kira had once been one of theirs.

  "There are several parties besides those you've seen who've taken an interest in your existence," Graydon said, seeming to choose his words carefully. "The emperor is one. He would be upset if you were murdered by your own House."

  "It'
s about perception," Joule said, interjecting.

  He caught their attention.

  "If the Luatha were behind the death of a child who hadn’t passed their adva ka, it would be a serious breach of their most sacred duties. The Houses were created to shelter those too weak to protect themselves. A betrayal of that magnitude would call their entire existence into question."

  "He is correct," Graydon said with a faint smile.

  Joule straightened, pride in his expression.

  "If we take all that into account, we can assume someone is deliberately trying to weaken Luatha. Probably so they can create a chink in their defenses," Kira supplied.

  When you followed that reasoning, it would be understandable to assume Roderick was a part of the conspiracy. Since her arrival, he'd been deliberately obtuse regarding his duty. Not just incompetent but almost maliciously so.

  Kira hesitated to point all the blame at him, knowing there might be other explanations. It could be he was simply untrained and in over his head, allowing his emotions to cloud his judgment.

  "Roderick was appointed by Alma and Rayan, the seneschal and majordomo who served as Liara’s regents until she came of age," Joule supplied. "The gossip is she wishes to replace him, but she doesn’t want to go against the other two."

  "How do you know that?" Kira asked.

  He shrugged. "They consider me harmless because of my age. It makes them less guarded in their words. I listen."

  "Smart."

  He gave her a grin, the expression bright and open. The stress and worry he seemed to carry with him everywhere lifted for a brief moment.

  Kira gave Graydon a sidelong look, several things beginning to make sense now. "You knew about the rot in this House. You're using Joule’s and my presence to work on behalf of the emperor's interests."

  It wasn't a question. It was the only answer that made sense. Graydon's duty should have been over as soon as he delivered them to Luatha. That he hadn't abandoned them immediately, but chose to stay and insert himself into events, said he had an ulterior motive.

  She suspected he'd been looking for a reason to remain once he delivered Joule and Ziva. Her discovery had given him the opening he needed.

  "You must have been counting your lucky stars when you found me," she said.

  Graydon didn't look away from her, his carefully neutral expression confirmation enough.

  "I don't like being used," she told him softly.

  Shrewd amusement tinged his expression. "But you are perfectly willing to use others. Or are you not here to negotiate on behalf of the humans—I believe they want several ships?"

  He stepped closer, his shoulder brushing hers as he leaned closer and murmured. "Face it, coli, we're in a position to use each other. Might as well take advantage of that."

  He didn't take his gaze from hers as he moved back, giving her the slightest bit of space.

  Her lips curved in a sly smile. She couldn't argue with that. "What are you suggesting?"

  "We help each other where we can," he said with a small shrug.

  She considered him. It was tempting, even as her instincts warned he was playing a deep game, one with potentially devastating consequences.

  Still, did she have many options?

  "Alright, you're on," she said, agreeing to the alliance.

  Joule shifted beside her, drawing her attention.

  "On one condition, you or one of your minions help train Joule," she said.

  Joule's eyes were wide as he looked between the two of them, a painful hope on his face.

  "There are reasons we leave the training of the young for their House. My interference might make it harder for him to find his place later," Graydon said.

  Kira shrugged. "He can make the decision of whether to take the risk or not."

  "I would," Joule burst out. "I definitely would. My parents started me on an oshota’s training."

  "Perfect. It's settled. I won't say anything about your real purpose for being here. You don't say anything about mine, and we both carry on like nothing happened," Kira said.

  Graydon gave her a veiled look, his expression turning slightly smug. "Very well. You have a deal."

  He started along the path again, turning the corner as they stepped down several weather-beaten stone stairs into an orchard of carefully manicured trees.

  It was pretty, but tame. Kira preferred the wildness of the forest outside the Citadel.

  "Why go so far for them?" Graydon asked.

  Kira fell into step beside him, brushing one hand against the trees they passed. She didn't have to ask what he meant. "One of my first memories is watching a boy have the flesh whipped from his back."

  That boy had been Jin. He had committed some infraction neither of them remembered anymore. Their keepers had punished him severely for it. It hadn't been the first time, nor had it been the last.

  Kira ignored Graydon as he stopped, his expression severe. Dark emotion rolled off him.

  "My next memory is having the same done to me," Kira said. "Say what you want about the humans and their motives, but they saved me from that fate."

  And for that they would have her undying gratitude. If Himoto hadn't arrived when he did, it was likely Kira would be dead. Or worse, turned into a merciless weapon with no concept of morals or ethics. Just a tool someone pointed and fired at the enemy.

  She could never repay Himoto for saving her from that fate, though it hadn't stopped her from spending half her life trying, even when it broke her to do so.

  Liara and Graydon hadn’t asked many questions about her childhood in the camp. Partly because it hadn’t been Graydon’s place, and Liara hadn’t had enough time with Kira to broach the subject.

  She knew both half-suspected humans had been involved. It had taken her a while to get to that conclusion, but now that she had, it made sense. It explained their dislike of humans if nothing else.

  How would they react if they found out their suspicions were only half of the puzzle? The question haunted Kira and was one reason she refused to let herself get too invested in the Tuann.

  Because humans hadn’t overseen that camp or the countless others she’d tracked down in secret through the years. Tsavitee had.

  Graydon's body became a tightly coiled spring with no outlet for the tempest of emotions she could see moving across his face. He didn't speak for a long moment, his gaze growing distant as if he wrestled with some great inner turmoil.

  He drew her to a stop, his expression inscrutable as she stared up at him, waiting patiently. She raised her chin.

  She didn't often share her past with others. She hated the looks of pity and sympathy, or worse, the judgment that came when they found out about what she'd done in the name of survival.

  She wasn't ashamed of her history. She'd survived it and wore its scars like the badge of honor they were.

  She'd decided giving Graydon a piece of what she'd endured was necessary for him to understand how deep her loyalty to the Fleet and the Consortium went. She wasn't a child clinging to the familiar. She had history with them, the sort not easily untangled to make room for something new.

  He touched a sore spot on her cheek where a bruise must have formed. His fingertips were almost unbearably gentle as his eyes became soft and searching.

  Lyrical words came from him, the promise in them almost tangible.

  There was a slight gasp of surprise from Joule behind her, hinting more was happening than a simple expression of sympathy for her beginnings.

  Kira stiffened, her expression becoming guarded and watchful.

  The moment was broken by rustling in the branches next to them. Both of them froze, realization they were being watched sinking in.

  Kira flicked her eyes to the right and down, asking if he was ready.

  He gave her a careful nod, his hand dropping, so his thumb could skate across her collarbone in a delicious caress. Shivers skated over her skin despite the tense moment.

  He grinned wickedly at
her, his eyes dancing as she returned the fierce expression.

  Together they moved, Graydon blocking the person's escape on one side as Kira reached in and snagged an arm, yanking the watcher out of their hiding spot.

  Snarled hair and a dirty face were the first things to register. Kira realized she held a young child, her face scraped and bruised, blood dotting her shirt.

  "Ziva," Joule exclaimed in horror.

  "Didn't your mother tell you it's rude to spy on others?" Kira asked, setting Ziva gently down, mindful of the bruises that covered the child.

  Ziva looked like she'd been on the losing end of a fight. Her left eye was beginning to turn purple and swell while her expression remained rebellious and truculent.

  "My parents told me a smart first watched friends and enemy alike to make sure they weren't plotting against them," Ziva said defiantly.

  "It sounds like your parents would have gotten along nicely with Jin," Kira observed.

  The response was odd enough for Ziva to lose some of the defensiveness, her natural curiosity serving to make her more receptive to questions.

  "What happened?" Kira asked.

  Ziva's shoulders rounded as she stubbed a toe into the ground. She kept quiet, her head bowed as she made a concentrated effort to avoid meeting Kira and Graydon's eyes.

  "She probably picked a fight," Joule accused.

  The way Ziva hunched in on herself, like a turtle seeking the safety of its shell, told Kira he'd guessed right.

  Kira glanced up at Graydon, expecting him to take the lead since both children were under his care. He arched an eyebrow at her, signaling with a supercilious expression she could deal with this problem.

  Kira shook her head.

  Why her?

  She glanced to where the defiant child watched her carefully.

  Kira sighed. She remembered what it was like to be that age and mad at the world. She’d had so much rage at the injustices dumped at her feet that sometimes it felt like her skin was a balloon. One wrong word could make it pop, causing all that rage and pain to come pouring out, oftentimes in violent and destructive ways.

  She saw too much of herself in Ziva. More so, even than she did Joule. Ziva was a survivor, scrappy and stubborn. Her family had been taken from her in a manner Kira suspected had been bloody and violent. She'd been uprooted from all she knew and thrust into a House that didn't seem to want or need her.