Rules of Redemption (The Firebird Chronicles Book 1)

by T. A. White

  Not good. That spoke to a concentrated effort on their part, a big mission.

  "Any generals?"

  The generals were a highly dangerous form of Tsavitee Kira would do almost anything to avoid running into again. If one was here, the whole planet was at risk.

  "Not that I've detected yet," he said.

  "So much for no Tsavitee incursion," Kira muttered.

  "Yes, our hosts have been quite arrogant."

  "They have to be working with someone." Exactly the way they had during the war.

  "I agree, but I doubt you'll be able to convince the Tuann of that unless someone stood up and waved their hand to admit they were the mole," Jin said. "They're even more arrogant about their incorruptibility than humans."

  Kira sighed. "Good work, Jin. I couldn't do this without you."

  The sound he made was rude. "I know. You'd be running around in a circle like a chicken with its head cut off going 'whatever shall I do?'"

  Kira snickered at his impression of her as he headed inside.

  "Lord Graydon," Jin said in greeting.

  Kira's mirth cut off as she looked up to find Graydon standing silhouetted against the lights of the suite. He gave Jin a respectful nod as he passed, leaving the two of them alone out on the terrace.

  "I'm surprised to find you out here given what happened last night," Graydon said in a light voice.

  "I've never been one to live my life according to what's safe," Kira said as she turned to stare into the soft shadows.

  Graydon came up to stand beside her, his warm presence wrapping around her like a soft blanket. She was painfully aware of him beside her, like he was a magnet exerting an almost physical pull.

  "I didn't see your friend for most of today," Graydon observed.

  "He was tired and needed to charge."

  "Strange he would need another energy boost so soon after last night. I had thought human technology more advanced than that," Graydon said, his jab as subtle as a knife thrust. She got the sense, despite the shadows, he could read every thought and emotion to cross her face.

  "What can I say? He likes his downtime," Kira said.

  "Hmm." Graydon's shoulder brushed hers as he shifted. "I'm tempted to ask if he found what he was looking for, but I suspect you wouldn't tell me the truth."

  Kira's lips curved at the thread of lazy amusement in his voice.

  "I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm a fount of information. Ask anyone," Kira said.

  Graydon let out a masculine rumble of amusement, the gravelly sound brushing against her senses. He moved closer, one hand going around her to rest on the railing. He was careful not to let any part of him touch as he caged her in. Not that it mattered given the almost painful awareness she had of him.

  She stiffened for a moment and then relaxed. She could easily escape his hold if needed. She suspected he knew as much, which made the game all the more fun.

  "Dancing," he said unexpectedly.

  "What about it?"

  "I didn't run through any with you today," he said.

  "And you're not going to do so now." Her muscles ached and she'd crammed all the knowledge into her head she planned to.

  "Tired?" he said with a teasing lilt.

  Kira snorted. "I'd say nearly getting eaten by a dragon's primordial piscine cousin after surviving an assassination attempt is enough excitement for me."

  His expression sobered. "My oshota are working on finding who lured the lu-ong so close to the Citadel."

  There was a dark promise in his voice. Those responsible would beg for a mercy he didn't have.

  In that moment, he was the embodiment of a predator, dark and dangerous. Easily able to conquer his enemies so he could crush them beneath his boot so they might never rise again.

  It should have scared Kira. He could very easily turn that dark intent her way. Probably would if he ever learned all her secrets.

  It failed to do any of that. She understood him. The person who had put the Tsavitee control collar on the lu-ong and led it to the obstacle course had endangered not only her life but the lives of everyone there.

  The protector in Graydon wouldn't allow such an action to stand. He'd hunt down and punish them with all the rage and fury he was capable of.

  Kira would do the same. In that, they were alike.

  "What brings you out here?" Kira asked, changing the subject.

  He settled closer, the heat of his body wrapping around her, warming her against the cooler night. "What? Do you have a monopoly on this terrace? I'll have to inform the Overlord."

  Kira looked at him. "You don't strike me as the type to enjoy a quiet night under the stars."

  No, he was more apt to find a warm companion to tantalize and tease in bed, driving them mad with passion before leaving them in the morning.

  Kira had seen the force of his presence on those around him. Even the Luathan women eyed him with desire when they thought no one was watching.

  He was handsome and seductive, likely growing bored almost as fast as he fell into lust. But for a night or a week, he would be insatiable.

  He leaned closer, his breath whispering across her face. "I am full of surprises. I'd be happy to show you."

  He leaned back and waited.

  "Why do I get the feeling your surprises might be more than I can handle?" she asked.

  His smile was slow and wicked. "You can handle me, coli. I promise."

  Kira ignored the innuendo in that statement, though it was hard. Part of her wanted to take him up on the offer, if only to see if they'd burn as hot and bright as she suspected.

  "You were good with the children today," she said instead.

  He made a sound of amusement, guessing exactly what she was doing. "I understand what they're going through. I was in much the same situation when I was their age."

  "Did your parents die in the Sorrowing?"

  There was a strained silence, Graydon's gaze growing distant as painful memories surfaced. "No, they died much earlier."

  "What were they like?" Kira asked.

  A sad smile touched his mouth. "My mother was soft-spoken, quiet. She let my father lead, unless something threatened me, then she was a fierce foe."

  "They were both warriors?" Kira asked. This was a different side of Graydon, softer, more inviting.

  "Yes. They were oshota, the overlord's personal warriors," he said, his voice wistful. He reached up and tugged on a lock of Kira's hair, straightening the wavy piece only to release it and watch with fascination as it sprang back.

  "They died protecting their overlord during an assassination attempt. The overlord and many others survived. They did not," Graydon said, an ache in his voice.

  Kira's lips parted. She held in what she wanted to say, unsure what words were fitting in the face of his very real pain, even after all this time.

  She didn't know what that was like. She'd never had parents to miss. In the compound where she’d been held, such things didn't exist. By the time she was rescued by Himoto, the concept of parents and family seemed more fairy tale than anything else.

  Still, she'd seen other families since, had friends who filled that spot in her heart. She knew what it was to lose those you cared about.

  "I was luckier than Joule and Ziva, the overlord’s brother was a friend of my father. He took me in, trained me as my father would have," Graydon said.

  "Why didn't you remain with him?" Kira asked.

  A grin flashed. "I wasn't born to follow."

  "That's obvious," Kira said. Graydon would always be the biggest, baddest thing in the room. She hesitated on this next question. “Did you know my parents?”

  As the Emperor’s Face, he would probably have had contact with them at some point—unless his position was a more recent development. Two hundred might seem old to her, but for his people he was probably still considered young.

  His thumb brushed the edge of her hand. Quiet stretched between them. “I was more of a passing acquainta
nce of them,” he finally said. “Your father is more familiar to me than your mother.”

  “What was he like?”

  Graydon paused as he considered the right words. “Kinder than you’d expect. He was an overlord, but he didn’t let that turn him cruel. He was playful, but when he was mad, he was scarier than even a lu-ong mother protecting her unhatched eggs.”

  That sounded like more than passing familiarity with her father. There was nostalgia in his voice, almost as if he missed him. Had Graydon been her father’s friend?

  Sensing her eyes on him, he straightened and cleared his throat. “Anyway, the emperor noticed me during my adva ka and gave me a new path. It is a good one."

  Kira let him change the subject. She knew how painful it could be to speak about the people you’ve lost.

  “They call you the Emperor’s Face. Why is that?”

  He was quiet as he thought over her question. She didn’t take offense, knowing he was struggling to put into words something their people intuitively knew.

  “The emperor cannot be everywhere at once. This is especially true after the Sorrowing because his travel now carries an element of risk to it. And yet, being fully absent would invite strife.”

  “I take it that’s where you come in,” Kira said.

  He inclined his head as one corner of his lips tilted up. “Indeed. There are several Faces. I’m just one of them. A Face acts in the emperor’s stead. They forsake their birth House in favor of the emperor’s. For all intents and purposes, they are his face and if needed, they can guide or punish with the full authority of his name and might. They are both generals and mediators. Diplomats and warriors.”

  His words stole Kira’s next question as she stared at him in shock.

  “That’s a lot of power,” she finally got out.

  “Yes, it’s why it’s rare for him to bestow that responsibility on another,” Graydon said. “I’m one of five current Faces.”

  “Why accept a position as dangerous as that?” Kira asked.

  “Our people have begun to let House loyalties divide them. It might one day lead to our downfall.”

  “And you want to fix all that?” she asked.

  He made a rumbling sound of assent.

  “How noble.”

  “What is your end goal?” he asked.

  “Survival.”

  He made a soft sound of skepticism. “Somehow I don’t see you being a salvager for long.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “And you know this from all the time you’ve spent with me?”

  “I don’t need to spend a century to learn all I need to know.”

  Kira crossed her arms, her spine pressing against his arm. “Enlighten me, oh knowledgeable one.”

  He took the touch as an invitation, brushing her cheek with his fingers.

  “Your loyalty, once earned isn’t easily lost. It’s the bedrock of your foundation. I also know you wouldn’t have left your humans for so long if there wasn’t a damn good reason. You’re lonely, but you’ve given up on ever finding your place. Sorrow clings to you like a shroud, but you haven’t let it turn you bitter.”

  His eyes roved over her face, searching, seeing. Kira held her breath as his words reached deep inside, leaving her feeling vulnerable and exposed.

  “You need purpose or else you will eventually wither and die. I don’t know what drove you into exile, but you’ve begun to heal. When you do, you will be ready to take risks again,” he said.

  Kira wanted to look away, but knew if she did, he’d take it as a sign he was right. There’d be no escaping him then.

  “That’s a lot of guesswork,” she said, pulling back from his touch and turning to where the moonlight bathed the forest.

  “I’m right,” he said, not an ounce of humbleness in his tone.

  Kira kept quiet, her expression turning pensive as she stared out at the splendor around them.

  “I forgot how beautiful nighttime is,” she said.

  The moons were high overhead, full and round as they dominated the sky. They looked close enough to touch.

  Kira made a small sound of interest as a small furry face peered out of the branches of a tree, green stripes glowing on its fur as it wound its way through the canopy, searching out blooms Kira realized were now unfolding.

  “Moon’s glove,” Graydon said. “It only blooms at night. The ooril is drawn to their scent.”

  “They’re beautiful,” Kira said, turning her head slightly to find his face startling close, his breath mingling with hers.

  Bathed in silver moonlight, with the harsh planes softened, Graydon seemed like some prince of the night, intimidating and forbidden.

  For a split second, she was tempted to close the distance between them, touch her lips to his and see what happened. She saw the same need in his eyes as he waited with the patience of a hunter for her to make her decision.

  She hesitated, on the brink of withdrawing, all the reasons why this wouldn't work beating at her. He was too demanding. Too autocratic. Her path lay elsewhere.

  "Fuck it," Graydon murmured, closing the distance.

  His lips touched hers, barely there as they brushed against hers in question. In answer, she rose to her toes, fitting herself against the hard length of him.

  He made a guttural sound but remained still, not closing his arms around her. He was letting her take the lead.

  That decided her, making her bold as she explored his mouth, the warm pressure sending tingles quaking through her.

  It was sweet and gentle, until suddenly it wasn't. Desire engulfed them as they crashed together, fury and need rising.

  There was a burst of sound, laughter from inside the suite as the door opened. It broke the spell they’d fallen under. Kira jerked back.

  Graydon's eyes blazed at her as he struggled not to reach for her again. For a moment she thought he would, and she knew it would put them past the point of no return.

  She waited, not knowing what she'd do if he did.

  He shook himself, his face calming as his expression turned inscrutable.

  "This was a mistake," she said. For so many reasons that she couldn't afford to name.

  "One I fully intend to repeat again and again."

  She had no answer for that, choosing to stage a tactical retreat instead. She headed for the safety of the suite, knowing the presence of others would keep her from doing anything unwise.

  In future, she'd need to avoid moonlit terraces. They seemed to bring out the incautious side of her.

  Her steps faltered when she caught sight of Finn and Solal waiting.

  "Did you enjoy the show?" Kira asked.

  "It was certainly an interesting one," Finn said.

  Kira shook her head and moved toward the door.

  "I don't think I recall the commander ever being so obvious when making his interest in a woman known," Finn said. "Do you, Solal?"

  His voice was neutral, but Kira suspected he was laughing at her.

  "Never. He usually lets them pursue him," Solal said. "He is very particular."

  Kira didn't respond, prowling toward the door.

  "And I've never heard him share even the barest details of his past with any of them," Finn murmured.

  Kira's head turned toward him slightly. Her mouth firmed. No, she wasn't going to get drawn into this, even if curiosity was a bitch.

  She stepped into the bright lights of the common room of the suite, the source of what had interrupted their moment immediately obvious.

  Graydon's minions were arranged in various poses of relaxation around the room. Two were in the center playing some type of game involving daggers and juggling.

  They flung the weapons at each other almost faster than the eye could see, each one catching a dagger before flinging it back at the other.

  Kira counted. There were five daggers in play.

  Dangerous game. It was impressive there was no blood or holes in the furniture.

  As she watched, someone standing
to the side tossed a dagger to one of them. Isla caught it, sending it spinning toward her opponent in one smooth movement.

  There were shouts of encouragement and jibes as those watching tried to break the players' concentration.

  "They'll go until one of them dodges or draws blood," Graydon murmured, coming up behind her.

  Kira didn't jump, having sensed him seconds before he spoke.

  "Whoever lasts the longest wins. The more daggers you can keep in the air, the more impressive," he continued.

  "That seems like a good way to put someone out of commission," Kira said blandly.

  Graydon shrugged. "They need the danger to burn off their excess energy. Better this than pointless duels because everyone is irritable."

  Kira turned to look at him.

  He arched an eyebrow. "There are consequences to our gifts. I suspect you already know what I'm talking about."

  Kira's expression remained neutral.

  Jin lowered from the ceiling where he'd been watching the proceedings. "That would explain so much about you."

  Kira glared at her friend.

  "If we'd known that, maybe you wouldn't have decided to tangle with the strigmor eels and razor ash and we'd still have a working ship," he said, ignoring the signals she was giving him to shut up.

  "I'm beginning to see why you keep leaving your drone behind," Graydon said dryly.

  From over his shoulder, Finn scowled at her. "You know Tsavitee toys are very dangerous, right?"

  "Somehow I managed to figure that out.”

  "You should avoid them," he pushed, ignoring her.

  "I'm a salvager. They're a hazard of the job."

  "How much energy does she need to burn to be a reasonable person?" Jin asked, ignoring the exchange.

  Kira picked up one of the small items on the table next to her, an intricately cut figurine. She spared a moment to regret its likely fate before chucking it at Jin.

  It stopped an inch from him, hovering in the air.

  "Oh, I didn't realize you wanted to play," Jin said cheerily. "All you had to do was say."

  Kira's eyes widened as he threw the figurine at her. He pulsed once, then three of the daggers the oshota had been flinging about, turned and darted for Kira, one after another.