by T. A. White
Kira dropped into a defensive crouch. “What are you doing in my room?”
Thoughts of assassins raced through her mind as she tensed.
Finn was beside her in the next moment, holding his arm in front of her. “Wait.”
Disgruntled and still slightly off-balance from finding a stranger going through her things, Kira straightened. She wasn’t happy about his order, but she also knew he wouldn’t put her in danger on purpose.
She’d trust his judgment. For now.
Finn dipped into a short bow. “Lady Odelia, we thank you for your kindness.”
There was a frown on Kira’s face as she gazed between the two. Of all things she’d expected Finn to say, that wasn’t it.
Her gaze caught on the half-opened drawers of her dresser, a stack of shirts neatly folded inside. Kira’s eyes narrowed. She’d only had one clean shirt left this morning and had thought she’d have to find somewhere to wash the few clothes that had appeared in her dresser.
Now, it appeared, she wouldn’t have to.
“You’re the reason new clothes keep appearing,” Kira said slowly.
It was the only obvious explanation. The woman wasn’t a warrior, and Kira doubted she was a cleverly disguised assassin. Most assassins Kira knew didn’t first provide a new wardrobe for their targets.
A tentative smile crossed the stranger’s face. “Along with a few others.”
Kira tapped her fingers against her thigh as she studied the woman. “Why?”
This woman didn’t know Kira. They’d never met before. There was no reason Kira could see for her to go to such lengths.
“Your oshota made it clear you had little. This was something we could do for you,” Odelia said.
Kira frowned. “What happened to no one being able to help me during this process?”
Odelia’s face softened. “There are many ways to help someone that don’t involve breaking the rules. We found one that allowed us to provide a needed service to you.”
Kira released a long breath, sneaking a look at Finn’s face. The oshota had relaxed, his expression almost kind—or as kind as it ever got.
“You know I’m not the child you lost, right?” Kira finally said.
Rather than take offense, Odelia smiled and dipped her chin. “I do, and so do the others. That’s not what this is about. Not entirely.”
Kira folded her arms and leaned against the doorframe. “Then what?”
Odelia was quiet for several seconds as she considered. Her expression was serene and kind when she said, “You’re not our child, but if you were, we’d hope someone would do the same for them.”
Kira had nothing to say to that. She had half expected recrimination for being the one to survive or a fawning clinginess that couldn’t help but demand something from her.
Not this. Something so simple and done without any expectation of return. If Kira hadn’t blundered into the room when she did, she likely wouldn’t have ever met the woman who had made sure her time in Roake was a little more comfortable.
Kira could survive without clean clothes. However, it would be uncomfortable and likely have led to conflict with her fellow initiates.
No one wanted to be known as “the stinky soldier”.
When Kira didn’t say anything, Odelia took that as her leave and dipped her chin, grabbing the small bag she’d brought from the bed.
Kira moved to the side, letting Odelia skirt past her.
“Odelia,” Kira said at last.
It was tempting to let the Roake woman walk out without saying anything. Kira couldn’t do that. Kindness deserved to be acknowledged.
Odelia paused and looked over her shoulder.
“Thanks.” Kira tipped her head toward the wardrobe filled with clean clothes. “For this and everything. It was a kindness I didn’t anticipate.”
The woman’s smile transformed her face, banishing the weary grief that seemed embedded in every line of her face. “You’ll find Roake is full of such things if you look hard enough.”
Kira was beginning to see that. Now, if only she could convince herself she was deserving of such regard.
*
The unmistakable feeling of being watched pulled Kira from a fitful sleep of being chased by a terrifying shadow. Her eyes fluttered open, adrenaline flooding her as she caught sight of an indistinct shape lurking over her.
Her body reacted without thought. She grabbed a pillow, flinging it at the shape.
Jin darted out of the way, making a strangled sound of protest as the pillow barely missed him.
"What the hell, Kira?" he asked in outrage. "That's not how you're supposed to greet friends."
Kira didn't think, grabbing another pillow and sending it his way.
He dodged that one too. "Are we playing that game again?"
Her glare could have incinerated him. "Don't even think about it."
Jin must have judged her serious because the object he'd levitated using his antigravs dropped to the small desk in the corner. "Spoilsport."
"Where have you been?" Kira demanded.
When she'd returned to the room after her conversation with Graydon, Jin had been nowhere to be seen. Rather than set off on a fruitless search, she'd settled into wait. That had been hours ago.
"If I tell you, you're not going to be happy."
Her smile was icy. "I'm already unhappy."
There wasn't much he could do or say to make it worse.
"You know that place they called the Nexus on Ta Da'an?" Jin started.
Correction. She was wrong. Things really could get worse.
"What did you do?"
"I thought knowing where such a place was could come in handy if we needed it," he said.
Kira closed her eyes.
This was her fault. Jin wasn't equipped to handle boredom. She should have seen the signs. Maybe then she could have prevented this.
"Why didn't you answer any of my coms?" she asked, wondering how often he'd been making these little excursions over the past few weeks. She had little belief this was his first time out of the room.
"It seems Roake's paranoia extends to their Nexus as well. I ran afoul of a defense system that knocked me offline for a brief span."
Kira's eyes closed as her chin sunk toward her chest. Why her?
"Did they discover you?" Kira asked, her tone one of careful control.
"Nooo," he said, drawing the word out.
At least that was something.
"But they know someone tried an incursion. I barely came back online and managed to find a hiding spot before they came looking," Jin confessed.
Kira cursed.
This was not good—especially with Graydon in the mix. He was already suspicious because of the ship. This would only add to his belief she was hiding something.
"What were you thinking?" Kira asked.
Jin wasn't dumb and he wasn't usually this careless.
"I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want you to worry, but our little friend missed her last two check-ins. She's been radio silent since I contacted her from Ta Da'an," Jin blurted. "Odin too. I haven't heard from either one. There's not even a message on any of the forums."
Kira touched the dermal data patch on her forearm, all too aware of the danger it posed. The Tuann might forgive her a lot, but taking advantage of a crisis to steal starmaps? Even they had their limits.
With every day that passed, the chance of discovery grew greater. Handing the patch off was the best solution, and had she returned to her ship as originally planned, that's what would have happened.
There was also the small fact that Luatha could discover she’d accessed the maps at any moment.
"I thought if I could patch into the Nexus’s systems, I might be able to get through," Jin confessed. His tone made it clear he knew how badly he'd screwed up.
Not that it mattered now. They had to hope for the best and pray Roake didn't decide to launch a search for the mysterious intruder. Or if they
did, that they wouldn't discover a certain annoying drone was the culprit.
Kira's hand dropped away from her arm. "I know where our little friend has wandered off to."
"Where?" Jin asked, perking up.
"She's stolen the Wanderer," Kira said grimly.
"That’s bad. Very, very bad."
Kira's thoughts exactly. She fixed him with a look. "What exactly did you tell her about the reason we missed check-in?"
Jin was silent for several seconds. "The truth?"
Kira exhaled. She could see that being a problem. Their friend was young and impulsive. She didn't always consider the full extent of the consequences of her actions.
"There's nothing we can do about it now," Kira conceded.
Right now, she was more concerned about Odin's radio silence. While Odin had shown a propensity for going dark in the past, Kira didn't see her friend doing that now that the piece they needed to complete their goal was in their hands.
Leaving Ta Sa’Riel to track the two down wasn't an option either.
"Odin will turn up eventually. Until then, all we can do is wait," Kira finally said, trying to convince herself as well as Jin.
"I did warn you Odin could be unreliable," Jin informed her.
Kira fixed a dark look on him. He was one to talk. He made a grumbling sound as he caught her meaning.
Kira swung her legs over the edge of the bed, pulling the covers into her lap. A thought occurred to her. “Did you know some of Roake’s members were slipping new clothes into my dresser?”
Jin froze. “Ah, about that. Yes.”
Kira shook her head at him. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“It seemed to fill some need in them, and I didn’t see the harm,” he said. “I kept an eye on them anytime they entered. They never tried anything suspicious, so I left them alone.”
Kira grunted. Well, that settled any remaining suspicion—not that there had been much.
"While you were gone, I made a few discoveries," Kira told him, changing the subject.
Jin listened as she recounted what her excursion with Graydon had revealed, including the fact the Tuann's history included the Tsavitee's masters.
Jin whistled. "That's an unexpected development."
Kira grunted.
He circled the room. "Although, if you think about it, it makes sense. What better way to reestablish control of the beings you created than to kidnap their offspring? It would take years of observation to determine how their time away from their masters might have changed the Tuann."
It also allowed them time to find weaknesses to exploit if they were thinking of conquering their former slaves.
"I'll have to consider this new information," Jin said. "Does Blue or Raider know?"
Kira shook her head. "I'd have to explain too many things, and I don't think it wise to let humans know of the link between the Tuann and Tsavitee."
Jin's voice was grim. "You're right. Humans have a tendency of vilifying those they consider different. There's already negative sentiment toward the Tuann because they didn't play a bigger part in the war."
The two shared a look. If the Tuann's history with humanity's scourge got out, it would devastate any hopes of a continued alliance. Humanity would be ripe pickings for the Tsavitee in the event that happened. It could start a domino effect, ending with the Tuann returned to their master’s control.
Kira scrubbed at her face. "Why do things always have to get complicated?"
*
Music blasted in Kira's ears, drowning out any distractions as she pelted along the trail, her mind still preoccupied with the previous day's revelations.
So many things to digest. So many ways her life had become more and less complicated.
In the end, she decided to set the Tuann and their mysterious enemy of old aside. There wasn't much she could do about the information. All she had was a child's memories, taken from a turbulent time in her history.
Nothing could be done at this point. Baseless speculation would be more likely to cause harm than good.
The morning held a crisp chill, the temperature perfect, a runner's dream. Not too hot that you felt like you were swimming in sweat, but also not cold enough to steal your motivation.
Kira's breath plumed in front of her as she picked up her pace, Finn stretching to match.
She planted a hand on a fallen log, using it to spring over the obstacle, Finn flipping over it with an effortless grace she couldn't help but admire.
They both noticed a shift in the atmosphere at the same time. A slight thread of wrongness that didn't belong. Danger lurking in the shadows as if it had a right to be there.
Kira and Finn slowed to a stop, sharing a glance as they focused on what had set off their instincts.
The trees practically quivered with tension.
Even Kira's basic grasp of ki and its nuances told her something was wrong. The currents she'd begun to sense in the world around her were disturbed. Something deadly had made an appearance.
Yodeling howls split the silence.
"Are those—" Kira started.
"Yes, tala dogs," Finn confirmed, sounding grim.
The tala dog was one of those predators Kira warned Joule hunted the forest at night. A cross between a wolf and a boar if they'd been sired by an armored tank—the tala dog was dangerous, hard to kill, and surprisingly cunning.
They were also nocturnal. For them to be hunting during the day and this close to the Tuann training courses was unusual.
"Stay here," Finn ordered.
Kira snorted, already racing after him. Yeah, like she was going to do that.
He shot her a hard look but didn't pause to argue.
Together, they ghosted through the trees. For once, the forest didn't fight against her as she eased through it, branches teasing her hair as they bent to make way instead of blocking her path.
Not a single twig cracked underfoot, the barest rustle of leaves was inaudible, nothing to announce their passage to the foe ahead.
As if they'd done it a hundred times, Kira and Finn split from each other, the distance between them widening as they worked through the forest.
A wail of pain changed into a roar of rage that shook the trees.
Kira stopped. That wasn't a tala dog.
No, this sound was one she recognized, though she'd never experienced it while in this form.
Finn came to a halt, using the trees as cover as he stopped to observe the scene. Kira did the same several feet away, peering at the dirt running path she usually used.
Right now, it was far from empty.
Two tala dogs circled their prey, their heads lowered as they fixed hungry gazes on their target. The tala dogs were massive, their shoulders reaching Kira's chest. Armored plates protected their vital spots and tusks curled out from their mouth as furry ears pricked and rotated as they communicated with each other.
To the right, Kira caught sight of several bodies, red dotting them.
A primus stood between the tala dogs and the initiates, his lips parted as he showed his fangs. Larger than Kira's primus form by at least a foot, he was built for power.
Runes and swooping lines covered skin the color of ebony. Bright yellow eyes stared out of a face that no longer looked entirely Tuann, his change more drastic than Kira's. He had a blunt nose, his lower fangs more pronounced so it looked like he had an underbite. His hair was shaggy and long, almost a mane.
And he had a tail.
That was all Kira had time to observe as he burst into movement, grabbing one of the mammoth dogs and flinging it aside. A high-pitched yelp left the creature as it hit a tree and crashed to the ground.
Impressive.
Her primus might have been able to kill the tala dogs, but it wouldn't have been able to fling them around like they were children's toys.
The creature's mate attacked, leaping onto the primus's back. It used claws and tusks to try to maim the primus, who was having none of that. He reache
d around, grabbing the dog and slamming it into the ground.
Kira remained motionless, thinking it was over.
Muffled sobbing reached her. She stiffened as the primus went still, his head lifting, those yellow eyes with slit pupils focusing on something to her left.
Kira shifted, her stomach dropping as Joule's terrified face came into view. His arms quivered as he fought to hold a ki shield in place. Visible cracks ran through its surface, testament to the blows he'd already fended off.
Blake lay on the ground at Joule's feet, unconscious and with his right side covered in blood. Aeron and Rheya stood at Joule's back, their faces bloodless from the same fear that covered Joule's.
It wouldn't be long before Joule's strength failed him, and the shield collapsed, exposing those inside it to the primus.
"Jin, we have a slight problem," Kira whispered.
The primus took a step forward.
Determination settled on Joule's face, the shield growing brighter as he pumped more ki into it.
She'd say this for the kid. He was brave. One day, when he grew up, his people would be lucky to have him as their shield. Until then, it was up to her to make sure he survived.
"What do you mean there's a problem? I thought you were supposed to be running." There was a pause, Jin's suspicion crackling through their link. "You did go running, right?"
"Yes," Kira growled, her eyes not leaving the primus as he inched closer.
"What's the problem then?"
"Primus."
There was a beat of silence. "Say that again. I couldn't have heard what I thought I heard."
"You're not hearing things."
Jin swore, his curses accompanying the primus as he stalked toward the initiates. "I don't suppose you could leave it be?"
"No."
Jin's muttered curses were unmistakable as the primus launched into a sprint.
No more time to wait.
"Finn, make sure the tala dogs are taken care of," Kira ordered, leaving her cover.
She didn't wait to see if he agreed, her mind already on what needed to happen.
Her field of focus narrowed. In seconds, she cataloged possible weaknesses.
Taking it head on would be foolish, if not impossible. Which meant she was going to have to be smart and fast. And very, very lucky.