Age of Deception (The Firebird Chronicles Book 2)

by T. A. White

  Kira looked out at the ocean. "The adva ka."

  Blue lifted a shoulder.

  "You think if a human passes the adva ka, it'll open doors that are currently closed to you."

  It was an elegant solution to a complicated problem. If humans demonstrated the discipline and tenacity it took to overcome one of the Tuann's most difficult rites, it would lend them credibility they currently lacked.

  Kira suspected this brainchild came courtesy of Himoto or Jace. It had their fingerprints all over it. Both men would prefer a solution that worked within the confines of Tuann society. Use their own culture against them, and not even they could deny a human's place beside them.

  Raider was the most logical choice. Physically, he was among the top five percent of humans, and his history with Kira would mean he had an advantage where another wouldn't.

  Kira focused on Blue, her voice hard. "The Tuann told you the world gate was off-limits. I expect you to listen."

  Blue tapped her fingers against her knee. "It's been a long time since you were my captain. I no longer have to follow your orders. You abandoned us."

  "Ah, there it is. I was wondering when this would come."

  "What's that supposed to mean?" Blue asked.

  "It's your MO. When denied the newest shiny thing, you go on the attack. You did it in Atlas. You're doing it now."

  Blue scoffed. "That's rich coming from you. The moment you face the tiniest bit of pain, you take off."

  The peace Kira had managed to obtain lying on the roof popped like ephemeral soap bubbles. Pleasant while they lasted but gone all too soon.

  "I needed you after Rothchild," Blue confessed. "We all did. We were family, and you left us. Jace told me you were in a coma for several years, but we both know you walked away long before that. You were going to do it again if Himoto hadn't hung up on you."

  Kira stilled. She hadn't realized Blue knew about that.

  "Jace told me," Blue confessed. "He thought I should know."

  "He doesn't want you getting attached." Kira's chest tightened at the betrayal and hurt in Blue's face. She hated knowing she was the one who put it there. It reminded her of the first time she'd met Blue, hiding in a dumpster, a stuffed bear clutched to her chest, more feral than human. Everyone Blue knew had been long dead, and she'd spent weeks surviving in a city overrun with Tsavitee.

  Blue wasn't the only civilian Kira had saved that trip, but she was the only one who'd stuck like a burr to Kira's side and refused to let go.

  "I understand why you left," Blue said, calm again. "I never blamed you for it. You needed to heal, and it was impossible to do that with constant reminders of them."

  Kira's mouth tightened. Blue was half right. She had needed time and space. Something in critically short supply during a war. The flow of battle didn't always leave you able to take time to heal your psyche. Sometimes you had to push through even when you were broken. Even when a large part of you wanted to lay down and not get up for the next few decades.

  She'd left the Curs, but she hadn't left the war.

  That had to sting for those she'd been closest to. People like Blue. And Raider.

  "What else did Jace tell you?" Kira asked, her attention fixed on the ocean.

  Blue paused. "That you're not coming home after this."

  That meant he hadn't told her about the possibility of a mole in the highest echelons of the military and government, or the fact that the mole was likely responsible for everything that had happened on Rothchild.

  Kira didn't know whether to be happy or disappointed he'd chosen to keep secrets from the people he trusted most.

  She hadn't wanted that for any of them.

  "You could, you know," Blue said, her expression earnest. "Come back. I think even Raider would be happy to have you in the Curs again."

  That surprised a laugh out of Kira. "You haven't changed. You always see the good side of people."

  "That's not a bad thing," Blue pointed out.

  Kira's gaze was soft as she clasped Blue's shoulder. "You're right. The universe needs more of that. Not less."

  "I find myself in agreement," Silas said from behind them.

  Blue started as Kira glanced back, unsurprised to find him there. She’d sensed him a while ago, and she'd been waiting to see how long he'd wait before announcing his presence.

  Silas's expression was wise as he took in the view. "This is a favorite spot for many in Roake. Perfect for ocean watching. It's good to see you have things in common with us, fight it though you must."

  Kira watched him carefully, unsurprised at the news. He was right; the spot was perfect, the towers providing a windbreak and the height allowing you to see for miles. Sitting here, it was easy to imagine yourself far from the clamor of people, all while never stepping foot from the safety of the fortress.

  Silas looked at them. "I’m here to inform you there will be a class this afternoon."

  Blue perked up, the intense conversation already forgotten as she found something new to focus on. "Tactics and battle strategy, right?"

  Silas inclined his head.

  Blue faced Kira. "I guess they finally deemed us ready for more than running around a forest while getting our asses handed to us by their damn drones."

  "You need to be there. I don't care what it takes," Jin crooned. "I'm going to do so much information gathering."

  Kira rose, dusting off her hands and pants. Even if Jin hadn't chimed in, she probably would have gone anyway.

  Blue's startled gaze followed her. "Where are you going?"

  "Class."

  "But—" Blue scrambled after Kira as she headed toward Silas.

  "You're here to learn as part of a joint training operation, aren't you?" Kira sent the other woman a significant look. "You can't exactly do that sitting on a rooftop."

  Besides, Kira had a feeling if they stayed, the conversation would deteriorate again. Blue had a lot of pent up feelings surrounding what she saw as Kira's abandonment, and Kira couldn't explain why she'd acted the way she did.

  Avoidance might not solve their issues, but it would delay them. Blue might have had a point when she said Kira avoided dealing with emotional pain.

  For now, Kira was fine with that.

  Silas led the way into the fortress, scaling the wall with the ease of long practice. Mentally and emotionally, he might seem ancient, but physically he was as spry as any of the initiates.

  Kira climbed through the window, reaching back to help Blue, who either didn't notice the helping hand or was still mad from earlier. Kira's hand dropped as Blue finished crawling in by herself.

  The tight expression on Finn's face told Kira he'd seen the other woman's slight. Unlike Kira, he didn't seem willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.

  They walked through the fortress, following Silas as he led them through long corridors and twisting passages.

  "How are you liking our home so far?" he asked.

  Blue was the first to answer. "It's beautiful. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it."

  Earth might have had a distant approximation if many of its cities hadn't been razed during the war. Buildings that had stood for centuries had been destroyed. The Tsavitee didn't care about the cultural history of the people they sought to destroy. They were locusts, consuming the resources without care or concern for future generations.

  All of the other planets were too young to have anything as steeped in history as the fortress. Their cities hadn't been built with defense in mind and while their architectural details might be fascinating depending on where you were, they didn't carry the same impact as a church built in the medieval or renaissance period.

  "The Fortress of the Vigilant was one of the first structures built when we came to Ta Sa’Riel," Silas said.

  "When was that exactly?" Blue asked, trying to seem nonchalant. Her studied disinterest wasn't fooling anyone as she fiddled with her ear nervously.

  Amusement deepened the corners of Silas's e
yes even as the rest of his expression remained serious. "A long time ago."

  Blue didn't relent, prodding. "By gate?"

  "No."

  Kira leveled a dark look on her friend. "We talked about this.”

  Blue spread her hands, innocence on her face. "It's a simple question."

  Kira knew better than to believe her. She'd seen that exact expression on Blue's face one too many times to be fooled now. It was the same look she used to get when she tried to convince Kira to overlook her latest disaster.

  It hadn't worked then; it wasn't going to work now either.

  "The gates are among the oldest relics in our worlds," Silas said into the silence that had descended. "No one knows how they were built."

  "Why not study them, then?" Puzzlement settled on Blue's face. She genuinely didn't understand why the Tuann wouldn't investigate such a powerful artifact.

  Silas's expression was polite, if firm. "Some things are better left to the past. The world gate is useful, but it is also dangerous. It serves our current needs, and that is enough. We have no interest in tearing it apart in the misguided notion it will give us more power."

  Kira concealed her smile at the mild rebuke. It seemed Silas had been listening longer than she thought.

  The view highlighted the biggest difference between the Tuann and humans. The Tuann were much more accepting of things as they came. They were more likely to make decisions based on tradition and the ideas of the past.

  The Tuann were so used to being the biggest and baddest on the galactic stage, so secure in their superiority, that Kira feared what might happen to them because of their arrogance.

  Humans were their opposite. They fought for more, even against great odds. They were bound and determined to progress, containing a constant thirst for evolution.

  That desire to grow and evolve had led them down many a dark path. It made it easy to justify acts that were wrong on the most basic of levels. Left to their own devices, they held the potential to destroy themselves. Several points in their history were marked with events where they had nearly done that.

  Neither race was right. Neither was wrong. Instead, they were a little bit of both. Perhaps Himoto was wiser than Kira gave him credit for. If humans and Tuann could learn to coexist, learn from each other's weaknesses, they could find a path forward where each flourished beyond their current limits.

  Unfortunately, Kira thought this endeavor was more likely to end in failure and hard feelings rather than success.

  FIFTEEN

  Silas stopped in front of an ornate door, gesturing inside at a large room with an amphitheater-style setup that would have rivaled any university classroom. They must be able to fit all of Roake’s top brass in this space, Kira realized. Convenient when planning a military offensive, and you needed all your leaders for a briefing.

  The different tiers contained desks and chairs, allowing their occupants an easy view of the speaker no matter where in the room they might sit. On the bottom floor, where the speaker would stand, was a heavy stone table that seemed out of place in the space.

  Silas pointed to one side. "Initiates sit over there."

  Kira glanced in the direction he'd indicated, finding several familiar faces. Blue spotted Raider in the next instant, taking off in his direction without another word.

  Joule sat one row down but directly in front of Raider. Her gaze moved past him to linger on Devon, where he surprisingly sat by himself.

  His fellow initiates had placed several rows and seats between them and him. It was a marked shift from the last time Kira had seen him.

  "His primus came decades early," Silas told her. "It's set him apart from his peers."

  Kira studied the group across from her, noting the careful way the initiates darted glances that held admiration and a hint of fear in Devon's direction.

  For his part, Devon held himself carefully as if afraid moving too quickly might tip him into another transformation.

  The young man had always struck her as a bit arrogant. Now, she could see the struggle in his face. He was afraid of himself.

  He wasn't the only one, she realized. There was a thread of unease running through the initiates that had its source in Devon’s presence.

  They might revere the primus form here, but they feared it as well.

  She knew what that was like, to have the people who'd shared meals with you, laughed and joked with you, to suddenly see you as the monster. It wasn't an easy thing to experience.

  Silas's gaze was thoughtful and knowing as he studied Kira. "I'll leave you here."

  She narrowed her eyes at him as he moved to the other side of the room where Roake's oshota had arranged themselves. Sly old dog. Why did she have a feeling he wanted her to sympathize with Devon? Perhaps he hoped she understood what he was going through.

  Maybe so, but Kira had done all she planned to do for Devon. At least he wouldn't have to live with the knowledge his primus had killed one of his friends. That would have to be enough.

  Graydon quirked an eyebrow at her from across the room from his position next to Harlow. He seemed to be inviting her to take a seat with them.

  Kira shook her head and started for where Raider and Blue sat.

  A hushed silence fell over the initiates as several shot furtive glances her way. Kira paused. Ah, so Devon's status wasn't the only one that had changed.

  Now Kira saw why Graydon had beckoned her. Any thoughts she might have had of blending in with the rest were over now. She'd done her job of distracting Devon's primus a little too well.

  She glanced his way again, to find him staring at his desk.

  Ah, well, she couldn't exactly take it back now. She'd done what was necessary.

  "Big crowd," Kira said, taking a seat beside Raider.

  A smirk spread across Raider's face as he made a show of looking her up and down. "Well, look who deigned to show up. Did you catch up on all your beauty sleep?"

  "I did, yes, thank you," Kira responded. She made a show of stretching. "It was lovely. You should try it some time."

  Raider snickered as he shook his head.

  Kira caught Joule craning his neck to get a look at her. "Kira, you're back!"

  She grinned at him, slinging her arms around his neck in an impromptu hug. He held still.

  "Are you still upset about being support?" Kira asked softly.

  Joule made a soft, muffled sound, emotion clogging his throat.

  Kira cupped his cheek with one hand, her smile proud. "If you hadn't held your ground, I never would have gotten there in time. Some of you would have likely died or been so damaged it would've taken years to put you back together."

  Joule looked afraid to believe her.

  Raider nodded, spinning the stylus he held. "She's right. I saw the video. You did good. If this Overlord thing doesn't work out, I could use someone like you in the Curs." He jerked a head at Kira. "She's shit at those shields."

  "They only think that because they're humans," someone muttered below. "Anyone can cast a ki shield."

  Joule stiffened.

  "But they didn't," Raider said with a nasty smile. "They stood there like fish in a barrel. Only you cast that shield, and you held it."

  Kira glanced at him, a thought occurring to her. "What videos?"

  His grin spread, turning wicked. "Evidently, the forest has an entire surveillance system wired into it. Some enterprising individual accessed the feed and then shared it so others could see. You’re heavily featured."

  Kira grimaced. No wonder the initiates were treating her differently.

  Raider cast her a sideways look. "It's pretty impressive. I especially like when you threw your broken blade at a drone."

  "I was improvising," Kira grumbled.

  Not her best plan—throwing part of her weapon away—but it had bought her a little more time.

  Joule slid a small coin on her desk. “Ziva wrote you a video letter and asked me to give it to you.”

  Kira picke
d up the coin and rolled it through her fingers, slightly befuddled on what he expected her to do with it.

  He grinned and pressed her pointer finger and thumb along the edge.

  A tingle rippled across her skin, and then a small hologram of Ziva appeared above the coin.

  “Seon’yer, I hope this message finds you well,” the little girl started.

  “Joule, why is Ziva calling me seon’yer?” Kira asked calmly.

  The boy’s gaze dropped, and he mumbled something indistinguishable under his breath.

  “Joule?” Kira’s voice deepened with threat.

  “She’s decided she’s your apprentice,” he said, looking guilty.

  Kira shook her head and didn’t stop. “No. That’s not happening.”

  Joule didn’t answer, steadily avoiding meeting her gaze.

  “How can she decide something like that?” Kira asked. “I’m not even past the uhva na. I’m in no place to be someone’s seon’yer.”

  Joule lifted a shoulder. “Ziva is stubborn. Once she’s decided on something, it can be very difficult changing her mind.”

  Kira studied him with narrowed eyes. Something told her Ziva wasn’t the only one.

  She picked up the metal disk again and pressed the two spots Joule had shown her. Ziva’s message resumed.

  “I have undertaken training with Luatha as you instructed.” The girl’s mouth screwed up in a grimace. “They’re not as skilled as you, but it’s a good place to start.”

  Raider’s shoulders shook beside Kira.

  “Your advice to find allies was wise. I’ve made a few acquaintances. Two of them will make good additions to House Maxiim when the time comes. They’re refusing to join us right now, but I have plenty of time to change their minds,” Ziva said, looking serious.

  Kira’s eyes widened as she stared in horror at the recording. Raider’s shoulders shook harder. Blue didn’t even try to hide her laughter.

  “That’s not what I advised at all,” Kira said in dismay. Her gaze swung to Joule. “You know that, right?”

  He nodded slowly, not looking very convinced.

  Raider clapped Kira on the shoulder. “Congratulations, your pupil shows the same diabolicalness as a certain drone we both know. I’m sure the two of them have much to learn from each other.”