Kira remained with her arm outstretched for several long seconds, giving them more than enough time to look their fill. When she'd judged they'd had long enough, she let her sleeve drop to cover the mark and waited.
"She bears the mark of the Luatha," the older woman grudgingly admitted.
She and the man beside her looked like they'd bitten into something sour.
"A branch House?" Came from one of the people arranged behind them.
The leader finally stirred. "No, she is from the main family."
"Liara," the older woman cautioned.
Liara’s head moved a fraction at the unmistakable chiding in the woman's tone but didn't react otherwise.
There was tension in their ranks, it seemed. Kira made note of it in case she had need of the information later.
Liara may have been the leader, but it wasn't a position she held without challenge. The older woman must have felt secure in her station to risk chastising the head of Luatha’s house in front of strangers.
Kira contained her own tsking sound.
It was one thing to air such grievances in private, but another to do so in front of potential enemies. Unwise.
It was the first breach in their façade, offering Kira insight into their inner dynamics.
"The tests will reveal the truth soon enough, Alma," Liara said.
"Wait until then," Alma urged. "There is a possibility we're wrong. As the seneschal, it’s my duty to protect our interests."
"Say the word and I can be on my way. You’ll never see me again,” Kira assured them with a small smile.
Alma opened her mouth, falling silent when Liara lifted a hand, an unmistakable gesture for quiet.
"That’s not possible. You're clearly of Luathan descent. I will not dishonor my House by turning away one of its blood," Liara said, her expression serene and composed, yet her lilac eyes were piercing, as she met Kira’s gaze. "Especially not for one who is cousin."
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Ahushed shock filledthe air.
