Kira smirked when he reached up to touch the gash on his forehead. It matched hers and made the headache quickly forming behind her eyes almost worth it.
"What are you doing here?" Graydon asked.
"I heard the fight. Got here and found her," Finn said, jerking his chin at Kira.
Kira stared at the two men as they focused on her. "I was out for a stroll and thought I'd investigate."
Neither man looked like they believed her.
"She was their target. She sprinted straight at them after the first salvo. Didn't even hesitate," Finn said, not taking his eyes off Kira.
Graydon growled as he glared at Kira. "Usually one doesn't run at the people trying to kill them."
"Does it happen to you often?" Kira asked politely.
His face got even grumpier.
"Will you do it?" he asked, not looking anywhere besides Kira.
She frowned, not understanding.
Finn’s sigh was heavy and depressed. "Yeah. There's not much choice. She has too much of him in her."
Satisfaction flashed across Graydon's face and he slapped Finn on the shoulder. "Good, that'll make things easier."
"For you, maybe," Finn said as the sounds of others approaching reached them.
Roderick and several of his people slipped through the trees, taking in the sight of them with varying degrees of dismay and caution.
Roderick's gaze lingered on Finn before he focused on Graydon. "What is going on here?"
"I’d like to ask you the same thing," Graydon said in a painfully polite voice. "A child of your House was attacked. Where were your men during this?"
Roderick's attention shot from Graydon to Kira. "We cannot protect you if you leave the safety of the Citadel without notifying anyone."
Kira lifted an eyebrow, unimpressed with the way he'd tried to shift the blame for this to her shoulders.
She held her silence, waiting to see how far he would go.
"Kira was on the terrace when she was attacked. Your men should have been guarding her," Graydon said, a dangerous undercurrent to his voice.
"My men have more important things to worry about," Roderick snapped.
"Someone just penetrated your House defenses and attacked someone under your Overlord's protection. What is more important than that?" Graydon demanded silkily.
Roderick fell silent, glaring at Graydon for several seconds before switching his scowl to Kira. She gave him a polite expression. Graydon had raised excellent points. She was interested in hearing the answer.
"You've made it clear she's under your protection," Roderick shot back. "Until she is declared part of our House, her safety isn't my responsibility."
That response seemed to infuriate both Graydon and Finn. Both men straightened, seeming to grow larger for a brief moment. Graydon's eyes were bright and furious. For a moment, Kira thought he might grab the shorter man by the throat.
Roderick broke the standoff by spinning and stalking away. He barked an order over his shoulder.
"Incompetent fool," Graydon snarled quietly.
"I'd like to say I'm surprised, but I'm really not," Finn drawled. "Luatha has gotten fat and lazy."
That was one word for it.
