She'd gotten used to being alone. It was heady stuff knowing there was someone willing to attack alu-ongmother protecting her young to try to save Kira.
Speaking of, Kira glanced around, noting the rest of the patrol had broken off their attack and was in a holding pattern high above.
Colored globes of light spun dizzyingly around thelu-ong. The threat was clear—approach and be incinerated
She slid Graydon a considering glance. He would have had to do some fancy flying to have gotten past that.
"We need to get out of here. It's not safe," Graydon said, one hand resting on her shoulder.
"Not necessarily true." Kira's gaze swung toward the crew. "At least for us. They, on the other hand, aren't so lucky."
An older man met her eyes, his expression surly and uncooperative. The captain, she was assuming.
As if in answer, he lifted his chin, his jaw tight as he tried to stare her down.
The side of her mouth tilted up. Yeah, she had a feeling that was the case.
"Unfortunately for them, they were a little too successful in their day's catch. Their cage caught him." Kira focused on the baby, who still clung to the side of the boat, watching the proceedings with a fascinated gaze.
"Ridiculous," the captain argued. "A cage would never be able to hold him."
Kira's head bent. "Not usually, I imagine." She glanced up at Graydon. "I don't know what it was made of, but it tried to drain me ofki."
Graydon's face hardened, his expression smoothing out as it turned calculating.
A couple of the younger members flinched and shifted away.
"What proof do you have?" the captain challenged.
Kira shrugged. "I think thelu-ongI freed does a pretty good job of supporting my claim."
Graydon's gaze lifted to the motherlu-ongand the spinning balls of fire around her. "As does the fact she stopped trying to sink the boat as soon as you went under."
"Who is she to make these accusations?" the man said, unable to see when the battle was lost.
Graydon's smile was a thing of beauty and death as he aimed it at the captain. "The missing heir to House Roake."
Kira shrugged, and half shook her head before nodding. "The title of unwilling guest works too."
There was a hint of fear in the captain's gaze as he glanced at Kira before his expression firmed.
"I don't care who theifflishe is," he spat.
Kira stiffened, the name tugging at memories she'd long since buried. The instructors in the camp used to call them that.
Her hands curled into fists as her emotions shut off, leaving her studying the captain the way she would a poisonous insect.
"House Dethos will not stand for this. I'll be speaking to our Overlord," the man was saying.
Hm. She'd heard that name before. It took only a second for it to come to her. The initiates who'd started the bar fight last night had belonged to House Dethos. Interesting to hear that name again here.
"You do that," Graydon rumbled, his voice deepening until it contained a dangerous bite to it. "I would be most interested to hear why a boat belonging to their House is fishing in sacred waters. These waters were declared off-limits."
"Except for Roake," the captain muttered defiantly.
Graydon's face was expressionless. "Yes, because they were appointed the custodians and protectors of everything that lies within. Your House is welcome to challenge them for their position at any time."
The captain's mouth snapped shut, his eyes flashing mutinously. "We're not currently in a position to win a challenge against Roake."
