Kira placed herself between him and Devon. "Where's your little buddy?"
"He'll be along shortly. His arrogance with you cost him. That explosion you made caused damage." The cheerful smile Aeron always seemed to have ready, was vaguely threatening, no hint of friendliness to it.
"You know who I am?" Devon asked in a low voice meant only for her ears.
"Not a clue. I just don't like letting the bad guys have what they want."
Technically, it was true. Right now, she had theories and suppositions. No confirmation.
Regardless of if he was who she suspected or not, she likely would have placed herself in the same position. Devon wasn't an innocent, but that didn't mean she was going to let him die.
"Come on, Devon, don't you want to take primus form again? It was so much fun last time," Aeron taunted.
Devon went still behind her, his limbs stiff and set. "I knew you had something to do with that."
Aeron's lips quirked. "Should have listened to your instincts." He looked around. "I know why you didn't, though. You Tuann think it's impossible to force another's primus to the surface."
His gaze to Kira. "Theiffliknows intimately how that feels."
Kira saw Devon look at her out of the corner of her eye, his surprise impossible to conceal. "You have a primus form?"
Kira ignored him, keeping her attention on the real enemy.
"Sure, she does. It's why she interfered. She knows what it’s like to kill your allies by accident," Aeron said, tilting his head. "Couldn't stand to see someone else face the same fate, could you?"
Kira held her silence.
Loudon limped into the room, blood trailing him from wounds in his leg and side.
"What are you doing here?" Devon asked.
"He's a traitor. Don't you wish you'd left when I asked?" Kira said, inching toward him.
Things had gotten worse if that was possible. It had taken both Wren and Kira to force Aeron onto the defensive. Alone, facing Aeron and Loudon—even with one of them injured—Kira wasn't confident of her ability to win.
She would have much preferred to run. An option that was no longer available.
"I'm beginning to see your point," Devon said.
Her snicker was quick. He was funny. If he hadn't had a propensity to be an ass or let ambition blind him, she might have even found him moderately likable.
"What do we do?" he murmured.
Kira's gaze flicked between Aeron and Loudon.
"Kira?"
"I'm thinking."
An image shifted in the water. The long, sleek form of alu-ongsnaked along the surface, rippling over the water underneath and across the mirrors like an echo. Almost ghostly in how he moved.
"What is this place?" Kira asked.
"It's the final test. Designed to offer you your greatest desire, it can be difficult distinguishing between reality and a fantastical dream," he said.
Kira's head cocked.
"What about memories? Can it show you them?"
