His eyes glimmered with appreciation. "You're decided then."
She lifted a shoulder. Might as well. If theuhva nawas her path to freedom, she’d walk it no matter the obstacles.
Graydon moved toward the cliff. “Well then, it looks like you won’t be needing my services after all. I look forward to seeing you at the top."
Somehow Kira doubted that. Now that they were on the Tuann's main planet, she suspected he would soon be consumed by his duties. This was likely goodbye. It wouldn't be long before he forgot her.
She knew she should be grateful for that, but she couldn't shake the ache in her chest.
Graydon walked toward the cliff at a sedate pace, breaking into a sprint when he was only a few feet from it. He was faster than a man his size should be capable of.
He leaped at the last second, shooting straight up. He kicked off the air, reaching a height that should have been impossible. He was out of sight and over the top in seconds.
Raider paused on a ledge as Graydon passed him, his mouth dropping open before he looked at Kira and raised his eyebrows.
She shook her head slightly. Show off.
Her gaze lowered to find the marshal observing her with a calculating look.
Kira tensed, her hand tightening around the bag handle, knowing if he attacked, she'd have a hard time fending him off. She was exhausted and hurting, not fully recovered from the events on Ta Da'an.
Perhaps all that talk earlier was simply that. Talk. Maybe Roake wanted the unknown nobody to go away permanently.
Kira was weaponless, whereas she suspected the marshal had more than one stashed in his synth armor.
She'd learned never to assume a warrior wearing the armor was unarmed.
That left the bag she’d taken from Raider and the one at her feet as her only defense. Already her mind was envisioning using them as a club, or tossing one in his face as a distraction so she could escape.
His lips lifted the slightest bit, and she got the feeling he'd guessed where her thoughts had gone in that moment.
"As an initiate, you're entitled to our courtesies, but there will be no special treatment for your blood ties. From here on out, they will be considered unimportant. All that matters is what you can do and what you can contribute to the glory of our House. None in Roake may help you conquer this phase. It must be done on your own," he said. "Will you still walk this path?"
It wasn't like she had much of a choice. It was that or death.
And she preferred to live. That meant making nice with House Roake and observing until she got to the point where she could survive on her own without their help. If that meant completing this silly test, so be it.
"I will," she said.
The slightest glint of approval shown in his eyes, there and gone in a blink.
"How long will this take?" she asked.
"Longer, if you don't take the first step," he instructed.
Hmph. Guess she should have expected that response.
"This path won't be easy," Finn said from behind her.
Kira gazed up at the obstacle in front of her. "Nothing worth doing ever is. Don't worry; I'm used to hard."
It was the theme of her life. An ever-present reminder. Nothing in her history had ever said she enjoyed easy anyway.
"Any tips?”
"Don't let go of your bags if you want to keep them,” Finn said with a brief glance at the other Tuann. "They're serious about their threat. Other than that, it's up to you to figure it out."
Kira snorted. "Somehow, the planet changes, and yet things always remain the same."
