Wren's eyebrows lowered.
"And what will you do if you ever find evidence she has a little bit extra to her?"
Wren's eyes went cold as he picked up on her insinuation.
"What about when enemies come knocking because that little girl is the answer to the riddle they've been struggling with for centuries?"
The Tuann were powerful, but they had one primary drawback.
It took many, many decades for them to fully mature. Trying to build up their military strength took centuries—especially if the former masters of the Tuann had to start with new stock.
Elena had many of the Tuann benefits but aged as fast as a human.
Kira could see Wren’s struggle as he wrestled with rage, agony, horror—but not fear.
"How badly were you and the rest treated?" Wren finally asked in a hoarse voice.
"Torture is the proper term. There's a price for everything. The Tuann want their children back so badly they've never considered that their children might have become like the very monsters the Tuann fear."
The things they'd done and had done to them—they weren't easy things to brush under a rug and forget. All of them carried the scars.
"Can the Tuann still love their children if they aren't entirely Tuann anymore?"
Kira knew what it was like to have people's regard. To have them fawn and celebrate her. She also knew what it was like when that adoration was gone—to be reviled as a monster.
That sort of thing had a tendency to leave a mark on your soul, no matter how much you told yourself that you didn’t care.
She wouldn't let Elena suffer that fate. Not even from her grandfather.
Wren didn't speak for long seconds. Long enough that Kira was already considering how to extract Elena from this situation.
It'd likely mean burning bridges, but Kira had always excelled at that. Himoto liked to say Kira didn't just burn her bridges, she broke them into tiny pieces and soaked them in gasoline before lighting the bonfire. Afterwards, she’d pull up a chair and roast marshmallows in the resulting blaze.
"I feel I should inform you that you're no longer my onlyyer’se." Wren carefully turned and poured himself another glass ofkeeva.
If he had a purpose for that statement, Kira couldn’t see it.
"It's unusual to have twoyer’seat one time, but the potential you both hold can’t be denied."
Kira’s eyes narrowed. He was changing the subject.
"I expect you to make every effort to get along with him."
Kira looked around feeling like she was in some alter dimension. How did they go from talking about Elena's lineage to this discussion about anotheryer’seshe couldn't give two craps about?
Kira forced herself to play his game. "And who is thisyer’se?”
Wren set his glass down, his face composed again as he met her eyes. "Raider."
Kira blinked in confusion. “My Raider?”
"I'm not sure he would enjoy being called that."
Probably not. It was more likely he'd try to separate her head from her shoulders.
"I saw your race in the preliminary rounds. It was impressive," Wren said in another lightning fast subject change. "In the future, you will not be so reckless."
Hold on a minute.
