The chances of success were small. Minuscule. Despite that, Kira couldn’t make herself give up. The girl in front of her was a small piece of that.
"Finally, do you think either of those two will let us go anywhere?" Kira tilted her head at the two in question.
The Overlord of Roake stared at them, his expression reserved and uncompromising. They were getting off this ship even if he had to drag them.
By contrast, Graydon’s enigmatic gaze did nothing to conceal how entertaining he found this predicament of Kira’s.
Elena waved her hand at them. "Can't you do your thing and take care of them?"
"My thing?"
Exactly what did her niece think Kira could do against two highly trained Tuann warriors?
At her peak, Kira might have been able to take one of them. If she was lucky and they erred along the way. But both? Not unless she had many, many more years of training—or reverted to her primus form. Even then, Kira judged her chances of success as iffy.
She'd never seen Harlow fight, but she had seen Graydon—and Harlow was the one who trained him. He’d be every bit as good as the Emperor's Face, if not better.
Elena crooked her fingers in what Kira was pretty sure were claws and made a "rawr" sound before swishing her hands through the air like a bomb exploded.
"Yeah. Your thing."
"I learn so many interesting things with your niece around," Graydon observed as Jin broke down in hysterical giggles. "I'm not entirely sure what the second was, but the first was pretty clear."
Kira ignored the mountain-sized pain in her ass in favor of bending toward her niece and fixing her with a hard look.
Elena blinked innocently up at her. "What? I didn't say anything."
Kira flicked Elena in the forehead with a finger. “Charades and hand gestures count too.”
Harlow and Graydon weren't stupid. With enough hints they'd put things together.
Even if Kira wanted to go against the two, it wasn’t possible. The inhibitor she still wore suppressed a large portion of her powers—though not as much as when she’d first dawned it. Part of the reason she ended up in House Roake was to see if they could fix her.
Until now, herkiwas killing her slowly. Harnessing it and building up her innerkichannels was a necessary component for her long-term survival.
Until the healers of Roake determined she was strong enough, the inhibitor wasn't going anywhere which meant there would be no flashy saves.
"Up." Kira's tone left no room for argument.
Grumbling softly to herself, Elena climbed from her seat. "How long am I supposed to stay on this rock?"
"Until I decide otherwise." Harlow headed for the exit ramp without giving Elena time to argue.
"Chances are it'll be a while, kid," Jin told Elena. "They don't even think Kira can take adequate care of herself."
Elena’s eyes widened in protest. "Auntie!"
"Don't look at me. I'm not the one who got caught."
Elena sulked.
"I'm beginning to see the resemblance," Graydon murmured in Kira's ear.
Kira ignored him, following behind as her niece dragged her feet on the way to the door.
"Will she be safe here?" Kira asked, unable to resist.
Graydon's expression thawed. "He will protect her as his own, and if by some chance he doesn't, I can make alternate arrangements."
