Kira couldn’t help but like someone who could spark trepidation in others by her mere presence.
Perhaps a portion of Kira’s partiality toward the other lay in the fact that she’d learned Maida had volunteered to be Joule’s seon’yer when so many others had passed over him. Kira didn’t know if it was sympathy or if Maida saw his potential. Either way, Kira was grateful the woman had given Joule a chance.
Sometimes a chance was all you needed.
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the little heir that my yer’se worships,“ Maida drawled. “Come to take him off my hands?”
“I think you’re mistaken. Joule is blessed to have a seon’yer of your rank. I wouldn’t dream of depriving you of him.”
Maida’s snort held little elegance. “You think I don’t know what his sister calls you?”
“Ziva is not Joule.”
Maida’s expression turned sly. “Then my yer’se has never attempted to pledge his allegiance?”
“No such words have ever passed his lips.”
The best part was she wasn’t lying. Kira had stopped him before he could commit such a monumental mistake.
As his seon’yer, Maida would have been well in her rights to take insult if Joule had followed through on his impulse.
The Tuann took their vows very seriously. A yer’se pledging an oath to a second seon’yer without approval of the first would have been a blow to Joule’s honor. The stain would have followed him through the rest of his life.
Maida stared at Kira for a second before she flashed a crooked smile. “You should know, if it’s you, I don’t mind sharing my yer’se.”
“You don’t want him?”
If that was the case, maybe Joule would be better off finding a new seon’yer after all. Consequences to his reputation be damned.
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Maida made a dismissive motion. “I took Joule as my yer’se because I truly think the boy has potential that should be developed.”
Kira felt herself relax.
Maida held up her hand, making a fist with it. “You know mine and Joule’s affinities lie in different realms. If there is another who can teach him better, I will not object.”
Kira stared unblinking as Maida lowered her fist.
There was one other she could think of who shared Joule’s affinity. More importantly that person’s grasp of a shielder’s capabilities would be better than Maida’s—or any of the Tuann.
The trick would be convincing her to help.
“Wren’s new granddaughter, on the other hand, would make for a perfect yer’se to someone of my abilities,“ Maida said with a teasing sidelong look toward Wren.
Kira’s seon’yer stiffened. “You will not get your claws into her.”
“We’ll see,” Maida purred.
While the two debated, Harlow gestured at the sole unoccupied chair waiting in front of the desk.
“I’m starting to get the feeling this is an intervention of some sort,” she joked halfheartedly as she moved toward the chair.
Not that she’d ever been present for anything like that, but the situation contained all of the signs.
An ambush by those who knew and cared for her coupled by a growing sense that something was afoot. If Raider had been present, she would have been even more convinced that was exactly what this was.
Kira’s uneasy feeling was compounded when Caius made a show of looking at the air above her head where Jin would typically hover. “No friend?”
“Jin has always had a short attention span. He lost interest hours ago. I’m sure he’s around here somewhere.”
