If by somewhere, she meant outside of Roake getting the lay of the land while also spying on any of those he considered a potential threat.
Caius leaned his chin on his hand. “Is that so?”
Kira’s eyes narrowed as she glanced at Graydon. “Are you two related?”
The longer she spent in Caius’s presence the more of a resemblance she saw to Graydon. The similarity lay not in their looks but rather their personality. The mannerisms they used to express themselves.
Even now, their postures mirrored one another. Both sprawling in their chair with a lazy nonchalance.
Caius barked out a laugh as Graydon straightened.
“We are not related in any way,” Graydon said in a suppressive voice.
Maybe not by blood but they’d spent time together. A lot of it.
“I helped train Graydon,” Caius said with a veiled look in his eyes. “For a while, he was my shadow.”
Friends, then. That could explain it.
“Don’t think you distracted me with that question,” Caius admonished playfully. “I would hate for your friend to get himself into trouble so soon after he got out of it.”
“He’ll be fine.”
“I hope so. House Roake might not be so quick to step in to solve your problems next time.”
Kira supposed that was a veiled threat meant to remind her that it was only because of their House she’d been able to escape repercussions this time.
“You don’t have to worry about Jin.”
As much trouble as her friend got into, he was reliable when it counted. He would keep a low profile as much as possible while Kira drew attention to herself, allowing him to act covertly.
It was a tactic that had always worked for them in the past. She saw no reason that would change—even if it was Tuann they were up against this time.
“I hope so,” Caius said with an unchanging expression. “For your sake if nothing else.”
Kira held his gaze, refusing to let herself be intimidated.
“The question of your companion isn’t why you’re here,” Harlow said, taking control of the conversation.
Kira redirected her attention to him, deciding the best policy was to wait and see. She couldn’t afford to let them bait her into any further unwise words. She’d already been stuck with the title of heir. She didn’t need to make her situation any more difficult than it already was.
“I understand your concerns about the girl and how you’ve been responsible for her safety for all this time,” Harlow started as a fine tension invaded Kira.
She shifted in her seat. The desire to stand and physically distance herself from what was coming was almost impossible to ignore.
She shook her head at Harlow, wanting to stop him from saying what came next.
Don’t do it, Kira silently warned as Harlow’s mouth firmed.
“That will have to change if you both are to remain in Roake. For now, I want you to keep a distance between yourself and the child,” he finished, landing a death blow on the last of Kira’s hopes.
fourteen
“No.”
Kira didn’t have to think of her response. It was as simple as that. She refused to do what Harlow was suggesting.
“Elena is my niece. That isn’t going to change. Not ever,” Kira ground out.
