Kira lifted the glass, steeling herself for the burn of the alcohol as it worked its way down her throat to light a fire in her belly. “Anything else?”
Talon’s hands stilled in the middle of pouring a drink for himself as his eyes lifted to Kira’s. “There are whispers you’ve created a soul bound.”
Kira suppressed her reaction, aware that Talon was watching her in a way that could only be described as analytical.
At her side, Finn went alert.
She touched his arm to keep him from interrupting.
It was clear Talon was testing her. If Finn were to come to her defense in this moment, he would confirm the very thing he was trying to deny.
That was the problem when someone knew you well. They could anticipate your reaction. Read between the lines.
“Is that your way of asking me to leave?” Kira gave Talon a small smile, neither confirming nor denying the rumors.
She didn’t want to lie. If Jin’s secret ever did come out, Talon would remember this moment later and know she’d chosen a falsehood over the truth.
For a moment, Talon didn’t respond. His face as expressionless as Finn’s when her oshota was being inscrutable.
Half a beat passed before his lips twitched up in a micro smile that warmed his eyes. “Refrain from destroying my bar and you can sit anywhere you’d like.”
Kira smirked as she took her glass and pushed away from the bar.
When Finn moved to follow her, she shook her head at him. “Stay and chat. I’m sure you two have a lot to catch up on.”
A sour look appeared on his face. “You get into trouble when I’m not within arm’s length.”
Kira walked toward the open windows. “I get into trouble when you’re around too.”
The murmur of a low conversation accompanied Kira as she sat at a table next to the window.
Kira stretched her legs out in front of her with a wince as her sore muscles protested before loosening. Her mind emptied as she stared outside at the white caps of the ocean and the clouds drifting past on the horizon.
She didn’t know how long she sat there in silent contemplation as she watched a storm front roll in. Minutes turned into an hour.
There was just something about a good storm to put everything right again. The drama of the clouds as they frothed. The knowledge that soon hell would be unleashed and the only thing you could do was endure.
There was a peace that was almost primal. As if it had been encoded into her genetic memory.
It was very different from ship life where the environment was static and unchanging—which was exactly what you wanted when a single shift could mean death.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” a woman said from beside Kira as the two got lost in the approaching storm.
“I’m surprised you found me,” Kira said.
She hadn’t thought she was sitting here long enough for rumors about her presence to spread.
Selene’s gaze swung toward Kira, containing a trace of amusement. “I keep tabs on those who are important to me. Don’t tell me you’re any different.”
Ah, but Selene didn’t have a Jin to keep an eye on things.
“Keeva, dear sister?“ Selene asked, spotting the glass in Kira’s hand.
“My attempt at blending in.”
Selene’s mouth quirked as she reached for the keeva. “There’s no chance of that happening. You are someone destined to stand out.”
Selene downed the remainder of the amber liquid like she was taking a shot of human liquor.
