Likely before nightfall, Kashori along with all of their allies would know Roake’s new heir had the acknowledgement of her Overlord—exactly as Harlow intended.
“What’s your name?” Kira asked, fighting the headache that wanted to spawn.
“Tinsley.”
“Why are you really here?” Kira lifted a hand when the other woman started to respond. “Don’t say it’s to apologize either. We both know your oshota acted according to their training.”
It wasn’t something that required an apology and everybody standing here understood that.
“That’s not true. We are here to offer an apology for offending you,” Tinsley said with a stubbornness that was a little unexpected.
Though Kira supposed it shouldn’t have been if this was really the heir to House Kashori.
You didn’t get to a position like that without having a bit of a backbone.
“Oh? That’s interesting,” Kira said with a smirk.
Boden glowered at her. “You’re making this deliberately difficult.”
A snicker came from Jin as Kira flashed a humorless smile.
“It’s a personal failing of mine.”
One she took great pride in.
“Boden,” Tinsley rebuked with a warning look before aiming a tentative smile Kira’s way. “We realize we overreacted to your drone’s presence earlier and wish to make it up to you.”
“By ‘we’ do you mean you specifically or Kashori?” Kira challenged.
Her answer would change how Kira responded to her.
Kashori was a major House—like Roake. If the other woman had approached her as the heir of Kashori and not Tinsley herself, Kira would have to end this conversation right now.
She had no intention of getting involved with the politics behind House relations.
“I—“ Tinsley started before breaking off.
Kira sighed. “How old are you?”
Although she looked not much younger than Kira, her mannerisms pointed to her as being someone who didn’t have a lot of experience.
“Ninety,” Tinsley said with a look of confusion.
Kira whistled silently to herself. “You missed the Sorrowing by three years.”
A blink of an eye as Tuann measured it.
Tinsley made a small movement, her crestfallen expression making Kira feel like she’d slapped the other.
“My mother took my sister’s disappearance hard,” Tinsley said. “My father hoped another child would bring her back to the world.”
Kira grimaced, her half smile not reaching her eyes. “Let me guess—it didn’t take long before her problems returned.”
Kira didn’t need Tinsley’s hesitant nod to know she was on the right track. That small movement told Kira everything she needed. Tinsley’s sorrow at not being enough. Her determination to latch onto anything that might pull her mother back from the abyss.
The problem was that what she was asking wouldn’t accomplish what she wanted.
“That’s the thing with grief.” Kira moved her gaze to the avenue stretching behind Tinsley and the others.
