Dead. That’s what Jin was. So very, very dead.
The lu-ong snake reached the toe of her boot, lifting its head to glare up at her. “Are you just going to leave me down here?”
Kira was tempted—but no. Jin was more likely to be discovered if left on his own.
She squatted, pretending to tie her shoe as she held her hand out to the mini spawn.
Raider shifted to block the others’ view of what she was doing, his face tight as he glared around him with a scowl that would have once terrified their subordinates.
Jin wriggled onto her hand and up her palm before twining around her wrist.
“Why is he here?” Raider asked under his breath as Kira stood.
She tugged her sleeve over his body, making sure he was fully covered. He wiggled, trying to stick his head out from under her sleeve.
She flicked him between his eyes before yanking the sleeve over his body again. “Stop that.”
“I can’t see if you cover my head!”
“You also can’t be seen.”
Something that felt incredibly important as Graydon glanced in her direction. He wasn’t the only one paying attention to her either.
Selene also stared at her with a questioning look. Not to mention the interested gazes both the wanderer and the woman from Asanth were giving her.
“You’re so twitchy,” Jin complained.
“I am trying to pay attention, so we don’t get knocked out of the adva ka early,“ Kira ground out. “Remember all our reasons for participating?”
For instance, the Tsavitee general’s claim that Elise planned to infiltrate the adva ka. Not to mention the small manner of obtaining her full independence as a Tuann adult.
All good reasons to be on their best behavior.
“That’s why I would think you would want me as a partner on this,” Jin said with an insulted sniff.
Raider’s head moved slightly, showing he was listening even if it didn’t look like it.
“For instance, I don’t like the way those two to your right are looking at you.”
Kira was careful to act casual as she looked in the direction Jin indicated.
“Recognize anyone?”
Kira scanned the faces of those on her right which included Asanth’s initiate and the wanderer.
A pair of hazel eyes peeked through the wanderer’s hood before looking away.
The person was young from what Kira could tell. Devon’s age or a few years behind him. She’d expected someone older.
From this close, she could see the marks that said their armor had been modified. As well as the amount of care they’d put into the maintenance.
“Know this trial will test the core of who you are. Not everyone will pass. For those who do, you will be the very best of us,” Graydon was saying as Kira continued to search for the pair Jin had been talking about.
She found them a few steps from the wanderer.
Renata and Notus glared at Kira, making no attempt to conceal their enmity.
Kira could see why Jin was bothered by them. She didn’t like the way they were looking at her either. Like she was rabbit they intended to rip apart.
