It seemed that being evicted from the arena after receiving a mortal blow wasn’t the fail that she’d assumed. Judging by the number of bodies waiting, not a single initiate was missing. Every person who’d been transported to the arena had made it to this point.
Fascinating. And not the outcome Kira had expected.
It seemed the rite of passage wasn’t as straightforward as it appeared. Why did Kira find events so much more interesting because of that?
While Kira was pondering, Solal, Amila, and Baran appeared from the shadows like ghosts. Faint distortions rippled around the room’s perimeter, leading Kira to suspect they had quite the audience watching from the sidelines.
The knowledge made her a little more cautious as she joined the rest, unsurprised to see Alexander and Selene already present.
They were part of the forty-three, after all. Children who’d been pushed to the brink and had no choice but to succeed.
It would be strange if something as minor as this gave them trouble.
Besides them, the woman from Asanth stood a little apart, watching the rest with a bored expression similar to Auralyn’s.
Renata and Notus were in their own pocket of space as they whispered among themselves and to those initiates surrounding them.
A ripple went through the crowd as the wanderer stepped out of the same tunnel she’d arrived from.
He took in the gathering for half a second before finding a column to lean against, crossing his arms as he watched the rest of them as carefully as they were surveying him.
“The Tuann haven’t changed,” Alexander said, coming up beside Kira. She didn’t jolt, having already sensed his presence.
“They are as suspicious and closed minded to outsiders as ever. I don’t know if that man is brave or foolish for attempting to rejoin them,” Alexander continued.
“Maybe he’s a little of both.”
Or maybe he had a goal that he could only accomplish by being here.
“Have the forty-three ever dealt with the wanderers?”
Kira couldn’t help her curiosity. It was obvious the wanderer was skilled. Far more so than most of the initiates. There was also the fact his technique was eerily familiar.
What drove a man like him to a place like this? Especially when he knew the Tuann wouldn’t welcome him with open arms no matter how well he performed.
Someone like that could go anywhere. Both the Consortium and the Haldeel would make a place for him.
Why choose the one group who would do their best to push him away?
“Some of us. Yes.”
That was helpful. Not.
“Anything of note to share?”
Alexander narrowed his eyes at Kira. “Why are you asking me this?”
“Just curious.”
Her answer made him pause. “You’ve noticed something.”
Kira sighed. Of course, that would be where his mind went.
“Don’t overthink. Sometimes curiosity is simply that.”
Alexander peered at her with an assessing expression as if he was trying to peel back her layers to see what was inside her mind. “Not when you’re involved.”
“Answer or don’t,” Kira said, losing patience.
