Kira rested her chin on him as she shot him a grin. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Who wouldn’t want to be considered distracting by their lover?
Graydon arms squeezed her. “Come. There is something I want you to see.”
Kira lifted her head, giving him an incredulous look. He wanted to go somewhere? Now?
Graydon aimed a closed lip smile at her that was echoed in the warmth of his gaze. When he looked at her like that, it was impossible to argue with him.
Conceding defeat, Kira reached for her armor, finding the pieces strewn on the floor next to the bed.
They were quiet as they dressed.
Once finished, Graydon held out his hand to her. Kira stared at it for a second before taking it.
Graydon led her out of the room and into the hall beyond, walking in the opposite direction of the way she’d come.
Graydon’s hand was warm and reassuring in hers as they found a staircase and descended to the ground floor. They stepped out of the building onto a stone path cutting through an overgrown garden filled with many of the same plants she’d seen before.
Trees spread their arms, their branches covered in colored leaves no human world had ever seen.
The entire scene was almost surreal. A serene vista that was as soothing as it was fantastical.
Mini stone houses perched on intricate columns lined the path, a few sticking out of the vegetation.
Kira and Graydon’s feet whispered across the ground as they continued forward, their path lit by glowing lanterns as they passed under arches covered with vines and white flowers. Pavilions dotted the area, offering the initiates a soothing place to sit and enjoy the beauty of their surroundings.
Each one was different in design, interspersed throughout.
To Kira’s surprise most of them contained people. Far more than the number of initiates should have allowed.
Graydon tipped his chin as they passed a group of Tuann comprised of several who were much older than the rest of the initiates.
They wore synth armor, marking them as oshota from one of the Houses.
“I thought the Houses weren’t allowed in here,” Kira said, staring.
“I can see why you misunderstood,” Graydon said, looking back at her. “But no. The Houses can visit their initiates as long as they don’t enter the structure where your rooms are located or the interior garden.”
Kira frowned as she caught the gazes of several Tuann from the Houses looking in her direction.
“That seems like it could backfire.”
“Why do you think the emperor’s oshota have remained?” Graydon asked. “The Houses and their representatives are forbidden from interfering directly.”
Which didn’t mean they couldn’t intervene at all, Kira realized, catching what Graydon hadn’t said. They’d probably use the same tactics as the first trials with the initiates themselves doing the dirty work of their Houses.
“What a disgusting practice.”
The intention of the Houses was once to provide a safe place for their members to flourish and grow. They weren’t supposed to be the very thing that endangered them.
For such petty bullshit too.
Don’t get her started on that crap about it being for the greater good either. Maybe that was how it began but at this point their actions were little more than schoolyard bullies throwing their greater power around to suppress those who might one day stand up to them.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t be targeting Joule. Someone whose political power was practically nonexistent.
“The Tuann are not without their flaws,” Graydon admitted as he reached the end of the path and stepped to the side to allow Kira to see what lay beyond.
