At least this way, Ziva would feel like she was doing something.
Sometimes that was enough.
“Life doesn’t always wait for us to grow up,” Kira finally said to Finn.
It hadn’t for Kira and Jin. Ziva and Joule shared that fate.
All she could do was give them the tools to carve their own path and provide guidance when possible.
Finn made an annoyed sound. “Sometimes I wish I’d told Graydon no when he first asked me to take you as my sword.”
He really should have.
Ziva’s small face wrinkled in confusion as she looked between them as if trying to understand a mystery. “I thought shields were supposed to be unquestioningly loyal.”
Kira and Finn stopped to look at each other.
“Am I wrong?” Ziva asked when neither of them said anything.
“Not entirely,” Finn started at the same time Kira answered, “Yes.”
“You are teaching her bad things,” Finn growled.
Kira chose to ignore him as she looked at Ziva. “A good oshota does both—supports and challenges their swords when they’re being idiots.”
Finn sent her a look. “Does that mean you acknowledge the fact you’re being unreasonable?”
Kira flashed him a sweet smile. “I never said otherwise.”
She knew perfectly well that what she was about to do was reckless. It was just that she didn’t care.
“You must be able to voice your opinion to your sword—especially when that sword is about to be dumb,” Kira instructed Ziva. “Just don’t be surprised if your sword still does the thing anyway.”
“There it is,” Jin crooned. “I knew there was a catch.”
Kira pretended not to see Finn’s scowl as she turned back to the stairs only to find her way blocked by an oshota wearing House Votair’s colors. A sickly yellow that was probably meant to emulate the emperor’s gold and failed miserably.
“The Overlord of our House has not invited your presence,” he informed her. “Please return to the arena below.”
Kira looked beyond him to Baran and a second of the emperor’s oshota. “Am I correct in assuming that none of their House can offer me violence?”
The question threw the two men off balance, their hesitation marked as Finn let out a weary sigh.
“You are,” Baran finally answered.
“Ah. Good.”
That simplified things.
Kira continued forward, trusting Votair’s oshota would move rather than allow her to bump into him. If that didn’t work, Kira was sure either Finn or Baran would move him for her.
Either way, he wouldn’t be able to stop her and judging from the sick look on his face, he knew that.
Bet he hadn’t ever seen an initiate use the rules in this fashion.
Jin’s giggles sounded through their comms as the oshota gave way, allowing Kira to step onto the level where the Overlord and his lackeys had made themselves comfortable.
Kira found herself the target of several hostile stares as she made her way to the Overlord’s side. There were none brave enough to obstruct her. Not with Baran and his fellow oshota shadowing her.
