She’d risked so many lives. People had died. This wasn’t the type of thing Kira could overlook or brush aside.
“They’re fine. You saved them; just like I knew you would.”
Kira gave Elise a wide-eyed look that held a touch of the hysterical. “Not everyone!”
“That is regrettable, but I didn’t have a lot of choice. My cover had to be maintained.”
“That’s your excuse?” Kira nearly roared.
Elise’s shoulders rose as she took a deep breath, the gesture the same as the one she used when she was reaching for patience.
“The Tsavitee’s masters aren’t a fan of disappointment. After my failure to procure Jin on Jettie, they decided I needed a reminder of my place.” Elise nodded at the sphere of light behind Kira. “I was given the choice of completing my original mission with the addendum of killing you or I could steal the lenacht and leave you a few gifts in the process.“ The look in Elise’s eyes hardened. “Sacrifices sometimes need to be made. I’m not happy about that fact, but in a tossup between you and Jin or some random Tuann, I would choose you two every time.”
Kira had forgotten that about Elise. In some ways, the other woman was the most loyal person Kira knew. In others, she held a cold pragmatism that was chilling.
To the Curs, Elise had given everything. Love. Affection. A willingness to sacrifice for their small family.
To the rest she was stand offish and cold. Disregarding those who weren’t part of her circle as unimportant.
Kira had seen it a thousand time. The abrupt reversal in personality when dealing with those Elise viewed as outsiders.
It was nothing overt. To most, Elise would appear to treat those people with the same level of kindness and care she reserved for her friends. It was why they’d used her as their liaison with other units. Because she was capable of faking empathy better than Kira and Raider. But it was a superficial friendliness that didn’t extend past banal pleasantries.
It was the reason behind many of their biggest fights. Kira couldn’t walk away from people in trouble whereas Elise would watch a person drown while never extending a helping hand.
Something in Elise’s words made Kira stiffen. “You’re responsible for the bog’s hag being placed on the Wanderer’s hull, aren’t you?”
It wasn’t just the face changers. There was more.
Elise’s eyes were sad. “Not my idea. That was the work of another faction who wanted you either side lined or dead. Bonus if Ta Sa’Riel and all those on the planet had to go into isolation to prevent the bog’s hag from spreading to the rest of their empire.”
“And the face changers. Why seed them in the initiates?” Kira asked.
“Another distraction to keep you from noticing our movements. For the same reason they convinced House Votair to target your young friend. Not that it was hard. It seems their Overlord had a vendetta against the boy’s former House.”
“Why?” Kira gritted out.
“The generals thought if you were preoccupied by danger to those closest to you it would increase our chances of success. I knew better, of course.” Elise offered a small smile. “You are at your best when you have someone to protect.”
Was Kira supposed to be flattered by Elise’s confidence in her? Because she wasn’t.
“I like him by the way. Joule. He reminds me of Selene.”
Kira’s primus moved under her skin at Elise’s nonchalance at everything that had happened. “You don’t even know what you’ve done. Devon was Jin’s brother. He nearly died because of those things. Not to mention the close call Raider had or the fact you put Elena in danger.”
Was she so far gone that she didn’t see how inexcusable that was?
It was small but Kira caught Elise’s flinch before the other lifted her chin. “I knew you would protect Raider and my daughter. While I regret the boy’s involvement, I stand by my earlier words. Between him and Jin, I will always choose the latter.”
“Except you didn’t,” Kira snapped. “You misjudged. To save Devon, Jin outed himself as soul bound. Do you know what the Tuann might do to him because of that?”
How could Elise not have thought of that? How could she not see how wrong all of this was?
It felt like Kira was stuck in a dream. An awful nightmare from which there was no waking up.
Calm descended.
There was no use talking to Elise like this. They’d just go round and round in circles. She needed to take control of the situation. Later, she could get to the bottom of why Elise was so fixated on this course of action.
