Kira rose to join him at the balcony. “We don’t know that she’s actually here.”
Raider’s gaze swung to her, the magnitude of his pain making her want to flinch.
There was an anguish in his face that made her heart clench. A misery that she was helpless to alleviate.
“We don’t know everything,” she told him, wanting to grasp onto hope no matter how faint it was. “For all we know, everything she’s done has been to protect us and Elena.”
Elise wasn’t here to speak for herself.
Until they had all the facts, Kira wouldn’t judge one way or the other.
“But you think she’s here,” Raider said in a flat voice.
Kira hesitated, her gaze moving to Jin.
He floated forward. “Our source seems to think so.”
“Why?”
“We’re still piecing that together,” Jin said. “But we suspect it has something to do with the adva ka.”
“Of course, it does.” Raider stared at the sky for several minutes before focusing on Kira. “What’s your plan? I’m assuming you have one.”
“Of course, we do,” Jin said.
Kira inhaled a deep breath. “It’s simple. I participate in the adva ka and wait for Elise to make her move. Once she does, I capture her and force an explanation out of her.”
And pray like mad that Elise wasn’t the one responsible for the death of the Curs.
There were many things Kira could forgive, Bates, Bayside, and Walker’s deaths weren’t among them.
Raider’s nod was slow. “Agreed with one correction.”
Kira sent him a questioning look as Raider straightened.
“You aren’t the only one who will be participating in the adva ka.”
Kira blinked at him. “Who else?”
Raider bared his teeth. “Me.”
“You?” she pointed at him in surprise.
“That’s right.”
“You’re going to participate in a Tuann rite of passage?”
“I knew you were smart,” he told her, leaning against the balcony and folding his arms over his chest.
Obviously not smart enough since she still was struggling to understand.
“How?”
“Apparently any yer’se can enter with the approval of their seon’yer,“ he informed her.
“And Wren gave his permission?”
“He did.”
