Harlow's face turned grim on the screen. "They used Siphons."
Kira moved closer. "What are those?"
Harlow's eyes were warm as he focused on her. "You probably wouldn't have heard of them before. They're the favored weapon of a particular sect of assassins. Parasitic in nature, they latch onto a host and drain them of their blood."
"That sounds like something Castor and his oshota should have been able to handle easily," Kira said with a frown.
House Asanth's Overlord hadn't struck Kira as weak. Quite the opposite actually.
Castor had carried himself like someone who'd encountered numerous dangerous situations. He shouldn't have been brought down so easily.
"You're right," Harlow agreed. "While siphons are more dangerous than they sound because they hunt in groups and possess an uncommon speed that make them difficult even for a Tuann to fend off, that wouldn't have been enough to take down so many of House Asanth's top echelon."
"Ambush," Graydon guessed.
Harlow nodded. "The sub-house was one Castor trusted. He and its Overlord grew up together. He never saw the betrayal coming."
Kira hated to say it, but she'd warned them. Maybe after this, Castor and the other Overlords would actually start to listen.
Torvald's voice issued from somewhere out of sight on the holo vid screen. "House Asanth has gone into lockdown while their Overlord heals."
Graydon leaned his fists on the table in front of him. "A member of his House may use this opportunity to usurp his seat."
Kira glanced at him. "Would his House allow that?"
"Maybe," Graydon said with a hint of frustration.
"It's not unheard of. Especially in Houses like Asanth's where they put a large emphasis on strength," Harlow explained. "If they’ve lost faith in their Overlord, there are some who might seek to take advantage. Castor is highly respected, though, so I find that unlikely in this case."
Graydon pushed off the table. "Let's hope so. Asanth's current Overlord is a known entity. I don't like the thought of having to deal with someone new. It could make the situation unpredictable."
"We will deal with that if it comes to it," Torvald said.
It would be nice to think that this lesson had taught Asanth something. That they would take seriously Kira's claim that there were people among their House working with the Tsavitee.
She doubted it, though.
If there was one thing she’d learned, it was that the Tuann could be incredibly stubborn when it came to what was right in front of their faces.
It was more likely they’d blame the rest of the sub-Houses, adding more fuel to the rebellion.
"What happens to the sub-House responsible for the attack?" Kira asked.
"It's already happened," Harlow answered. "The House was razed to the ground. The few survivors were branded traitors and cast out to become wanderers."
Kira looked from him to Graydon in disbelief. "All of them?"
Graydon's face was hard. "Members of a House share in its fate."
Kira swallowed. "The children too?"
Graydon's gaze held hers. "Yes."
Kira looked away, blinking away the tightness in her eyes. "That doesn't seem right."
The older members of a House could choose whether to stay or go. It was rare, but they had the opportunity to enter other Houses. The children wouldn’t have had that chance. Their only sin was being born to the wrong parents.
"It's a harsh aspect of our society," Graydon said quietly.
