It was three steps before Jin caved.“He said I’m not allowed to make any more spawn without his permission.”
Kira sent the back of his head a sharp glance.
She found it interesting that Torvald hadn’t outright forbidden Jin from creating his mini-mes.Rather, he’d said he couldn’t do it without permission.
That was an important distinction.
He knew something about the spawn that they didn’t.Something important.Until now, part of her had suspected they were a product of Jin’s soul being trapped in the drone.Torvald’s request, on the other hand, had her reconsidering that assumption.
This might be something to do with the abilities of his family line.
Due to Jarek’s search through her memories during Jin’s trial, they now knew not all of her abilities originated with her.Some of them should have been Jin’s.
The burst was one such example.
There was another though.An ability Kira rarely used because of how unruly and difficult to wield it was.She’d only accessed it a handful of times.One such occasion was to save Wren’s life.
This was all speculation, of course.
But she’d be blind if she didn’t see the similarities in Jin’s ability to fuse a proximity of life into his creations and her ability to remove the essence of an item and use it to fuel the life of someone else.
One skill.Two applications.
All too quickly, Jin grew out of breath and was unable to continue their conversation.Struggling up the last third of the hill, he collapsed against the nearest tree as soon as he reached the top.“I feel like I’m dying.Why do people do this to themselves?”
“Come on, slow poke.”Raider strolled past Jin.“No resting on your laurels just because you’re no longer immune to gravity.”
Jin summoned the strength to glare.
Raider responded by snapping his fingers at him like he was a dog.
“I’m going to murder you one of these days, meat sack,” Jin promised.
Raider’s antics did the trick though and got Jin back on his feet.He staggered after the human, promising increasingly imaginative retribution.
“Your companions are a lot more interesting than I remember,” Roderick remarked, ghosting up beside Kira.
“You mean you didn’t notice their sparkling personalities while placing them under house arrest?”Kira asked as they walked toward where Az and Bez were waiting.
Roderick’s cheeks developed a slight flush of embarrassment.“I feel I should apologize for that.”
“Don’t—you were doing what you thought best in a difficult situation.Outsiders are always the first ones suspected when something goes wrong.”
That held true no matter the species.
“Still, without your interference, I would have lost my House and my Overlord.I thank you for what you did.I know it cost you.”
“Since you’re feeling so grateful, maybe you can tell me why Liara insisted you join us on this trip?”
“Those are separate matters.”
“Oh, well.I tried.”
“Yes, you did.”
Maksym beckoned Kira over as Bez was just finishing with the pair of Tuann on overwatch duty.“Heir, it looks like we need to split up.One group to guard the gate.Another to investigate the wanderer’s enclave.”
Kira had to admire Maksym’s way of taking charge without seeming too.He’d used the word “heir” deliberately.Usually, he referred to her as “youngest”.Despite Raider supplanting her as Wren’s youngest yer’se.The last two sentences were tacked on to ensure she knew what was expected of her.
