“Houses dislike when wanderers congregate.They’ve been known to send out hunting parties as a way to convince them to move on.”
There was the faintest note of bitterness that made Kira think Az wasn’t a fan of the practice.
“I imagine there’s no love lost between wanderers and those from the major Houses.If that’s the case, why did Caius come here alone?”Kira asked.
Az’s gaze held surprise as it jumped to Kira’s.“Caius and this enclave have history.”
“What kind of history?”Kira asked.
Az considered Kira, weighing her carefully.“The kind that is hard to forget.”
“Helpful,” Jin quipped.
Dimples creased Az’s cheeks when she smiled.“I apologize.His story isn’t exactly a secret.It just happened so long ago that it’s rarely mentioned anymore.”
At Kira’s inquiring expression, Az offered.“His parents helped found this enclave.”
“Caius is a wanderer?”Jin asked.
“Caius—no.His parents, on the other hand.They left when he started walking.Voluntarily—I should add.”
It was rare for Tuann to leave their House, but it did happen.Usually, only when they committed a crime against their House and were banished.Occasionally, a House fell, and those Tuann who couldn’t find safe harbor became wanderers by default.
Very few left voluntarily.Those who did faced a lot of prejudice.Even more so, in some ways, than those in exile.
Tuann required social bonds to survive.Otherwise, they turned dangerous.
Solitary Tuann were considered not quite right in the head.It was a brush Kira had been painted with on more than one occasion.
“It couldn’t have been easy on Caius,” Kira guessed.
As a child, he would have faced the constant judgment of the adults around him.
“No,” Az agreed.“It wasn’t.”
A suspicion rose as Kira considered Az closely.Things that she had overlooked earlier started to make more sense.Such as the fact that none of Caius’s pod wore synth armor.
There was a deep look in Az’s eyes as she met Kira’s.“Have you guessed it yet?”
“You’re a former wanderer.”
All of them were.
“Observant.Most heirs aren’t.”
“I wouldn’t have survived if I wasn’t.”
Caius had quite literally changed the course of their lives.That had either created a loyalty as deep as an ocean trench or bred a resentment as corrosive as the worst acid.
It also put a few things into perspective.Like their familiarity with the area.And why Harlow had insisted on sending them with Kira when there were so many others she already had a rapport with.
He suspected betrayal.
Worse—Az and the rest realized that.
No wonder Bez was so hostile.
“I enjoyed this conversation,” Az announced.“It’s been very—how should I say—illuminating.”She smirked.“I would watch yourself from here on out though.There are those in the enclave who would do anything to get their hands on the heir to a major House.”
