“Disuse has made his body weak,” the woman continued.“He has no physical training nor is he able to use soul’s breath.”
There was sympathy in the smile the woman aimed at Kira.It should have felt condescending but, strangely enough, all Kira sensed was sincerity.As if the woman really was just concerned about Jin’s safety.
“We want the same things.Him, protected.”
And just like that, she overplayed her hand.
Kira cut off Jin’s scathing retort with a small gesture that was a silent request for patience.
A flicker in Dylan’s expression told Kira he’d caught the barely noticeable movement.
The frown that touched his lips at the sight made her upgrade his threat level a few notches.Whoever this oshota really was, he was skilled.
Most people never noticed the sign language she and the rest of the forty-three had created as children.A way of communicating without their former masters realizing.
Only, Dylan had caught on at the first opportunity.
Observant bastard.
Kira put him out of her mind as she focused on Jin’s maybe mom.“Did you ask Jin what he wanted?”
The woman’s expression went still.
“You didn’t, did you?”Kira drawled.
Of course not.This woman, like most Tuann, preferred to obliquely threaten rather than have an honest conversation with Jin.
“You really need to stop playing these games.Otherwise, you’ll lose him forever this time.”Kira jerked her chin at Jin.“Let’s go.
Jin hurriedly shouldered his bag.The weight caused him to topple.His eyes widened comically as he started to tilt backward.
Damn it, Jin.
She’d just gotten done defending him.
Raider snagged him by the back of the bag, half lifting him off his feet.“Let’s try not to give them any more ammo than we need to, shall we?”
Jin steadied himself with a quiet snarl that did nothing to hide his embarrassment.
Raider kept one hand on the bag, not letting go for several long seconds.
The side of Kira’s face heated as Jin’s maybe mother bored a hole in it with her stare.
Kira cleared her throat awkwardly.“Ready?”
Jin’s maybe mom could stare as much as she wanted.If she had something to say, now was the time to say it.
“Past ready.”Jin shuffled to the door, slightly hunched forward to compensate for his bag’s weight.“You should have liberated me weeks ago.”
“We wanted to give them a chance to get to know the new you, remember?”
“Fat lot of good that did,” Jin muttered.
Underneath the sarcasm, there was a vulnerability that he couldn’t hide.A hurt and resentment that had built over the last few weeks of neglect from both the woman behind him and his supposed father.Neither of whom had paid him a visit since he’d woken.
For people who insisted on Jin’s continued presence in the palace, they didn’t seem much interested in getting to know him.
Something like that was bound to sting.It made it hard for Kira to advocate on their behalf when they didn’t put even the smallest effort into their relationship with Jin.
