“Sariah,” Jarek warned.“Behave.”
“I will not allow thesezavierto tell me what to do.We have done nothing to deserve this.Nothing!”She flung a hand out at Kira.“It’s her.She started it.”
Flame whistled.“I didn’t realize wizards were so vocal.”
“Only some of them,” Kira said, eyeing the inquisitor with dislike.
Zavierwasn’t a word used in common speech among the Tuann.It was an old term.Very old, stemming from a time when the masters still ruled their race.
Kira recognized it because of how similar it sounded to another word.A Tsavitee word.One which when translated roughly meant primitive.
An insult to those species they considered un-evolved.
Like humans.
Jin’s fingers flew as he flashed a sign at Kira.“Did you hear it too?”
Kira nodded.
“Tsavitee sympathizer?”
Kira hesitated, uncertain.“Maybe.”
While abhorrent, being elitist and xenophobic wasn’t an actual crime.
Though sometimes Kira wondered if it should have been.
“Tell the mountain anyway.”
She would.
Flame clapped his hands, calling her attention back to him.“This has certainly been fun.Glad I got to finally meet you, Phoenix.I’m happy to say you live up to your reputation.”Flame slipped past security unobstructed.“Try not to spend too much time in detention.”
With that, he was gone.Down the hall and around the corner.
“So much for not telling anybody who I am,” Kira grumbled, noticing the number of eyes now on her.
She tugged at her hood, making sure it was securely in place.Her disguise was probably pointless by now, but at least this way she wouldn’t be a walking target on their way to wherever security was taking them.
Graydon touched her back, using his greater size to shield her as he stared down the humans.
Sergeant Fitzpatrick cleared her throat.“Let’s go.”
Security got busy herding them down the hall toward the station elevators.
“Don’t think this saves you from answering my questions,” Graydon purred in Kira’s ear.“Sariah might have been out of line, but she got one thing right.You’re not supposed to be here.”
Kira reached up to pat his jaw, getting momentarily distracted by the rough feel of his stubble.“Don’t worry, lover.I’m not here to get in your way.Like I told Sariah, my purpose lies in an entirely different direction.”
“You don’t actually expect me to believe that?”
Kira gave him her best, prettiest smile.“It would be nice, yes.”
“Try again.”
“It’s so hard when you tell the truth and no one believes you,” Kira complained.
The glint in Graydon’s eyes said he found her amusing.“Yes, but is it all of the truth?”
