If they didn’t find Jin soon, she might actually have to consider stashing Roderick somewhere safe-ish and come back for him once she’d taken care of business.
Sounds coming from up ahead cut through Kira’s calculation.She stopped, Roderick picking up on her tension a second later.
There it was again.
“Is that Jin and the children?”Roderick whispered.
Kira checked the scorpion.Its tail stood erect behind it and its claws opened and closed in excitement.
“Maybe,” Kira said.
Roderick pulled his arm from her shoulder and leaned against the resin wall.Up ahead, the voices turned frantic.Their anger and desperation infecting Kira and Roderick.
“Go,” Roderick ordered.“Don’t wait for me.”
Kira hesitated for a single moment before deciding to listen.“Stay out of sight until I return.”
She ghosted out of the room on silent feet, gliding in the direction of the commotion.It wasn’t long until she found herself in one of the cells the Tsavitee used to keep their prey alive.They always did like their food still bleeding and screaming as they devoured it.
The pirates failed to notice Kira slipping in behind them, their attention focused on subduing three small children.
“Stop fighting us, you brats,” a pirate at the back of the pack growled.“You’re just making things worse for yourself.”
His companion had one of the children by the arm and was attempting to drag them out from under the cot.The child was resisting.The other two holding fast to their friend’s other arm.
Maggie lay face down, obviously dead, her body obstructing the rest of the pirates.Arly was unconscious in the corner, a Tuann standing over her.One of the rebels, Kira assumed, finding his lack of synth armor reassuring.It meant he was probably a civilian.
Movement in the top right corner of the room attracted her attention.A spawn clung to the ceiling, its mouth open as it prepared to fire the laser hidden inside.
At the sight of her, it paused, its mouth closing slightly.
Kira bent to place the scorpion on the ground.Patting its head, she straightened.
“For God’s sake, how hard is it to corral a bunch of children,” the leader swore.
“You’d be surprised.”Kira slipped up to stand behind him.“Children are quite flexible.Makes them hard to keep hold of.”
The leader whirled to face her.Kira swayed backward, avoiding the elbow he aimed at her face.
“Did I say that out loud?”Kira touched her lips in mock dismay, enjoying the sight of their fear.“Oops.”
A murmur ran through the group as they stared at her hair.
“Phoenix” was whispered by more than one.
Alarm showed on the Tuann’s face as he realized that his underlings were about two seconds from a full retreat.“Remember our deal.She’s crippled.Easy pickings.”
His words bolstered the humans’ confidence.
“You mean this?”Kira held up the wrist with the cuff.“Yeah, I don’t need my soul’s breath to deal with people like you.”
She dropped her hand.
Laser fire lanced through the room from the top right corner.Arly lunged up with a dagger in hand.The Tuann died before he knew what hit him, taken out by the twin attacks.
“Are these theflaugawho did that to the enclave?”Arly snarled, coming to her feet.
The humans that remained reacted like chickens before a fox.Bunching up and clucking in fear.
