More importantly, he’d managed to earn her trust at some point in the past few months.Despite her rampant dislike of doctors and their ilk.
But none of that explained his presence on this ship.
“Pardon me, Heir.”
Quillon’s expression was apologetic as he pointed a wand looking object at her.
A buzzing sensation, like that of a thousand bees, swept over Kira from head to toe.
She twitched in discomfort, feeling as if someone was prying apart her very cells.
Right when the sensation edged its way into pain and she thought she might have to do something, the feeling abated.
Quillon glanced at the wand before nodding at the oshota behind her.“Confirmed.It’s the heir.”
Wait.
Kira whipped around to find Finn and Talon lurking right behind her.Far closer than was warranted if they were just guarding her.
Almost like they’d been preparing to subdue her.
Or eliminate her.
Kira’s gaze dropped to Finn’s waist, finding his hand hovering where she knew his en-blade was stored.
Talon didn’t even try to hide the blade he was holding, only stashing it in one of the armor’s weapon sheaths after she’d gotten a good glimpse of it.
“What’s going on?”Kira demanded even though she knew exactly what was going on.
They’d planned to kill her.
If Quillon had signaled something was wrong, she would have been a dead Kira before she even knew she was in danger.
Ice slid down her spine at the uncomfortable realization that she’d become far too lax in their company.Not taking even the most basic of safety precautions.
It was startling to learn how reliant she’d become on Finn to have her back.Only now, it turned out, that trust could have been used to put a blade in it.
“I’m learning all kinds of unwelcome things today,” Kira drawled.
She couldn’t bring herself to care about the note of apology in Finn’s face or the banal smile that didn’t quite reach Talon’s eyes.It’d been a long time since she’d been this taken off guard, and she was struggling against dual feelings of anger and embarrassment.
“I hope you have a good explanation for this,” Kira purred, adjusting her stance so the oshota and Quillon were no longer at her back.
She ignored Finn’s tiny flinch.What did the oshota expect?That she’d laugh off what just happened or pretend they hadn’t threatened her life?
Trust didn’t come easy for her.He knew that.
There was a jolt as the ship lifted off the ground and hovered.Its engines almost silent as they rose until they were just above the tree tops.A second later, scenery flew by at a quick clip as they left the Inquisitor’s Hold behind and started toward the city.
“Please excuse the insult.We couldn’t take the chance that you’d been replaced,” Quillon said with a sincerity that made it difficult to stay mad.
Talon brushed by her on his way to the front of the ship.“I never doubted you for a second.”
“Is that why you were prepared to stab me in the back?”
“One must be prepared for every eventuality.Your shining personality had already convinced me earlier.But it never hurts to be sure.”Talon glanced at Finn.“Isn’t that right, friend?”
Finn stared back at him with a stony, unforgiving expression.
