“He’s military.He’s familiar with need-to-know and top secret,” Kira said.
Harlow clasped his hands on the desk, turning his attention to Kira.“I’d like to borrow Talon.”
Kira’s gaze darted from her uncle to her oshota in confusion.“Why are you asking me?”
Talon was sitting right there.
“As his sword, it’s your decision.”
On some level, Kira knew that was how it worked.It wasn’t so different from the military.While the top brass could—and did—reallocate personnel on a whim, they usually ran it by the person’s chain-of-command first.
“Talon, what do you want to do?”Kira asked.
Talon levered himself out of his seat and stretched lazily.“I hear a certain sector of Consortium territory has interesting sights this time of year.Think I’ll take a little stroll.See what I can find.”
Kira glanced at Harlow.“Is that the answer you hoped for?”
“It’ll do.”
With a chuckle, Talon strolled out of the room.Finn nodded respectfully at Kira and Harlow before following.
“What will you be doing while we’re gone?”Kira asked her uncle.
“Me?”Harlow gave her a slow, savage smile.“I’ll be preparing Roake for war.”
Graydon
Against the backdrop of space, Ta Sa’Riel was a beautiful, glowing gem as its sun sent rays of light to play among the clouds, turning them into a sea of fire.
“I was surprised when Asanth accepted Roake’s deal.The two Houses aren’t exactly on friendly terms,” Solal commented as he joined Graydon on the upper balcony overlooking the conservatory.
There were three on this ship.This was the largest.
Below was a garden paradise.Tall trees framing the glass walls and ceiling of the conservatory, their verdant green contrasting sharply with the slice of the universe that could be glimpsed just beyond.
“Asanth lost a lot of children during the Sorrowing,” Graydon explained as he glanced at the Tuann, who was admiring thechokotree below.
Graydon hadn’t expected Asanth to send their interim lord, but maybe he should have.
After the ambush on its Overlord, the House was closing ranks.They would want someone they trusted implicitly on this mission.The fact he’d been appointed the interim lord while Castor was still healing spoke volumes about Rhett’s place in the House.
A brute by some standards.A devious adversary by others.Rhett was one of the few who’d fallen from a House’s hallowed ranks to that of a wanderer’s only to claw his way back to his former position.
It made for an interesting case study.Graydon wished he knew the full story.
Just then, Rhett turned his head to stare at something that Graydon couldn’t see from this angle.
A moment later, Alexander strode into view.
He paused at the sight of Asanth’s interim lord before giving a polite nod.
The short conversation that followed was interesting.Even if Graydon was too far away to hear what was being said.
“Asanth is smarter than Luatha,” Graydon commented idly.
Instead of trying to strong arm Alexander into their House, they were practicing a more hands-off approach.
Make no mistake though.
