Chapter 19
Nineteen
Gus trudged toward the lonely silhouette of her ship, hidden just outside the city ruins in the remnants of a farmer’s field. In the years since its owners had stopped tending it, nature had reclaimed most of the field, returning it to its original wild state.
Personally, she thought it was an improvement, much preferring the native plants of the area. The untamed beauty of wildflowers and high grasses interspersed with young trees just beginning to take root called to her on a much deeper level than neat rows of crops ever could.
With an internal sigh, Gus pulled her gaze away from the soothing sight to look up at the wing of her ship where a most unwelcome visitor had decided to make themselves at home.
“How did you find me?” Gus asked.
Kira lay on her back, dangling one leg over the edge and swinging it slightly as she studied the sky. “It wasn’t hard. It’s not like there are a lot of ships sitting unattended near here.”
No, Gus supposed there wouldn’t be. Though, that still didn’t explain how Kira had managed to find herself here. On this exact planet. On this exact ship.
“To be fair, you’re not the one I was looking for. It’s just a happy coincidence that we’re running into each other.”
Gus held back her snort.
Right. A happy coincidence.
Kira sat up, propping her weight on one arm to study Gus. “I take it she’s dead then.”
Gus didn’t know how to answer that without giving away things that were probably already obvious. In the end, she chose to maintain her silence, meeting Kira’s gaze with as much calm aplomb as she could marshal.
Kira’s expression turned a touch sly as she regarded Gus, one side of her mouth pulling up in a crooked grin. “I always knew Ryan had an assassin at his disposal. Never guessed it would be you though. It’s always the quiet ones.”
Gus wouldn’t know. She wasn’t acquainted with many assassins.
What did it say about Kira that she was?
“Jin told me about his conversation with you,” Kira said, still studying Gus.
Of course, he had. That didn’t surprise Gus at all. He and Kira were about as co-dependent as you could get. What one knew, the other would learn shortly. It would have been stranger if he’d stayed mum.
“I always wondered how the prison cells got unlocked the night of our escape,” Kira mused out of the blue.
Gus blinked at the shift in topic.
“I was wracking my brain on how to get me and Jin out of that hole. Then, suddenly, poof.” Kira waved her hand. “The door was open and alarms were going off all around.” The smile she aimed at Gus didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’m guessing I have you to thank for that.”
Gus wasn’t surprised it had taken Kira this long to figure out who played a pivotal role in her and Jin’s escape from the camps that long ago night.
She’d done what she’d done never expecting acknowledgment or gratitude.
In fact, she would have preferred Kira to remain in the dark. Less messy entanglement that way.
There was a bittersweet look on her sister’s face as she regarded Gus with a tilted head. “You’re every bit as stubborn and taciturn as I remember.”
And Kira was every bit as terrifying as Gus remembered. Like a lu-ong. A mercurial creature driven by its whims. Sometimes it bestowed blessings. Other times it might eat you. You could never be sure which it would be until it was too late.
Kira shoved off the wing, dropping lightly to the ground.
Internally, Gus flinched. Outwardly, she maintained her equilibrium. She remembered hearing somewhere that fleeing could trigger a predator’s base instincts. Kira probably had more control than that, but it was best not to tempt fate more than she had to.
“It was good we had this talk, sister of mine. I’ll be sure to keep an eye on you from here on out,” Kira said.
Gus wanted to tell her that wasn’t necessary. She was perfectly content drifting along in the background. No special attention required.
Kira paused. “But maybe next time, rather than releasing a Tsavitee war drone, you could just use your words to tell me what you need.”
“Refrain from widespread collateral damage and maybe I will,” Gus snapped before she could stop herself.
She held her breath as she waited for Kira’s response.
“You should have named yourself Briar given how many thorns you’ve covered yourself in,” Kira murmured with an amused glint in her eye.
“I like my name.”
Kira’s smile was slow. “I do too, Pityrodia Augustensis. It suits you.”
What an odd creature, Gus thought as Kira sauntered away. And yet, there was something oddly magnetic about her that made you not want to look away.
“Give my regards to Ryan,” Kira called over her shoulder before pausing to shake her head. “Actually, don’t. That asshole doesn’t deserve them.”
No, he did not. She was right about that.
“Oh, and congratulations. I heard the twenty-nine are setting up shop on Titan. I imagine there will be some big changes facing the Consortium now that a Tuann House has taken control of one of their main ports.”
Kira walked off, vanishing into the surrounding scenery like the highly trained operative she was and leaving Gus staring after her in consternation. “Now, where did she hear an absurd thing like that?”