Chapter 7 #2
The interim lord of the House was displaying a surprising depth of respect by not claiming his Overlord’s seat for himself. Until now, the Tuann had been waiting with baited breath to see how Asanth would react in the face of their Overlord’s injuries. Whether there would be a coup or not.
Kira glanced at the Tuann male standing slightly behind and to the left of the seat meant for Asanth’s Overlord.
She was guessing not.
Either their Overlord was so strong that no one would think of challenging him, even as injured as he was, or the members of his House possessed an unexpected depth of loyalty.
She’d have to bear that in mind for the future.
Himoto had impressed on her time and again how important it was to know your allies as well as your enemies. What made them tick. What flaws or weaknesses could be used against them.
Either by her—or the enemy.
From this incident, it was evident that sowing seeds of dissent in Asanth would be an exceedingly difficult task.
Good.
Maybe there was hope for them after all.
Sensing a gaze on her, Kira looked up to find Asanth’s interim lord regarding her with a neutral expression. Something about him whispered of stillness and danger. He wasn’t to be underestimated, instinct told her.
Whatever Castor had done to tame this man, it couldn’t have been easy. He gave Kira the same uneasy feeling as Pallas.
Like he was a wild dog who might one day savage his so-called owner.
Dark hair curled over the interim lord’s forehead. The whimsy of those waves clashed with the hard lines of his features. Pastel green eyes looked away from Kira as there was a disturbance from the direction of the door.
The interim lord’s face instantly hardened into a scary mask.
Kira looked over to find Sariah swaggering into the room as if she owned it, Jarek a quieter presence behind her.
Ah.
Kira understood the interim lord’s anger now.
Jarek’s actions during the adva ka had earned him the enmity of many of the Houses and their Overlords. From the looks of things, the interim lord also had a grudge against him, making Kira wonder if any of those lost had been acquaintances of his.
“What are you doing here?” Sariah snapped, catching sight of Kira.
Cold fury twisted Harlow’s features as he pinned the inquisitor with a predatory stare. “Is this the disrespect with which your order treats my heir?”
Jarek caught Sariah’s arm, saying something urgently.
A short, furious argument took place before Sariah stomped over to join the rest of the oshota along the wall.
Jarek bowed to Harlow. “Our apologies, Overlord. My companion was overexcited.”
“That seems to be a habit of hers.”
Jarek straightened with a distant smile. “Our order prides itself on our devotion to duty.”
“Is that why its members so often overstep?” Harlow inquired in a dangerous rumble that made the hairs on the back of Kira’s neck stand up. Her uncle could be very scary when he wanted to be. And right now, he was the scariest that Kira had ever seen.
“Our enthusiasm does lead us into opposition with the powers that be more often than we’d like,” Jarek admitted.
Translation—they would do what they felt was right regardless of pressure from the top.
“I didn’t realize your order was so full of righteous crusaders. Did you, niece?” Harlow asked.
“It’s news to me as well,” Kira responded.
“Isn’t there a well-known human saying about self-righteousness and pride?”
“There is, actually.” Kira’s smile made the skin around Jarek’s eyes and mouth tighten. “I even reminded Lady Sariah of it earlier.”
“It appears she didn’t listen,” Harlow remarked as a flood of oshota wearing the emperor’s colors entered the room. “Pity—otherwise, she might have spared you this encounter.”
Jarek was forced to suppress his response as the oshota flanked the entrance, standing at attention. The last to step inside positioned herself to address the gathering.
“Here we go,” Harlow muttered as the Overlord’s all straightened. “Try to be on your best behavior, dear niece.”
“I always am.”
The oshota’s voice rang over the gathering. “Pay your respects to Emperor Torvald Elden, sixth of his line.”
Those along the wall snapped to attention as the Overlords turned their gazes toward the door. Anticipation built in the brief pause between the oshota stepping aside and the person who appeared framed in the doorway next.
Emperor Torvald Elden’s mere presence was something that commanded attention as he swept the gathering with golden colored eyes that were just a few shades darker than Jin’s.
Possessing the radiance of a small sun, the emperor was someone Kira hadn’t figured out yet. More mysterious and enigmatic than those he’d drawn into service.
Tall, with broad shoulders and brown skin, his hair was cut close to his scalp.
Kira wouldn’t have described him as beautiful or even handsome. But he was memorable. His features remained with you long after he was gone. Like all Tuann, he had that timeless quality that made it impossible to guess his age.
Though Kira suspected he was old. Very old.
At least Harlow’s age, or older.
The synth armor he wore stood out against the sea of matte black around him. Gold lined each scale of his black armor. Protrusions jutted from his shoulders and the outer edge of his arms. A fur-lined cloak flapped behind him as he strode over to take his seat at the head of the table.
Two of his Faces trailed in his wake.
Eurus, his Face of Justice, a Tuann whose dark red hair and eyes against the backdrop of his pale skin always reminded Kira of a vampire.
Last through the door was Graydon.
His gaze landed on Kira for a brief moment that made Kira’s heart tighten painfully before he looked away in dismissal.
She couldn’t say he hadn’t warned her.
Theory was very different from application though. She hadn’t anticipated the coldness that emanated from him.
Or how she would feel.
Kira swallowed hard, pushing those feelings away.
Right now, they weren’t lovers. They were Face and Roake’s heir. Each with a job to do.
Graydon and Eurus arranged themselves behind the emperor as his oshota surrounded the room.
“At ease,” Torvald instructed. “Now then, I trust we all know why we’re here.”
Torvald’s gaze was penetrating as he peered at each of the Overlords. When he got to Harlow, there was a flash of something as his gaze darted to Jin at Kira’s side before it was quickly covered.
“Yes, I dare say the entire empire has heard what has happened by now,” Danai’s Overlord drawled with a provocative look in Harlow’s direction.
Harlow’s expression remained bland as he met Danai’s gaze. “As I said before, Roake regrets current events and is willing to make recompense. Although we are just as much a victim as Kashori and Asanth, we recognize the holes in our security that allowed something like this to happen.”
“A simple apology won’t bring back those lost,” Danai sniped.
“What type of recompense were you thinking?” Asanth’s interim lord asked.
“For Asanth, we’re willing to cede our claim to Delira. The planet is rich in resources that should go a long way to funding the repairs for damages sustained in the attack. For Kashori, the trade route in the Shaea belt.”
Kira could see the Overlords considering Harlow’s offer.
“This won’t make up for the hardship caused, but we hope it’s a start,” Harlow added. “We also plan to set aside five spots in our ruma ah for both Asanth and Kashori. To be used at your discretion. No questions asked.”
Kira glanced at the side of Harlow’s face. More than the planet and trade route, that was a mighty big concession.
Roake’s apprenticeship program was among the best. Spots were highly coveted due to the exceptional warriors they turned out.
Successfully passing Roake’s ruma ah gave you an immediate advantage when it came to the adva ka.
The Tuann’s other rite of passage. Even the emperor’s side tended to recruit from their graduates.
“Do you think that’s actually enough to make up for the lives lost?” Danai sneered. “Roake should pay in blood. The same amount that Kashori and Asanth lost would do for a start.”
There were rumbles from those assembled. Some of the oshota and highly placed civilian members of the major Houses looked like they were actually giving Danai’s suggestion serious consideration.
Kira took note of their faces. She might not be able to do anything to them right now but she’d memorize and file them away for later.
One day there might come a time when she could exact retribution. But that day wasn’t today.
Thankfully, they were in the minority. Most of the room seemed horrified at the proposal.
“When did Danai begin to speak for your Houses?” Harlow asked Helena and Asanth’s interim lord. “And why wasn’t Roake apprised that you’d sworn fealty to another?”
Helena shot Danai’s Overlord an unfriendly look. “Danai doesn’t speak for Kashori.”
“Nor Asanth,” the interim overlord added.
“That’s good to hear.” Harlow flicked a wintry look at Danai’s Overlord. “Let me be clear, Roake has already paid in blood. We lost several members when I initiated our Nexus’s self-destruct to avoid further damage to the city and palace. I promise you—any further bloodshed won’t be our own.”
Jin leaned into Kira’s side, his voice dropping to a whisper. “I think I want to be your uncle when I grow up.”
Funny—Kira thought she did too.
“Can someone please tell me why this child hasn’t been escorted out yet?” Danai demanded. “The adults are talking.”
Oh, wow. Just wow.
“He really went there,” Kira whispered.
Danai’s Overlord shot the emperor a disapproving look. “He may be your first born but you’re too lenient with him.”
Kira clamped down on Jin’s shoulder. Tension coiled in his muscles as he practically vibrated with the need to lunge across the table at Danai’s Overlord.
“Don’t give him what he wants,” Kira advised.
Jin went limp in her hold, his chest heaving from the emotional overload.
Why is being a biological so hard?