Chapter 9 #3
One black eye, a concussion and countless claw marks later and she’d made sure never to make that mistake again.
“Do you know that you’re safe? No one here will hurt you. You have my word on that.”
Once again, Kira used all three languages.
“Safety is an illusion,” the girl whispered, her voice far gentler sounding than her appearance would suggest. Almost hesitant, as if she wasn’t used to speaking.
At Maksym and Elodie’s sudden interest, the girl spooked.
Kira motioned them back before crossing her legs at the ankle and sitting down. “Do you have a name?”
She was hoping by making herself seem harmless the girl would calm enough to eventually come down off the ceiling. At this stage, trust was the most important thing. The best way to achieve that was to create a safe environment.
Though that left Kira at something of a disadvantage if the girl decided to launch herself at her throat.
“Mother gave me one. She gave all of us one.”
She knew who Elise was then.
“I’m a friend of your mother’s.”
Taking a chance, Kira accessed her palm unit to show the girl a hologram of Elise. The moment captured was a candid one. One of the very few photos Kira had of the other and only possible because Elise hadn’t known someone was taking her image.
Otherwise, she would have hidden her face.
It was the way the forty-three were trained. The easiest method to evade surveillance was to never let your image be captured in the first place.
In the photo, Elise was laughing at something. Her hair had been pulled back in a simple bun. Stray strands curled against her cheek and forehead and her cheeks were flushed with activity.
She was wearing a Hadron suit, so she must have just finished a mission or training.
“Not friends—sisters,” the girl corrected dreamily.
“Who told you that?”
The girl acted like Kira hadn’t spoken, her gaze fastened on the image of Elise and Kira. She loosened her grip on the ceiling. Her back half dropped. Her legs and tail hanging before she let go. A second later she landed lightly in a crouch in front of Kira.
Kira held still as the girl crowded close, still fascinated by the hologram. She let her have the palm unit.
“This is a safe space for you and your siblings,” Kira reiterated.
She’d reinforce that as many times as necessary. Until the girl believed it down to her soul.
The slow blink the girl gave could have been acceptance or rejection. It was impossible to know which.
Since this was the furthest anyone had gotten with the children, Kira decided to press her luck and nodded at the grooves the girl’s claws had left in the stone. “Can you tell me what set you off?”
For a moment, Kira thought she wouldn’t answer. Her expression as impassive as an oshota’s.
Then finally, something shifted.
“Madness has taken root in this place,” the girl informed Kira.
Out of the corner of her eye, Kira saw Quillon and Raider’s arrival. “What does that mean?”
The girl transferred her stare to Raider. “He was in her memories too.”
“Whose memories?” Kira pressed, shaking her head at Raider to tell him to back off.
“Mother’s.”
The girl said it as if the answer was obvious. As if Kira should have known that without her needing to explain.
“Are you telepathic?” Kira asked.
The ability wasn’t unheard of but it wasn’t exactly common either. More to the point, none of the alien races Kira knew of who came with that trait also possessed the physical characteristics of tail, scales and claws.
It was possible the girl was crossed with more than one race, but for some reason that didn’t feel right.
Harlow or Quillon might have a better idea of the girl’s heritage beyond Tuann. Whatever it was, it must be pretty dominant to override the Tuann genes. Not that it mattered. Kira had already accepted her under her protection. Nothing short of betrayal would change that.
Possibly not even then.
It just might be useful to know. In case the race had any special needs—like an insatiable desire for raw red meat—that way they could address them before they became a problem.
When the girl went back to staring, Kira changed tactics. “Madness—can you tell me what that means?”
It was such a specific phrase.
The girl’s eyes fogged over. “After centuries of careful pruning, their tree has finally born fruit. Consume it and you will be enveloped in madness. Chaos takes root in their hearts and they yearn for the death of all that was.”
The hazy look in the girl’s eyes disappeared when she blinked. Apathy returned to her features as her gaze tracked over Kira’s shoulder to lock on the window overlooking the sea.
Realizing she wasn’t going to get anything else out of the girl today, Kira thanked her and rose.
“Mild prophetic abilities. Unusual,” Quillon said as Kira joined him.
Raider sent him a weird look. “What about that sounded like prophecy to you?”
A faint smile touched Quillon’s lips. “All of it.”
“You can’t really believe people can see the future. That’s impossible.”
“Very little in this world is impossible,” Quillon corrected. “Is that not why your kind refers to us as wizards? Because of our seemingly magical abilities. Especially in comparison to a human’s.”
The eyebrow Quillon quirked at Raider made Kira’s friend frown.
“There are races who have demonstrated a certain sensitivity to their surroundings. Enough for it to approach prophecy. Among the Tuann, Lady Amaris is the best example. Although the ability sounds more impressive than it actually is,” Quillon admitted.
“That’s kind of harsh, don’t you think?” Raider drawled. “Knowing the future sounds pretty damn impressive to me.”
“He means that the very act of glimpsing a possible outcome holds the potential of changing it,” Kira said.
Once known, it could be prevented. Simple as that.
“Very good,” Quillon said with a nod. “The future is impossible to fully predict. It’s more accurate to say they glimpse one single branch of a possible future.
Any deviation leads to a different outcome.
In the child’s case, I don’t think she’s really using prophecy.
From what she said about seeing you in Elise’s memories, I think it would be more accurate to say that she’s picking up on the emotions and thoughts of those around her.
Perhaps even the Mea’Ave’s—which has, in rare cases, given Tuann prophecies. ”
“That’s all very interesting.” More than Kira had time to delve into right now. “But it still doesn’t explain her reaction to Elise.”
Quillon started to speak before thinking better of it.
Kira narrowed her eyes. “What aren’t you saying?”
Reluctance was in every line of Quillon’s body as he met Kira’s gaze. “The way she reacted was instinctual. I don’t know if it was the Osiri or Elise, but her body has been trained to fear the physical presence of her mother.”
Raider’s jaw clenched so hard that Kira was surprised it didn’t break, and the veins in his neck stood out from the anger that threatened to erupt.
He had the same knee jerk reaction Kira did. The suggestion that Elise could have hurt one of her children so abhorrent and impossible that the mere implication was enough to draw an extreme reaction. And just like her, he was forced to bite back his words of defense.
They didn’t know what the Osiri had done to Elise. What nasty surprises they’d left in her brain.
It was very possible she had done exactly as Quillon suggested.
Not willingly. Never that.
To the child being hurt, that wouldn’t have mattered though.
“I’m not saying Elise is responsible.” The sympathy and understanding in Quillon’s features made it easier for Kira to calm enough and listen with an open mind.
“The Osiri, or one of their pets, could have forced Elise to watch while they hurt the eldest. It would have had the same impact. Especially if it was done on a consistent basis.”
“It was,” Kira ground out.
She could say that for certain. It was how they operated.
“What do we do now?” Raider asked.
“The same thing as we’ve been doing. Show patience and care. Eventually, they will respond.”
They all glanced at the girl who’d claimed one of the seats in front of the window. Kira wished she could give the girl a hug or something to show she was on her side.
It wouldn’t help though; it might even hurt.
From experience, Kira knew personal space was probably the most valuable thing to her right now.
Still, there was something she could do.
Kira knelt beside the girl once again. “I have to go now. I don’t know when I’ll be back. But I will be back. These people will take care of you and the others in the meantime.”
There was no response, no matter how long Kira waited.
Giving up for now, Kira rose. “Alright. Take care.”
The girl closed her hand around Kira’s as she turned to go. Deadly claws pricked Kira’s palm. The pressure from them denting the skin but not breaking it.
“What is it, lovely?” Kira asked, careful to keep her voice soft despite how fast the girl had moved.
“You must keep your promises,” the girl whispered.
Kira wrapped her fingers around the girl’s hand to hold it gently. “I always do, daughter of my dearest friend.”