Chapter 30 #3
That sounded like something Jin would do.
They nodded in unison. Their faces entirely too trusting given everything they’d gone through. Probably Jin’s effect.
She didn’t know why but kids always seemed to gravitate toward him.
“Do you know where the boy went?” Kira asked.
“They took him,” the eldest answered.
“Took him where?”
The older girl pointed. “That way.”
Kira glanced in the direction she indicated. “We’re going to play a little game. It’s called ‘move like ghosts.’”
“We used to play that with our parents,” the eldest said.
“You have very smart parents then,” Kira praised.
They must have realized how uncertain their place in the universe was and prepared their children accordingly. They sounded like the sort of people she would have gotten along with.
“Quickly now,” Kira urged, backing away to give the children room to crawl out from under the cot.
“We shouldn’t be taking them into danger,” Roderick said in a low voice.
“Do you see another choice?” Kira’s glance was grim. “You’re barely standing. I doubt you could fight off a human. Let alone a Tsavitee or a Tuann.”
Kira didn’t trust Arly enough to leave the children with her. But she also wasn’t in a position to head for the exit. Jin was still here somewhere. As was Caius.
There was also the fact that she didn’t actually know where the exit was.
That left one choice—bringing them along.
Admittedly not her favorite option.
“Graydon and his people shouldn’t be too far,” Kira reasoned.
Not to mention Finn and Raider, who were even now probably on the lookout for her.
“We’ll stay together,” Kira decided.
The spawn on the ceiling dropped to land next to them.
Arly and the children looked fascinated as it crawled over to the youngest and hooked its claws into her pants to climb up.
“It won’t hurt you,” Kira promised.
“We knowsh. It’s here to protect ussh,” the baby of the group declared, caressing its head. She smiled when it bumped against her hand, letting out a rusty sawing sound that Kira thought was supposed to be a purr.
“Are you going to rescue the big brother too?” the eldest asked.
“What big brother?” Kira asked, startled. “I thought there were only three of you.”
The youngest toddled toward the opening on their left, carrying the spawn with her.
“She wants you to follow,” the other girl explained at Kira and Roderick’s confused looks.
Kira climbed to her feet. “Let’s see where this goes.”
With an unhappy grumble, Roderick instructed the other two to remain close. Arly brought up the rear.
The little girl stumbled. She caught herself before she could fall on her face, patting her chest and whispering, “I gots this,” each time.
Kira would have found the entire thing too adorable for words if the situation hadn’t been so dangerous.
The little girl was determined as she led them onward, finally stopping at a hexagon a few over from where Kira had found them.
“In there,” she lisped, pointing.
“Okay.” Kira took the girl’s arm, pushing her toward Roderick and Arly. “Get them somewhere safe.”
Roderick gave their surroundings an incredulous look. “Where exactly?”
“That’s your problem to figure out.”
Arly didn’t budge as Roderick herded the children away. “I can help.”
“I need you with them,” Kira said.
And not just because she didn’t trust Arly at her back. Roderick was in no shape to fight off a noodle let alone another Tsavitee. With Arly, they at least had a chance of survival if anything happened.
Arly must have realized that too because she reluctantly headed in the direction they’d taken.
Kira waited until she couldn’t hear them anymore before lifting the scorpion off her shoulder and setting it on the wall.
“Find your moment,” she told it.
The scorpion waved its claws at her before disappearing into the room.
Kira silently followed a second later. She rounded the corner and stopped. Guess when the kids begged her to save “big brother”, they really meant “grown ass adult”.
As in a fully grown Caius.
Of course, Caius was the one they were asking her to save.
He was in bad shape too. Having obviously undergone torture.
He hung half suspended from the ceiling by his wrists.
His legs were encased up to his thighs by the same amber resin that had held the Tsavitee in suspended animation.
Someone had pried the synth armor off his body to expose his arms, chest, and back to which they’d taken a whip, leaving no spot untouched.
Despite the extreme pain he had to be in, he remained unbroken. Entirely focused on Az and Bez’s argument.
A part of Kira relaxed as she saw the way he watched them. She knew that gaze. Had used it on more than one occasion herself. He was waiting. Biding his time until an opportunity presented itself. Then he would strike and the ones who offended him would die.
How did Bez and Az not notice the rage lurking in the depths of his eyes? He’d taken what they’d done very personally.
Then again, betrayal on the magnitude Caius had suffered always was. It burrowed under the skin, shading every interaction until you didn’t know what was real and what wasn’t.
At Kira’s entrance, Caius’s head lifted slightly.
Not yet, Caius, Kira told him silently. She needed him to hold on just a few more seconds.
He settled back in his chains.
They clinked, drawing an irritated look from Az. “Will you give it a rest? You’re not getting out of those.”
Using the distraction Caius had so nicely given her, Kira slipped a little closer.
She couldn’t do that neat trick the oshota had where they just appeared out of thin air sometimes, but she could move soundlessly and smoothly. She was hoping that would be enough.
“I knew there was a traitor in my pod, but I wasn’t expecting it to be you two.”
“No, not me. I’m not part of this,” Bez objected.
“You’re in it as much as I am,” Az snapped.
“No, Az. No, I’m not.”
“Who do you think I’m doing this for?” Az screamed.
“Yourself!” Bez’s voice broke. “You’re doing it for yourself. Not me. I never wanted this. Caius.” There was a catch in Bez’s throat. “How could you do this to Caius? He gave us everything.”
Az’s laugh was scornful. “You call that everything? He made us beg for scraps while they sneered and mocked us. We are House Roake’s slaves, doing the dirty jobs their oshota are too good for.”
Tears coursed down Bez’s cheeks. “We chose that, Az. Us. We did that. They didn’t make us.”
Az bowed her head.
Kira’s eyebrows ticked up in surprise. Was this actually working? That was a first.
Jin’s spawn crawled into view on the ceiling. Its upper half let go until it was dangling by its back two legs. With its pincers, it grabbed one of the chain’s binding Caius’s wrists.
“You don’t have to do this. We can walk away,” Bez pleaded.
Az’s shoulders shook as a laugh spilled out of her, growing more hysterical with every second. “And go where? You know Caius. He doesn’t forgive. He’ll hunt me to the edges of the universe for what I’ve done.”
“She’s right. I will,” Caius agreed. “I had a lot of friends in that enclave.” His smile was flinty. “You know how I like to settle debts.”
Yes, please taunt the people holding you hostage. Because that always worked out so well, Kira internally grumbled.
Bez deflated.
Kira sympathized. He was caught between the man he’d sworn fealty to and a woman who’d probably served at his side through thick and thin.
A bond like that was difficult to discard.
Az drew a dagger. “I never asked you to follow me or be part of this. You’re free to walk away.”
Bez didn’t move as Az shoulder-checked him on her way past. He remained motionless, frozen in place by indecision.
Come on, Bez. Step up. Don’t let her do this, Kira urged.
Despite her hope, Bez didn’t move. Even when Az lifted the dagger in preparation to slit Caius’s throat.
“Pye and Arly,” Bez said suddenly. “Were they in on this?”
Az paused, the dagger lowering slightly as she glanced back at him. “What do you think?”
“I don’t know anything anymore,” Bez admitted, sounding defeated “Just tell me please.”
Az considered him, her expression hard to read. Eventually, she shook her head. “Tage and I acted alone. Pye and Arly weren’t in on this. They’re too stupidly loyal.”
“Good. That’s good.” Relief slackened Bez’s features as he nodded. “Heir, Caius, is that enough to serve as evidence?”
Alarm filled Az’s face as she twisted in Kira’s direction.
“Works for me,” Kira chirped. “How about you, Caius?”
“I’m satisfied if you are,” Caius rumbled.
He gave one sharp jerk of his arms. The chains binding him shattered. Free, he seized Az by either side of her jaw and twisted.
Her neck snapped.
“Very satisfied,” Caius drawled, a cruel look in his eyes as he watched Az flop to the ground.
“That’s nice,” Kira said. “We should probably get out of here now,”
They were a little light on manpower if any of the Tuann rebels happened upon them. There was also still Jin to consider.
Caius winced as movement pulled at the wounds on his chest and back. “There are children here somewhere. We can’t leave them behind.”
“Way ahead of you. They were my first stop.”
A tiny giggle came from behind her.
Kira looked back to find three sets of eyes peeking around the corner.
“I told you to hide somewhere safe until I came for you,” she said, exasperated.
Arly bent and picked up the two youngest as she strode into the room, the eldest and Roderick following on her heels. “The children felt you could use assistance.”
The children, huh? Was she sure she wasn’t the one who thought that?
“I didn’t,” Kira said.
Roderick’s face was a shade paler as he leaned against the wall. “Glad to see you’ve come through your ordeal in one piece.”
“Thanks,” Caius said, his calculating gaze on Arly.
The other woman’s face was hard as she looked down at her fallen comrade. A crack in her mask came when she glanced at Bez, sympathy in her face as she shifted her hold on the children to set a hand on his shoulder.