Trials of Conviction, page 3
"That's disappointing," Asanth said with a sigh, not sounding disappointed at all. "I was hoping for an opportunity to speak with them. You could arrange that, couldn't you?"
Asanth raised his eyebrows at Kira in expectation.
"No."
And not just because Alexander and the rest would kill her.
"Is that all you can say? No?" Asanth challenged.
Kira's primus washed away the irritation and anger she might have felt before it could fully manifest. Cold pragmatism replaced it.
It was dangerous to allow her primus to remain close enough to the surface to affect her emotions like this. Created for battle, the primus was Kira's alternate form. It was stronger, faster. More resilient than her current one. Very few Tuann had the power or lineage to awaken one. Probably a good thing. The primus was utterly conscienceless. A being without remorse or empathy. Whose only drive was killing.
It took years of training to control. Even then, Kira was reluctant to let it out of its cage, only using it as a weapon of last resort.
Normally, she would have stuffed it down by now, but she was in desperate need of the respite it could give. Without it's help, she might still be stuck in her own mind. A willing victim of her grief.
The Tuann were powerful, but they possessed one weakness. The bonds they formed with others. Cut those bonds, damage them in some way and their mental state was affected. Some went a little mad. Like Kira when she lost her Curs. Others let themselves wither. They faded away a little more each day until finally their hearts stopped.
The primus protected her from either of those outcomes. At least in the short term.
A reckoning was coming. But hopefully not before she'd saved Jin and Elena.
"Your children don't want a relationship with you. What part of that is hard to understand?" Kira asked, the words colder than they would have been without the primus's influence.
Asanth lifted his head off his hand as watchfulness replaced his lazy expression.
Interesting. Kira had expected anger.
The anticipated explosion came from a different direction as Kashori's Overlord slammed a hand on the table in front of her. "Watch yourself, Roake."
Oh, right. Kashori's Overlord had lost a child in the Sorrowing too.
"No," Kira whispered.
The woman standing behind Asanth's Overlord bristled, her gaze training on Kira as one hand went to the weapon concealed in her synth armor.
Harlow held a hand out between Kira and the woman. "Easy, child."
Kira's gaze flicked in his direction. "You don't get to call me that anymore. I passed my adva ka."
Even by Tuann standards, she was considered a full adult.
"You will always be a child to me," Harlow returned.
Kira kept her soft snort to herself as Harlow stared Kashori and Asanth's Overlords down.
"We're here to discuss the connection between the attack on the adva ka and the subsequent revolt during the soul bound's trial," Harlow rumbled. "Not to rehash the fate of our lost children."
Asanth leaned back in his chair, crossing a foot over his knee to signal agreement. Kashori's nod was stiff as she drew herself upright.
A beat passed before Harlow settled himself into the only other empty chair at the table. Kira took up position behind his left shoulder. A sign of fealty and support.
Kira's attention snagged on Luatha's Overlord. A cousin from the maternal side of Kira's family. And the only other individual besides Harlow with a direct connection to Kira's bloodline.
Liara's expression seemed to ask if Kira was okay. Kira didn't react to the question as she looked away again, her glance bouncing off Roderick, her cousin's Marshal. The mood in the room shifted as the proceedings began.
"The emperor appreciates the Houses' interest in this matter," Eurus started.
"That's all very well and good, but Asanth is more interested in knowing how he plans to deal with these attacks," Asanth drawled.
Eurus inclined his head. "An investigation is already underway."
A rumble of dissatisfaction came from Kashori. "You already know who is responsible. House Votair."
"Yes, they do seem to be the instigators," Eurus agreed.
While he was talking, Kira's attention wandered around the table. She found it interesting—and a little concerning—that Danai's Overlord was missing. From what Harlow had mentioned, the Overlord had departed for his territory immediately after the events that had taken place during Jin's trial.
His absence could prove a problem. She wasn't certain how much he knew about Elena's connection to her—or if he'd been present when her niece was teleported into Tsavitee territory. The moments before—and directly after—had been chaotic. Kira didn't know who had been present or what information they'd managed to glean.
"We can't ignore the fact that the attack on the trial came at the hands of Tuann from different houses," Eurus continued.
Kashori sent him a distrustful look. "You can't believe that had anything to do with us."
Eurus' eyebrow lifted a minuscule amount as he focused his unsettling red eyes on the other Overlord.
Asanth propped his cheek on his hand with a bored expression. "Helena, let the man finish before you jump down his throat." The overlord gave Eurus a thin smile of warning to tread carefully. "Go on, Eurus. You were telling us how you think our Houses have rebelled against the emperor."
There was a long pause as Eurus met Asanth's hard gaze. "The facts speak for themselves. Members of several sub houses of Danai, Kashori, Asanth, and even Luatha participated in the insurrection. To say nothing of several minor houses who aren't represented here today."
Asanth shrugged. "Our House is massive. How are we expected to keep track of all the little sub houses in addition to our own members?"
Eurus's expression looked like it had been chiseled out of granite. "The major Houses have a long standing practice of using the minor and sub houses under their umbrella to exercise their will when—how should I put this—they wish to appear innocent."
Asanth and Eurus stared at each other. Asanth was the first to look away, his lip curling in a halfhearted sneer.
"Does anybody else find it suspicious that Roake is the only House missing from that list?" Helena asked.
One side of Harlow's lips twitched upwards in a microscopic smile that might as well have been a giant fuck you to Kashori's Overlord.
Helena's eyes widened in insult.
"Yes, well, Roake seems to have been alerted to the possibility of trouble and completed a top to bottom investigation of their House and all sub-houses in the months prior to the adva ka," Eurus said with a glance at Harlow.
"So nice of him to share that information with the rest of us," Asanth drawled.
Harlow's expression remained stoic as he held the other Overlord's gaze.
"Our intelligence suggests Luatha did the same," Eurus spoke, dispelling the rising tension.
"We thought it best to clean house given the way one of our own assisted in the Tsavitee gaining access to our home world. Though obviously, a few slipped through our net," Liara admitted with an unhappy expression.
The youngest Overlord present by decades, if not a century or more, Liara was tall and lithe with hair that seemed like it had been spun out of gold. Her eyes were a purer lilac color than Kira's.
"I'm beginning to think Luatha and Roake know something that the rest of us don't," Asanth's Overlord murmured.
Liara's expression cooled. "Don't blame us for your lack of attention, Castor. The warning signs were all there. It's not our fault you missed them."
Castor lifted his head slightly off his hand, his expression arrested as if Liara had surprised him.
Liara shifted her attention to Eurus. "With everything that's happened, I'm sure you didn't call us here to waste our time over who knew what, when. What is it the emperor requires?"
Eurus pondered her for a moment. "Access to your houses so we may complete a thorough investigation."
Murmurs of dissatisfaction ran through the representatives of the minor houses. Those powerful enough to have earned a spot in these proceedings.
"The emperor oversteps," someone shouted.
"Why should we submit to this?"
Kira listened with a frown. Were they really so blind that they couldn't see what was happening right in front of them?
"That’s not all," Liara guessed with a knowing look.
Eurus was statue still. "The current unrest in the galaxy and the repeated attacks on our territories has highlighted the need for a call to arms."
Cries broke out among the occupants.
"Four battalions from each of the major Houses," Eurus said, projecting his voice to carry over the growing objections. "Fifteen percent of the fighting force from the minor Houses. He believes a cohesive force will be necessary in the coming days."
Castor threw his head back, his roar of laughter silencing the Overlords of the minor Houses. "He asks this even though his own ranks aren't free of taint?" Castor's humor drained away to reveal a predatory expression. "If I recall, an inquisitor was the party responsible for giving House Votair's Overlord the tool he needed to isolate our young and make them vulnerable to attack."
Eurus's expression hardened the faintest bit, an almost unnoticeable change that Kira would have missed if this was her first time meeting the emperor's Face. "Jarek's trust in a former companion was misplaced. He will be punished for the oversight."
Castor's lip curled. "I do hope so. Asanth was lucky not to lose any of our members, but other Houses weren't as blessed. Jarek's fate should be given to them to decide."
"Jarek and the inquisitors fall under my purview. His punishment is mine to mete out."
Nothing about Eurus betrayed his anger. But it was there. Slithering through the room. Making it hard to breathe.
Everyone felt it, going very still.
Helena leaned forward. "Kashori supports Asanth's stance. This is bigger than just you. His actions contributed to a large loss of life. Moreover, a creature that the Tuann haven't encountered since we were enslaved by the old masters was used to bring harm to our Houses. That alone should buy him the maximum punishment possible."
Eurus's anger vanished, subsumed under an icy mask as he regarded the Overlords. "Jarek's actions do not meet the threshold for exile. While he showed poor judgment in the object of his trust, the act of lending a badge to an Overlord in the course of one's duties is not without precedent. He did not act in poor faith nor was his intention for his emblem to be used in that fashion. For that reason, I have revoked his authority until he can prove himself worthy again."
Helena looked dissatisfied at that response. Castor was a more difficult read, his expression giving no hint of his thoughts.
"The timing of all this is extremely convenient, don't you think? These conspiracies all coming to light right after Roake's heir re-appeared." Castor's gaze landed on Kira. "Almost as if someone planned it."
Kira regarded Asanth's Overlord with a blank stare. The accusation was expected. It was only natural to cast blame when the wolves were at the gates and the future uncertain. She was the perfect target as an outsider. Despite all Harlow's efforts, that's all she'd ever be to some of these people. An outcast. Little better than one of their wanderers.
"Careful, Asanth," Harlow rumbled.
Castor's gaze flicked to him. "I'm always careful."
Kira's head tilted, the same blank expression on her face. "Alexander is one of the most cunning and observant people I know. How can the Overlord of his House be so blind by comparison?"
Castor's expression froze as Harlow sighed.
Kira continued as if unaware of how thin the ice under her feet had grown. "One only needs to look to the Sorrowing to realize the extent of the rot in your Houses. How many children need to be taken before you wake up and see what's right in front of your eyes?"
There were several indrawn breaths from around the table. The Sorrowing was one of the worst moments in Tuann history. A time when countless children were stolen by unknown perpetrators. They now knew the Tsavitee and their masters were behind it, but that didn't change the fact that many Tuann were complicit in the abductions.
Whether the Houses wanted to acknowledge that or not.
"You dare," Helena snarled.
"I do." Kira's smile didn't reach her eyes. "You'd be surprised at what I'd dare."
Castor's face had gone expressionless.
Harlow shifted forward, taking the focus off Kira as he turned toward Eurus. "You have a prisoner in your possession."
Eurus dipped his chin in acknowledgment. "The general. Yes. He's been most uncommunicative."
"Roake would like access to him."
Eurus's gaze drifted in Kira's direction. No doubt realizing the source of this request. "I'm afraid that's not possible."
Kira made an abortive movement before forcing herself to still. A part of her refused to believe that the emperor would be willing to walk away from his son. Soul bound though Jin might be. He never made it obvious, but his love was there. Hidden but tangible.
This had to be a game of some sort. One of his many schemes.
Harlow had been right earlier. The emperor was impossible to predict.
"Roake is the only reason you retain custody of that prisoner," she told the emperor's Face.
If not for Kira's intervention, the Tuann wouldn't have a prisoner at all.
"Be that as it may, we're on the cusp of war and the general is a critical asset. His visitors are being carefully screened so as to prevent another prison break. I hope you understand."
Oh, Kira did. All too well.
They planned to hoard any knowledge Aeron might impart like dragons would gold. Was it because the emperor didn't trust that she could keep her shit together long enough to rescue his son that he was denying her access? Or was it because he was afraid she'd somehow interfere with whatever plans he'd made?
In the end, it didn't matter. He'd just made himself another obstacle she needed to overcome.
"Luatha will answer the emperor's call," Liara interjected into the tense silence that followed.
Kira and Eurus glanced in her direction.
Liara lifted her chin. "Although my House isn't militarily inclined, we'll do our part."
"That's all the emperor asks."
Kira's hands clenched, her fingernails biting into her palms as anger strangled her. The primus turned underneath her skin, its agitation adding to her own. It demanded action. That if Eurus and the emperor didn't want to cooperate, they would take the general for themselves.
If a few people were bloodied in the endeavor, so be it.
Kira's muscles locked, her struggle for control harder than it should have been as sweat dotted her forehead. A bloodbath wouldn't win her friends or allies. Eurus couldn't give in to her request if she ripped him in half.
Not to mention Helena and Castor's presence. Both of whom were rumored to have primus's of their own.
One—she might be able to take. Two? Not likely.
Throw in Harlow and the emperor's oshota rimming the room, none of whom were likely to allow her rampage to go unobstructed.
She had to be smart. Cunning.
Too bad Jin wasn't here to take her focus off things. He'd have had the perfect quip to defuse her primus.
Just when Kira had started to regain control, Harlow's words destroyed it again.
"Roake will answer the call as well."
"No." Kira's denial burst out before she could give conscious thought as she moved to her uncle's side, looming over him in a manner she knew was threatening. "That's not what you promised."
"Later, niece. This isn't the time or place."
"Oh my, Roake's heir seems a little out of control," Castor murmured in amusement. "This is why it's so important that only the truly mature be allowed to undertake the adva ka."
"You promised those battalions to me," Kira argued, ignoring the comment as she glared at her uncle's face.
Four battalions were a sizable chunk of Roake's forces. While Roake's warriors were considered the best, they also numbered the fewest. Her uncle couldn't answer the emperor's call, maintain the House's borders, and also assist in Kira's rescue operation.
Something had to give. From the way he was acting, it would be her.
"Kira," Liara cautioned.
"I know what I promised, but Roake's duties can't be shirked. If you had grown up properly in a House, you would understand that."
The harsh words left Kira blinking as unexpected hurt squeezed her ribs. "Watch yourself, old man."
Harlow finally deigned to look at her. "I'm not the one acting like a petulant child."
Chairs scraped against the ground as those in the immediate vicinity evacuated.
Color leached out of Kira's skin as violet symbols etched themselves over every inch of her body, their meaning arcane and only understandable to the very oldest and well learned of the Tuann. Her primus peered through her eyes.
"Kira, calm," Liara urged from the other side of the table. "You won't help matters by losing control."
Kira was too far gone to listen, the desolation and sorrow she'd been suppressing spilling out as her voice took on the echo of her primus. "You will keep your word."
"I have given you a lot of leeway in consideration of the extenuating circumstances." Harlow rose from his chair to face Kira. "Perhaps that was a mistake and you need to be forcefully taught your place."
Kira bared razor sharp teeth. He could try.
Harlow beckoned her with a flick of his fingers. That bubble of anger expanding in her chest burst. The last thread of her rationality snapped as Kira launched herself forward. Liara let out a cry of denial as Kira closed the distance between her and Harlow.
Her claws stretched for Harlow's neck.
A force struck her. The room spun as Kira was picked up and slammed down on the table. Her head cracked against it hard enough that she blacked out for a second. Before she could recover, her hands and feet were bound.
"I apologize for my niece's behavior. It seems she's feeling out of sorts. Perhaps others were right that allowing her to embark on the adva ka was precipitous on my part."
