Kira chased after him, abandoning the hope of taking him by surprise.

  Between one step and the next, he disappeared from in front of her. Kira slowed at finding herself alone. No sign of the person she’d been pursuing.

  She turned in a circle, unable to make sense of it.

  There was only one direction in this tunnel and that was forward.

  She wasn’t so slow as to have fallen behind. Nor had she passed him.

  So where had he gone?

  Kira considered her options. There were really only two. Continue forward and hope he was still ahead of her—or backtrack to search the tunnel she’d already traveled.

  A pulse of warmth and welcome decided her. The summons from earlier repeated, this time a little stronger and more insistent.

  “Guess I know which choice the Mea’Ave wants me to make,“ Kira muttered. “Awesome idea, Phoenix. Pursue a possible Tsavitee co-conspirator into a mysterious tunnel that leads who knows where. That can’t go wrong. Not. At. All.”

  Waves of ki buffeted Kira as she approached a room. The only room she’d found in this tunnel. Those waves punched her in the face. Metaphorically speaking.

  It was like stepping into a gelatinous mass. Piping hot. The abundance of ki almost scalding.

  Breathing was difficult.

  Worse was the sensation of her ribs compressing. As if a fist had wrapped around her body, squeezing tighter with each step she took.

  “I should have stayed with Bayside and the others,” Kira complained.

  She inched forward another step, finally crossing the threshold to stand in the room beyond.

  A soft glow emanated from the underground lake. A raised platform and dais existed in the center of that lake. A sphere filled with a kaleidoscope of shifting colors and symbols hovered over the dais.

  It was difficult to see details, the light coming off the sphere too intense.

  A stone walkway extended over the water to the platform. Seeing it, she made her way over to it.

  “Chase a bad guy. Complete a rite of passage,” Kira mocked herself as she stepped onto the stone path.

  Kira was halfway across the bridge before she realized she wasn’t alone.

  Hidden by the light coming off the sphere, the wanderer regarded her carefully. “I’m not your enemy. This isn’t what it seems.”

  Kira looked him over carefully. “I don’t know about that.”

  From where she stood, there wasn’t a lot of room for interpretation. Why else would he have taken the opportunity to come here when everyone else was preoccupied by the attack?

  “You should listen to him, pippy bunny,” a soft voice said from behind Kira on the bridge. “He’s not lying to you.”

  Everything in Kira stilled at the familiar name. A name only one person in this world knew.

  “Elise.”

  But when Kira glanced behind her, it wasn’t Elise’s face that she found.

  The initiate from Asanth smiled at her.

  It was a smile Kira had seen countless times. The way the corners of her eyes crinkled. The slight crookedness as one side of her lips tilted up a little more than the other. Strange to see the smile she knew on a face she didn’t.

  Asanth spread her arms and turned. “Do you like it? I had to change things up a bit considering how recognizable my face has become.”

  “It’s heinous. Take it off.”

  Elise’s arms dropped, her features transforming in a slow process to the ones Kira was more familiar with. “Always so serious.”

  Kira was careful to keep the wanderer in sight out of the corner of her eye as she moved backward onto the platform and toward the light sphere to avoid being trapped between the two.

  “Are you the one I have to thank for the face changers?” Kira’s voice was flat.

  “Yes—and no,” Elise confessed.

  Kira made a pained sound.

  “Don’t look at me like that,” Elise pleaded.

  Kira felt lightheaded. “What have you done?”

  She’d risked so many lives. People had died. This wasn’t the type of thing Kira could overlook or brush aside.

  “They’re fine. You saved them; just like I knew you would.”

  Kira gave Elise a wide-eyed look that held a touch of the hysterical. “Not everyone!”

  “That is regrettable, but I didn’t have a lot of choice. My cover had to be maintained.”

  “That’s your excuse?” Kira nearly roared.

  Elise’s shoulders rose as she took a deep breath, the gesture the same as the one she used when she was reaching for patience.

  “The Tsavitee’s masters aren’t a fan of disappointment. After my failure to procure Jin on Jettie, they decided I needed a reminder of my place.” Elise nodded at the sphere of light behind Kira. “I was given the choice of completing my original mission with the addendum of killing you or I could steal the lenacht and leave you a few gifts in the process.“ The look in Elise’s eyes hardened. “Sacrifices sometimes need to be made. I’m not happy about that fact, but in a tossup between you and Jin or some random Tuann, I would choose you two every time.”

  Kira had forgotten that about Elise. In some ways, the other woman was the most loyal person Kira knew. In others, she held a cold pragmatism that was chilling.

  To the Curs, Elise had given everything. Love. Affection. A willingness to sacrifice for their small family.

  To the rest she was stand offish and cold. Disregarding those who weren’t part of her circle as unimportant.

  Kira had seen it a thousand time. The abrupt reversal in personality when dealing with those Elise viewed as outsiders.

  It was nothing overt. To most, Elise would appear to treat those people with the same level of kindness and care she reserved for her friends. It was why they’d used her as their liaison with other units. Because she was capable of faking empathy better than Kira and Raider. But it was a superficial friendliness that didn’t extend past banal pleasantries.

  It was the reason behind many of their biggest fights. Kira couldn’t walk away from people in trouble whereas Elise would watch a person drown while never extending a helping hand.

  Something in Elise’s words made Kira stiffen. “You’re responsible for the bog’s hag being placed on the Wanderer’s hull, aren’t you?”

  It wasn’t just the face changers. There was more.

  Elise’s eyes were sad. “Not my idea. That was the work of another faction who wanted you either side lined or dead. Bonus if Ta Sa’Riel and all those on the planet had to go into isolation to prevent the bog’s hag from spreading to the rest of their empire.”

  “And the face changers. Why seed them in the initiates?” Kira asked.

  “Another distraction to keep you from noticing our movements. For the same reason they convinced House Votair to target your young friend. Not that it was hard. It seems their Overlord had a vendetta against the boy’s former House.”

  “Why?” Kira gritted out.

  “The generals thought if you were preoccupied by danger to those closest to you it would increase our chances of success. I knew better, of course.” Elise offered a small smile. “You are at your best when you have someone to protect.”

  Was Kira supposed to be flattered by Elise’s confidence in her? Because she wasn’t.

  “I like him by the way. Joule. He reminds me of Selene.”

  Kira’s primus moved under her skin at Elise’s nonchalance at everything that had happened. “You don’t even know what you’ve done. Devon was Jin’s brother. He nearly died because of those things. Not to mention the close call Raider had or the fact you put Elena in danger.”

  Was she so far gone that she didn’t see how inexcusable that was?

  It was small but Kira caught Elise’s flinch before the other lifted her chin. “I knew you would protect Raider and my daughter. While I regret the boy’s involvement, I stand by my earlier words. Between him and Jin, I will always choose the latter.”

  “Except you didn’t,” Kira snapped. “You misjudged. To save Devon, Jin outed himself as soul bound. Do you know what the Tuann might do to him because of that?”

  How could Elise not have thought of that? How could she not see how wrong all of this was?

  It felt like Kira was stuck in a dream. An awful nightmare from which there was no waking up.

  Calm descended.

  There was no use talking to Elise like this. They’d just go round and round in circles. She needed to take control of the situation. Later, she could get to the bottom of why Elise was so fixated on this course of action.

  Kira reached for her ki. A sharp zap of pain blocked the attempt as the vestiges of her soul’s breath scattered, sliding out of her grip before she could fully grasp it.

  Blood trickled out of her nose.

  Kira wobbled, fighting to remain standing after the backlash.

  Elise tsked. “I wouldn’t if I were you. You won’t be able to access your ki. This is the Mea’Ave’s domain.”

  Kira wiped away the blood with the back of her hand. “That’s regrettable.”

  If that was the case, she wouldn’t be able to use the akieri either. Knowing Elise, she’d have some sort of insurance. A weapon of some kind.

  Worse—she was as dangerous as Kira in her own way.

  Movement flickered in the darkness of the tunnel. Graydon slipped out of the shadows, a ghost as he nodded once at her before letting the shadows wrap around him to conceal his presence.

  Something in Kira settled at the knowledge she wasn’t alone. Backup had arrived. Though the situation was no less dangerous than it had been a moment ago.

  “Why are you doing this?” Kira asked as a distraction.

  Though her question was sincere. Elise had gone pretty far maintaining this cover of hers. To the extent of betraying her friends.

  Because make no mistake, that’s what this was. A betrayal.

  “I thought you would have figured that out by now.” Aeron’s voice bounced off the walls of the chamber, making it impossible to distinguish where he was standing.

  Everything in Kira tightened as she scanned her surroundings for signs of the general. She found none. Only an empty room, Aeron completely hidden from sight.

  Kira could only hope he’d missed Graydon’s arrival, but she wouldn’t hold her breath.

  Luck didn’t seem to be on her side today.

  “I told you to head for the transport already,” Elise said with a chiding sigh.

  The loving indulgence in her tone as she spoke to someone who should have been their enemy was just one more slap to the face.

  “I was curious to see how this would end. Does the Phoenix win or Sunshine?” Aeron drawled.

  The wanderer, quiet until now, shifted closer to the sphere.

  Elise’s gaze found him instantly. “I wouldn’t.”

  The wanderer froze.

  Kira took the opportunity to start toward Elise, only to come to an abrupt halt an instant later as Elise removed a hand from her pocket to point the Tsavitee weapon humans had dubbed the sleeper at Kira.

  “I’m sure I don’t have to explain what this is,” Elise said.

  No, she didn’t.

  Kira didn’t take her eyes off that device, a cold sweat breaking out along her neck and back.

  “Don’t worry. It won’t kill you,” Elise assured her.

  No, it’d just put her into a coma. The length of which no one could predict. Days. Years. Maybe decades.

  Then there were those who didn’t wake up at all. They just languished in sleep until their body finally failed, never once having opened their eyes again.

  “I didn’t want to have to use this. I know how much you lost during your long coma.”

  Kira forced herself not to react to Elise’s words. Though it was difficult. Excruciatingly so.

  There was nothing more she’d like than to cross the short distance between them and rip the sleeper out of Elise’s grip.

  She’d never make it in time.

  “I have to admit—you’ve found the one thing I’m actually terrified of.” Kira raised her hands slightly to show she wasn’t a threat.

  Then again, Elise had once known Kira better than anyone but Jin.

  She’d understand how much Kira feared losing years to a sleep she couldn’t wake from. To be trapped in her body as the days slid into months while she could do nothing but dream.

  Stupid, Kira. You should have attacked Elise the second she arrived. It was a mistake you might not get the chance to recover from.

  Elise gave her a regretful half smile. “I’ve been assured your coma this time won’t be as long as the previous one.”

  Was that supposed to be comforting?

  Elise chuckled at whatever expression she found on Kira’s face. “I’ve missed that about you. Your face always did reveal everything going on inside that mind of yours.”

  “You’ve known where I was all this time. You could have reached out to me anytime you wanted,” Kira pointed out.

  She hadn’t and that knowledge hurt.

  Was this how Raider felt when he learned Kira had hidden Elena from him? If so, it was a wonder his reaction hadn’t been more extreme.

  In his place, she didn’t think she’d have forgiven herself.

  Sadness replaced Elise’s smile. “Yes.”

  She didn’t argue. That was something at least.

  “Why didn’t you?”

  Elise must know how far Kira would go for her. To hell and back as the saying goes. Same for Raider. They would have done anything.

  “So many reasons.”

  Kira made a come-on gesture. “I’m listening.”

  Elise moved closer, watching the wanderer carefully as she did so. “Elena, for one. I needed you to protect my daughter. That would be difficult if you got involved.”

  Kira scoffed. “You’ll have to do better than that.”

  Elena was an excuse. Particularly since Kira couldn’t afford to be too visible in her life.

  “You could have gone to Raider,” Kira bit out. “He would have helped you.”

  Elise’s laugh held a touch of humor. “I love Raider. He is the light that kept my world from turning dark, but he’s a hard man. Do you really think he would have helped his enemy?”

  Point to Elise.

  “He might have. For you,” Kira argued.

  Elise hadn’t given him a chance to choose.

  “Would you have?”

  Kira’s jaw tightened. “We’ll never know now, will we?”

  “I suppose not,” Elise said, her expression bittersweet. “To be honest, a part of me didn’t want to taint you with the path I chose to walk. You and Raider were everything beautiful. I needed the illusion of something to come back to when this was over—even if that point never arrives.”

  A silence fell as the two stared at each other, the gulf between them seemingly so wide where once they’d been perfectly in step with the other.

  “Were you behind Rothchild?” Kira couldn’t stop the impulsive question. One she had no business asking with everything else going on. “Are you responsible for the Curs’ deaths?”

  Maybe there was a reason she and Jin had never been able to find the traitor. They’d been looking in the wrong place.

  A stricken expression filled Elise’s face. As if Kira just walked up to her and slapped her.

  “How can you ask me that? They were my family too!” For the first time, there was something of the old Elise in her voice. A hurt and pain that sounded so real. “I would have died for them. I was prepared to do exactly that.”

  Kira wanted to believe Elise. Wanted it like nothing she ever had before.

  “And yet somehow you’ve survived,” Kira forced herself to say, knowing how the words would flay the Elise she once knew. The one who had loved the Curs as much as she had.

  “Because—“ Elise cut herself off, her eyes closing as she reached for composure. When she opened them again, a different person looked back at Kira. Her emotions locked down and her features resolute. “The how and why of what happened is no longer important. You’ll have to look elsewhere if you’re looking for a traitor. That’s not why I’m here.”

  Elise finished crossing the bridge, stepping onto the platform as she tilted her head back to survey the sphere.

  At some point during their conversation, its glow had dimmed. The intensity of the light no longer as piercing. Enough for Kira to just barely make out the fact there was a creature inside. Its details indistinct. Like something emerging from a cocoon.

  Kira caught the impressions of wings and a tail before Elise set a hand against the sphere. She drew it back with a small yelp.

  “You are not worthy of the lenacht,“ the wanderer informed her.

  Elise shot him an irritated look as she shook out her hand. “Good thing I came prepared then.”

  She withdrew a device in the shape of a small cylinder from her pocket.

  From the way the wanderer stiffened, something like concern flashing across his face, Kira guessed whatever the device was, it wasn’t good for them.

  “It took the masters a long time to figure out how the Tuann escaped their control. They’d thought their slaves much too afraid to challenge their authority.” Elise busied herself twisting the rings on either end of the cylinder. “Those who remained suffered for that oversight. The masters punished them by trapping them in the forms of monsters, the generals you now know, and to make sure a rebellion would never happen again, they took their young as hostages.”

  Kira’s flinch made Elise’s lips twist.

  “That’s right, Nixxy. Children are taken from their parents the moment they’re born and placed in camps exactly like the one we grew up in.”

  A seam appeared on the cylinder, the line running lengthwise as lights lit up on either end.

  “Every so often they make an example of one of those children as a warning against what will happen if the generals are anything but absolutely obedient.” Elise paused to look at Kira. “Imagine it—your children stolen from you. Tortured. Sometimes killed. What wouldn’t you do to stop that?”

  Kira was quiet in the face of Elise’s pain. Her former friend’s gaze distant as her mind turned inward.

  Kira shifted forward, stopping when Elise’s attention snapped to her. Any evidence of distraction gone as Elise gave her a knowing look.

 

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