your three o'clock," Jin murmured.
Finn sped into the clearing, freezing at the sight. A second later, he aimed an accusing glare at Kira.
Her gaze slid away. "I can explain.”
Finn's expression didn't shift.
Without hesitation, Kira pointed at Jin. "It's all his fault."
Jin protested.
Kira shrugged at him. "It really is."
"Some friend you are," he shot back.
"In situations like these, it's every person for themselves."
"I'll remember this," he muttered.
"You should. It's your rule."
The leader walked forward, interrupting. "You're going to need to come with us while we sort this out. “
Kira moved slowly, careful not to startle the Haldeel as she withdrew her blade and set it on the ground.
"He needs to come too." The Haldeel indicated Jin.
Reluctantly, Kira nodded. "J1N, power down."
Although Jin would give the appearance of shutting down, in reality he would still maintain full control, aware of everything going on around him.
"I appreciate your cooperation," the leader said.
The Haldeel beside him shifted. "Za, I'm still sensing an energy output."
Kira cursed internally. She’d hoped they wouldn’t pick up on that.
"Jin has backup systems. That's probably what you're sensing.”
Kira held her breath, waiting as the Haldeel consulted each other.
An entire conversation passed without a word being exchanged.
At last, a Haldeel with cobalt markings withdrew a device from a pocket. A buzz invaded her mind seconds before a wall slammed between her and Jin.
The place Jin occupied in her psyche went dark.
Kira flinched, horror and fear rising.
"What did you do?" Kira demanded harshly.
Finn advanced on her, a warning in his face telling her to remain calm.
"Nothing permanent," the leader assured her. "We erected a field around your drone so that its energy output could not affect its surroundings. In the event you are deceiving us and he didn't power down, the field will make any attempts to move impossible."
"He's not damaged, then?" Kira asked, unable to keep the note of fear out of her voice.
The leader inclined his head. "He is not."
For the first time since Jin's presence had disappeared, Kira drew a full breath. She could handle that. As long as she knew it wasn't permanent.
She closed her eyes, concentrating.
Once again, she butted up against that invisible wall. Her mental state trembled.
With an iron will, she gathered herself. He was there. It was faint, almost impossible to register, but it was him.
Kira opened her eyes and nodded. "How does this work? Will there be handcuffs?"
The Haldeel leader considered her with patience. "As long as you don't have intent to bring harm to others or yourself, I think we can forgo such extreme measures."
Kira stared at him. "That's rather nice of you."
Much nicer than the methods that usually greeted her in a situation like this.
The Haldeel’s smile was faint as he stepped to the side and gestured for her to join him as his companion moved forward to retrieve Jin.
Finn shot the Haldeel a challenging look. "I'm going too."
The Haldeel leader's lips twitched. "That is acceptable. I suspect before this is over it'll be us who owe you the apology."
Kira contained her snort. That would be a first.
ELEVEN
A VEIN JUMPED in Finn’s temple as he fell into step beside her. "Next time, I would very much like to be apprised before you do something death-defying."
"Why? You think you can stop me?"
His eyes narrowed to slits. "No, so I can mentally prepare."
"Aren't these kinds of things better as a surprise?"
In his place, she'd rather not have advance notice when the person she'd vowed to protect did something dangerous.
There was a crack in Finn's facade, exposing the boiling anger seething beneath the surface. "No, it isn't."
Kira shrugged. "Suit yourself."
It wasn't like Kira planned this. There was no way she could have known Jin would return with a swarm of shriekers. If she had, she would definitely have invited Finn to the party.
Partners did things like that. They shared in their brushes with death.
“Why were you so late?” Kira asked, eyeing him.
No way did she believe he hadn’t heard the fight. Shriekers weren’t exactly quiet during a hunt.
“I got hung up. It delayed my arrival,” Finn said in a tone that didn’t invite questions.
Kira lapsed into silence as the Haldeel marched them along the city streets, drawing stares as they passed. Kira spotted children she suspected of belonging to the orphanage. They watched with fascination before disappearing into the crowds around them.
At least, Selene would soon be apprised of Kira and Jin's survival.
Her hand brushed a spot of blood on her black jacket and drew a grimace.
Now she knew why everyone was so curious. It