was betrayed by an expression that melded fear and shame.
Kira looked between the two of them. Her eyes landed on Tekkyn and grew wide in horror. “You did it?”
“Of course I didn’t do it!” Tekkyn roared, turning from them and running his hands through his hair. “I can’t believe I trusted you. This is what I get for trying to defend the tribes.” He retreated to the front of the wagon and sat on a crate, dropping his head into his hands.
Lee watched Tekkyn as if he were an angry hornet. “Sa’alu did it. We’ve become too friendly with the natives,” he said through gritted teeth. “Sa’alu’s unit has been killing people and framing tribesmen for house fires. That way, when the emperor declares war on the Alliance, the Navakovrae will definitely side with Malaan.”
Kira’s stomach dropped to her feet. “That’s ridiculous.” Did the Empire fear losing the allegiance of the Navakovrae that much?
She slowly turned on her older brother. “Tell me that’s not true.”
Tekkyn rubbed his temples. “I can’t stop it. I can’t stop any of it.”
Kira felt like a kite whose tether had just been snipped. As she floated away, the landscape shifted beneath her, and storm winds buffeted her. Thunderheads brewed in the distance.
Tears crowded Kira’s eyes even as she clenched her fists to prevent them. “Tekkyn . . .” His name clawed out of her throat. “What have you become?”
A sickening crack echoed through the trees as Tekkyn punched the wagon’s frame. The driver turned around and yelled until Tekkyn threw another rupero at him. “Wait here. I’ll triple your pay.” He stepped off the edge of the cart. “Lee, Kira, follow me.”
Kira watched Tekkyn’s armored back as he trudged down the road, muddying his silvered Malaano boots. Lee exchanged a loaded glance with her. It seemed neither of them knew where he was going or what he was doing.
But in that moment, Kira realized that she didn’t care. He wasn’t her brother anymore. He was helping the Empire get away with murder. He could keep walking until he fell off the edge of the map, and maybe it would be for the better.
I should have stayed with Ryon.
Lee hopped down from the cart and held a hand out for Kira. She watched it with a blank expression, took it just to acknowledge his rare show of chivalry, and landed in the mud. “Think your xavi can carry both of us?”
“Come here,” Tekkyn called. He stood further down the road like a war memorial. Solid. Intimidating. Cold.
“What do you want?” Lee yelled. “You’ve already shown your true colors.”
“No, but I’ll show them now.” Tekkyn crossed his arms. “I can’t stand the way you two are looking at me.”
Too late. Kira watched him with dead eyes. What can he possibly say? He’d stabbed her through the chest. Pulling the sword out wouldn’t help any.
But Lee followed Tekkyn, so Kira did likewise with her legs stiffening in resistance.
“The girl who was killed wasn’t a random target,” Tekkyn murmured as they approached, barely loud enough to be heard. “She was basically executed because she was a part of the Navakovrae Resistance.”
Kira blinked. There’s an actual resistance?
“What?” Lee looked like he’d been struck by lightning. “So it was okay to kill her because she didn’t like the Empire?”
“Of course not. I didn’t kill her—Sa’alu did.”
A curse lashed from Lee to Tekkyn like a whip. “While you stood there and watched? I should gut you—”
“I tried to save her, but I couldn’t stop it without blowing my cover and putting far more people in danger.” Tekkyn unfurled his arms. “I swear to you, I will kill Sa’alu for his crimes. And I will stop him from destroying Jadenvive.”
Kira’s head throbbed with a migraine. “You’re not making any sense.”
Lee was raging so hot beside Kira that she was surprised he didn’t have Tekkyn’s throat in his hands already. “If you lie to me one more time, I will—”
“No more lies. I will not lie to you again.” Tekkyn shifted his weight and glanced over their shoulders at the wagon behind them. “The truth is that I am a spy for the Navakovrae Resistance, and Dad is one of the Resistance leaders.”
The claim rang like a cracked bell in Kira’s ears. What? That was . . . well, maybe it wasn’t crazy, knowing their father. And the big brother she thought she’d known. But it sure was a convenient story for Tekkyn to tell to try and slide away from their wrath.