Rules of Redemption (The Firebird Chronicles #1) - T.A. White Page 0,102

untangling her feet and swinging her feet out of the bed.

"Good job. Perhaps you can be of some use after all," Kira told Joule.

"Where are you going?" he asked with a frown.

"I need to find Liara and ask her what the fuck she thinks she's doing taking my friends into custody," Kira said.

Her feet touched the ground, the white sheath slithering until the hem touched her ankles. She plucked at the material. It was light and airy but had a silky sheen to it.

The dress fit well enough, and she didn't think she'd have to worry about modesty since it wasn’t see-through. It would do for now until she could find something better.

"The healer said to stay here. I promised her you wouldn't leave," Joule protested, hurrying after Kira as she left the room, her bare feet slapping against the stone.

"First thing to know, if you're going to hang around Kira for any length of time—she rarely does what she's told," Jin said, bringing up the rear.

Joule nodded, his face pensive.

He was probably wondering what exactly he had gotten himself into. She should have felt some sympathy for him, but she didn't. These were the kind of things you vetted before you made someone your mentor.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

In theory, Kira knew the general location of the Nexus from her tour with Finn where he’d referred to a certain direction of the Citadel as its heart. In reality, it was more difficult than she’d anticipated, to locate the Nexus.

The home of her mother's people was an insanely complicated jigsaw puzzle, almost impossible for strangers to navigate. Unlike human cities, where buildings were joined by streets and alleys, each one their own separate structure, the Citadel was one jumbled mass, lacking easily navigable pathways.

Each building wove in and around the next, making the concept of a first, second, and third floor obsolete. Instead, it had been constructed over many centuries, each building or tower added to the whole as it was needed, the trends and styles of the time influencing its design.

It forced Kira to tramp up and down, over and under, through doorways that doubled as windows, and hallways leading nowhere.

Its layout defied logic and reason, giving her a glimpse into the genius behind its construction. What she had at first assumed was indefensible was actually their greatest asset. The very confusion of the chaos that was the Citadel would make it impossible to corner its inhabitants as they flowed around their enemy using any one of the jumbled paths.

Unfortunately, it was almost impossible for a stranger to find their way. You were as likely to wind up on top of a roof as you were your intended destination.

Jin couldn't help her with Joule watching. It would have given away how much of the Citadel he'd mapped in his free time, an advantage that might come in handy, now that the Curs had been taken into custody.

It left Kira to find her way on her own. A frustrating exercise in futility.

About the third time she ventured past the same set of statues—Tuann clad in synth armor holding en-blades and staffs as they impassively stared out—Kira gave up.

She beckoned Joule from where he'd been following. "Where do we go?"

To his credit, he didn't gloat or point out how she should have listened to him in the first place. For that, Kira found herself liking him a little bit more.

"The Nexus is considered the seat of power for the House," he told her, his young face serious. "For that reason, they've designed the surroundings to disguise its location from enemies. In theory, this would allow time to evacuate the Overlord and her council if they ever felt the Citadel was lost."

It was a nice history lesson, but didn't tell her what she needed to know

"Does this mean you don't know?" she asked.

She was already turning to ask Jin to take over leading when Joule spoke up, his voice irritated. "I know. I was just explaining its significance, so you understand what you're up against. You won't succeed like this."

"How about you leave the method of entry to me and just get us there," Kira suggested.

His sigh was heavy. At that moment he seemed like any other teen she'd encountered, the weight of the world on his shoulders as he dealt with stubborn adults.

Joule took the lead and soon they were in a section of the Citadel Kira didn't recognize.

The walk did Kira good, calming some of the desperation and worry that had sent her