you had to do was say."
Kira's eyes widened as he threw the figurine at her. He pulsed once, then three of the daggers the oshota had been flinging about, turned and darted for Kira, one after another.
"Damn it, Jin," she spit out.
She caught one and flung it at him, doing the same with the other two. The figurine nearly beaned her in the head. She managed to stop it before sending it winging at him.
He chortled, having fun. The daggers she’d flung reversed direction as he added another, this one zipping from the belt at Graydon's side.
"Bet you can't beat me," he taunted.
"You're on, Tin Man," she returned, forgetting where they were for a moment.
The daggers flew back and forth, the movement a dance. Soon other objects entered the game as they both added whatever they could reach.
Kira caught a rock and chucked it back at him. The uneven shapes made the task more difficult.
Kira was conscious of the others giving them room, the cheers and boos as Graydon's soldiers urged them on.
Soon Kira was laughing as the items got more and more ridiculous. It didn't take long before it was impossible to keep up and she was forced to rely as much on instinct and blind luck to protect herself.
"Is that all you've got, Nixxy?"
"Some of us don't have the luxury of antigravs."
He blew a raspberry at her, no sign of stress in his voice. "Excuses, excuses."
She missed a grab, the item sailing past her.
"Score," Jin crowed.
The rest of the items dropped to the ground as he did a victory lap. Kira bent over, slightly winded.
"I don't think I've ever seen such a lively game," Graydon said mildly, looking around at the mess they'd made.
"Whoever is responsible for this place is going to be upset when they see this," Kira observed uneasily.
While a few items were broken, most of the rest were scratched.
She winced when Amila reached into the wreckage, pulling out one of her daggers.
"Sorry, Amila. We may have gotten a little overenthusiastic." It was habit. Neither one of them liked to let the other win.
Amila aimed a happy expression her way. "Don't be. That was fun to watch. I didn't know some of those human insults before. Flibberjibit was my favorite."
Kira snorted. "You probably won't hear them again. We tend to make things up when the mood strikes us."
A yawn cracked Kira's jaw.
"You're tired," Finn said. "The healing you received would have strained your normal resources. You should retire. They will clean up."
Kira didn't argue. The encounter with Graydon on the terrace, followed by the contest with Jin had left her feeling pleasantly drained for once. Exhaustion made his order more palatable than it would be otherwise. She had a feeling that soon it would be less of a decision and more of her falling unconscious at their feet.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
"This way," Ayela said, bowing her head diffidently as she led Kira along the hall. "We're late. Preparing you took longer than I anticipated."
Kira smiled at the subtle jab, meant to imply Kira's lack of attractiveness as the cause, given how hard the girl had to work to make her appealing.
Ayela had claws, delicate but sharp, nonetheless. Good for her.
Kira didn't move any faster, continuing at the same pace, despite the look of irritation the other woman shot her.
She didn't care. They'd get there soon enough. For now, she concentrated on not tripping over the long fabric of her dress.
The wave in her hair had been magnified and then woven with strings of precious metals.
The dress she'd been given to wear was fitted on top and through the waist, before falling in a graceful train behind her. It was diaphanous and floaty, except for the metal woven into the bodice and waist.
Excluding its length, it was surprisingly easy to move in since it was short in front, long in back. If she didn't turn too quickly or forget about the excess she was dragging, she'd be fine.
Secretly, Kira adored the way it drifted around her legs.
Ayela slowed her pace to accommodate Kira, her expression wiped clear of any irritation.
Jin rotated his eye to Kira and blinked once, as if to ask if she was picking up on their guide's impatience too.
She nodded.
"You helped with the children yesterday?"
Ayela nodded.
"And today you're helping me with my dress. You must be very talented," Kira said.
"I don't contain enough soul's breath to have a specialty, lady." Ayela’s voice was soft and unassuming. "I go where there is need. Since I am one