up the rare times she was in port.
Unfortunately, the Tuann military were virtually unbeatable, and they were one of the few races to have held the Tsavitee off for longer than humans had been in space.
"You would risk war with the Tuann," Graydon said, a silky threat in his voice.
Himoto's smile was humorless. "I guess that depends on you."
Graydon looked at him carefully, as if Himoto had suddenly transformed from a gentle bunny into a spitting snake.
Kira was familiar with the feeling. Himoto possessed the rare gift of getting people to see him as almost harmless, while he manipulated them onto the path he wanted. He'd done it to her enough times in the past she could sometimes see the signs coming. Unfortunately, this wasn’t one of them.
Seeing he had Graydon's attention, Himoto said, "Now, let's go somewhere we can all talk and you can tell us exactly what you see in Kira's future and what it will mean for her."
Though the words were polite, his expression indicated he wasn't going to bend on this point.
Graydon inclined his head, just the slightest bit, his gaze flicking to Kira's in a penetrating stare before he turned away, snapping orders at his people.
"Kira," Himoto said expectantly.
Kira hesitated, the inescapable feeling her life was about to be changed irrevocably yet again, swamping her.
She glanced at the Wanderer. "If you're really planning to let them take me, I could use some things from my ship."
Himoto watched her, his gaze assessing. "Of course."
Kira turned toward the airlock with a sense of relief.
"I'll accompany you. I would like to see the inside of the place you called home," he said idly.
She glanced at him, noticing she had Graydon's attention again. His head cocked. "I would like to see as well."
"If I said no?" she challenged.
Graydon's smiled at her for the first time. It lacked anything resembling friendliness. It was a challenge, pure and simple. "You're not stepping foot anywhere on this station without one of us by your side."
Something in her rebelled at letting these strangers into her space.
Kira's gaze slid to the Wanderer again. Her home. The place where the most dangerous of her secrets resided.
She came to a decision. It wasn't worth the risk. What was inside could wait for her return. She didn't want either man having a look around. Himoto had a way of ferreting out secrets she preferred remain hers, and Graydon unsettled her on some deep level.
She started forward, walking toward the two men and the lift behind them.
"Your ship?" Himoto inquired.
"Never mind. I'm sure I can get my things later."
The sidelong look Himoto slid her way told her he knew why she'd decided against returning to her ship. To her surprise, he dipped his chin in a small nod and didn’t push before heading to the lift.
She hesitated, unable to help the slight note of challenge in her expression as she glared up at Graydon. His expression was blank as he stared at her before his lips quirked.
"After you, coli," he said.
She didn't respond as she moved on, the Tuann falling in around her until they flanked her, Jace and the rest bringing up the rear.
Her ship had better be in one piece when she returned to it.
CHAPTER SIX
Himoto stepped into a large conference room with floor to ceiling windows looking out into the cosmos. Stars glittered on a black carpet of night, a monochromatic counterpoint to the mostly white room. It left the viewer with the sensation as if they were standing on the very edge of space.
For some, the sight would be disconcerting, given the deceptive fragility the windows implied. Not for Kira, who found the illusion of space mere feet away oddly comforting.
It helped she knew the windows were constructed of material capable of withstanding all but a missile strike and were nearly as durable as the outer hull of the station.
In the middle of the room was a long table capable of seating twenty people. Fruit arranged in the bowls in the center gave the space a bright pop of color.
Himoto gestured for Graydon and Kira to take a seat. The rest of Graydon's people had chosen to wait in the hall, with the exception of the man who'd chased Kira through the honeycomb.
"Now that we're all here and calm," the last was a reminder for Kira. Himoto continued, "Let's see if we can get to the heart of this matter and find a satisfactory compromise for all parties."
Kira contained her snort. Unlikely. Unless any