Threshold of Annihilation (The Firebird Chronicles #3) - T.A. White Page 0,150
too much for this chance. No one knew Elise better than her.
The Haldeel looked from her to Finn. "Only one inside at a time."
Kira shook her head at Finn as he opened his mouth to protest. "It's fine. Stay here."
Finn's frown was grumpy.
It was clear her assurances didn't hold much weight with him. Considering the last two times she'd said something to that effect had ended with her life in danger, she could see why he thought that way.
Undeterred, Kira pointed at the viewing window. "You can watch me from there. As you can see, there are no exits except for this door. The likelihood of me finding trouble is practically nonexistent."
"I've heard that before."
"You're much too handsome to be so suspicious," she said.
"I wonder if Graydon would think the same."
Kira's mouth dropped as she sputtered. "What does he have to do with this?"
Finn sent her a look as he made his way over to the viewing window. "You forget I stand guard outside your room."
Kira made a strangled sound as Jin reacted like he'd been touched with electricity.
"Say what? Did something happen that you forgot to tell me about?"
"Nope." Kira shook her head in denial. "Not at all."
Before Jin could fixate, Kira faced the Haldeel and pointed at Jin. "It's fine if he comes with me, right?"
The guard hesitated, glancing at Alexander to ask permission. Receiving it, he stepped to the side and opened the door.
"You only have a few minutes," he informed her.
Kira didn't answer, her attention already on the woman inside.
"Her biorhythms are consistent with Elise's," Jin said, using the comms so the woman wouldn't hear.
His words woke her out of her daze. Kira slowly made her way over to the table and took a seat.
Elise's gaze followed her the entire way.
A less suspicious person might have assumed the woman was feeling the same cocktail of emotions as Kira.
Unfortunately, Kira's rose-colored glasses were destroyed long ago.
"You've come all this way. Aren't you going to say anything?" the Elise lookalike asked when Kira didn't speak.
"Do you recognize me?" Kira asked through numb lips.
A pang of recognition went through her at Elise's crooked smile.
"It hasn't been that long," Elise said.
"Thirteen years."
"Twelve and four months." Elise winked. "But who's counting?"
"Why are you here?" Kira asked, not letting herself get pulled into the other's pace.
"I missed you."
"You have a funny way of showing it."
Elise flicked a dismissive hand. "You can't blame me for that. I knew you'd save them. You always do."
Instead of the expected anger, Kira felt herself relax. "I'll give you this. You almost had me fooled."
Elise watched her carefully. "You think I'm a fake."
"I don't just think. I know. You wear her face and have her mannerisms, but you're not her."
Kira stood and made her way over to the door.
"Red balloon."
Kira froze as Elise sent her a coquettish look.
"Do I have your attention now?"
Kira didn’t answer, feeling rooted to the spot, her chest tight and her gaze unseeing.
"Not enough?" Elise tapped her chin. "Then how about the hawk jumped over the crow.”
Kira flinched.
“Still think I'm fake?” Elise asked.
Feeling like she was in a nightmare, Kira took in the woman who knew things only Elise would.
If it was just one code, Kira could have passed it off as coincidence. Everyone had a breaking point, and Elise had been in Tsavitee hands for over a decade.
It was a given she would have broken under the torture.
That's why she and Elise had come up with the second code. It was supposed to be a failsafe.
"You're really Elise," Kira said through numb lips.
"Bingo. You're finally getting it."
"Where have you been all this time?" Jin asked, speaking aloud for the first time.
"Tin Man, it's been so long, and that's the first question you're asking?" Elise made a tsking sound. "Where's the outpouring of relief and happiness? If I didn't know better, I'd think you'd both be happier if I were dead."
Kira and Jin didn’t respond as they stared at Elise like they had seen a ghost.
"Why don't you and Nixxy have a seat so we can have a proper reunion?" Elise invited as she tilted her head at the seat across from her.
Her wrists were locked to the table with force cuffs preventing any movement in her arms.
"Kira," Jin started.
"I know."
Elise looked between the two of them with a small smile playing on her lips. "I missed this—the way you two can have an entire conversation with a few words. I always thought it meant you had an otherworldly connection."