Threshold of Annihilation (The Firebird Chronicles #3) - T.A. White Page 0,61

and Kira understood why. Humanity hadn't done anything for them. Throw in the fact there'd been several humans amid the Tuann and the Tsavitee in that place who were only too happy to hurt them, and it was easy to see why they wanted to exist apart.

When she realized the Tsavitee had Elise, she'd gone to them, thinking this was different. Elise was one of their own in a way she and Jin could never be.

She'd thought this time, they'd help.

Only they hadn't helped. They’d turned her away, leaving Elise in hell and Kira to struggle alone.

"Kira." There was a wealth of guilt and regret in that one statement.

Kira relented. "I know."

Selene was one of the few who’d disapproved of the verdict, but she had demands on her that couldn't be shirked. Too many small lives counted on her for protection for her to abandon them for any reason.

"How are the children?" Kira asked, extending a small olive branch. "Tommy and Grace look good."

A small huff came. Thin hands came up to part the veil, tucking it on top of the parasol’s brim. The heart-shaped face she revealed was a study in perfection, its beauty heightened by the fairy tale-esque setting. Deep, dark eyes that held a serene wisdom peered into Kira's. Over one shoulder a loose braid draped almost to Selene’s waist.

Like Kira's, Selene’s ears were docked, making her appear more human. The procedure had come much later than Kira's, happening long after her escape and shortly after arriving on Jettie. The more human-like appearance allowed her to blend and meant no one questioned her when she established her orphanage.

Lips painted a deep red parted in a grimace. "I wish they would stop begging."

Kira lifted a shoulder. "I don't blame them. Just because we never had treats doesn't mean they should go without."

"They'll draw attention to themselves."

Kira pretended to shudder. "Oh no, not that."

Selene’s frown was repressive. "All it takes is the wrong person noting their differences, and everything we've built will be gone."

Kira rolled her eyes, unable to argue. "Then buy them the treats yourself. Is it money? Do you need more?"

Kira wasn't exactly rolling in it, especially since she'd spent the last months not working, but she could figure something out.

"I hate the fact you get to be the cool aunt who sweeps in and spoils them," Selene said sourly.

Kira grinned. "No one told you to be a den mother."

The woman rolled her eyes.

Kira sobered. "How is the last batch of children I sent you?"

"About as expected." Seeing Kira's concern, she said, "They're adjusting."

The orphanage and the children hiding in plain sight within its doors were the real reason the woman couldn't involve herself in Kira's crusade. She protected the lost little foundlings Kira came across, providing them a safe harbor and ensuring those who'd hurt them would never find them. Some of the children in the woman's care were human. Most were not.

It was a carefully kept secret even from the rest of the forty-three who would not approve of their extracurricular activities.

"Why are you here anyway?" Selene asked. "You could have dropped Elena on the station and left."

Kira looked away, knowing the answer wasn't likely to win her any points.

The prolonged silence made the other woman's eyes narrow.

"We've found evidence Elise might be here," Kira finally said.

Anger built in Selene’s expression. "I thought you were done with that."

Had she really?

"You seem better," Selene explained in the face of Kira's skepticism. "You feel healthy again."

That caught Kira's attention. The woman understood the intricacies of the body much better than Kira did. Her use of her ki practically demanded that level of insight.

Most of what the forty-three did with their soul’s breath came to them naturally, in the same way moving a muscle would for a human.

If Selene sensed a difference, Kira could only believe she was right.

The treatments with the Tuann and her time near the Mea'Ave were working, restoring some of what had been lost.

"Can't you leave this alone?"

"You know I can't," Kira said. "I owe it to Elena and Elise."

Frustration flashed across Selene’s face. "You realize she won't be the woman you knew. If they got their tentacles into her mind, she's their creature now. Are you prepared for that?"

"If that's the case, I'll have a different kind of promise to keep."

Kira hoped it didn't come to that. The act of ending Elise might finish driving Kira over the abyss.

"I can't believe you brought this matter to my doorstep, knowing the lives I protect."