wasn’t often the Haldeel escorted someone splattered with blood through the streets of the city.
The Haldeel turned right at the next intersection, toward the spaceport. Next, they took a left.
Kira was getting a sinking feeling that she knew where they were heading. A place she'd done her utmost to avoid. The Spire. Cultural center of the capital and currently a hotbed of political activity.
If Graydon was anywhere, that was where he'd be.
Her shoulders slumped. The destination made sense. After investigating what happened in the clearing, the Haldeel guards’ jobs would be a lot easier if they could immediately turn her over to the higher powers of her race.
Lovely. Just lovely.
Sure enough, soon, they passed the arches framing the avenue. Finn shot her a look that she ignored as marched over the still water, flowers submerged beneath its surface.
If Finn had been anyone else, perhaps someone less serious, there would have been a pep in his step. And why wouldn't there be? Finn was getting exactly what he wanted—Kira back in the bosom of their people.
The Haldeel leader glanced sideways at them. "You're both Tuann?"
"What gave it away?" Kira asked.
"Just a feeling."
The Haldeel’s lingering glance in Finn's direction told Kira exactly who was responsible for that feeling.
Turns out you could take the oshota out of the synth armor, but they'd still be oshota. It was in the way they moved, the hyper-awareness and sense of purpose they carried with them.
They stopped feet from where the avenue ended and a perfectly circular lake began. From its center, an imposing spire rose. At a distance, the spire appeared to be one structure, when it was actually three separate buildings that intertwined like lovers, yet never quite touched. A series of glass walkways connected the structures.
The rest of the city butted up against the lake's edges, surrounding the unexpected oasis of calm and serenity.
The Haldeel waited patiently as the glass-like surface of the lake began to froth. Out of the depths, small flat panels rose until they jutted millimeters out of the water. They interlocked, snapping together one after another.
The Haldeel leader didn't wait for it to finish assembling before he glided onto the pathway, leaving Kira and the rest to follow.
Kira stepped onto its surface, expecting it to be slippery. Surprisingly, it was not. The surface had already dried in the short time since it had risen from the lake. A good thing, too, since there weren't exactly railings to prevent her from sliding off.
The gentle waves caused by the walkway’s rise subsided, allowing glimpses of several silvery fish the length of her leg. They darted beneath a wide-leafed plant that looked like the bastard cousin of a lily pad.
"I would advise not falling in," the leader said without turning around. "The lake is filled with the buka. They have very sharp teeth and consider Tuann and human flesh a delicacy."
Kira's footsteps slowed. "You surrounded your cultural center with a moat and filled it with carnivorous fish?"
Talk about sending a mixed message.
Kind of like saying "Look at the beautiful things we can create—but beware, our pets might eat you."
No wonder the Tuann were willing to play nice with the Haldeel.
"The buka are beautiful. Why would we deprive our guests of their grace?" This time the Haldeel aimed a wide smile at Kira, flashing the sharp, serrated teeth of a predator. "Besides, they're quite tasty."
Kira nodded, feeling like the entire conversation was a bit surreal. "Practical."
But Kira wouldn't expect anything else from the Haldeel. There was a certain poetry in the way they chose to shape their surroundings. They chose beauty and then edged it with thorns.
The thought made her a bit nostalgic for Jin and the quip he would have made in this situation.
She didn't have time to dwell on the feeling as they reached the end of the walkway, passing through the base of the spire. The three structures surrounded them.
From a distance, the spire was impressive. It was even more so when you appreciated it from the worm's eye view.
"Wow," Kira breathed, looking up.
She felt like she was at the bottom of an intricate, twisting well, the sky high above.
She could have stayed right there for hours, soaking in the calm peace that seemed to radiate in this space.
The leader paused in front of a massive opening stretching two stories high. "You're very kind. This way, please."
Kira tore herself from the view, following the leader through the entrance. The building closed around her, muting the gentle sound of the outside world.
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