Threshold of Annihilation (The Firebird Chronicles #3) - T.A. White Page 0,89
the time.
Raider let the oshota drop. "The sound of his voice offended me."
Kira looked at the man Raider had beaten half unconscious. He'd certainly solved that problem, hadn't he?
Raider straightened, looking neither left nor right as he stalked out of the now silent room. The oshota from the beaten man's House looked green as if they wanted to challenge Raider but were too afraid of House Roake's oshota to do so.
Elena bumped Kira's arm. "That was unexpected."
"You think so?” Kira shook her head. “I don't.”
Elena peered up at her with a frown.
Kira slung an arm around her niece's shoulders. "He did what I was about to do."
Elena's confused expression cleared somewhat as she cast a yearning glance in the direction Raider had disappeared in. "You mean he did that for me?"
Kira playfully pushed her head away. "He certainly didn't do it for me."
Elena didn't look entirely convinced, but Kira didn't push. Elena needed to arrive at her own conclusions about Raider's behavior.
She tilted her head at Wren, changing the subject. "What do you think of him?"
Elena narrowed her eyes at the man in question. Noticing her actions, Wren stared calmly at her.
"He'd be a difficult opponent," Elena finally said. "Defeating him would be hard but not impossible for you."
Maksym overheard and made a muffled sound. Next, his shoulders started shaking as Zoella stared at Elena as if she were some odd being from another dimension.
Only Auralyn took the girl's words in stride, not reacting beyond a faint lowering of her eyelids.
Kira coughed. That wasn't what she'd meant, though she supposed it wasn't really a surprise given the type of training she normally subjected Elena to.
Wren's eyes narrowed on Kira. "Follow."
Elena frowned. "He's very authoritative. I’m not sure I like it."
Kira grimaced and patted Elena's shoulder. "Let's leave that aside for now. Stay close and don't go looking for trouble again."
Elena jerked her thumb at Ziva and Joule. "Mind if I show the little sister a few moves?"
Ziva brightened, looking like Elena had handed her a gift of unparalleled worth. In the face of such excitement, Kira didn't have the heart to deny her.
Even Joule seemed eager.
Kira hesitated before nodding uneasily. Why did she have a feeling this was going to bite her on the ass later?
*
Wren's back faced Kira as he helped himself to a drink of keeva.
Kira was content to wait, letting the silence that had descended during their trip to his private quarters linger.
His surroundings suited his personality.
There was very little clutter to be seen. What furniture there was, was simplistic and minimal. A black coffee table separated a couch and two armchairs.
Though the walls lacked artwork, the space was saved from being austere by the addition of an elegant white rug against dark floors that matched the dark ceiling.
The windows leading out to the balcony added texture and warmth to what would have been an otherwise cold room.
"Do you remember what you told me when I was dying?" Wren paused with his drink halfway to his lips.
Kira froze.
Her silence didn't deter Wren. "You told me my daughter wasn't waiting for me on the other side. You said she was here and that if I wanted to see her, I would have to live."
Kira's gaze dropped. That was the gist of what she'd said.
In her defense, she'd hoped her words would keep Wren alive. In that moment, she'd felt his willingness to slip gently into death and thought it a shame.
It had led to some unwise revelations on her part.
If the forty-three found out, forget about saving Elise, Kira doubted she would be able to save herself. She'd broken the taboo.
Kira's only choice was to bluff. "Did I? Fear has a habit of making you do impetuous things. Who can say for sure what I said then?"
She'd hoped with Wren being so close to death, he would doubt his memory—if he remembered at all. As was always the case, Kira's luck wasn't that good.
"Is Elena my grandchild?" Wren asked.
There it was. A frontal attack as befitting a man like Wren.
"How would you like me to answer that?" Kira asked carefully.
"The truth would be nice.”
Kira's smile was fleeting and didn't reach her eyes. "If I tell you yes, will you love and protect her with all the fierceness you couldn't give to your daughter?"
Wren's eyebrows lowered.
"And what will you do if you ever find evidence she has a little bit extra to her?"
Wren's eyes went cold as he picked up on her insinuation.