Of those, only one Kira could think of who would devote the time and effort to such an undertaking. It was not a person she wanted flying her ship.
*
Graydon watched Kira's hasty retreat, pondering what the conversation had revealed. Next to him, the shadows parted as Solal stepped away from the line of statues.
He joined Graydon. "She doesn't know who took the ship."
A “hmm” was Graydon's only response.
No, she didn't. Her moment of unguarded reaction had been brief. There and gone in an instant. Had he not spent time observing her and her mannerisms, he might have missed it. Because of that, she couldn't hide her surprise at the news of her ship's disappearance.
"What do you think it means?" Solal asked with a hint of a frown.
Graydon shook his head. "I don't know, but I think we need to find out."
ELEVEN
Kira approached her room at a quick clip. Jin had better be there. If he wasn’t, there were going to consequences—extreme ones.
She threw open her door and stepped inside, her mouth already opening on his name when she came to an abrupt stop.
The room was occupied—but not by the person she’d been hoping to find.
A woman in a long green dress straightened from where she was fiddling with Kira’s closet. Her half-done braid slipped over her shoulder.
Kira dropped into a defensive crouch. “What are you doing in my room?”
Thoughts of assassins raced through her mind as she tensed.
Finn was beside her in the next moment, holding his arm in front of her. “Wait.”
Disgruntled and still slightly off-balance from finding a stranger going through her things, Kira straightened. She wasn’t happy about his order, but she also knew he wouldn’t put her in danger on purpose.
She’d trust his judgment. For now.
Finn dipped into a short bow. “Lady Odelia, we thank you for your kindness.”
There was a frown on Kira’s face as she gazed between the two. Of all things she’d expected Finn to say, that wasn’t it.
Her gaze caught on the half-opened drawers of her dresser, a stack of shirts neatly folded inside. Kira’s eyes narrowed. She’d only had one clean shirt left this morning and had thought she’d have to find somewhere to wash the few clothes that had appeared in her dresser.
Now, it appeared, she wouldn’t have to.
“You’re the reason new clothes keep appearing,” Kira said slowly.
It was the only obvious explanation. The woman wasn’t a warrior, and Kira doubted she was a cleverly disguised assassin. Most assassins Kira knew didn’t first provide a new wardrobe for their targets.
A tentative smile crossed the stranger’s face. “Along with a few others.”
Kira tapped her fingers against her thigh as she studied the woman. “Why?”
This woman didn’t know Kira. They’d never met before. There was no reason Kira could see for her to go to such lengths.
“Your oshota made it clear you had little. This was something we could do for you,” Odelia said.
Kira frowned. “What happened to no one being able to help me during this process?”
Odelia’s face softened. “There are many ways to help someone that don’t involve breaking the rules. We found one that allowed us to provide a needed service to you.”
Kira released a long breath, sneaking a look at Finn’s face. The oshota had relaxed, his expression almost kind—or as kind as it ever got.
“You know I’m not the child you lost, right?” Kira finally said.
Rather than take offense, Odelia smiled and dipped her chin. “I do, and so do the others. That’s not what this is about. Not entirely.”
Kira folded her arms and leaned against the doorframe. “Then what?”
Odelia was quiet for several seconds as she considered. Her expression was serene and kind when she said, “You’re not our child, but if you were, we’d hope someone would do the same for them.”
Kira had nothing to say to that. She had half expected recrimination for being the one to survive or a fawning clinginess that couldn’t help but demand something from her.
Not this. Something so simple and done without any expectation of return. If Kira hadn’t blundered into the room when she did, she likely wouldn’t have ever met the woman who had made sure her time in Roake was a little more comfortable.
Kira could survive without clean clothes. However, it would be uncomfortable and likely have led to conflict with her fellow initiates.
No one wanted to be known as “the stinky soldier”.
When Kira didn’t say anything, Odelia took that as her leave and dipped her chin, grabbing the small bag she’d brought from the bed.
Kira moved to the side, letting Odelia skirt past her.
“Odelia,” Kira said at last.
It was tempting to let the Roake woman walk out without saying anything. Kira couldn’t do that. Kindness deserved to be acknowledged.
Odelia paused and looked over her shoulder.
“Thanks.” Kira tipped her head toward the wardrobe filled with clean clothes. “For this and everything. It was a kindness I didn’t anticipate.”
The woman’s smile transformed her face, banishing the weary grief that seemed embedded in every line of her face. “You’ll find Roake is full of such things if you look hard enough.”
Kira was beginning to see that. Now, if only she could convince herself she was deserving of such regard.
*
The unmistakable feeling of being watched pulled Kira from a fitful sleep of being chased by a terrifying shadow. Her eyes fluttered open, adrenaline flooding her as she caught sight of an indistinct shape lurking over her.
Her body reacted without thought. She grabbed a pillow, flinging it at the shape.
Jin darted out of the way, making a strangled sound of protest as the pillow barely missed him.
"What the hell, Kira?" he asked in outrage. "That's not how you're supposed to greet friends."
Kira didn't think, grabbing another pillow and sending it his way.
He dodged that one too. "Are we playing that game again?"
Her glare could have incinerated him. "Don't even think about it."
Jin must have judged her serious because the object he'd levitated using his antigravs dropped to the small desk in the corner. "Spoilsport."
"Where have you been?" Kira demanded.
When she'd returned to the room after her conversation with Graydon, Jin had been nowhere to be seen. Rather than set off on a fruitless search, she'd settled into wait. That had been hours ago.
"If I tell you, you're not going to be happy."
Her smile was icy. "I'm already unhappy."
There wasn't much he could do or say to make it worse.
"You know that place they called the Nexus on Ta Da'an?" Jin started.
Correction. She was wrong. Things really could get worse.
"What did you do?"
"I thought knowing where such a place was could come in handy if we needed it," he said.
Kira closed her eyes.
This was her fault. Jin wasn't equipped to handle boredom. She should have seen the signs. Maybe then she could have prevented this.