He handed her a handkerchief before moving off to corral his wayward mount.
"Thanks for the help," Kira told Graydon as she wiped at the snot on her face and hand. She grimaced as she pulled a hunk of hair forward. She'd need a shower to get it all off.
"I'm not stupid enough to get between an etair and something it finds interesting," Graydon said, looking entirely too amused at the disgust on Kira's face. "You should be honored. The etair are fickle beasts. That he let you pet him, a stranger to his House, confirms your lineage."
Kira paused in what she was doing, her forehead wrinkling. "How?"
Graydon gestured to the carriage. After a long moment of hesitation, Kira reluctantly moved toward it and settled herself carefully in the seat, not trusting the ooros pulling the carriage.
Graydon folded in beside her, his large shoulders taking up the majority of the space.
Jin hovered outside while the rest of Graydon's people took up positions around the carriage.
Graydon leaned over and conferred with Liont. "I think it’d be best if your people stay here or on the ship until I've had a chance to talk to the Luathan Overlord."
Liont's face got tight, but his nod was resigned. He reached up and shook Graydon's hand. “We’ll await your instructions.”
He and the rest stepped away. Liont knelt in front of Joule whose expression and posture hinted at nerves. Joule’s shoulders were stiff, but the boy’s nod was firm. “I won’t let you or the rest down.”
Joule took Ziva’s hand and walked her to the carriage, helping her into the seat behind Kira before climbing up himself, his face an expressionless mask. His eyes were pools of despair as they met Kira’s.
She didn’t know what to say to him. In the end, she said nothing.
Graydon settled back, returning to their conversation of before. “The etair were bred to act as mounts for their House's soldiers. They're fiercely loyal and are trained from birth to recognize those of the House's bloodline. If Sarath had seen you as a threat, the encounter would have gone very differently. That he didn't will reinforce your claim to this House and raise your esteem," Graydon explained.
Kira looked around with a frown, noticing the truth in his statement. There was a noticeable lessening in the hostile glances being aimed her way. Several of the Luatha were more willing to meet her gaze, giving her a respectful nod before looking away.
There was a reserve there, but not as deep as before.
Strange people to allow such a small thing to affect their actions, Kira thought.
Graydon stretched out beside her, his powerful body taking up a large amount of space as he relaxed. Kira frowned at him as she moved to accommodate his sprawl. It was on the tip of her tongue to tease him given how he resembled a redolent lord, come to survey his holdings. She bit the comment back. She was already getting too comfortable with him. Best to keep her distance.
Their road wound through the forest, the trees around them ancient and tall as they stood sentinel over the travelers. Their branches interlocked, twining together to create a canopy where no sunlight could pass, leaving the ground underneath cool and shaded.
Earth no longer had forests like these anymore. What humans hadn't destroyed in the centuries before spaceflight, had been ravaged during the war with the Tsavitee. Some of the planets settled by humans possessed vegetation resembling forest, but nothing that came close to what they currently traveled under.
This was something else. The world smelled clean and fresh, a welcome change from the processed stuff on her ship. She could smell dirt and growing things. The air tasted sweet on her tongue.
She closed her eyes, ignoring those around her and let herself feel. The everpresent knot in the pit of her stomach loosened as the peace of this place soaked into her soul.
A humming filled her ears, vibrating through her bones. The sensation was similar to when the Mea'Ave offered itself up, only gentler, these voices patient and wise.
Kira's eyes popped open as she looked around. Her lips parted in surprise and wonder.
"Do you hear that?" she asked Jin in a hushed voice.
"Hear what?"
She didn't answer, busy pinpointing the origin of the sound. She thought it was coming from the trees.
The sensation was indescribable, soothing her and leaving her feeling more herself than she had in years.
Graydon's gaze was contemplative when she looked up at him. He didn't say anything as he closed his eyes and leaned back, a soft smile on his face. That smile made Kira pause. It turned him from the autocratic ass she was used to into someone real.
She settled in and enjoyed the ride. There was plenty of time for her questions later.
They came out of the trees on a hill overlooking the land below. The scenery was beautiful and fierce, a patchwork quilt of farmland—tame, but with a hint of the wild too. In the distance, a large collection of towers stood, sprawling out in a dizzying array of lines as their walls glimmered in the afternoon sun.
Kira found herself leaning forward, curious, despite her reservations.
Three spires reached up to the sky from within, smaller towers and buildings framing them. It looked nothing like a human city, delicate and impossibly fragile while still managing to project a sense of strength. Momentous and wondrous in a way that made you feel small inside.
"The Citadel of Light, said to be the most beautiful gem of the Houses. It's been the seat of House Luatha's power for over five thousand years," Graydon said, watching the sparkling monument through veiled eyes.
Kira sat back. "It doesn't look very defensible."
Graydon's gaze shifted to Kira, a hint of wry humor on his face. "Don't let the Luathan's obsession with beauty fool you. They’ve managed to hold their position of dominance for many years. Just because something is pretty doesn't mean it won't bite."
Kira watched him, carefully dissecting his words. "Consider me warned."
The rest of the journey passed quietly and soon they were pulling up into a gravel courtyard.
The Citadel was no less impressive close up. If anything, it seemed like something straight out of a fairytale, complete with singing animals and dangerous beasts.
Its walls defied gravity, the swooping lines seemingly impossible as they held up the weight of the structure. Arches seemed to be a main theme, each as delicate and intricate as a snowflake.
If light and air had a physical embodiment, the Citadel would meet the requirements.
The place was meant to intimidate and impress, its history written in every line, stamped on every stained glass and lovingly crafted carving. It shouted “This is us. Our history spans thousands of years. You have no hope of competing with our greatness.”
It wasn't just a building, it was a work of art, carved over centuries, perhaps millennia, by the hands of hundreds of master craftsmen. Pride shone in every detail.
Despite its beauty, it left Kira feeling chilled, with the undeniable impression she didn't belong. That much was obvious. She didn't think it would be any different for the rest of the Curs either.
Judging by the forbidding expressions on the group awaiting them on the stairs in front of the Citadel's doors, they thought so, too.
The Luathans stood straight and proud, their bearing regal as they watched Kira and the rest approach. There was no sign of friendliness. Nothing to indicate they were looking forward to recovering a lost member of the flock. No. They wanted to throw Kira out and bar her from ever returning.