At least until they got what they wanted, Kira finished for him.
"Don't try to lie to me," Kira said, leaning forward, a threat in her face. "We both know I might be the excuse you used to get a foothold here, but there's way more to it than that."
He made a strangled sound like he was trying to dredge up patience. Unfortunately, it didn't look like he was successful. That was more like the Jace she knew.
He shot a glance at Finn and switched to Japanese. "You're being difficult. Again. I'm the mission commander on this trip. Not you. You gave up that right when you left."
"Careful who you're talking to," Kira warned.
"Or what?" Jace challenged. "We're not your faithful mutts anymore. You might be able to take one of us. But all? Not likely. Looks to me you spent a little too long on your ship and a little less time remaining combat ready."
Kira's teeth clicked closed as anger tightened in her throat, strangling her voice.
Jin flew through the window, whistling a jaunty tune.
Finn fell into an attack stance, his sword clearing its scabbard as his focus locked on Jin.
"No, not him either," Kira yelled.
Jin beelined for the ceiling, staying out of reach of the over-protective oshota.
"What is that?" Finn hissed, not relaxing his stance.
"It's Jin. He's with me," Kira said.
That didn't seem to comfort Finn at all.
Jace took advantage, saying over his shoulder as he moved toward the door. "I’ll send Tank in. He can take the first watch and the rest of us will rotate in."
Kira watched him go, Raider following, as words burned her tongue. There was a lot she wanted to say, so much, it all got tangled up and refused to come out.
Jin slowly lowered from the ceiling, keeping a careful eye on Finn.
"That thing's unnatural," Finn said, pointing at Jin.
"Maybe, but you touch him and you're dead."
Finn didn't look particularly impressed with the threat. That was okay. It wasn't a threat. It was fact. If anyone hurt Jin, Kira would ensure it was the last thing they ever did.
"Where did he come from?" Finn asked.
Kira didn't answer.
"If the Luatha Overlord or her guards figure out he was roaming around, they would order your death."
"Seems like a bit of a harsh reaction," Jin muttered.
"Jin sleep flies," Kira said, trying not to wince at the ridiculousness of her statement. It was the first thing she could think of.
"Sleep flies," Finn repeated in a flat voice.
Jin rotated to see her better.
"Yup, like sleep-walking but with flying," Kira said, doubling down on her lie.
Finn didn't seem convinced, but he didn't argue with her. "Well, keep him in here. The Overlord's warriors will dismantle him if they catch him out of the room."
Kira didn't argue as Jin flew by her.
"That was pathetic," he muttered in a low voice meant only for her ears.
She growled at him as she slumped on the bed. The confrontation with Jace and the rest, coupled with everything else had left her feeling drained of energy.
Finn was quiet for a long time as he watched her.
"Your supposed friends don't seem to like you very much."
"Nope.” She didn't see much point in lying. Five minutes with all of them together and it was obvious there was history between her and the Curs.
Why had Himoto sent them?
"Why?"
Kira sighed and flopped back, staring up at the ceiling as she debated how to answer.
Some strange urge prompted her to share the truth.
"Jace blames me for abandoning them and breaking up our dysfunctional little family," she said finally.
"He's the one who thinks he's in charge," Finn guessed.
Kira made a small sound of amusement that ended up sounding sadder than she intended.
"And the tijit?" he asked.
"What does that mean?"
"It's a rodent. Small, but filled with anger and unexpectedly vicious," Finn said.
Hmph. That was actually a good description of Raider.
Kira turned onto her side giving him her back. "He holds me responsible for the death of the woman he loved."
"Were you?"
Kira closed her eyes. "Yes."
Quiet fell between them. One Kira was grateful for, since she didn't feel like talking anymore. She was done answering questions for the night. She'd already shared more than she should have.
There was a noise behind her, and she lifted her head to see Tank lumber through the door, carrying a M340 Bravo. It was a long-barreled rifle capable of spitting out 600 rounds per minute.
"That's a bit of overkill, don't you think?" Kira asked.
"No such thing," he assured her.
She snorted and jerked the blanket over her. Sleep wasn't likely to come again tonight, but she didn't plan to spend the rest of the night staring at those two.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Her feet propped up on the same terrace railing she’d stood next to last night, Kira slouched in her chair. She’d made it a point of hunting down the spot where she’d been ambushed, curious to see what she could learn in the bright light of day.
Kira dug into a small bowl of neon blue fruit. So far, she had concluded she was extremely lucky to still be breathing. The singe marks from the attack stood out in stark contrast against the white stone, their color black and angry.
Knives sprouted from the railing like porcupine quills, not quite as numerous but still impressive. She flicked one with her foot, still surprised at how deeply they were buried. What sort of metal cut stone?
It was a wonder she'd survived. In the fury and chaos, she hadn't registered how many shots she'd dodged. If she'd been even a second later in reacting, she would have lost her life.
Her muscles ached pleasantly as they reminded her she still wasn't quite used to the difference in gravity from the Wanderer.
During her exploration earlier, she’d found the terrace wrapped around the entire exterior on this side of the building, connecting Graydon’s wing with her former one. She’d walked the entirety of its length twice before settling down for breakfast.
She took another bite of her fruit and hummed as the tart sweetness burst on her tongue. Finn loomed behind her like an angry cloud. He hadn't liked her insistence of eating out on the terrace—especially on this section of it.
Too bad. She didn't like hiding, and time in the sun while enjoying the outdoors was a precious commodity she'd denied herself too long.
Even the dark glower he directed at her every time he glanced her way wasn't enough to ruin her enjoyment of the sun bathing her in its warmth.
Raider plopped in the seat next to her and tilted one of the many bowls toward him. She didn't know what half of them were and none of the servers seemed to speak enough standard to explain.
The small bowls with their bright foods offered a plethora of choices. She wondered if someone had included the variety so she could try several things at once to determine what she liked or if this was their normal breakfast set up.
Raider made a face at the bright pink ribbons in the bowl and sat back.
"You should try it. Tastes like fish," Kira said.