Eta sighed, the sound happy and admiring. "The commander is winning. Not that I'm surprised. He's one of the best. Roderick just challenged him because he’s an ass."
Kira made a noncommittal sound, not wanting to distract the chatty woman.
As they watched, Graydon swarmed up a wall and across one of the bridges, while Roderick struggled to evade the three drones locked on him.
For defense, Roderick carried a long wooden staff, using it to deflect their fire.
Not very well, she noted when several beams hit his leg and torso.
Pain reflected on his face even as he pressed forward.
Graydon reached the final platform easily, crossing the line amid groans of dismay from those in green and cheers of victory from those wearing black.
Graydon raised one arm in response, looking around the arena. His gray, stormy eyes found Kira's and then moved beyond her. When he realized she was alone, the smile faded from his face, leaving the hunter staring back at her.
"Ah, crap," Kira muttered.
She thought about retreating, fading into the trees and making her escape before he could reach her. She'd been on the opposite side of enough dressing-downs to know this wouldn’t be pretty.
She sighed and stiffened her spine. Running would only prolong things and make them worse. Besides, the last time she’d run from one of the Tuann hadn't exactly worked out for her.
"He's coming this way," her new friend muttered, sounding torn between two extremes—excitement and nervousness.
"Unfortunately," Kira muttered.
"You don't understand. To be considered for his detail would be the greatest of honors," Eta said.
Kira was sure it would be. If the prowess he'd demonstrated was anything to go by, she should assume his warriors were as well-trained as he was.
He stalked around the obstacle course as another group prepared to enter. He stopped in front of her, his expression carefully controlled.
"Is there a reason your oshota is not with you?" he asked in a tone that made it clear he thought her an idiot.
"Perhaps because I did not want him with me, and so he is not," Kira returned politely.
Eta drew in a sharp breath, before pressing her lips together, hard, as her gaze darted between the two.
Kira ignored her, too focused on winning the battle of wills with the commander.
Graydon visibly struggled with patience. "I don't care what you want. Finn's job is to keep you alive. Let him do it."
"Somehow, I've managed to survive all these years without your or anyone else's protection."
"That was around humans," he scoffed. "The Tuann would eat you alive."
Kira's eyes narrowed. Oh, would they now? She was half-tempted to show him the error of his thinking.
"I didn't know your kind were cannibals," Kira said, retaining her polite façade. "Thank you for warning me."
Graydon made a sound like a growl. "You're deliberately misunderstanding."
"Only because you are being so damned condescending."
There was a muffled snort from Isla behind Graydon. Another of Graydon’s oshota, she looked fierce in her synth armor. Noor, beside her, was better at controlling his amusement, though Kira caught the glint of humor in his eyes.
"What's the holdup?" Roderick asked from Graydon's side. He frowned when he spotted Kira. "Where is your guard?"
Kira glanced at Graydon. "It's like you guys only know how to ask one thing."
His lips twitched, showing a brief spot of humor before he squashed it again. "The azala was telling me how guards were unnecessary for someone of her ability level."
That hadn't exactly been what she'd said, but close enough. She didn't react to the statement beyond a slight narrowing of the eyes.
Roderick's guffaw made it clear how ridiculous he found the notion. When he finally sobered, he jerked his chin at Eta. "Escort her to the Citadel."
Eta snapped to attention, stepping forward and reaching for Kira's arm. Kira let her take it, conscious of Graydon's regard as she said lightly, "I wasn't aware I was to be a prisoner."
"You're not," Roderick said. "This is for your own protection. My Overlord has impressed upon me how important your safety is. We don't want anything to happen to you while you're wandering around. Your protection should never have been assigned to the half-blood in the first place. One of my soldiers would be a better choice."
Kira recognized the insult implicit in a term like half-blood. She wondered if Roderick realized that when he insulted Finn, he was also implying an insult against her lineage too.
"He's very arrogant," she told Graydon.
"Indeed."
Especially for someone who had allowed an incursion into his security perimeter.
"I'm enjoying my walk," she informed Roderick. "I’ll return once I'm done."
One thing she'd learned from interacting with Finn was that when she was direct and firm with her wishes, he was hesitant to force her to do otherwise. She was curious to see if the same held true for others among the Luatha.
Roderick’s face darkened.
"Between your people and mine, I'm sure the Overlord would agree Kira has adequate protection here," Graydon said in a neutral voice.
Roderick's expression soured before a shout from the obstacle course distracted him. "Since you've decided to stay, perhaps you can demonstrate your prowess in battle."
Kira should have seen that coming. From the carefully guarded look on the other oshota's faces, she sensed a trap.
Unfortunately, she didn’t see a graceful way to refuse. Even then, she hesitated to accept the challenge. Jace hadn't been entirely wrong last night when he accused her of being out of shape. Her body ached with the demands she'd already placed on it.
"Sounds fun," Kira said, feeling like it would be anything but.
"Excellent. I'll inform them you're next," Roderick said.
The carefully neutral expression on Graydon's face remained in place as Roderick stalked off. After a respectful nod, Eta trotted after him.
"That was unwise," Graydon murmured.
"I didn't have a lot of choice. If I'd refused, he would have used it an excuse to send me to my room like a child."
"Instead, he's going to use this experience to humiliate you and damage your credibility with Luatha," Graydon said. "They may be more known for their craftsmen and master artists than their warriors, but they are Tuann. They respect strength."
"Thanks, I hadn't figured any of that out for myself," Kira said tartly.
She watched the current group on the course as they fought for each foot of progress. They worked as a team, their wooden staffs spinning as they defended themselves. Each covering the other as the next person surged forward.
It wasn't until the midsection that they got into trouble, the drones pinning them down with laser fire.
A flash of translucent white settled around them in a cone-like shape, anchored by one man as he spun his staff around him. Seconds later another man burst forward, his sword cutting through the air as a thin ribbon of light sliced from it, cutting a drone in half.
Kira jolted forward. "What was that?"