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Kindle Notes & Highlights
by
T.A. White
Read between
January 6 - January 6, 2021
"Remember the mission," Jin murmured in Japanese. He took a chance in assuming the Tuann present didn't know the language. "I never forget," Kira said through gritted teeth.
Instead, she gave him her sweetest smile. Graydon's lips twitched before he quelled his amusement, hiding it as if it had never been. She wasn't the only one beginning to recognize the subtle hints in the other’s expressions. "I'm far from everything I've ever known. Surely, you wouldn't deprive me of my companions. They give me such comfort," Kira said. It was a shameless play for sympathy, meant to force them to think “poor, little, lost child.”
Amila and another of Graydon's soldiers exchanged glances, a small trace of humor glinting in their eyes. They knew what she'd done and approved.
"I'd like to know why they hate humans so much," Kira said, not taking her eyes from the two men. Himoto had explained some of the reasons for the strained relations, but that couldn't be all of it. There had to be more to the story.
"Even a child can kill, given the right circumstances," Graydon said mildly. The emotion left Kira's face. "Yes, yes they can." She had firsthand experience with that fact. She was just surprised Graydon understood.
"But you would look so dashing." "All the girls would worship at your feet," Jin assured him. Graydon's face turned slightly disgusted as he shook his head. He strode off, saying over his shoulder, "Come. Roderick won't be patient long." "I would like to see him in a cape as well," Amila murmured in an undertone to Kira. Kira sputtered, losing the battle against her mirth.
Until she understood more of what fueled the dislike in the Tuann toward humans, she would be best served perceived as a neutral party.
It was like being asked to forget the things and people who defined her—to put them aside because they no longer served her purpose. He was asking her to bury the pieces of her history that had shaped who she’d become.
Humans, whatever they might mean to the Tuann, had saved her. At her lowest moments, they'd found her, given her warmth and companionship. Not just once, but many times. She'd sacrificed more than Graydon would ever know for humanity's cause, for their very survival. She might have distanced herself from them, but it didn't mean she'd forgotten. Nor did she plan to leave them behind because it was convenient.
He gave her the time to come to her own conclusion even when the Luatha stirred, impatient. His understanding was what decided her.
"You should be honored. The etair are fickle beasts. That he let you pet him, a stranger to his House, confirms your lineage."
“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,"
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
...more
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.
The sensation was indescribable, soothing her and leaving her feeling more herself than she had in years.
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.
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,"
Just because something is pretty doesn't mean it won't bite."
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.
The barely sprouted hope she’d been nursing died. She stuffed it deep inside. This wasn't some storybook reunion. Whoever these people might have once been to her, they were no longer. You couldn't change the past. Wishing and dreaming wouldn't rewrite history. Her fate had been written with blood and pain long ago. Her path no longer lay with these people.
"Especially not for one who is cousin."
Liara's mask cracked for the first time, the smallest glimmer of an emotion Kira couldn't place, flickering before it was hidden again. "You’re the daughter of my mother's sister."
She'd abandoned them before the war even ended, disappeared without a word unable to live with all the things she'd done. For her own good—and theirs—she'd needed space and time to heal the wounds both inside and out.
Of the original Curs, the three of them were the last. Sad, that they felt more apart than ever.
At least one thing hadn't changed. The stars still shone. Perhaps not as brightly or vividly, given the three moons dominating the sky, but they were there.
She'd remember her promises. That's all she could do for now.
There's not much choice. She has too much of him in her."
seeing how she reacts to this information will tell us a lot,"
He turned and caught sight of the smile. He paused before fixing her with a look that indicated he knew what she was doing, knew it and would relish his revenge. Fair enough, but he'd find she wasn't the easiest of opponents. His smile deepened. No, he looked forward to that.
It looked like the entryway to a palace, ornate with finely carved details into the wood panels. Whoever had made these doors had taken their time, poured all their soul into them. They would have taken years to create.
the large painting behind her that took up a sizable chunk of the wall. It was easily twice the height of a person and featured a woman with hair similar to Liara’s, loose and unbound, with waves cascading down her back. It would be easy to assume the woman was Liara’s mother or grandmother given the resemblance. Except those eyes. They were a copy of Kira’s eyes, though their expression wasn’t one Kira had ever been capable of—warm and gentle with a hint of playfulness
"Finn has Luathan lineage. He is acceptable." "He's also Roake and has already failed once as a shield.
“What was her name?” Kira asked softly. “Liliana.”
“She was so happy when you were born,” Liara said. “She called you her gift. You became her whole world.”
“They both died during the Sorrowing.” Seeing the question on Kira’s face, Liara offered, “It’s what we call the night when many of our Houses were attacked and our children stolen. It was a devastating time for many of us.”
“Your mother was killed trying to protect you,”
Better to keep to the devil she knew for now.
If he pushed her, she'd show him exactly how she earned the name Phoenix so many years ago.
There was a long pause as the other two conferred silently, their interactions having the same ease and familiarity of people who'd spent countless hours together, risking their lives for one another in impossible situations.
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.
"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.
"Jace blames me for abandoning them and breaking up our dysfunctional little family,"
"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."
Finn loomed behind her like an angry cloud.
"You'd have to ask the old battleship," Raider said. "You know how he likes his schemes."
she saw details she'd missed the first time. Some wore dresses with intricately braided material. Others were pieced together, panels creating a subtle three-dimensional pattern. The style the men wore was similar, buttons with some type of intricate detail to draw the eye. The longer you looked, the more you noticed, as if only by studying each person could you take in the full effect of them.
"They bear a startling resemblance to Elder Futhark runes dating from the second to eighth centuries in parts of old Europe."
These look like they derive from the Phoenician alphabet which would have originated somewhere around the Mediterranean."
