Page 90 of Dark Rebel's Fortune

The boy stretched on his toes, looking behind Okidu's ear, then frowned. "There is no bird."

"It flew away," Okidu said while flapping his hands to mimic a bird flying.

"I wonder if he saw that somewhere," Max murmured. "He must have seen it on one of those British soap operas he loves to watch."

Kyra certainly hoped so. Otherwise, it would mean that the Odu could lie, which was extremely disconcerting.

"Can you show us how to work the TV?" one of the older boys asked Okidu.

"Of course, master. I'm coming up." Okidu climbed into the bus.

"Such a strange man." Rana walked over to stand beside Kyra.

"He's not a man." Kyra motioned for her other sisters to come closer and explained what Okidu was.

"I want one," Parisa said. "It would be so lovely to have someone to help with the boys, clean the house, and cook. I might actually be able to read a book from time to time."

Kyra laughed. "There are only seven Odus in existence, and they all belong to the Clan Mother's family."

"That's a shame." Parisa let out a breath. "It would have been so nice."

As they climbed into the bus, they saw that the kids had commandeered the back seats, so the six of them chose the middle of the bus, leaving the front for the rest of the team.

"Perhaps this is as good a time as any to explain about this bus and its special features," Max said. "About twenty minutes before we reach our destination, the windows will turn opaque. Don't be alarmed. The windows will let in light but won't allow you to see out. It's a security measure designed to protect the location of the village. Every car that can enter the village is equipped with this feature."

"Why is it necessary?" Rana asked.

"You've been exposed to our enemies," Max pointed out. "They are relentless. Keeping the location of our village a secret is a necessity."

Rana was about to say something when the sound of an approaching aircraft drew everyone's attention. The jet appeared in the distance, making its final approach.

"That's Eric with the rest of the team," Max said. "Good timing."

The kids abandoned their movies to cluster on one side of the bus and watch the plane touch down smoothly and then taxi toward them.

It continued into the hangar and stopped next to the jet they had arrived on.

A few moments later, the door opened and Yamanu emerged, followed by Jade and the rest of her crew.

Kyra had gotten to know the five Kra-ell pretty well during this mission, and she liked them and appreciated their unparalleled fighting skills, but they still looked alien to her, with their unusual height and otherworldly features that were impossible to ignore.

"How's everyone doing?" Yamanu asked as he climbed into the bus.

"Julian cleared everyone," Max said. "You've just missed him and Gertrude. They left a few minutes ago."

Jade followed him into the bus, her large eyes scanning and her lips lifting in a ghost of a smile when her eyes landed on the kids.

"Hi, Jade," one of the boys called out. "Do you want to sit with us? We are watching a car race."

"Maybe later. I want to chat with Max and Kyra for a little bit."

"I thought her name was Jasmine," one of the girls said.

They hadn't told the children yet, but Jade didn't know that. Kyra turned around. "My name is Kyra. Jasmine was just a code name I used for the mission."

The explanation seemed to satisfy them, and they went back to watching the screens.

Jade stopped next to Kyra's seat. "You didn't tell them yet?"

---