Page 19 of Warrior's Reign
“Tai’ri wanted to tell you, but Vykhan overruled him. He thought it might interfere with—” she paused. “You know, I don’t really know?”
“Interesting.” Why had Vykhan pretended like he’d never ‘met’ her before? “Is it too late to talk you into of crop conservation?”
Ibu poked Reign in the arm. “Your heresy will see you punished.”
Reign smiled, then turned her head as a cool breeze wafted through the restaurant. “They’re opening the patio. I told the manager to keep it closed while we were here. Why is it so hard to get people to do their jobs?”
She lifted a finger to summon the bartender, who frowned at the patio doors, and asked for the manager, adding a curt, “Now.”
Ibu gave her a sympathetic look, but her attention was caught by the plate of food presented by a server.
Reign fumed, ignoring her own plate as she swiveled on her stool to keep an eye on the patio. These were simple requests. Close all entrances except for the main one. Keep the patio closed because they were fifty flights up in the sky and the first thing an assassin would do was send a handy little drone through airspace and—
“Down!” Reign shouted, grabbing Ibukay and throwing her over the bar top.
Simultaneously she’d swiped the button on her silver cuff, activating her and Ibukay’s body shields.
Just in time.
Fire burst out of nowhere, streams of green energy shattering chunks off the bar. Reign fired back, the slim blaster she’d concealed under her loose trousers in her hand the moment she’d landed behind the bar on her feet.
“The walk-in doubles as a panic room,” the bartender said calmly, placing his thumb on a spot underneath the bar. “Authorities have been alerted.”
Glass bottles shattered above their heads. Reign glanced at the bartender and paused, her now active ocular implant scanning his face and displaying relevant info. So. Vykhan wasn’t stupid, and Reign wasn’t the only guard present.
“I’m an on-site plant,” he said, probably seeing the flash of light in her eye.
“I’m going to draw its fire. Take her to the panic room. Activate Ibuflauge.”
Reign stood, the cuff cloaking her in an illusion with Ibukay’s face as theBdakhunfollowed the bartender through an exit behind the door, with one final glance at Reign. She said nothing, proving she trusted Reign to do her job—that she saw Reign as a guard, and not just her friend. The knowledge steadied Reign’s doubts. Ibukay expected her to be competent; she would be competent.
She drug the corniest line she could think of out of the depths of her dark soul, and fired back at the drone. “Let’s dance.”
8
Vykhan was beginningto understand the arrogance of having considered himself Silent. Had he been fooling himself all this time?
For the second time in too few weeks, he came too late,reactingrather than protecting.
“I must tighten your security from this point forward, little sister,” he told Ibukay.
Her thin mouth and bright eyes betrayed anger as she sat at her kitchen counter, but she didn’t argue.
“Reign handled herself well,” she said. “Don’t be too hard on her. She didn’t know she wasn’t supposed to let me slip out of the compound.” Her mouth quirked up in a brief, wry smile. “I thought I’d have a few days of freedom before one of you brought her up to speed.”
“You took advantage of that child’s ignorance.”
Ibukay wrinkled her nose. “If calling her child is your revenge for her calling you Vickie. . .I think I’ll keep snacks on hand but stay out of the crossfire.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” He would never feud with a warrior under his command.
Tai’ri approached, Reign at his side. She still had not come down from the battle high, the energy he felt thrumming through her body nearly tangible. She held herself with remarkable stillness even so—testament to her training. It had taken months to help her learn to control her body when under stress.
She met his gaze. “I’m a fool.” Her words were soft, but vicious. A self-recriminating verbal pinch.
Tai’ri glanced down at her, his expression kind but firm. “OurBdakhunlives and is uninjured. You did your job.” He pinned Ibukay with a less understanding look. “What were you thinking,Bdakhun? You agreed you wouldn’t leave the palace without three guards.”
“I left a note.”
