Page 106 of The Eye of the Fifth
‘Nothing that isn’t true.’
‘It’s not-’
‘Oh, spare me,’ Kawai said indignantly. ‘You don’t expect everyone to believe you’re actually Naal’s relative?’
‘They’ll believe what we tell them,’ she retorted.
‘Not a very diplomatic Warden, are you?’
Her mouth was open, ready to bite back, but Jak said in a hushed voice, ‘So, it’s true then? Youarethe new Earth Warden?’
There was no point denying it now. She ripped her glare from Kawai. ‘Yes,’ she muttered. ‘It’s true.’
‘By the Four,’ Jak gushed. ‘What sort of magic do you have? Can you show us?’
‘Let her breathe, Jak,’ said Boony with a shake of his head.
Kyra slowly sipped her ale, then leant toward Jak with absolute seriousness and said, ‘If I told you that, I’d have to kill you.’
Jak’s dark eyes widened with both fear and wonder. ‘Really?’
Kyra shrugged, but Kawai laughed. ‘Sarcasm, you idiot.’
‘Yeah, no… I knew that!’ Jak protested.
Boony clapped a patronising hand on his shoulder. ‘Sure you did, buddy.’
Kyra smirked as Jak took a long drink, presumably to hide his face. She felt Kawai watching her again. His gaze burned a hole in the side of her cheek.
He said calmly, ‘Have you seen the view of the stars from the bow, Kyra? Away from the lamp-light?’
She had. Multiple times. It was her favourite part of the ship at night. Isolated and dark, so dark you could see even the smallest of stars against the blackness like tiny, twinkling crystals. But she said innocently, ‘No, I haven’t. Am I missing out?’
He downed what was left of his ale and stood, holding out an inviting hand. ‘Allow me to show you.’
Perhaps this was it. The opportune moment she’d been waiting for.
Kyra rose and downed her own drink, slamming the empty tankard on the barrel a few seconds later, much to the surprise of Boony and Jak. She took Kawai’s hand, his skin callused and uneven against hers, and let him lead her away from the raiders.
She heard Boony say to Jak in a disparaging tone, ‘Sit down, you stinkin’ idiot. We weren’t invited.’
That smirk was no longer apparent on Kawai’s full mouth by the time they reached the bow, even in the dull light. Kyra tipped her headback and stared up at the sky, at the swirls and whirls of galaxies far away. She expected Kawai to do the same, but his attention was forward.
Not at her. Nor at the sky above.
Before she could say a word, he said, ‘I like you, Kyra. But if you don’t stop looking for my brother, we’re going to have a problem.’
Chapter Thirty
Imperi
???
The Thilene, Loros.
Kyra.
Opportune moment be damned. Kyra faced him and said in a low voice, ‘Are you threatening me?’
