Exit Strategy (Tales Of The Citadel #58)(9)

“You don’t understand. I outrank you. You must give in to my request.”

“There was no request; there was a statement of intent. A request would have had a questioning intonation at the end of it.” She lifted her teacup to her lips.

Nialloa sat and stared. “That isn’t how things work here. My people have command of all citizens.”

“I am terribly sorry to inform you that I am not a citizen. I am not even your species. I certainly don’t want to be put on parade as an exotic.”

The bride stared as if she could will Yna to give in. “What would it take to make you do it?”

“A torturer or a polite request. I have faced many situations I would rather not be in, and to volunteer for that sort of thing is something I have outgrown.”

Silence ticked between them. “Sister Yna, would you please join my wedding procession tomorrow at dawn? I am sure I can find you a gown.”

“If you can just show me the design, I can manage something on my own.”

“No, I insist on providing you with something. I wish for everyone to match, you see.”

“I would be happy to take part in your procession.” Yna smiled and inclined her head.

The family gathered around the table exhaled as one and conversation began again.

Yna smiled at the bride. “You get the feeling that things were a little tense?”

Nialloa blinked and then gave a slow smile. “You have an interesting manner about you.”

“Thank you. Is the gown opaque?”

Nialloa frowned. “Mostly, why?”

“I have some scarring that might not be appropriate for all audiences.”

The bride paused. “Scars? How did you get scars?”

“Occupational hazard.” She quirked her lips. “I do work for the Citadel, after all.”

“Your marks say that you are a daughter of the Citadel.”

Yna wrinkled her nose. “I am. Adopted daughter of the Avatar of Balen. It was a lovely moment, and it gave me a home again.”

“A world adopted you?”

“Me and a handful of others. We lost our world in a storm of paranoia and evil, so we were given a new one, complete with full citizenship.”

Nialloa blinked. “How does one lose a world?”

Yna grinned. “It is a conversation for another day. So, where are you planning on living after the wedding? I am not up on current traditions.”

The deflection worked. For the next two hours, while the family moved around them, Yna kept the bossy bride busy with questions about all the details.

The more she asked, the more she understood that the aggression masked insecurity. Once that was uncovered, it was a lot easier to deal with Nialloa.

Huknos came up to his fiancée and kissed her on the top of her head. “Come on, love. Time to get you back to your family for one more night.”

Nialloa smiled and looked up at him. “Just one more night.”

Their kiss was sweet, but there was barely leashed heat within it.

Nialloa sighed when he leaned back. “My guards are outside?”

“They are. One last night as an Atathan, and then, you turn into an Ikato.”

“I can hardly wait.”

Yna watched the interchange, and she kept a politely blank expression on her face. It surprised her when Nialloa got up and came to her, offering her a hug.

“I will see you at dawn, sister.”

Yna smiled and rose for the hug. “Not a sister yet.”

“You and Ahlgos glow when you are together. It won’t be long.”

Huknos smiled. “She is always right when it comes to seeing couples. She would have been a matchmaker if she wasn’t a member of the royal family.”

Nialloa grinned and leaned back. “You and Ahlgos managed to find each other, and the moment that you did, your fates would constantly pull you together. It isn’t a common experience. Treasure it.”

She patted Yna on the cheek and joined her fiancé for a leisurely stroll out of the great room, leaving Yna to wonder at the transformation from strident bully to caring sister-in-law-to-be.

Srevesh came in from the deck. “You are welcome to join us, sister.”

She turned toward him and smiled. “How much time do I have before I have to do whatever it is Nialloa wants?”

“Sixteen hours.”

“Good. Time for more family fun.” She rubbed her hands together and smiled at Srevesh.

He chuckled. “Where did Ahlgos find you?”

“It is a long and sordid story, some of which is still classified. Suffice to say that work has brought us close a number of times, and finally, we connected.”

Srevesh waved his hand toward the open doors leading to the wide back deck. “Please, tell me more. With all of my siblings on their way to partnerships, I am definitely interested in any tips you can offer.”

“All I can offer is to go with your gut. If they feel right and are available and giving signs of interest, they probably are the one for you.”

He chuckled. “I am trying to keep myself open in case I miss out on the one.”

“Check with Nialloa. She can tell you if you have sparks or just flickers.”

He scowled. “She does not speak to me.”

“Soon, she will be your sister. She will talk once the stress of her previous family is off her shoulders.”