The lu-ong looked back Elena. "Don't get cheeky with me, young lady."
Elena almost giggled, the familiar scolding tone washing away the last of the fear lingering from her encounter with the strange Tsavitee.
"We're here," Uncle Jin announced.
He hopped up onto the duct covering. From outside, there were several tinks as the fastenings dropped to the ground.
"You're using ki," Elena said in surprise.
She would have noticed earlier when he was holding the duct cover in place if not for how preoccupied she was with the possibility of being discovered.
The ki running through the lu-ong spawn was faint. Barely perceptible. Something she never would have noticed on Ta Sa'Riel due to the ki rich environment. Probably not even on a human or Haldeel planet where the ki density was considerably less but still present on some level.
It was this place. There was something critical that felt off. Wrong even.
It made Elena sensitive to things she might not have noticed otherwise.
"Does Auntie know?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Uncle Jin said as he lowered the cover to the ground. "Let's go."
Elena frowned at her uncle but didn't argue, sliding out of the air duct after him. She went head first, catching herself with her hands before her face got up close and personal with the floor.
Uncle Jin put the duct cover back into place before hopping onto her shoulder.
"Where were you when I woke up? I was worried," Elena asked.
Just a little though since Uncle Jin was so awesome.
"We’re in a dangerous situation. As tempting as it is to wait for your Aunt to arrive, we can’t rely on her finding us in time. The thing that we need most is information. I left to do a little reconnaissance."
Elena followed her uncle’s directions through the halls, winding her way back to the room.
"That said, I didn’t leave you unattended. Didn’t you see the spawn I left behind?" Uncle Jin asked.
Elena shook her head. "I didn’t notice anything."
Uncle Jin’s sign was resigned. "I realized that when it notified me that you’d left the room without acknowledging it. Next time do me a favor and take a look around you before you do something reckless."
That was a little harsh. Elena preferred to think of it as her being impetuous rather than reckless. Success often necessitated risk.
"Find any ships for us to steal?" Elena asked, changing the subject.
The lu-ong swatted Elena with its tail. "Don't even think about it. You're not high-jacking another ship."
"Why not? I'm awfully good at it."
"I'm aware," Uncle Jin said dryly. "But if you recall, the only reason the Wanderer made it off Ta Sa'Riel last time was because of your aunt’s piloting skills. I guarantee you that the Tsavitee's anti-aerial defense network is no worse than the Tuann's."
"I'm not worried. I have you."
"Sweet, but the answer is still no."
They reached a set of hallways that Elena recognized from her previous passage through them.
"We might not have time to wait for Auntie," Elena whispered, afraid of drawing attention now that they were near their destination. "I overheard the generals talking. Their spies are due to check in. They might have discovered something."
If that happened, Elena would be in danger.
The lu-ong tensed against Elena's neck. "Someone's coming."
Elena darted toward the other side of the hallway as the sound of footsteps came from behind her. She rounded the corner just as the owner of those footsteps turned theirs.
Fleeing as quickly and quietly as she could, she followed Uncle Jin's terse instructions.
There! Up ahead. Her room. Just a little further.
Elena dashed toward it, sliding inside with seconds to spare.
She flew toward the bed, throwing herself into it and pulling the sheet over her body.
Elena had barely settled herself when Fyr appeared in the doorway.
"You're awake," he said, surprised.
"Where's Ajix?" Elena asked, trying to control the heavy breathing that was a result of her sudden activity.
"He had other business to attend."
"What kind of business?"
"The kind you don't ask questions about."
"Ah. Right." Elena gave a sage nod. "The whole asking invites death thing."
Fyr's eyes narrowed. "You've grown bold. Did my staff knock your senses loose?"
Elena closed her mouth. Maybe pushing him wasn't such a great idea.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught something small crawling up the sheets. It looked like a lady bug, its carapace the same salmon blush color as Uncle Jin's spawn.
Elena made a choked sound as it reached her arm and crawled up it.
This must be the spawn Uncle Jin had left for her. No wonder she hadn’t noticed it. It was tiny.
Elena went as still as a statue, checking on Fyr out of the corner of her eye. To her relief, she found him not paying any attention to her as he searched the room for her boots. Taking advantage of his distraction, she tilted her head down to allow her shoulder length hair to sweep forward to cover the lady bug's presence as it climbed up her neck.
"Almost there," Uncle Jin whispered in a tiny voice.
The lady bug made its way toward her ear, crawling into the canal once it reached it.
Elena's boots hitting the bed startled her. She jumped, staring at the boots like she'd never seen them before.
While she was distracted, the lady bug finally lodged itself against her ear drum.
Seeing Elena wasn't moving, Fyr gestured at her boots. "Aren't you going to wear them?"
Elena slowly reached for them. "Of course."
Grabbing the boots, she stuffed her feet into them one-by-one.
"Testing, testing. One. Two. Three," Uncle Jin said, sounding like he was right next to her. "There we go. Now, we can talk freely."
At least he could, anyway.
"Let's go," Fyr said impatiently.
The blankets shifted as the lu-ong spawn slithered under the hem of Elena's shirt, hitching a ride. He wound up her back to her shoulder and then down her right arm where he curled around her bicep.
"Don't worry, Elena. I’m here," Uncle Jin said.
Fyr gave Elena a suspicious look. "Why are you smiling?"
Elena hopped down from the bed. "Just happy to be alive, I guess."
"And that's how you're going to stay," Uncle Jin exclaimed.
The makings of another smile tugged at Elena's lips before she controlled her expression. It wouldn't do to seem too happy in the current situation. Fyr might actually start to think that she'd lost her mind.
Fyr shook his head, striding out of the room with a disgusted mutter.
"What a rude bastard," Uncle Jin grumbled. "Don't worry, Elena. You could take him if you had to."
I know, Uncle Jin, Elena answered silently, hurrying to catch up.
"You don't like me," Elena called at Fyr's back.
"I barely know you."
Elena walked beside Fyr, her hands clasped behind her. "Is it because of the other children? Are you afraid my presence means bad things for them?"
Aunt Kira used to always say that Aunt Selene had the best poker-face she'd ever seen. To most, she was inscrutable.