SAVIOR - Chapter 27

Korsin had played his trump.

Nida's very existence, he knew, was part of Seelah's game to keep herself and Jariad close to the seat of power.

Giving Korsin a daughter was of use to Seelah; Nida herself, wasn't. Seelah had "caringly" found a series of Keshiri nursemaids and then tutors for the child, boarding her in one village after another. Officially, it was a gesture of Sith trust in the Keshiri; in truth, it reflected the hole he'd always known was in his wife's heart.

There was more. Seelah wasn't just getting Nida out of the way; Korsin knew she was preventing her daughter from receiving anything more than superficial training in Sith ways. Seelah kept the rolls of Sith on Kesh; she knew where all potential mentors were at any time.

But Korsin had several loyal crew members willing to serve him in any role. With Gloyd's help, Korsin had staged their deaths in remote areas of Kesh and sent them into hiding. All during the nights of Nida's seeming exile, the girl had secretly been learning the ways of the dark side—even as, during the days, she was winning Keshiri friends and building a network of informants. All in her seemingly meaningless—but very mobile—role as aerial ambassador for the Sith.

While Seelah was striving to portray herself as the model Sith on Kesh, Korsin was crafting a leader, someone with the talents to fight and to govern. An heir—and today, a savior.

The night before, one of Nida's Keshiri acquaintances had revealed the plot to steal the uvak while the principal Sith were atop the mountain. She'd spent the morning making sure whatever the Keshiri were doing went no further, before joining Korsin here—along with her Skyborn Rangers and several Korsin partisans. Not many, and not as soon as he'd hoped—but enough, and in time. He'd flushed out his enemies by coming here; their surprise was complete.

Nida leapt to the ground, lightsaber glowing, impaling one of Jariad's thugs as she landed. Two converged upon her position, only to be cut in half. She threw a third into the temple wall, just behind.

There wasn't much fighting ground by the cliffside, but Nida was already dominating it. Jariad himself had backed away from Korsin before the kill, joining his Sabers in their fight.

A muffled explosion came from the mansion farther up the hill. Gloyd, Korsin knew. Gritting his teeth, the captain dabbed at the gash on his chest. He wasn't coming back from this, he knew. The ground faltered beneath him. There wasn't much left.

But he looked up again at Nida.

So strong. His future for the Sith, battling Seelah's future. And winning.

Wincing in pain, Korsin crawled back from the precipice toward the fray. Jariad, injured and struggling to stall his sibling's advance, looked back in surprise.

"You're right, Jariad," Korsin said, choking back blood.

"It's time for me to go—but not without my last official act. And it's overdue."

Adari should have been more surprised. By nightfall, more than a thousand Keshiri had arrived near the foot of the Spire, leading five times that many riderless uvak. The mob of beasts circling high above the smoking formation had given the appearance of a living, leathery halo.

It was stirring, but disappointing: this many would barely have filled the uvak pens in the southern foothills.

Adari had given up scanning the horizon long before her compatriots did. At midnight, a lone rider from Tahv had arrived, breathless and terrified. His report confirmed her suspicion. Tona had fallen under Nida Korsin's spell and revealed all their plans.

It had been hopeless from the beginning; someone would have betrayed them. Tona was just the weakest. Adari had turned away before she heard whether Nida had rewarded Tona, or killed him. Nothing mattered anymore.

What had surprised Adari was what had happened next. She'd expected everyone to leave. To fly away, free their uvak, and melt back into Keshiri society before the Sith found them. Instead, when she'd somberly taken to the clouds on Nink and headed for the dark river of air, she'd found the entire entourage in her wake.

She'd fallen asleep, assuming Nink would surrender to gravity in the night. So many others had already fallen away into the ocean since they'd left Keshtah behind. Her turn would come.

But she awoke to something else.