44

KYRA

" A ll clear," the doctor said as he returned with Rana, who had been the last to get checked. "No tracking devices on anyone."

"That's a relief," Kyra said. "Thank you."

"My pleasure." The doctor glanced at the children, who were circling the plane.

The older boys were pretending to be knowledgeable about avionics, and the younger ones were pretending to believe them.

"Are we waiting for Yamanu and the rest of the team to arrive?" she asked. "Soraya and Rana are eager to reunite with their daughters."

Max nodded. "They should be here shortly, and we are all riding the bus back home. We should probably get everyone on board, so the kids are not running around when Eric lands."

"Good idea." Kyra turned to her sisters. "Everyone' s clear, but we still need to wait for the rest of the team to arrive with the other plane. Once they get here, we will head to the village where Arezoo, Donya, Laleh, and Azadeh are waiting for you."

"How far is it?" Soraya asked.

"About two hours," Max replied, even though he'd told them before how long it would take. They were nervous and excited, and he was super understanding. "The bus has a toilet compartment, so no worries about that. I noticed that the kids have small bladders that need frequent emptying."

Parisa cast him a hard look as if she was insulted by his comment. "That's because they were drinking all those sugary drinks you had on board the plane."

"Do they have television on the bus?" one of Parisa's boys asked.

"Yes, they do," Max said. "You can start watching a movie right now if you want."

That was the magic word that got all the kids running for their backpacks and then rushing toward the bus.

Okidu bowed to each one of them, welcoming them by name, which was better than Kyra could do. She wondered if he'd talked with the girls to get the names of their cousins.

"How do you know my name?" Parisa's youngest boy asked.

Okidu's smile didn't look fake at all this time. In fact, Kyra had a feeling that he was about to say something mischievous .

"A little birdie whispered it in my ear, Arman." Okidu cupped his ear. "She whispered the names of your brothers too. Tyrus, Zaden, and Kavir."

The boy stretched on his toes, looking behind Okidu's ear, then frowned. "There is no bird."

"It flew away," Okidu said while flapping his hands to mimic a bird flying.

"I wonder if he saw that somewhere," Max murmured. "He must have seen it on one of those British soap operas he loves to watch."

Kyra certainly hoped so. Otherwise, it would mean that the Odu could lie, which was extremely disconcerting.

"Can you show us how to work the TV?" one of the older boys asked Okidu.

"Of course, master. I'm coming up." Okidu climbed into the bus.

"Such a strange man." Rana walked over to stand beside Kyra.

"He's not a man." Kyra motioned for her other sisters to come closer and explained what Okidu was.

"I want one," Parisa said. "It would be so lovely to have someone to help with the boys, clean the house, and cook. I might actually be able to read a book from time to time."

Kyra laughed. "There are only seven Odus in existence, and they all belong to the Clan Mother's family."

"That's a shame." Parisa let out a breath. "It would have been so nice. "

As they climbed into the bus, they saw that the kids had commandeered the back seats, so the six of them chose the middle of the bus, leaving the front for the rest of the team.

"Perhaps this is as good a time as any to explain about this bus and its special features," Max said. "About twenty minutes before we reach our destination, the windows will turn opaque. Don't be alarmed. The windows will let in light but won't allow you to see out. It's a security measure designed to protect the location of the village. Every car that can enter the village is equipped with this feature."

"Why is it necessary?" Rana asked.

"You've been exposed to our enemies," Max pointed out. "They are relentless. Keeping the location of our village a secret is a necessity."

Rana was about to say something when the sound of an approaching aircraft drew everyone's attention. The jet appeared in the distance, making its final approach.

"That's Eric with the rest of the team," Max said. "Good timing."

The kids abandoned their movies to cluster on one side of the bus and watch the plane touch down smoothly and then taxi toward them.

It continued into the hangar and stopped next to the jet they had arrived on.

A few moments later, the door opened and Yamanu emerged, followed by Jade and the rest of her crew .

Kyra had gotten to know the five Kra-ell pretty well during this mission, and she liked them and appreciated their unparalleled fighting skills, but they still looked alien to her, with their unusual height and otherworldly features that were impossible to ignore.

"How's everyone doing?" Yamanu asked as he climbed into the bus.

"Julian cleared everyone," Max said. "You've just missed him and Gertrude. They left a few minutes ago."

Jade followed him into the bus, her large eyes scanning and her lips lifting in a ghost of a smile when her eyes landed on the kids.

"Hi, Jade," one of the boys called out. "Do you want to sit with us? We are watching a car race."

"Maybe later. I want to chat with Max and Kyra for a little bit."

"I thought her name was Jasmine," one of the girls said.

They hadn't told the children yet, but Jade didn't know that. Kyra turned around. "My name is Kyra. Jasmine was just a code name I used for the mission."

The explanation seemed to satisfy them, and they went back to watching the screens.

Jade stopped next to Kyra's seat. "You didn't tell them yet?"

"I told my sisters when the kids were sleeping."

Jade nodded, then swept her gaze over Kyra's sisters. "How did they take it? "

"Better than expected," Max said. "They are smart ladies." He lifted Kyra's hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. "Like their eldest sister."

Jade smirked. "You two should get a room, lock the door, and not come out until you both can barely walk."

Kyra was of the same opinion, but hearing it stated so bluntly brought heat to her cheeks. Her sisters' chuckles didn't help.

Thankfully, Jade continued down the aisle and sat next to Yamanu.

Max squeezed her hand. "Remind me to tell you later about the Kra-ell mating games."

"What about them?" Rana leaned between the seats.

Max rolled his eyes. "I said later, and I didn't promise to tell you anything, just Kyra."

When everyone had taken their seats, and Okidu pulled out of the parking spot and turned onto a narrow road, it suddenly occurred to Kyra that Max's fancy car wasn't parked where he'd left it.

"Where is your car?" she asked.

"Why, do you miss her?"

"No, but we left it here, and now it's not here."

"I asked my buddies to pick it up. It didn't feel right to leave my baby out in the open like that. She's used to me taking better care of her."

"What is he talking about?" Rana asked from behind them.

Kyra really needed to have a talk with her sisters about boundaries, or things would start to get strained between them before they even got a chance to get to know each other.

"Max's car is very precious to him."

"Oh," Rana sounded disappointed.

"It will get a little bumpy," Max warned. "The section just before the main road is unpaved to make it look like there is nothing important up here. It's only a few minutes, though."

After the bumpy stretch, Okidu turned the bus onto the main road, heading toward the highway.

"Wait until you see the village," Max said. "It's like its own little world, nestled in the mountains with views of the ocean on clear days."

"I just hope my sisters are going to acclimate well," Kyra said. "It's a big adjustment—new country, new culture, new everything."

"They will," Max assured her. "They are a resilient bunch, and they've got each other and you."

Kyra fell silent, her thoughts turning to what would come next. "I've been thinking about what happens after," she murmured. "When we are all settled in, and after I help the Clan Mother find her beloved."

Max leaned closer, his lips nearly touching her earlobe. "You mean other than making love for days and nights until we both can't walk straight?"

His words and his warm breath on her ear delivered a rush of desire that made her so weak in the knees that she was glad she was sitting .

"I'm serious," she whispered back. "Don't give my sisters even more kindling for their needling."

He leaned away, his expression turning from playful to serious. "We talked about this. You could join the Guardian Force, and if that doesn't appeal to you, maybe you could ask Eva if she needs more agents for her undercover work."

The truth was that Kyra didn't like the idea of starting at the bottom again, which would be the case in the Guardian Force. She would need to train with the Guardians for a long time before she could be cleared for missions. Perhaps an undercover civilian job would be a nice change. At least she wouldn't be in mortal danger during her missions, and the chances of encountering Doomers would be negligible.

"I need to visit Eva, thank her for the disguise, and return it to her. I didn't check what Asuka and Rishba packed for me, and I hope they didn't forget it."

It would be very unfortunate if the borrowed disguise had been left behind. Especially if she hoped to discuss employment options with Eva and also ask for her help with another project she had in mind.

"I'm sure they didn't forget anything," Max said. "So, what will it be? A spy or a fighter?"

She chuckled. "I'm a fighter, and I also worked undercover. I'm keeping my options open."

"The Guardian Force would be lucky to have you, especially since we need someone with your knowledge of Iran if we decide to do something about the Doomers there. But don't decide right away. Give yourself time to explore, to discover what other things you might be interested in. Maybe you have artistic talents like your daughter."

She leaned her head on his arm. "That reminds me that you haven't sung to me other than that one time."

"Do you want me to serenade you now?"

She chuckled. "Not now. But maybe later, when walking is a challenge."