Hunting a Soul Read Free Page A

over and Leadra scooped him up. She nodded at her driver. “I am ready.”
    He looked her over and smiled at Krix. “Then come with me, Novice Leadra.”
    Leadra made sure that Zeeba exited with them, and she closed the door to her quarters. N’ran lifted Zeeba on his shoulder, and they walked down the stairs as a group with Zeeba.
    He released her on the main floor, and she ran off. N’ran finally looked Leadra in the eyes. “Are you ready?”
    She held on to Krix and he chortled softly. “I suppose so.”
    “Then come this way.”
    He gestured to a path out through the gardens, and she followed along.
    The trip to the Guard base was exhilarating, and her first therapy session was a trip through hell. She definitely had had better days.
     

Chapter Three
     
     
    N’ran kept throwing her concerned looks, but he didn’t ask if she was all right. On their way back to the Citadel, he took her down every crevice and canyon that he could think of.
    Every time she thought she had herself under control, she burst out in tears again. Krix had been ordered to stay in the back seat while she took some time to grieve, but he was fretting.
    Finally, her eyes were dry and her face was puffy but she felt empty.
    Krix must have felt the shift in her thoughts, because he bounded up and over the seats into her arms.
    She sighed in relief.
    “So, was that an exercise in self-torture?”
    Leadra shook her head. “I hadn’t grieved for my family yet, so he got me started.”
    “How long has it been?”
    She swallowed, “Just over three years.”
    “How did they die?”
    She rubbed Krix. “That is complicated, but they were all murdered.”
    He went silent.
    She swallowed again. “It is the reason I went into training.”
    “We all have our reasons. Some are societal, some are personal, but we all answered the call to make ourselves more and better when the time came. In the end, it isn’t why we came that is important; it is the fact that we did it. You chose to do more and to be something more. That counts for a lot.”
    Leadra looked at him, and she felt a small smile on her lips. “Thank you. That helps.”
    He grinned. “Good. Now, what kind of training are you taking?”
    “Um, they have a specialist arriving tomorrow.”
    “For the psychic side. What are they doing for your defense and battle training?”
    She tilted her head. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
    “Mention it to Veera. She will schedule someone if she hasn’t already.”
    Leadra stroked Krix until they arrived at the Citadel. She felt better. Lighter.
    “Do you have someone to eat with?” N’ran asked her casually.
    “Just Krix. He is pretty good company.”
    “May I join you two?”
    She blinked. “Please. I am not really sure what to eat, so I am going to have to figure out what will and won’t work.”
    “Ah, culinary adventure, everyone’s favourite time at the Citadel. Allow me to help out.”
    Krix squirmed to get down, and so she placed him on the floor, watching him waddle happily to play with a rainbow of other Yaluthu.
    “He will come back when you have food or if you need him. You two are bonded now.”
    She chuckled. “I know. I was just worried about him getting run over by one of the kids.”
    “They know to keep an eye out for the little ones. Come on, after a day like today, you need some fortification.”
    He coaxed her toward the food court and helped her find the foods that were close to what she was used to and easy for her to digest. The colour coding next to the platters helped.
    Once she had her food and some seeds for Krix, she headed to a table that was out of the way and N’ran joined her.
    “Why aren’t you dressed in Citadel gear?” She asked him.
    The blush that ran through her face a moment later was hot. The dark, tight leather that he wore was fascinating to look at, but it didn’t match any of the robes that swirled around the building.
    He grinned. “I am part of an exchange program. Balen has