Close Obsession (The Krinar Chronicles 2)

“Unlike you, I don’t accuse without evidence,” Korum said, giving him a cold smile. “I am merely venturing a guess.”

The noise from the crowd grew in volume. Curious to see how Saret was reacting to all of this, Mia turned her attention to his podium. He was watching the proceedings with a slightly bemused look on his face, as if he couldn’t quite believe he’d gotten dragged into this. Mia felt bad for him. Not that she knew much about Krinar politics, but Korum’s friend seemed like someone who didn’t enjoy getting caught in the crossfire.

Her lover, on the other hand, was clearly in his element. Korum was enjoying his enemy’s helpless rage.

“All the guesses and accusations are useless at this point,” said Arus, and the crowd fell silent again. “The Council will have to examine the results from the laboratories before we can proceed in that direction. In the meantime, we’ll show the testimonies from all available witnesses to shed further light on this case.” And with a small gesture, he called up a three-dimensional image, just as Korum had done yesterday.

More recordings, Mia realized, sighing at the thought that today’s proceedings were likely to last even longer. If they were showing testimonies from fifty witnesses, then the trial could last well into the night.

Settling even more comfortably on Korum’s podium, Mia prepared for a lengthy and potentially boring viewing session.

* * *

The Krinar watched the recordings with satisfaction.

It had all worked out so perfectly, just as he’d hoped. No one would know the truth, not until it was too late for them to do anything.

He was glad he’d had the foresight to erase the Keiths’ memories. Now they would never be able to explain, to point to him as the leader behind their little rebellion.

He was safe, and he should be able to implement his plan in peace.

Particularly if he could manage to keep his mind off a certain human girl.

Chapter 11

After about five hours of watching the recordings, Mia had finally had enough. Exiting the virtual trial, she got up from the couch and went into the kitchen to get something to eat. It was truly exhausting, paying attention for so long, and she had no idea how Korum and the other Ks sat there so attentively this whole time.

As before, the house gladly provided her with a delicious meal. Feeling daring, Mia asked for the most popular traditional Krinar dish – provided that it was suitable for human consumption. When the dish arrived a few minutes later, she nearly moaned with hunger, her mouth salivating at the appetizing scent. It appeared to be a stew again, with a rich, salty flavor that was vaguely reminiscent of lamb or veal. Of course, she hadn’t had those delicacies in over five years, so that could be simply her imagination. Like all K food she’d tried so far, this stew was also entirely plant-based.

It was still light out when Mia got done with her meal, so she decided to venture outside for a bit. Putting on a pair of boots and a simple ivory dress, she told the house to let her out and smiled with satisfaction when the wall dissolved for her, just as it usually did for Korum. Grabbing the tablet-like device Korum had given her yesterday and a towel from the bathroom, Mia headed to the waterfalls, looking forward to spending a couple of hours reading and learning more about the early history of the Krinar.

Arriving at her destination, Mia located a nice patch of grass that didn’t seem to be near any ant hills. Spreading out her towel there, she lay down on her stomach and immersed herself in the drama of the end of the first Krinar Golden Age.

“Hello? Mia?” The sound of an unfamiliar voice calling her name jolted Mia out of her absorption with the story.

Startled, Mia looked up and saw a young human woman standing a few feet away. Dressed in Krinar clothing, she had a vaguely Middle Eastern look to her, with large brown eyes, wavy black hair, and a smooth olive-toned complexion.

“Yes, hi,” Mia said, getting up and staring at the newcomer. At first glance, the woman – more of a girl, really – seemed to be in her late teens or early twenties, but there was something regal in the way she held herself that made Mia think she might be older. Although she lacked Maria’s vivid looks, there was a quiet, almost luminous beauty in her heart-shaped face and tall, slender figure. Another charl, Mia realized.

“I’m Delia,” th

e girl said, giving her a gentle smile. She spoke in Krinar. “Maria told me she’d met you yesterday, and I wanted to stop by and welcome you to Lenkarda.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Delia,” Mia said, giving her an answering smile. “How did you know where to find me?”

“I stopped by Korum’s place, but no one seemed to be home,” Delia explained. “So I was actually taking the scenic route home and saw you reading here. I hope you don’t mind – I didn’t mean to interrupt . . .”

“Oh, no, not at all!” Mia reassured her. “I’m very glad you came by! Please have a seat.” Gesturing toward the other end of the towel, Mia sat down on one end of it. Delia smiled and joined her, gracefully lowering herself onto the fabric.

“Have you been living in Lenkarda long?” Mia inquired, studying the other girl with curiosity.

“I’ve been here since the Center was built,” Delia said. “You could say I’m one of the original residents, in fact.”

Mia’s eyes widened. This girl had been a charl for almost five years? She had to have met her Krinar right after K-Day. “That’s amazing,” she told Delia earnestly. “How do you like living here?”

Delia shrugged. “It’s a little different from what I’m used to. I prefer our old home, to be honest, but Arus needed to be here –”

“Arus?” Could this be the same Arus she’d just seen virtually?