They arrived at a section of the cliff covered in a mass of vines.
"I think you need to tell us exactly what happened," Kira said.
"I will. But first—" The drone pulsed, using its anti gravs. Slowly, the carpet of vines parted to reveal the entrance to a dark, dank cave. "We should go save our troublemaker."
Raider regarded the entrance doubtfully. "The Tsavitee are hiding my daughter in a cave?"
"Don't be ridiculous, meat sack. Elena's not in the cave. The cave leads to Elena."
This time, Raider wasn't the only one to look at Jin in confusion.
"You're going to have to do a better job of explaining," Kira said.
Jin made an irritated sound. "I will, but can I do it while we're moving?"
Kira gave him a doubtful look before ducking into the cave, moving to the side to let Raider and Jin join her.
"Start talking," she ordered as Jin arranged the vines so they hung over the entrance again.
A whistle echoed against the walls as a metal bird flew out of a nearby passageway. It landed on Jin's casing, twisting its head back and forth to look at them out of first one eye and then the other.
"Elise used her contacts among the generals to have Elena inserted into a crèche with their young."
Oh, thank God. Of all the places Elena could have ended up, that wasn't the worst. Kira had spent several sleepless nights over the last few weeks, envisioning her niece being hurt. Tortured and ripped apart at the Tsavitee's whims.
To learn she was instead sent to a crèche was a relief she barely dared let herself feel.
"Although the training methods in a crèche are brutal, they're not as bad as what we went through as children. Actually, they're pretty similar to Roake's."
The metal bird took flight from Jin's sphere, arrowing back into the passage it had just come from. Jin started after it, Kira and Raider following.
"What happened to change things?" Kira asked.
"A few days back Elena drew the attention of a Sye."
"How did she manage that?"
"She tried to break into an Osiri's lab."
Kira's horrified gaze swung to Jin. "Please tell me you're joking."
"I'm not," he said in a grim tone. "I don't think she knew what she was doing. Elise covered for her. Unfortunately, the Sye saw the two of them meeting afterward. It aroused the Sye's suspicions. Enough for them to go poking into Elena's background."
"Sye," Raider said, looking at Kira. "That's what Odin is, isn't it?"
At her expression, he swore.
"How long have you known Odin was a Tsavitee?" Raider asked.
"Odin's not the enemy."
The very fact they were standing here proved that.
"Are you sure about that? Don't forget how we met that Sye.”
There was a sneer on the last word.
Kira regarded him calmly. "I think I'm more familiar with Odin's motivations than you."
Raider shook his head, not bothering to argue with her. "Finish the story, Tin Can."
"Today, Elena decided to play spy. I think that's what the Sye was waiting for. Because somehow we ended up back in the Osiri's lab. That's when I lost contact with her."
Jin's worry permeated every word. Her friend was antsy, his desire to head straight to Elena clear.
"How does the cave fit?" Raider asked, struggling for patience.
"Oh, that. Somehow, this cave is connected to all the towers. Though I'm not quite sure how." Jin flew under a particularly low hanging section of the ceiling. "I think it's similar to the passageways we used during the adva ka. Remember them?"
Kira nodded slowly. "I do."
They'd been weird, warping time and space in unexpected ways. Sometimes looping in on themselves. Other times sending you to unexpected destinations that shouldn't have been possible given the length of time you'd been traveling.
The chamber where the lenacht had been born was like that too. So easy to stumble upon when it wanted to be found. But later, no amount of searching had enabled her or anyone else to find their way back. Like it had never existed in the first place.
"Elena dropped off my scanners for a time right before she entered the lab. I think that's because she wasn't actually here but rather somewhere in between."
Raider scowled at the drone. "Can you at least try to make sense?"
"Think of it as a pocket dimension. One that acts like a maze. She's here—but not."
Raider stared, irritation growing on his face.
"And this cave connects to the same place," Kira said uncertainly.