Mending Torn Bonds {Book Four in the Four Winds series}

Chapter Twenty-Five

Ronin and Haden sat quietly in the air vents above the main room. They could see Sephtis and Xavier talking. Katrina was standing with her parents and Chen.

Chen is an interesting character. He never seemed that evil just driven and using any means necessary to get what he wanted. He seemed to really like Katrina though. Katrina wasn't exactly sure what to think if her hyperactive grandfather.

Kai on the other hand was sulking. He really didn't want to be talking to his father-in-law when he was feeling this miserable. Leonine began to wonder if his head had started bleeding again.

Jason was lying on a nearby table. They had pulled Stephanie out of the cell to help take care of him. Ronin was very glad for that because he was seriously worried that Jason might die from infection. It didn't look like he would now.

After a few minutes Xavier left the room with Chen and Katrina. Katrina looked longingly at her parents and cousin Jason. She really didn't want to be here but it was obvious that Xavier was protecting her. Kai and Skylor were prodded to their cell by Turner, who was still under the mind control spell.

"Will he live?" Sephtis asked Stephanie.

"Yes, no thanks to you," she spat but Ronin could tell even from his hiding place that she was scared of Sephtis. Why? Stephanie continued, "Why are you bothering to keep him alive anyway? I'm not complaining but still."

"There is no reason to kill you," Sephtis shrugged.

"Do you even have a motive for doing this?" Stephanie snapped.

Sephtis raised a hand and slapped her hard. Ronin practically jumped from his hiding place but was stopped by Haden.

Stephanie had taken much worse so she simply stood up and turned back to Jason.

Ronin realized suddenly that he was looking at his father-in-law. Kai had said that he hadn't even known he had a daughter. That would explain his absence. Emily didn't really look like him though except for his eyes. He had piercing green eyes and so did Emily. He had established that Sephtis was insane though. He had no reason to be doing what he was doing. He had absolutely no motive. Unless it was to take of they world. They had had to many people try and do that though.

Haden roused Ronin from his musings by tugging on his shirt. Ronin snapped out of it and followed Haden down a different air duct.

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"Zane, we need to talk to you," Clouse whispered. Practically everyone was asleep. They were exhausted from the battle.

"About?" Zane asked warily.

"It's about Stephanie," Alita answered. "She may be our biological daughter but you will always be her father. There is something you need to know."

"Go on."

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"Why are we doing this again?" Haden asked.

"There are two of us and we both look like you. We can split up and do what we need to and if one of us gets caught they will think it's over with and not look for another person that looks like you," Ronin explained.

"Makes sense," Haden nodded. "Shall we go?"

"You go track everyone's movements and I will see what I can do in tampering with the circuitry."

"Sounds good," Haden said scampering back into the air vents.

Ronin edged his way carefully to uh control room. He had given Haden an earpiece so they could keep in touch. Something as off. The ninja were never beaten that easily. Something really didn't feel right.