I don’t know if Sima’s awake. Part of me hopes she’s still asleep, that she doesn’t have to know yet. I’m not ready for that conversation.
When I turn the corner to the kitchen, I see Kira.
She’s standing by the counter in one of those silk robes she wears, eyes red, face wet with tears.
The second she spots me, she gasps. “Petyr!”
Before I can say anything, she’s on me. She throws herself forward, arms wrapped tight around my neck. Her body hits mine with more force than I expect.
For a second, I just stand there, stunned. “Kira,” I start, my voice low, uncertain. “It’s okay. I’m fine.”
She’s crying against my shoulder, her voice muffled. “We heard there was an attack. They said you were shot. I thought—” Her words break off into another sob.
The contact makes me uncomfortable. It’s way too intimate. I’m used to expecting more distance from my brother’s wife. In our world, we’re careful to respect other people’s territory.
I raise my hands, slow, and grip her shoulders. Her skin feels cold. She’s trembling beneath my palms.
“I’m fine,” I repeat quietly. “It’s over.”
She looks up at me, eyes still wet, and searches my face like she doesn’t believe it. “You’re bleeding.” Her hand lands softly on my arm.
“It’s nothing,” I answer. “A graze. Nothing to worry about.” I push her gently away. Create a little distance between us. “You should go get some rest.”
Kira hesitates. She’s blinking hard, her breath shaky. “I thought you were dead,” she whispers.
I force a weak smile, though it feels wrong on my face. “Not yet.”
Kira doesn’t move right away. She wipes at her eyes, tries to pull herself together. “When I heard about the shooting,” she says quietly, “I thought— God, Petyr, it felt just like when I got thecall about Dimitri. I couldn’t breathe. I thought it was happening again.”
A pang of guilt rises up. She’s shaken because she’s done this exact nightmare scenario before and she thought tonight was round two. I can’t blame her for her panic.
“I’m fine,” I say for a third time. “It’s over. I’m sorry you had to hear it that way.”
“You’re sure you’re okay?”
“I’ll live.” I manage a small nod to put her at ease. “Go upstairs, Kira. Get some rest.”
“If you need to talk?—”
“Right now, I just want to shower and sleep.”
Her mouth opens like she wants to say more, but I cut her off before she can.
“Go to bed, Kira.” My tone softens, but the message is clear. I can’t do this with her—not tonight.
She hesitates, then finally steps back and nods. “Alright. Goodnight, Petyr.”
“Goodnight.”
I turn away. Even so, the back of my neck burns with the feeling of being watched.
I guess she must have been really shaken.
As I climb upstairs, I realize that the scent of her perfume is lingering on me. All it does is make me want to wash the night off faster. I’m not against comforting my sister-in-law if sheneeds me, but I’m not a fan of physical contact. Sima is the only exception to that rule. Anyone else just rubs me the wrong way.
“I thought— God, Petyr, it felt just like when I got the call about Dimitri.”
I know how it feels to get that call. Because I got that call, too. One second, my world was whole, and the next, everything was upside-down. Torn apart forever. My father dead, my brother in a coma.
