Fuck him.
She slammed the glass down. "The Elise you knew is gone. The next time you want to toast our fallen, maybe don't do it as a power play."
The fierce light in his eyes faded, the hope she had failed to see snuffed out as loss and grief crept into his expression. Kira's stomach sank, regret curdling her insides. The impulse to offer comfort hovered on her tongue, swallowed before it could leave.
He wouldn't want her platitudes, and offering them would likely undo the necessary blow she'd struck him. The conclusion he'd drawn was dangerous and placed many lives in jeopardy. He needed to believe Elise was dead, even if it killed her to put that look in his eyes.
The glass slipped out of his fingers, crashing to the table and bouncing off with an air of finality. Kira barely held in her flinch as he shuffled past, the forceful spark of personality he threw at the world subdued.
Blue stopped in front of Kira. "That wasn't nice."
"What do you want from me, Blue? He asked, and I delivered." Kira felt exhausted.
Emotion. It would suck the energy out of her every time.
"Right," Blue said, not hiding her skepticism as she shoved past Kira. "You were always a terrible friend when it counted."
She left Kira standing there, staring out the window at the ocean. Self-hatred and the taste of bitter regret lingered on Kira's tongue. She couldn't even argue with Blue's statement. The truth hurt, even if it was unavoidable.
She was tired of the deceptions and the lies. The expectations.
So tired.
As much as the night had felt like coming home to family after a long time away, she needed to remember she had no family anymore. Blue and Raider were pieces of her past. A few drinks and the sharing of memories weren't going to change that.
Light reflected off a mirror in a pattern Kira recognized. She squinted at the tower window in the distance, realization making her curse silently.
Odin. Always pushing the boundaries as usual.
"We'll escort the two of them home," Rheya said hesitantly when Kira continued staring out the window. She and Devon filed in the Curs wake, shooting glances at Kira as they did so.
Graydon's heavy gaze lingered on Kira as he watched the ocean with her.
Finally, he stirred. "Let's go."
"Not really in the mood, Graydon," Kira warned.
He arched an eyebrow at her. "You've already started one fight and alienated your closest friends. Do you want to go for a third fight tonight?"
Her glare was hard, which made his smile widened as he moved away.
The urge to do exactly that tugged at her, even as she ignored it. Fighting would make her feel better in the short term, but later, when morning came, she would regret her lack of control.
No need to make things worse than they already were.
Wearily she trudged after Graydon, pausing beside Talon as she took in the destruction she and the rest had caused.
"I'd offer to pay for the damages, but I'm afraid I don't know how the Tuann monetary system works," Kira said. That regret burrowed deeper. Talon didn't deserve this. "Unless you accept human credits?"
"They're not worth much here."
She grimaced. She had a feeling.
"Don't worry. Seeing you three knock Dethos down a couple of slots was worth it." He clapped her on the shoulder. "Besides, House Roake will pay for this."
Even worse. Kira's debts kept rising.
Talon gestured at Finn with his chin. "Take care of my friend."
