The crew member thrashed, his eyes wild. "You'll destroy our House. We're reliant on the treasures we take from the water. It won't matter what decision the Face makes if we're cut off from our only source of profit."
"Someone should have thought about that before sending you out here to steal alu-ongchild," Harlow said, his expression coldly amused.
Thelu-ongmother's thirst for these men's death beat at Kira. The blood of two of those responsible had assuaged some of her desire for vengeance, but not all. Kira had a feeling if the mother ever found them on these waters again, they, along with any boat they were on, would disappear, not even a piece of driftwood to point to their fate.
Kira wanted to make this point very clear. The last thing she wanted was more deaths. "In case you don't understand the seriousness of this, I'll make it clear. The mother has caught your scent. If she finds you or anyone related to you on open water, you won't have to worry about what Roake will do to you when they find you. She'll solve the problem for them."
Harlow's expression was cruel as he held the crew member motionless. "That goes for the rest of your House as well. She'll know if any of them step into a body of water she occupies. She'll come for them."
The crew member gulped, looking properly chastised.
"We won't answer a distress call from Dethos a second time," Harlow said, releasing him. The crew member stumbled as Harlow faced his marshal. "See that the crew is escorted to their House. Leave the ship for thelu-ongto sink. The cages will go to the bottom with the boat."
The marshal dipped his head. "As you command."
Harlow grunted as he moved toward Kira. He stopped beside her to stare up at thelu-ongmother. His gaze softened, admiration entering it. This was more than duty. Her uncle held these creatures in high esteem. No wonder he'd come.
As the marshal and Graydon arranged for the oshota above to land carefully so the crew could be evacuated, her uncle studied the baby where he still clung to the ship's side.
"Hello, little one. I am glad you are safe," her uncle crooned.
Kira blinked, not expecting to hear such a soft tone from a man whose defenses had seemed impenetrable.
"Our family has always shared a close bond with thelu-ong," her uncle told her as the baby regarded him with wise eyes before touching his nose to her uncle's chest. The baby nuzzled the synth armor before letting out a warble. The boat rocked as he used it as a springboard, diving into the water with barely a ripple.
Harlow smiled, the expression changing everything about him. Where before he'd been serious—austere and harsh—that smile made him handsome.
"Your father could speak with them. He was loved and cherished for it," Harlow said.
Kira moved closer to the railing, looking up at the motherlu-ongwith curiosity. She waited, hoping Harlow would continue, aching for more information on this man she had never met.
"As boys, we used to swim out as far as we could, and he'd call them to us. We'd spend hours riding and playing with them. Used to drive our parents mad." Nostalgia crept into his smile. A long-tolerated pain lingered around the corners of his eyes. "You hear them too."
His declaration distracted Kira from her study of the mother.
He nodded as he took in her startled expression as if she'd confirmed something. "You are so very like him. Your recklessness will be your downfall."
Kira leaned against the railing before glancing up at thelu-ong, relieved to see her fringe had finally settled, some of her rage and anger bleeding away. The balls of fire still hovered as a warning, but they no longer spun.
"How did he die?" Kira asked.
Harlow's expression iced over as he withdrew, his gaze turning distant. "His love of your mother and you compelled him to face his enemy without anyone to watch his back. If he'd waited to go to her aid, he might have lived."
There was an unspoken rebuke in his words.
Kira lifted a shoulder, conceding his point. She'd been reckless. She could own that. "I used to be better at taking others into account."
He blinked slowly, accepting the non-apology.
Kira leaned a forearm against the railing as she struggled to ask the question that had been bothering her. "Do you ever resent me for his loss?"
If he did, it would be understandable.
Harlow couldn't hide his surprise. After a long second, he reached out, his hand cupping the back of her neck. She held herself stiff, ready to defend herself as he drew her in to press a kiss against her cold forehead.
"Sometimes, I forget how infinitely young you are," he told her before stepping back. To Graydon, he said, "Bring her to the fortress. She's cold. I don’t want her risking hypothermia."
Harlow didn't wait for agreement, making an impossible leap straight up. He kicked off air, racing across it toward the fortress.
