It'd been a long time since Kira had let herself be so vulnerable. She was beginning to remember why she'd stopped.
This feeling sucked.
Handing someone the power to hurt you took bravery. Guts. Both things Kira hadn't felt she possessed in a long time. At least emotionally. Physically, she was just as likely to throw herself into the fire.
Graydon held the ability to crush her and her objective.
Would he though?
That was the question she was hoping to get the answer to.
"You hope to go after her," Graydon stated.
The look he sent her was reflective, as if she'd handed him a piece to some invisible puzzle he was assembling.
"I'm not leaving this planet without her."
Graydon might as well know the truth. She'd sacrifice everything if she had to—even the Tuann.
Of course, she was hoping it wouldn't come to that. If she ever had to fight Graydon for real, she wasn't entirely sure who'd come out the victor.
"It's very convenient for her to appear now. Are you sure it's her?" he asked.
"No, but that doesn't change what I'm going to do."
Graydon stirred, his gaze thoughtful. "The Tsavitee had her for a long time. She might not be the person you remember."
"I've considered that, and if that's the case, I'll do what has to be done."
Kira let herself feel the raw devastation of that thought. She didn't try to hide or pretend. She put it all out there for him to see.
She was going into this with her eyes wide open, knowing she couldn't control the outcome.
All this time she'd been holding onto the slimmest of hopes that when she found Elise, there would be something of the woman she knew remaining. It was her light in the dark, the thing that forced her to pull herself together in the early days after the coma. After all this time, it had become habit to cling to that hope.
But in the back of her mind, she'd always known what she might have to do if Elise had been twisted beyond repair by the torture and brainwashing she might have endured.
It was the nightmare that kept her up nights.
It would be easier not to go looking. To hold onto the memory of who Elise was.
Kira couldn't force herself to do that. It wasn't in her nature to let things go. Even if the hope was small and the chances of failure were great, she'd give everything she was to see this through. Even if it destroyed her in the end.
Graydon could accept that and help her—or he could get out of her way.
"All right," Graydon said.
The sudden absence of tension made Kira almost lightheaded. For a second, she questioned what she'd heard.
Had Graydon, Mr. You'll-Do-It-My-Way, just agreed to her demand? Had the world turned upside down while she wasn't looking?
Graydon's eyes danced at her mistrustful look. "There are conditions, of course."
"Of course," Kira bit out.
How could she not have guessed?
"You're not to make a move without me. No going off alone. No keeping secrets."
