"It's heading for the lead racers."
The rocket’s altitude climbed as it shot toward Devon and Skye
Cursing, Kira hit her thrusters, trying to climb. Her board shot up but not fast enough. She already knew she was going to be too late.
Kishot across the sky, striking the rocket, and nudging it to the left.
“Where did that come from?” Kira shouted.
“I don’t know,” Jin responded.
The rocket overshot, already in the process of turning when it hit the beacon and exploded.
Kira dodged the burning debris, her heart in her throat as the two hoverboards above collided.
Devon grabbed for the other racer and missed. His board, already damaged, tilted. Smoke trailed him as his board, unable to take the abrupt movement, started to spiral.
Devon and his board bumped into the updraft of the tower, launching in the opposite direction almost instantly.
Skye dropped like a rock, plummeting toward the ground.
"He's not going to be able to recover," Kira said, feeling a sense of creeping dread as she watched events unfold.
"There's an issue with the safety team," Jin said, sounding frantic. "They're having trouble getting off the ground.”
Damn it.
Kira cut acceleration. Gravity reclaimed her, pulling her toward the surface.
"You won't be able to save him,” Odin warned, understanding what she wanted to do. “You'll likely die in the process.”
Kira twisted, pointing the nose of her board toward the ground.
"Kira, what's more important than your goals?"
"Many things."
Starting with a war between the Haldeel and the Tuann. In that scenario, no one won.
If Devon died here, the future would be bleak. The Haldeel and the Tuann would expend themselves against each other, leaving the Tsavitee free to waltz in and destroy whatever remained afterward.
Then, there was the personal element to all this. The part she hadn't yet found the time to tell Jin about.
"Jin, there's a few things I need to tell you when this is over."
And she had no idea what his reaction would be.
To date, he'd shown zero interest in locating his biological family. Kira still didn't know if that was because he was ashamed to show them what he'd become or if he genuinely didn't care.
Either way, she could no longer put off telling him of her suspicions.
"It's a promise, Kira. You'll come through this safe and sound."
Kira couldn't help but feel warmth at his statement—as if by making that claim it would come true.
Kira plummeted, already working through the current problem. She needed more speed, and the only way to get it was through drastic measures.
"What's the plan?" Jin asked.
