She remembered almost dying. Then the next thing she knew she woke up in Himoto's arms, Jin clutched to her chest.
It took her days to realize the drone she'd refused to let go of was the boy she thought had perished.
They'd been inseparable ever since.
"That's interesting," Graydon said, his thumb drawing soothing circles along her shoulder blade.
"Why?"
"To my knowledge neither the line of Roake nor Luatha possesses the ability to draw out the true essence of something and insert it into another material."
Noting the look on Kira's face, Graydon went still. "What?"
"My line might not possess that ability, but I do."
Graydon sat up, taking Kira with him. His gaze was penetrating. "That's impossible."
"It's how I saved Wren."
He'd been mortally wounded. There wasn't enough time for help to be summoned, so she did something she’d thought she'd never do again.
She took the destroyed form of Jin's avatar and broke it down to its base self. Only when she'd extracted the essence did she insert it into Wren, using its energy to repair the extensive damage to his body.
Graydon's eyes widened. "Only one line possesses that trait—the emperor's."
Kira didn't need him to tell her how bad it would be if news of this ability got out.
"Kira, you can never do that again," Graydon warned.
Kira didn't answer, pressing her lips together instead.
His hand caught her chin, raising it, so she met his eyes. "I mean it. They will execute you. I won't be able to stop them."
Knowing he wasn't going to drop this until she conceded, Kira nodded.
"Do you know why I can do this?" Kira asked.
"I have a few theories," he said in a grim voice.
So did Kira, and they started and ended with Jin.
