“You won’t make it,” Graydon said.
Already the other man could barely stand.
Himoto’s smile was more of a grimace than anything. “Maybe not, but humans had a hand in this mess. We need to help clean it up.”
Himoto’s eyes were steady in a way that said he’d already made his peace with the possibility of death.
He didn’t fear its advance. He would meet it on equal footing come what may. He wouldn’t run. He wouldn’t shirk his responsibilities.
There was nobility in the way he held himself.
“He won’t be alone,” Jace said. “My people and I will stay with him.”
Himoto tried to glare before giving up, too tired to expend energy on pointless things. “I don’t remember inviting you to this party.”
“Try to stop me, old man.”
Graydon’s hesitation lasted only a moment. Time was of the essence. Finn’s last message made Kira and her situation seem dire. He couldn’t afford to linger here.
Graydon’s gaze paused on Noor’s body where Amila knelt beside it. Her head was bowed and one hand rested on his chest.
Sorrow and grief echoed through their bond. All of his oshotas’ bonds.
Graydon’s throat grew tight as loss pulled at him despite the urgency of the situation.
“We’ll take care of him,” Himoto promised.
“I’m trusting you to do exactly that,” Graydon forced out, starting to turn away.
The thought of leaving Noor to strangers wrenched at him with a sense of wrongness. It went against everything Graydon believed in to not see Noor to a proper resting place, but war wasn’t kind. It didn’t leave you the time to mourn.
Sometimes you paid your respect to the dead by surviving.
Today he’d repay Noor’s sacrifice by ensuring Kira lived and the Tsavitee didn’t get what they wanted.
Resolve fed his anger, burning like a banked fire in his chest.
“Tell Kira—” Himoto cut himself off. His shoulders rose as he took a deep breath. When he spoke again, he was the admiral. “Take care of her.”
Graydon stared after Himoto as he limped away supported by Jace, finally understanding what he hadn’t before.
Jace’s eyes caught his eye as he turned away. The human inclined his chin in a gesture of respect.
“I understand what Roake’s heir sees in them now,” Torvald said from Graydon’s side. “They possess unexpected depths.”
“Yes.” Graydon turned on his heel. “With me.”
Liara looked uncertainly between the two groups before taking a deep breath. “We’ll stay.”
Torvald’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t move to interfere.
“Are you sure?” Graydon asked.
Liara offered him a faint smile. "She cares for these humans, and they need help. I would be letting her down if I abandoned them."
She moved toward where the humans were fortifying their defenses.
“Let’s go,” Graydon ordered before racing in the opposite direction.
