Kira nodded. He wasn’t wrong.
Selene and Alexander weren’t acting like they’d come to expect of the forty-three. The knowledge made Kira antsy. Like she was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“When was the last time so many of us were in such close proximity?”
“Nine years. No. Eleven.”
Right after she’d woken up from her coma and realized Elise wasn’t as dead as the Tsavitee would have had her believe.
“I don’t like it when they act out of character. It gives me the shivers.”
At that, Kira raised her eyebrows at him. “That’s quite a feat since you lack any skin.”
“You know what I mean.”
She did indeed.
“Why do you think he came?” Jin asked.
“He cares about her.”
He didn’t want to leave Selene to face the Tuann alone.
“The forty-three all care about each other. I don’t see any of them here.”
That brought a small smile to Kira’s face. “Who’s to say that they aren’t?”
The forty-three were masters of infiltration. There was every possibility a few of them had managed to insert themselves into the periphery of the situation given the activity surrounding the adva ka.
Jin made a grumbling sound that said he took her point as Kira crossed her arms and leaned against the side of her ship.
Kira nodded at Alexander. “He loves her. That’s why he’s here.”
In his shoes, Kira might have done the same for Graydon. Nothing said love like a willingness to go through the same trials.
People underestimated how reassuring it could be simply to have a companion when you faced your greatest fear. Not to have them fix the problem but rather hold your hand through the worst of it.
Alexander wasn’t here to solve Selene’s issues. Selene didn’t need that. He was there to provide a steady shoulder for when things got heavy.
“I don’t see it,” Jin said. “What makes you think it’s love?”
“He broke the rules for her.”
For Alexander that was the ultimate proclamation.
“What rule?”
“The forty-three have a time limit for how long they can exist in close proximity.”
It was smart if you thought about it. Keep a distance from each other so if one is compromised, they can’t drag down the rest.
Of course, it also made for a lonely existence.
“How do you know that?” Jin asked.
“Elise told me.”
It was one of the few things she’d shared about the forty-three. It had slipped out one night when Elise was feeling nostalgic.
