Kira’s jaw locked at the abhorrence in his tone made
Before she could speak, Jarek held up a hand, palm facing Kira.
An invisible force tore Jin out of her arms. He sailed toward Jarek as if pulled against his will. The inquisitor caught Jin, studying him with a detached gaze.
“An abomination,” Jarek pronounced before tossing Jin at the oshota next to him. “Destroy it.”
eight
“You will do no such thing,” Kira said in a guttural voice that spawned from the depths of the abyss. She didn’t need to look to know symbols had begun appearing on her skin, their lines a soft violet.
“Kira,” Finn warned softly.
Kira twitched but didn’t react as she locked on her prey.
The oshota holding Jin froze. The knowledge that a predator was in front of him was written on his face and in his body. As if by remaining utterly still, her monster might forget he was there.
Not likely.
Kira’s primus, as her monster was called, had a very good memory.
As long as the oshota was holding Jin, he was prey. If he wanted to survive, he should put her friend down.
Kira couldn’t stop herself as she slid forward a small inch, making everyone around her flinch.
“She’s not going to do anything, are you, Phoenix?” Raider said with a calm that managed to reach Kira even in her current state. “Not with the children so near.”
Right. The children.
Elena. Joule. Ziva.
Her primus might not be able to distinguish friend from foe. It had happened before.
Kira eased back the small inch she’d claimed earlier as those around her breathed a sigh of relief. She sensed rather than saw Finn relax as she forced herself to take a deep breath through her nose, holding it for several seconds before releasing it again.
It was a meditation technique Himoto had taught her once upon a time. It didn’t always work, but she’d take anything she could get right at that moment.
Kira’s hands shook as she struggled to put the primus back in its box. Never before had it come so easily when her life wasn’t in danger.
The fact that it had was a cause for concern.
Only when she had a modicum of control again did she focus on the oshota.
“You’re going to put him down.” Her voice developed an edge. “Gently.”
“He will do no such thing,” Jarek contradicted.
Raider sent him an irritated frown. “You should really stop talking now. You’re only making things worse.”
Kira ignored the two of them as she focused on the oshota, the sole person in the situation that could stop this.
“Listen to me,” Kira crooned. “I don’t want to kill you.”
She really didn’t.
“You have your orders,” Jarek said.
The oshota’s decision to listen flashed across his face, a split second of warning.
