Pallas whistled. "I'm impressed. It looks like your lover has his uses after all."
Graydon roared as a flood of black flames surged from his body. They obliterated everything in front of him.
When it was over, the Tsavitee were gone. As if they and the trees they'd come through were nothing but a dream.
At least a quarter of a mile of forest and hills had vanished.
"I didn't know he was capable of the islax," Pallas said with a tight expression.
Translated, that word meant 'the madness.' An interesting name considering what they'd just witnessed.
Graydon swayed.
Kira hurried forward, catching him. "I've got you."
Graydon put his hand over hers where she had placed it on his arm. "I'll be alright. I just need a little rest."
Kira glanced from him to the destruction he'd just wrought. No kidding. Something like that had to take it out of him. Her burst did and this was on a similar level.
"How long have you been able to do that?" Pallas asked as they made their way to the ship.
"Worried that your forty three missed something?"
Pallas's rigid expression made it clear Graydon's guess was on the mark.
Graydon's chuckle was tired. "You should be careful about that pride of yours. It might one day be your ruin."
Kira helped Graydon into the ship, keeping a careful eye on Pallas.
Thankfully, her brother let the subject go, turning on his heel and disappearing inside.
Kira jerked her head at Brie to get in. "You too."
Brie licked her lips as she stared at the tree line, her desire to return to her unit making her stubborn.
"You'll be dead before you make it half a mile," Kira said.
She could already hear the sound of more Tsavitee moving toward them, drawn by the explosions. Soon, this entire area would be crawling.
"That doesn't mean I shouldn't try," Brie argued.
Her loyalty would be admirable if it wasn't going to get her killed.
"This is part of Diesel's plan," Kira responded in a harsh voice. "He wouldn't have sent you with me otherwise."
It had been his way of giving Brie the best chance to survive this battle.
"Dead—you contribute nothing. Alive—and there's a chance you can make a difference down the road," Kira told her, stepping up into the ship. "Consider this adapting to the changing conditions of the battle landscape."
It was a necessary trait for a soldier who hoped to survive any length of time against what was coming.
Kira waited to see what Brie would decide. Whether she was going to throw her life away or make the smart choice.
To her relief, Brie didn't waste time. After one last look in the direction where the rest were fighting, she climbed into Pallas's ship.
Kira released the breath she was holding. Good choice. She'd have hated hitting Brie over the head after everything they'd just survived.
Twenty Two
