Auntie put her lips next to Kai's ear. "You're right. Odin is alive."
She ripped the blade out of Kai's back. Her gaze cruel as the Sye collapsed.
"Too bad you won't be able to tell anyone."
No wonder the generals feared her aunt. There was no one more terrifying. Or awesome.
Kira
"Let's get you out of those," Kira said, stepping over the Sye's already cooling body.
Odin wasn't going to be happy about the death of a relative, given how far the Sye had gone in trying to liberate them, but Kira couldn’t let herself care about that right now. The Sye had tried to kill her niece. They were lucky she'd given them a quick death.
"Your dad is going to be so mad I didn't wait for him," Kira informed Elena, cutting her niece free of the strange bindings covering her.
Especially since she'd ordered him to wait for her if he found Elena first.
"I think he'll forgive you this time," Elena said.
Kira reached for her, pulling her niece into a tight hug. "I'm so glad you're safe."
Words couldn't express the rage she'd felt upon entering the chamber to see that Sye trying to squeeze the life out of her niece.
If she'd been just a little later.
Kira cut that thought off before it could take hold. Her primus rolled under her skin, a reminder of how dangerous it would be to lose control right now.
Elena burrowed into Kira's chest, her shoulders heaving with repressed sobs. "I can't believe you came for me."
"I told you I would, didn't I?"
Kira smoothed a hand over her niece’s hair, thanking the Mea'Ave and every god she knew that Elena was alive.
"Let me get a look at you," Kira said, setting Elena back from her. "Are you hurt anywhere?"
Elena shook her head. "Just my pride."
This child. She was going to be the death of Kira.
"If that's all that's been damaged after weeks in the Tsavitee's care, then I'd say you got off pretty light."
"Only because of Mom," Elena admitted in a small voice.
Her gaze slid to the side. Kira followed it to find Elise's prone body next to that of a general's.
"She tried to protect me." Elena's watery looking eyes found Kira’s. "He hurt her."
Elena dissolved into tears, the strong front she'd been maintaining collapsing.
"It's my fault," Elena babbled as Kira pulled her back into her arms.
"No, it's not," Kira corrected fiercely, pressing Elena's face into her chest. "It's not your fault at all. That's what moms do. They protect their children from harm."
Damn it, Elise.
Kira’s gaze fixed on her friend; her vision clouded with tears. From here, it was impossible to tell whether Elise was dead or alive.
Kira cupped Elena's face. "Alright, I need you to be brave. Can you do that for me?"
