"Come on, Blue," Kira whispered as the spawn emitted the same electricity as the rods.
The door rattled.
There was a crack as a sheet of blue burrowed into the stone. Raider raised a hand to shield his eyes as the floor grew transparent.
There was a violent heave from the door, dust particles exploding outward from the force.
"Time to go," Kira said.
"See you on the other side." Raider dropped through the floor as the door flew off its hinges. A woman wearing synth armor stepped into the room. Shock replaced her fierce expression as her gaze landed on Kira.
"Sorry about this, Amila," Kira said, offering her a wave. "Blue, self-destruct as soon as I'm through."
Ki gathering around Amila as she started forward. "Wait!"
Kira dropped. Her heart in her throat as she landed. The floor closed an instant later.
"Close one," Kira said, staring up at the ceiling.
If Blue's timing had been off, that would have cut her in half.
"It certainly was," a man rumbled, the familiar voice washing over Kira.
She froze, her gaze locked on the ground as her breath hitched. It couldn't be. He couldn't be here. He was supposed to be recovering. Not pulling guard duty for a Tsavitee general.
An eternity passed before Kira gathered her courage to turn. Her world tilted as her gaze locked on the man next to Raider.
Suddenly, she could feel everything. All the anger and pain she'd been suppressing. The rage that felt like it might incinerate her if she breathed wrong. The heartache of impending loss. A part of her already preparing for what might come.
The odds weren't in their favor. She knew that.
But if the Phoenix was ever to pull off the longest of long shots, she needed it to be now.
Kira wobbled as she rose. Her nerves raw and exposed, leaving her a little off balance. Uncertainty holding her in check. Even as his name fell from her lips like a benediction.
"Graydon."
Her lover. And the man who'd probably be arresting them in the next few seconds.
Four
Graydon
Harlow had downplayed Kira's state. She was much worse off than he'd led Graydon to believe. The cracks in her psyche from the soul bound's missing link were already starting to show.
She was like an abused etair, a creature the Tuann had used for eons to race with. Her agitated energy filled the room. Aggressive and snappish as it hunted for an opponent. This version of Kira was the one from the end stages of the war. The Kira who had lost too many friends and was little more than a walking corpse.
She hadn't quite reached that state, but Graydon sensed it wouldn't take much to push her over the edge. Tuann who got to that point rarely came back from it.
Kira had. A minor miracle Graydon wasn't sure they'd be lucky enough to repeat.
You could only get so close to the flame before it burned you beyond recovery. Kira had fractured before and put the pieces back together. Shattering a second time could make it so there was nothing to reassemble, the shards so small and numerous that it'd take an eternity to sort through.
He would have spared her this if he could. Even if her distress was what had summoned him back to himself. If not for their bond, he'd still be unconscious. Locked in his own body, aware of everything, yet unable to do anything.
Graydon's heart squeezed as she whispered his name, her face crumpling.
It'd been so hard not seeing her. Devastating to know she was so close yet unable to touch her.
