She might as well have rolled out a signpost declaring her unsuitability as a partner. In Aeron's place, she'd be questioning whether someone so fragile was worth working with.
As the Phoenix, she was downright mortified.
"Quillon believes it's a side effect of your bond with the soul bound," Graydon said in a neutral voice.
Kira's gaze jumped to his. "What does that mean?"
Graydon's face had gone blank. Nothing slipping through.
Kira knew her lover. The more inscrutable he was, the deeper his emotions ran.
"You're fading."
Graydon's mask slipped, offering a glimpse of what he was trying so hard to suppress. A ferociousness that was every bit as savage and unyielding as Kira's desire to save her niece and Jin.
"In that case, I'm surprised you didn't return me to the planet."
For the Tuann, fading was another word for dying. It was a slow and excruciating process that she'd heard about but never witnessed.
"I wanted to." Graydon's words were stark. "More than anything I've wanted in a long time."
"Why didn't you?"
"Because it would kill you to stay."
A tear rolled out of the corner of her eye as she looked away in shame. His grief more than she could bear.
Graydon touched her chin, turning her back to him. His face solemn as if to impress upon her his seriousness. "If I can't stop you, I might as well join you."
Kira's lips parted, her heart leaping even as she fought to reject his offer. "You can't. Your emperor needs his Face."
Graydon smirked, his features lightening. "Too late. It's already done."
Kira glared at him. "This isn't what I wanted, Graydon."
He shouldn’t suffer because of her mistakes. More than anyone, Kira wanted Graydon to live a happy and fulfilling life. Even if she couldn't be at his side.
Graydon was unaffected. "We make quite the pair, coli. One willing to sacrifice everything. The other unwilling to let her. It'll be interesting to see which of us wins this skirmish."
"You're insufferable," Kira said, giving up.
"I know. That's why you love me."
The hell of it was she did. Somehow. Someway. With her whole heart and soul.
There were still days she found herself surprised by that fact. That she could love someone so entirely. To the point they became the very breath in her lungs.
"Your oshota are going to kill me when they catch up to us," Kira grumbled.
"They're not going to be happy, no."
Kira eyed him unhappily. "You gave me so much shit about misplacing my oshota all those times and here you do the exact same thing."
Graydon's grin was roguish. "You made it seem so fun. I thought I'd see what all the fuss was about."
Kira sent him a repressive look. "How can I be fading if Jin isn't dead?"
She may have had some doubts before but her dream had allayed the majority. That had been the real Jin she was talking to. She didn't know how, just that he was.
