Weeping quietly, Kira shifted and drew Zayne's head onto her lap, her soft hands warming his face. His heavy eyes slid shut, and he sank into her peace. He wanted to thank his brother for letting him die like this, with her, but then he didn't want Kira to watch, and he realized what a twisted thought that was. To thank the brother who killed him.
Luke took Zayne's bag from the ground and lifted him to slide it under his back. The next breath came easier.
Nothing really mattered except one thing right now, and he'd spend his only breath on it. “Spare… her…”
Hand on Zayne's arm, Luke squeezed him once before withdrawing. “I can't let her go. She's important to the operation.”
With breathing easier, Zayne managed to speak. “So what? It's one… of many…” He held Luke's gaze, looking beyond all that had happened and to the boywho taught Zayne how to climb to the tallest branch of their favorite tree. “She's the only one… She's all… I'm asking for.”
Grief tightened his brother's body.
Darkness tugged on Zayne, but he couldn't give in yet. He refused to look away from Luke. Refused to forget that they'd once loved each other. That Luke once protected him and helped him when he skinned his knees. Stood up for him at the academy his first year when older kids taunted the new ones like him. “You're… my… brother…”
A tear broke free and traveled down Luke's hard face. “I'm your brother. I'm responsible for you.”
Kira clutched Zayne close. “Let him go. Take me and let him go.”
Luke and Zayne were still looking at one another, Kira's pleas fading into the background.
Zayne nodded once, not caring about changing Luke's mind, just wanting to reach through the broken logic to make him see he didn't need to kill Kira.
“I'll let her live.” Luke's stare remained hard even with his eyes glassy. “But the rest ends here. It's gone on too long, and you're too dangerous now. You're not a boy anymore. I've given you too many chances.”
“It's okay…” Zayne would take Luke's guilt from him if he spared Kira. He didn't care. He'd bury it with him.
“It is not okay.” Kira shook. “You're murdering your own brother. This would ruin your mother. She'd never—”
“Do not speak about my mother.” Luke's eyes shifted to Kira. “You know nothing. She was ours, and these vain pursuits killed her. It doesn't matter what Mom wanted because she's dead. Nothing can hurt her anymore. We already did all the damage there was to do.”
“You're going to regret this for the rest of your life,” Kira said.
“You think I don't know that?” Luke's nostrils flared. “I watched my children weep over their Grammy's body. I hold them when they cry in their sleep. I may be his brother, but I'm their father. And I will not—I will fucking not—scatter their ashes to the wind.” Eyes back on Zayne, the raw pain shone in his eyes. “You're too dangerous to leave alive. My girls need peace and stability. You'll ensure this war never ends.”
“You selfish bastard,” Kira said. “Your daughters will find out what you did, and they'll never speak toyou again.”
“But they'll be able to speak because they'll be alive.” His voice rose to a shout, something Zayne had never heard. “Zayne has gotten enough people killed. I'm the only one who sees him. I'm the only one who ever sees him. Father and the Phaedra don't understand. They're blinded. I'm responsible for my brother. I'm ending this.”
“Enough…” Zayne tried with all his strength to reach for Kira, but his hand only twitched. She saw it and reached down to lace her fingers with his. “It's over…”
“I never hated you,” Luke said. “Not for a day. Not once. And I shouldn't have been with Nadia. I'm sorry. I'm… I'm really, truly sorry.”
Finally, Zayne believed him.
“I forgive you...” Zayne struggled to keep his eyes open, refusing to leave Kira alone with Luke. “Just keep… your word…”
Luke nodded. “I'll spare her for you. For my atonement. I saw you walking this path so long ago, and I tried desperately to stop it. I failed you, and I'll live with that forever.” Tears coated his eyes. “Even tonight, I hoped you'd turn back when you saw Graves. You just wouldn't stop. Why wouldn't you stop, brother?”
HE LIES
SEIZE YOUR LIFE
FIGHT
It wasn't worth the effort to make his brother understand, but Kira's words burned in the darkness encroaching upon him.
“And you.” Luke snarled at Kira. “I told you this would happen. I gave you the PXI and told you that if you didn't stop, he'd suffer like that. You didn't listen.”
Her hands tightened against him, and he knew she took the blame Luke heaped on her. But it wasn't hers to take. Zayne was never going to let her die here. He tried to say it, but he couldn't draw enough breath again. A massive weight bore down on his lungs.
