“Better than you can resist hoarding the sky.”
That almost earned a smile. Almost.
Kailorien looked down at the woman in his arms. Her eyes were closed, brow furrowed, but her fingers still dug into his armor like she expected someone to try to drag her away from him at any moment.
“You saved her life.”
Zarrek met his eyes then. Unflinching.
“Seemed like the right thing to do.”
Silence. Sharp and fragile.
“Thank you,” Kailorien said.
A breath. A heartbeat. A stillness between them.
“You’re welcome,” Zarrek answered.
He shifted his grip on his battleaxe. His gaze drifted to the alley where the Gliders had fallen, where the blood dried in long, winding trails toward the gutter.
“They weren’t just scouting,” he said. “They were bounty hunting. D’you catch a look at their armor?”
Kailorien’s jaw flexed. “Marked. Tallies.”
Zarrek nodded once. “Last I heard, the Matriarch wants her head. Solutus isn’t much better. Rebellion is buzzing with traders giving away what she ate for breakfast and where she’ll be holding prayers next. Either way, she’s in deep water.”
Silence.
Kailorien adjusted Auryn’s weight in his arms. She didn’t stir, but her hand clenched tighter against his chest plate—fingers curling like she’d heard every word. Like her body knew the shape of danger.
“I need to get her out of here,” Kailorien muttered.
Zarrek didn’t argue.
But he didn’t walk away either.
Kailorien looked at him again—searching. Pleading.
“You coming with us?”
Zarrek exhaled slowly through his nose. “Lattices wanted me dead, remember?”
“Not you. Just your men. You were filed as missing in action. I could have you reinstated, if I pulled the right strings.”
Zarrek’s golden eyes lingered on Auryn.
“Not what I planned,” he said. “Like I told her, I was just passing through. But if she’s going to keep doing what she’s doing…” He let the words trail off. Then, quieter, “Someone needs to walk behind her. Not in front. Not beside. Behind. Quiet. Armed. Eager to shed blood if need be.”
A pause.
“She’ll never ask for it. You know that.”
Kailorien’s throat bobbed. “I know.”
Another beat passed, like a shared memory unspoken.
“I’ll be close,” Zarrek promised.
