by T. A. White
Kira raised her head. "One more night."
Time and the full strength of the Haldeel royal guard were all that separated her from answers.
Impatience thrummed beneath the surface of Kira's skin.
Maybe when she was young and reckless, she would have chosen to act without thinking of the consequences.
This Kira, however, was older and wiser. She knew the taste of defeat, the hopelessness of loss.
She'd learned patience. She'd absorbed the lesson of endurance.
"You've waited this long," Kira told herself. "You can wait a little longer."
No mistakes. Kira couldn't afford them.
Turning from the mirror, Kira dropped the towel and grabbed the long, silk robe she'd found mixed in with her belongings after she'd returned.
It was a work of art, far nicer than anything she'd ever owned. Made from the silk of zanti worms, it was beautiful and made her feel feminine.
The color of the midnight sky in the brief moments before night changed to dawn, it was a deep blue. Silver accents made it glitter.
Despite being made from a fabric delicate enough to make the wearer fear they would accidentally shred it, the robe was surprisingly sturdy.
It slid against her skin, cool at first before Kira caught a faint tinge of warmth.
With her body still slightly damp, it clung to her curves.
Like this, Kira opened the door, stepping into her room.
She came to an abrupt stop at the sight of Graydon's big body draped over her couch.
The appreciation in his expression quickly changed to laughter when he caught sight of her hair.
It seemed when lu-ong saliva dried it became hard and unyielding. Getting the stuff off her body had taken some work.
She’d given her hair up as a lost cause after three rounds of shampoo hadn’t been enough to wash the saliva away. It was now a stiff, hard helmet around her head.
Worst-case scenario, she could always chop her hair off and let it regrow.
"Laugh it up," Kira warned in a mild voice as she headed toward him.
She'd like to see him keep laughing while she strangled him.
Graydon straightened on the couch and beckoned her toward him. "Come here."
Kira sent him an arch look.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"I had a feeling you'd have trouble with the lu-ong saliva, so I'm here to offer my services."
Kira studied his sincere expression before snorting.
"I know you don't think I'm that dumb," she told him.
The fake sincerity dropped from his face leaving the self-satisfied warrior behind.
"Come, let me help you with your hair while we talk," Graydon ordered.
Kira narrowed her eyes but complied.
Her hair had always been a source of nuisance for her. Privately, she often referred to it as a tentacle monster because of its refusal to be controlled.
That was why she tended to keep it short, cutting it anytime she lost patience with it.
Right now, it was longer than it had been in years because of all the distractions with Luatha and Roake.
That being said, she had no true wish to be bald.
Kira padded toward Graydon, the edge of her robe dragging along the floor behind her and exposing her legs below the knee.
Another woman would have felt self-conscious wearing nothing but thin fabric held together by a tie and a belt.
To Kira, it was no big deal. The robe covered all the important bits.
Her sense of modesty had long since vanished.
When you lived in close quarters with your fellow soldiers, the things that once mattered no longer seemed so important.
Kira only needed to come back from one two-week training exercise to lose any remaining scraps of reticence regarding nudity. When it felt like the skin was going to crawl off your body because of germs and dirt, you made do with what you had. Even if it was a six-person shower with a ten-minute time limit that needed to accommodate thirty women in that short period.
Add in a childhood where her keepers found such things to be a hindrance to their training, and Kira had long since been conditioned not to care.
At least that was what she'd always thought right up until the moment she caught Graydon watching her like a hawk who’d just spotted a juicy rabbit.
There was a dark awareness in his eyes. A sensual decadence that made her chest get tight and her breathing a little heavier.
It was as if the very molecules that formed the epidermis of her skin could sense his presence and were doing their own tango of delight.
Why? Why was it this man out of all the rest?
Kira had had partners before. They were rare and always consisted of one-night stands. She'd never been willing to make herself vulnerable to another in an emotional way.
After seeing what happened to Raider and Elise, she was even more determined.
Yet, here she stood.
Danger circling.
Not the type to steal her life. No, it just wanted her soul.
"Aren't you going to sit?" Graydon asked when she remained standing.
Kira didn't mistake the challenge in those words that were nothing short of a dare.
Never one to back down, Kira took a seat next to him, turning from him to give him access to her hair.
He tugged at a lock, the gentle pulling sensation sending tingles rocketing through her.
Get a hold of yourself, Forrest. He's just a man. A potent, alluring man, but a man, nevertheless.
Even as Kira scolded herself, she knew it wasn't that simple.
Graydon was like a drug, tempting her into addiction.
Maybe if there hadn't been admiration mixed into this craving, Kira would have had a hope of resisting.
She knew better now the trials Graydon dealt with on a regular basis. The Houses weren't easy to control. They were rife with infighting capable of toppling the Tuann if allowed to go unchecked.
Only someone like Graydon could keep the balance without turning into a tyrant.
He was harsh when protecting what he loved, but Kira didn't see cruelty in him.
All she needed to do was look at the oshota around him. They loved him. They would die for him.
Not just anyone could engender that type of loyalty in another.
"Was it you who got Elena out of the audience?" Kira asked.
Graydon hummed as he prodded at another stiff chunk of hair.
"Why?"
With his duties, she would have thought he wouldn't have the time to safeguard her niece.
"She's important to you."
Such a simple answer.
Yet the words felt emblazoned on her soul.
Had anyone besides Jin ever understood her in this way?
Even Elise had been held at a distance. Kira had seen Elise as a sister, but she never let down her guard. Not fully.
Now here was Graydon. Able to see through her so easily.
Kira had a feeling if she let him, he could wreck her, destroy her beyond all recognition.
Fear and desire melded, creating a cocktail of emotion that threatened to drown her.
As if sensing her preoccupation, Graydon went to work on her hair, his light tugs on her scalp feeling like they had a direct line to her libido.
"Lu-ong saliva is rather special. It has a hardening agent that reacts to heat and air."
Kira frowned in realization. The substance coating her hadn't become unmanageable until right before she climbed into the shower.
"There's a trick to getting it out," Graydon continued.
His ki enveloped her skin, an invisible caress that sent shivers through her.
Graydon used gentle movements to run his fingers through her hair. Each pass softening the strands a little more.
"The lu-ong are made of soul's breath." Graydon's voice was an intimate rumble in her ear, his breath stirring the hair on the back of her neck.
The skin
around her breasts tightened as she sucked in a shaky breath.
Mentally, she upgraded his threat level.
If he could draw out this type of reaction from her when he hadn't even really touched her, she'd self-combust if they ever had sex.
"Is that how one ended up on this planet?" Kira asked, trying to distract herself.
Graydon made a sound of agreement. "They're not constrained by the same laws of physics. The lu-ong are wanderers. They follow the paths of the universe and always have."
Kira felt like this was important information Graydon was giving her, but she couldn't concentrate enough to put it all together.
"It's rare for them to show themselves on a planet without the Mea'Ave, however."
Kira twisted, her hair sliding out of Graydon's grip. "Why is that?"
Graydon reached for her hair again, playing with the ends as he sent ki through the strands. "They're linked through a symbiotic relationship. If one were to disappear, the other would decline as well."
It wasn't a far jump from there to realize hurting the lu-ong would also cripple the Tuann.
No wonder they were so sensitive when they found some of their own hunting them.
It made it all the more curiouser for a lu-ong to expose its presence like that to save Kira and Devon.
"Your father's family and the lu-ong have always been intertwined," Graydon said, guessing where her thoughts had gone. "There has always been a representative of the lu-ong choosing to act as an intermediary between their race and ours."
Kira looked out the large windows into the night beyond, her forehead creased in thought.
From what Harlow had told her, her father had also shared a connection with the lu-ong.
Nearly a century had passed since then. That was a long time to go without a connection between the two.
"The lu-ong are even more long-lived than the Tuann. The passage of a few years is a blink in the eye for them," Graydon explained.
"You're saying they went out of their way to save me." Not Devon.
Kira twisted in Graydon's arms to see him better.
His expression was complicated. "That does seem to be where this all points."
"You don't look happy about that," she observed.
"That's not the right word for it," he said after a moment. "More like it worries me that after being content with the seat empty for so long, they're suddenly driven to fill it."
"Almost like they know something is coming and are busy fortifying their defenses," Kira said softly.
Graydon nodded, his eyes not leaving hers. "And I suspect you're the lynchpin behind their plans."
Kira's frown was troubled as she stared beyond him, barely noticing when he resumed playing with her hair.
The room was silent as they each descended into their own thoughts.
It was several minutes later when Kira slid him a look. As important as this information was, it didn't demand his presence here.
No, he was after something else.
A look at his intent face had Kira revising that statement. Perhaps more than one something else.
Their gazes met, anticipation descending.
Kira was the first to break the stare, looking down and fiddling with the edge of her robe. "I know you didn't come here just to tell me all that."
Graydon’s fingers moved to the hair at her temples.
Kira closed her eyes under his ministrations, the gentle combing turning into a scalp massage.
Lethargy stole through her limbs as she leaned toward him, feeling like a stray comet caught in the gravity well of an inescapable star.
Her eyes snapped open, and she sat back.
He smirked but didn't pursue her. "I wanted to know what else you were holding back."
Kira had a feeling it was something like that.
In their short acquaintance, it had become clear that Graydon knew her better than those who'd been with her far longer.
Kira lifted her chin. "What makes you think there's something else?"
Graydon's smile was sly. "Isn't there?"
Kira turned her head, giving him access to a new section of hair.
A few weeks ago, she would have kept Elise’s possible capture a secret.
She would have gone it alone.
No Raider.
No Graydon.
No backup except for Jin.
"The person the Haldeel caught—she wears Elise’s face."
Graydon's hands paused.
"You sound uncertain," he resumed his slow, careful movements.
Kira shook her head. "The only thing I'm sure of is that underestimating the Tsavitee would be a mistake."
"Wise words." He nodded. "Does this mean you don't think it's actually her?"
"I want it to be," Kira admitted. It would mean an end to all these years of struggle and uncertainty. "It's all I've thought about since I realized she survived Rothchild."
"But you're scared at the same time."
Kira set her chin on her knees.
He'd caught the crux of her problem.
"The Tsavitee are skilled at making you think one thing when another is true," Kira said.
Who was to even say this woman was the one she'd been looking for?
"It could be a clone," Graydon allowed.
While the Haldeel, Tuann, and Consortium had strict laws against such things, the Tsavitee weren't constrained by the same ethics.
Cloning and genetic manipulation of sentients was considered old hat for them.
It was impossible to tell what could come out of their labs. Kira only knew it was rarely good.
"What if Elise isn't Elise anymore?" Kira whispered.
It was her biggest fear.
A clone could be dealt with.
Mental manipulation would be a lot harder.
For the first time in a long time, Kira felt utterly lost—caught between yearning and fear.
To come this far, to get this close, only to find the very thing she wanted more than anything was a mirage. She couldn’t think of a more horrifying ending.
Yet, she couldn’t stop herself from walking toward the inferno, even knowing she could very well end up consumed in the flames.
"You want to talk to her," Graydon stated.
Kira nodded.
It was the only way to know for sure.
Graydon released her hair and sat back. Kira dropped her feet to the ground.
"The Haldeel are restricting access to the prisoner," Graydon said with a considering look on his face. "We're in Haldeel space. Even as the Emperor's Face, I don't have enough power to get you an audience."
The barely formed hope in Kira curdled.
"There is one way,” Graydon said, sending Kira’s heart pounding. “Earn a boon from the Haldeel. Impress them, and they may let you speak to her unobstructed.”
Kira stared at Graydon unblinking; her thoughts scattered.
He cupped her chin, his thumb brushing across her lips. "You seem surprised, cheva nier."
Kira leaned forward before she could talk herself out of it. Graydon acted fast, pulling her against him. In the next instant, she found herself straddling him.
Graydon yanked her lower body closer to his hips, fitting his hardness against her bare core.
Her robe had long since parted, giving him access.
Breath hissed out of her as his palms cupped her bare ass.
Kira tipped her head back, relishing the feeling of warm lips as they trailed across her throat.
It no longer mattered that common sense warned her away from him.
One touch sent reason fleeing. Desire replaced it.
This time there were no oshota to remind them of their duties.
It was just Graydon and Kira and the heated expanse of skin.
"You're mine," Graydon whispered against her neck.
His hips moved, thrusting up and causing Kira's eyes to roll back. It was as if he wanted to imprint himself so deep in her bones, she'd never be
rid of him.
Kira sank her fingers into his hair. "Only if I want to be."
His chuckle sent vibrations tingling through her.
Damn man. It was like he had a direct line to her sensitive bits.
His talented hands delved under the robe that had fallen loose. They wrung a moan from her as they explored each curve, lingering on the places where she was most sensitive.
Kira rolled her hips, feeling a fierce sense of satisfaction at the way his hands clenched on her waist and a groan slipped free.
His eyes were wild as he reached over, tapping a command into his forearm. Kira watched greedily as his armor peeled off, revealing bronze skin.
He didn't give her time to explore, his hands sweeping along her sides and cupping her breasts. Kira jumped as he pinched her nipples, soothing the sting seconds later.
His eyes held hers in a silent dare as one hand trailed down her belly, past her navel, and to the apex of her thighs.
Kira huffed as those fingers changed direction, drawing patterns on the sensitive skin there.
Graydon's smirk deepened as he continued to play, increasing the anticipation until it was almost unbearable.
Kira's eyes flashed in warning.
She sat forward, attacking his neck with a string of kisses as her hands slid lower.
They reached the edge of his armor just above his hips. Her fingers danced along the smooth skin.
"If you want to play, I'm game," she said with a smirk.
In answer, Graydon speared one finger into her, his thumb rubbing against her clitoris at the same time.
Kira's breath caught as her eyelids fluttered.
Oh, that felt good.
"Be careful not to awaken something you can't handle," Graydon warned.
Kira skated her nails up his chest, pressing lightly. Not hard enough to draw blood or do damage, just hard enough that he could feel it.
This time it was his turn to suck in a shaky breath.
"You should be cautious of the same," she told him with a teasing grin.
Kira didn't have long to gloat as Graydon's fingers started moving again.
Soon, warmth pooled in her lower belly. Tension climbed as she felt her body approaching the precipice.
Not without him.
If she was going to get lost in this madness, she wasn't doing it alone.
Kira dipped one finger beneath his armor but could go no farther.
