Harlow's expression was cruel as he held the crew member motionless. "That goes for the rest of your House as well. She'll know if any of them step into a body of water she occupies. She'll come for them."
The crew member gulped, looking properly chastised.
"We won't answer a distress call from Dethos a second time," Harlow said, releasing him. The crew member stumbled as Harlow faced his marshal. "See that the crew is escorted to their House. Leave the ship for the lu-ong to sink. The cages will go to the bottom with the boat."
The marshal dipped his head. "As you command."
Harlow grunted as he moved toward Kira. He stopped beside her to stare up at the lu-ong mother. His gaze softened, admiration entering it. This was more than duty. Her uncle held these creatures in high esteem. No wonder he'd come.
As the marshal and Graydon arranged for the oshota above to land carefully so the crew could be evacuated, her uncle studied the baby where he still clung to the ship's side.
"Hello, little one. I am glad you are safe," her uncle crooned.
Kira blinked, not expecting to hear such a soft tone from a man whose defenses had seemed impenetrable.
"Our family has always shared a close bond with the lu-ong," her uncle told her as the baby regarded him with wise eyes before touching his nose to her uncle's chest. The baby nuzzled the synth armor before letting out a warble. The boat rocked as he used it as a springboard, diving into the water with barely a ripple.
Harlow smiled, the expression changing everything about him. Where before he'd been serious—austere and harsh—that smile made him handsome.
"Your father could speak with them. He was loved and cherished for it," Harlow said.
Kira moved closer to the railing, looking up at the mother lu-ong with curiosity. She waited, hoping Harlow would continue, aching for more information on this man she had never met.
"As boys, we used to swim out as far as we could, and he'd call them to us. We'd spend hours riding and playing with them. Used to drive our parents mad." Nostalgia crept into his smile. A long-tolerated pain lingered around the corners of his eyes. "You hear them too."
His declaration distracted Kira from her study of the mother.
He nodded as he took in her startled expression as if she'd confirmed something. "You are so very like him. Your recklessness will be your downfall."
Kira leaned against the railing before glancing up at the lu-ong, relieved to see her fringe had finally settled, some of her rage and anger bleeding away. The balls of fire still hovered as a warning, but they no longer spun.
"How did he die?" Kira asked.
Harlow's expression iced over as he withdrew, his gaze turning distant. "His love of your mother and you compelled him to face his enemy without anyone to watch his back. If he'd waited to go to her aid, he might have lived."
There was an unspoken rebuke in his words.
Kira lifted a shoulder, conceding his point. She'd been reckless. She could own that. "I used to be better at taking others into account."
He blinked slowly, accepting the non-apology.
Kira leaned a forearm against the railing as she struggled to ask the question that had been bothering her. "Do you ever resent me for his loss?"
If he did, it would be understandable.
Harlow couldn't hide his surprise. After a long second, he reached out, his hand cupping the back of her neck. She held herself stiff, ready to defend herself as he drew her in to press a kiss against her cold forehead.
"Sometimes, I forget how infinitely young you are," he told her before stepping back. To Graydon, he said, "Bring her to the fortress. She's cold. I don’t want her risking hypothermia."
Harlow didn't wait for agreement, making an impossible leap straight up. He kicked off air, racing across it toward the fortress.
"How the hell does he do that?" Kira didn't realize she'd spoken out loud until the marshal smiled.
"Practice. Perhaps one day you will be able to do the same."
Her expression closed. She doubted she'd be around long enough to learn how.
Makon glanced at Graydon. "I will remain behind. This is House Roake's responsibility."
Graydon's lips twisted. "Just make sure the crew arrives in one piece."
Kira thought it was a good idea to remind the sword-happy marshal of that necessity, given the two bodies he'd already decorated the boat with.
Makon inclined his head, a faint smile gracing his lips. "Of course. It will be as you wish."
Graydon raised his eyebrows at Kira. "Ready?"
He clapped his hands together, his forehead furrowing as power built between them. Sparks flew as he tore his hands apart with visible effort. A board hovered in the air, lowering until he could easily step onto it. He held out his hand and smirked in invitation.
Kira didn't think so.
"I'll find my own way."
He looked between her and the open water, the shore so distant as to be invisible.
"And how do you plan to do that? By swimming?"
Her smile was toothy. Laugh it up, but no way was she getting on that board with him and letting him play knight in shining armor to her helpless damsel.
The low hum of a hoverboard called her attention. Her smile widened as she caught sight of her board skimming across the water.
Suspicion slammed over Graydon's expression.
"I'll figure it out," she said.
Before he could stop her, Kira jumped over the edge of the boat. Her feet splashed into ankle-deep water, the lu-ong’s coiled body making a surprisingly stable surface as she jogged away.
"Kira, get back here," Graydon warned.
She did a little of her own taunting. "You really should learn to stop underestimating me. It always backfires on you."
As if they planned it, the part of the lu-ong’s body she stood on rose from the sea. Good thing too, because Graydon looked seconds from coming over the side of the ship after her.
Kira grinned before turning her attention to the task ahead. The lu-ong flexed, and Kira shot into the air. Just as she started to fall, the lu-ong’s head landed under her feet and shoved. She and the lu-ong rose, shooting past the rest of the patrol. Kira caught a glimpse of their startled faces, and then she was air born as the lu-ong gave her one final push.
For a second she was weightless. All her worries were far below, and she closed her eyes, basking in the stolen moment.
Her eyes snapped open, a fierce grin on her face. This was going to be so much fun.
The hoverboard carrying the lizard streaked along the lu-ong’s body as Kira started to fall. The board hit the edge of the lu-ong’s body and grabbed air. Kira stretched, her fingers touching the edge of the board before she grabbed it, slamming it under her feet as gravity pulled her down.
"Unnecessarily flashy, don't you think?" Jin's voice was dry.
"Perhaps," Kira conceded. "But it was fun."
"I can't argue with that," Jin said.
The discomfort of her body was placed aside for now. "What say we give them a little bit more to be angry about?"
The lizard bussed her cheek with several small kisses. "Yasss! I love it when you're devious."
That was all the encouragement she needed as she raced away, the lu-ong setting fire to the boat's carcass in a fitting end to the day's events.