Threshold of Annihilation (The Firebird Chronicles #3) - T.A. White Page 0,161

wasn't doing this. Not for her.

Kira reached for her ki, summoning every bit she could. The desperate pull caused her ki to sputter and flame out.

It was like trying to suck an ocean through a straw in a second, only to have the straw collapse under the stress.

A tear ran down her cheek as she clawed at her inhibitor. If she could just get it off.

"Kira, I forgive you." A roguish grin split Raider's face. "For real this time."

There was no time to stop him as he broke cover, standing tall. His expression was carefree, as if the danger never even registered.

Confused, Niland stopped his advance.

"My father always told me arrogance will destroy even the most powerful of men." Raider took a long look at Niland's companions. "I hate to admit that man got anything right. It really burns my ass, you understand?"

Niland ignored the question as he drew his blade.

Raider heaved a sigh. "Like really bad. To the point I want to dig out my brain so I don't have to think about it."

Niland cocked his head. "You talk too much."

Raider winked at him. "I'll let you in on a little secret. There's a reason for that."

The blood drained out of Niland's face as he sucked in a breath to warn his fellow oshota.

Too late.

Red sniped from the shadows, cutting one of the oshota in half despite the protection of his synth armor.

Finn dropped into their midst.

Raider let out a battle cry, barreling forward.

Kira dug her nails into the flesh of her palms, sheer willpower the only thing keeping her in place. The hardest thing in this world had never been the pain and suffering she'd survived; it was watching someone else sacrifice themselves in her stead.

It was something so anathema to the core of who she was that it felt like her soul was being torn asunder to stand by and do nothing.

It wasn't the first time she'd experienced this.

She'd been here many times before. The mission took precedence—every time.

Only, unlike then, there were no orders, and the objective was personal.

Don't spit on their sacrifice, Kira told herself.

It took a considerable amount of discipline to force herself to slink away like the basest of cowards, bypassing the fierce battle and using the containers as cover.

Kira reached the edge of the shipping yard when she stopped abruptly, staring at the man blocking her path.

"I don't suppose you'd let me call in my favor," Kira tried as Lorcan stepped out of the shadows.

Even as she spoke, she knew the chances of that happening were zero. His presence here said he had already made peace with the idea of betraying his own people. No amount of personal honor would affect that.

Kira's weight shifted as she prepared to attack.

She never got the chance. A whip of ki split the air, too fast for her to even react.

She didn't even have time to brace for the inevitable pain.

A sharp bark of agony came from behind her.

Lorcan's stare was enigmatic even as mirth tugged at his lips. "Consider us even."

"Only if you don't hurt Finn or Raider," she said.

She could already tell Lorcan was different from these others. That whip of ki had come too fast for her to dodge. If he'd wanted to, he could have ended her right then and there.

"You should hurry, or you'll be too late."

Kira couldn't move, an unknown pressure making it hard to breathe.

"I wish you luck," he whispered, his passage revealing several bodies strewn behind him, all wearing the synth armor of House Remie.

She bit her lip and whirled.

The shipping yard was empty. Lorcan gone.

The only thing remaining that pointed to the fact he’d once been there was the body of the Tuann who'd tried to attack her from behind.

His eyes stared unseeing up at the ceiling, the edges of the gaping wound on in chest still glowing from the heat of the whip.

A clatter to her right made Kira look up.

Elise stared at her in surprise, Jin held in her hands.

"Elise," Kira started.

Elise’s eyes dropped to the body of a Tuann from House Remie where it lay dead at Kira's feet. Her eyes widened and she spun, darting away.

"Stop, Elise!" Kira shouted, before rolling her eyes at herself.

Like the woman would listen in this kind of situation. Kira certainly wouldn't.

With a muttered curse and a glance in Finn and Raider's direction, Kira gave chase. Sometimes there was no choice but to trust in your companions.

This right here was why she'd tried so hard not to get