Page 138

She broke out into a run as soon as their feet touched down. She was wrapped in their embrace for moments, holding both tight like she’d never let them go.

It took a long time before she came up for air. When she did, she kept her arms around her son, unwilling to ever be parted from him.

Killen gave her a soft look. ‘Are you angry -’

She reached a hand to touch his handsome, chiseled face. ‘Killen, I’m not anything other than relieved you are alive. As for the Tempest of Light, he chose the way of the K?str?l, which is to find honor in death for something you believe in. He believed in controlling his people with the hawkstone and died for his beliefs. Wrong, though, they may have been. So no, my love, I do not blame you. Not one iota.’

Killen’s worry lines lifted as he kissed the tip of her head.

Riv pulled a pack from his suit. ‘Let’s treat that shoulder before the bleeding gets worse.’

Killen glanced down at the deep, serrated cut across his upper arm. ‘He fought well.’

Élisa twisted her lips in derision. ‘He did. Yet what a waste of a throne and legacy.’

She watched in silence as Riv used an electronic device to seal Killen’s wound.

‘Done,’ Riv confirmed, setting away the med tool as the wound healed before their eyes.

‘Shall we confirm the King is passed?’ her son asked, his voice raw with emotion.

Élisa squeezed his arm. ‘It is the honorable way.’

The family of three walked towards the body of the fallen giant K?str?l. Trailing them were Xion, Zane, and Ki’Remi.

Soon, they stood around the gaunt, bloodied giant, who’d once been a proud, lethal fighting machine.

His hawk-featured face was thrust into the sand, half hidden by the white salt.

Élisa knelt beside the deceased great Katánian King and closed the single eye, staring out into the mists of eternal darkness.

She spoke over him, her voice breaking as she delivered the fallen K?str?l Hunter’s farewell.

‘Oh Great, Kíríga, if only you’d let go of your bloodthirst

If only you’d let go of your greed and avarice.

Now, death is your only companion.

You thought you had kajabo magic.

But magic cannot ward off death.

Sacrifice cannot ward off death.

Magic cannot ward off death.

Death was the inevitable end of your hunting quest.’

She stood back with a shaky sob. ‘We’ll need to leave him here, right where he fell. It is our way.’

‘He’d have still had a fulfilled life and commanded the utmost respect without sitting on the throne,’ she added as Riv’s arms surrounded her to lend his strength and comfort. ‘If he’d stepped aside, he’d have enjoyed a long and prosperous life as theKíríga’sCaretaker, which the Kings before him did with humility. When he died, he’d have been carried with honor through the streets of Katánopolis to the royal resting grounds, having left behind a significant legacy. Instead, this is what fate and his rapacity had in store for him.’

As she looked away from her father’s corpse, she noted the Riders shuffle their feet and give each other laden glances. ‘What is it?’

Riv turned to her with a curious look on his face. ‘Just got a message from Mirage via our neural nodes. The second fleet from Katáne is on approach and hailing us. They’re claiming they don’t intend to harm us. They also stress they were not a part of Tempest Light’s attack k?st and have come in peace. Mirage says they request that we don’t leave Devansi until their Commander speaks to us. One more thing, my love, they asked for you in name.’

Élisa nodded. ‘Fascinating. Let’s give an ear to what they have to say.’