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‘Would you have come looking for me if I had?’

He tossed his silver-white hair, freed now from Ribau’s bun. ‘I did come looking for you! I’ve been scouring the entire galaxy, Élisa. For you, only you.’

She blew a frustrated breath, pushing away from him, pacing the ground, tears streaming down her face. ‘I couldn’t chance it. If you’d known, even had an inkling of where I was going, they’d have used you to find me. They’d have stripped you to the bone, gouged out your eyes, and discarded your relics for the carrion birds. It’s what they do, and I would not let them do that. Not to the man I loved, with all my heart, soul, and being.’

Her cry echoed across the fissured plain.

It died away against the boulders and seeped into the desert sands, leaving only heartache and regret in its wake.

They stood facing each other, chests in upheaval, hearts thumping, eyes drinking the other in. Unable to chart the way forward.

Until a weak voice cut through the thick tension. ‘What a charming reunion. It’s an honor to see true love at its purest.’

They whipped around to see that the downed pilot had flipped himself somehow onto his back. Blood poured out of his mouth, yet he sported a feeble grin on his dark, bearded face.

‘Noab Hakim at your service,’ he coughed. ‘Never thought this day would come, K’Élisa,Kintiof Katáne.’

Élisa turned to face him, eyes wide. ‘You are Hakim?’

‘Yours truly. You’ve been a worthy opponent; your ability to slip away and hide in the most obscure places is worth noting. You’ve made my search for you all these years more interesting and lucrative.’

Élisa grimaced as she approached the bleeding man, but not before giving Riv a sharp glance that promised their altercation was not yet over. ‘Did I now?’

He gave a slow nod. ‘You did, and seeing as I’m about to pass from this life, there’s something you should know. Your father is unceasing in his desire to possess the hawkstone. He won’t be placated. He’ll tear you apart to get it. But as it’s no longer on your forehead, it has passed on to a progeny. He’ll kill that child, too. All he longs for, dreams of, and obsesses over is reclaiming it and power back on Katáne.’

She flinched. ‘What do you mean?’

The injured man coughed. ‘Dissension abounds in the Kingdom. A few years ago, a rebel offshoot of the K?str?l Hawks’ army split away from theKiama. They refused to maraud anymore. They said that your father was not their rightful leader, given that the hawkstone was not in his possession. They also were not keen on his old ways. They wanted a new Katáne. He, of course, would not give it to them. Since then, the realm has been in flux. The return of the hawkstone will ensure he can rule the people, both as a symbol and for its powers.’

Élisa shook with emotion, her fists clenched by her side. ‘But that is not the way. Only the hawkstone chooses the rightful heir when they’re born, and no one can dispute it.’

‘Your father thinks he can command it by brute force and with the help of the curse makers. He’s been after the hawkstone for years. His plan was hatched when you turned 21, when you would have become theKiaMalkia, Queen of all Katáne. But you left, disappeared without a trace.’

Riv could only watch and listen with incredulity as Élisa raised her hands and shook them in frustration. ‘I had to because I was aware of his ploy to control me and thus the hawkstone.’

Noab levered himself up by one elbow, giving Élisa a sad smile. ‘Your father would not have been content with just controlling you. He wants the hawkstone in his talons.’

‘Let him try,’ Élisa hissed. ‘Let himfokkin’ try!’

Noab gave her a downcast smile. ‘Kinti, you need to know that the other twokhorasI was with on Neron N13 have your location and are now racing back to him. He’ll return with his entire army, no less. The only thing that will deter them is that nebula. It doesn’t take well to our ships. But we still got through it.’

‘How did you find me?’ the Katánian woman asked.

‘It took us a while to deduce that you left Neron N13 on your companion’s ship,’ Noab coughed once more. ‘It was a process of elimination when we noted your departure coincided with his. We followed the ion trails to the nebula. Where we already suspected you’d been hiding. We hadn’t attempted to breach it until this time, driven by your father’s desperation. I took the chance to attack after you killed Koroi. Twas a mistake.’

The man gurgled, bringing up more blood. ‘I will not survive the night.’

RIV

‘Not if I’ve anything to do with it,’ Riv growled.

While Élisa and Hakim spoke, he’d discovered Mirage and Glimmer were now close and asked the AI to hasten.

‘Enough of death for now,’ he snarled. ‘My ship is almost here. Its medbay is one of the best in all Pegasi. You’ll be well in no time.’

The fading Falasian was disbelieving, turning his head to the meta warrior. ‘You’ll do that for me?’

‘I will if you promise to leave Élisa alone for the rest of her life. If it’s the Katáne you fear, we Sable Riders have ways of hiding you in places they will never be able to find.’