Page 36 of Dark Rebel's Fortune

"Jasmine told me that they were sent by the gods, and something went wrong with their ship, so they arrived seven thousand years too late."

"What else did she tell you?"

"That Ell-rom is half Kra-ell and half god, and he's a double prince because both his parents were royal heirs."

Of course that was what Jasmine would focus on. Still, he couldn't blame her for reducing it down to the essence because there had been no time for more. Most of what Kyra had been told was on the plane after her rescue, and she'd still been confused from the drugs and the abuse she'd suffered.

Max couldn't believe that only days had passed since then. He felt as if he'd known her for months.

"Well?" Kyra prompted.

"I'll tell you the entire story later." He reached for her hand and clasped it. "Or maybe Jasmine will. She can probably do a better job of it than me. I'm not a good storyteller."

"Give it a try yourself when we are all settled down." Her other hand went to her pendant. "I need a good story to take my mind off the carnage. Don't get me wrong, I don't condemn it. I know it's necessaryand that we can't fight evil with rainbows and unicorns. I just need to think about something else."

Max nodded, relieved that she understood. Too many people couldn't reconcile their moral frameworks with the realities of fighting an enemy that recognized no ethical boundaries.

Kyra was different. Her experiences had already prepared her for the harsh truths of their world. She didn't need to be sheltered from the uglier aspects of what they did, didn't need the comforting lies some required to sleep at night.

They drove in silence for a time, the rhythm of the road and the darkness surrounding them creating a strange bubble of calm after the chaos of the compound. Max kept checking the mirrors for signs of pursuit, but their escape appeared clean. The destruction they'd left behind had apparently consumed all available resources, leaving no one to follow.

Yamanu and the rest of the team had taken a different route, and he hoped they weren't being followed either.

As they approached the outskirts of Tehran, Yamanu came on the comm with updates. "Kyra's family is already at the safe house, and Nadim's network reports that there is no activity at the other locations."

That was a relief—the Doomers hadn't moved against Kyra's other sisters yet, and now that they'd eliminated the local Doomer cell, chances were thatno more attempts would be made to abduct the rest of the family.

Max glanced at Kyra. "That's good news."

"I know."

Fatigue was beginning to show in the tightness around her eyes. They'd been operating at maximum intensity for hours now, with the emotional toll of the rescue compounding the physical demands.

"You should rest," he suggested. "We've got a little time before we reach the safe house."

She shook her head. "I'm fine."

"Kyra," he said, softer now. "You're no good to your sister or her children if you're running on empty. Take these fifteen minutes to recharge."

She hesitated, then relented with a small nod, letting her head rest against the window. Within minutes, her breathing deepened, though she wasn't fully asleep—just resting, her instincts keeping her partially alert.

His warrior queen.

Her repose didn't last long.

"My pendant failed me," she said. "I was sure that I needed to make contact with Soraya first and to approach the situation with diplomatic finesse rather than brute force. It didn't warn me that hours later we would conduct a full-scale assault on a military installation, leaving dozens dead, and a facility in flames."

Max nodded. "And yet we accomplished ourprimary objective, which was rescuing Yasmin and her children. One family secured, three more to go."

17

KYRA

As they entered the city proper, Kyra removed the elastic holding the end of her braid, combed out her hair with her fingers, and then started braiding it again.

She was nervous about her upcoming talk with her sister. Did Yasmin remember having an older sister who had gone to study in America and was never heard from again?

Her original plan had been to tell her sisters that she was Kyra's daughter and show them the notes that the girls had given her, but that was to convince them to come with her. Now everything was different, and she didn't know whether she should stick to that plan or tell Yasmin the truth from the get-go.

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