---
"I promise," he said without hesitation.
"Not just for yourself," she added. "For the people depending on you."
"For them too," he agreed.
Her heart eased a little at that. She knew promises from Kai were not given lightly.
Still, the thought of those soldiers marching toward his mountain gnawed at her. She wanted to tell him to run, to disappear until the threat passed but she knew he wouldn't. That wasn't who he was.
Instead, she settled for one final plea. "Stay alive, Kai. That's all I ask."
"And I'll ask the same of you. Stay safe."
There was another stretch of quiet, the kind that felt more like shared presence than absence of words. She traced a finger along the edge of her desk, feeling the grain of the parchment beneath her hand, imagining for just a moment that Kai could reach through the link and talk to her.
"I should finish my reports before someone comes looking for me," she said at last, though her voice was reluctant.
