we shall heal our wounds, collect our dead
Wrinkling his nose and barely suppressing the flare of radiant light in his chest at the news about Jack's reaction, Ronin clears his throat rather than deciding to go and blast The Ark out of the sky with dragonfire. Instead, it's with a low and good-natured chuckle that he turns to press a kiss to Flora's hair. "Blame me all you like - if you being brave and heroic and looking after people is my fault, I'm glad to take it," he informs her, before his gaze hardens a fraction and he stares out of the open window.
"Dahlia has lost a lot more now than she did when she infected me and made my deal. Something is going to boil over soon, I can feel it," he mutters, before glancing back to Flora. "But honestly, if I'd had a way I could keep you and Mateo safe right away, I'd have reneged on my deal with her instantly. Wouldn't have felt bad about it for a second." And as for jumping back into the fight regardless, he shakes his head.
"I don't think you understand," Ronin says softly. "She wouldn't kill you once and be done with it. She'd kill you again and again, until there was no bringing you back. Besides," he adds, frowning to the Doubletake and shifting to look at her properly, "it isn't easy, you know? Remi hearing your voice from the other side and realising you're dead, finding your body all torn up by whatever has killed you, rushing to make sure I'm there in time to pull you back. It takes a toll on us, every single time."
"Dahlia has lost a lot more now than she did when she infected me and made my deal. Something is going to boil over soon, I can feel it," he mutters, before glancing back to Flora. "But honestly, if I'd had a way I could keep you and Mateo safe right away, I'd have reneged on my deal with her instantly. Wouldn't have felt bad about it for a second." And as for jumping back into the fight regardless, he shakes his head.
"I don't think you understand," Ronin says softly. "She wouldn't kill you once and be done with it. She'd kill you again and again, until there was no bringing you back. Besides," he adds, frowning to the Doubletake and shifting to look at her properly, "it isn't easy, you know? Remi hearing your voice from the other side and realising you're dead, finding your body all torn up by whatever has killed you, rushing to make sure I'm there in time to pull you back. It takes a toll on us, every single time."
THE WHITE KNIGHT
and continue fighting
