Pāhonoa te oro

Julian grabs for her. He doesn't reach her. Doha is already there. What follows is not elegant. It is fast and brutal and certain, the way Doha does everything — with the absolute conviction of a man who has already calculated every outcome and chosen the only acceptable one. The rival men are neutralized in a sequence that takes less time than it should. Julian goes down last, and he stays down. Her brother sags forward. Amara catches him. The shipyard goes quiet except for the water.