to the mother. All the fight had left her eyes, and she continued to linger. Sad, soft calls working their way through her. She didn’t want to leave her child. Not yet.
I stood and walked toward the pair. The mother was wary, but the child seemed to understand. To know that, by going with me, he’d end up with Oz. The child cooed, rubbing up against my leg and nudging my fingers. I stroked his crown gently. Unlocking the well of power in my core, I showered the surrounding area in a loving light. The child leaned in closer, the charm solidifying his connection with me.
Now I just needed the mother. The wet heat of her breath hung over my face, and my heart skyrocketed to the heavens. Lifting her head, she peered at the volcano. At the place that had likely been her home since she was born. The realm is good, I thought, begging her to understand. You will not suffer. You can stay with your young. She turned back to her child and let out a quiet huff. The heavy swing of the beast realm’s door groaned, granting her access to my world. To her world.
I let out a shaky laugh. “Thank the gods.”
“Some plan, Kost.” Calem crouched by Oz, examining his blistering skin. “Didn’t see this coming?”
Kost glowered. “Like I said, what I see is more like photographs. I saw which tactics would work to draw them apart, and I saw Oz and Leena with a beast. Not this.” He jerked his chin over his shoulder and signaled to Felicks. His beast bounded across the sloping sands, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth. Without prompting from his master, he ran straight for Oz. Tongue coated in saliva, he began licking the length of Oz’s back.
Oz’s face screwed up in pain. “It’s so scratchy.” The baby inched toward him and watched Felicks work.
“His saliva is numbing. Give it a minute.” I slumped to the ground but kept my hand on the mother’s maw. Grateful eyes examined me. She wouldn’t have to say goodbye to her young. Not now. Not ever.
Slowly, Oz’s skin returned to normal. He pushed himself up, rolled his shoulders. “That was fun.”
I laughed. “Sure. Fun.” Glancing past him, I looked at Noc. Hands hidden in the pockets of his trousers, he stood still. But there wasn’t any tension to his muscles. No clenched jaw or signs of worry. Instead, a small smile lifted one corner of his mouth. With his dark gaze perceptibly soft, his eyes drifted among his brothers. Safe. We were all safe. And relatively unharmed, thanks to Felicks.
We’d handled this beast together after all.
Felicks plopped on his haunches, done with his task of caring for Oz, and barked. Reaching out, I tickled the underside of his chin. “Nice work, bud.”
Kost stared at the space where my fingers met his beast’s skin. “He’s spectacular.”
“You, too.” Noc placed a hand on Kost’s shoulder, and Kost’s entire frame went rigid. Emotions flared in his green gaze, but he chased them away with a cough.
Sweat gathered above my lip, and my body started to tremble. Four beasts outside of the realm. I thrust my hand outward. “Selenis, Quilla. Return.” Rosewood light showered over us, and the realm door groaned. They disappeared, leaving the Laharock and her child alone. Some of the exhaustion ebbed, but I needed to take the child and make him a key for Oz. “I need to go to the realm. I’ll be back.”
Kost brandished Felicks’s key. “You go on, too. Get some rest, and I’ll call you out again later.”
Calem grinned. “In the meantime, we’ll set up camp. And get Oz some pants.”
With both Laharocks, I entered the realm and was followed by the warm laughter of my assassins. I’d never loved a sound more.
Nineteen
Noc
Life filled my brothers’ eyes. We camped right on the beach, tents erected against the jungle line a few yards away. As we lounged on the white sand around a fire, beasts milled between us. Effie and Felicks had become fast friends, much to Kost’s displeasure. They jumped over our ankles, ran circles around bags, and barked at each other, ears pointed up in attention. Effie made a game of trying to pin Felicks, but his ability to predict her moves made him hard to tag.
Leena leaned against the mother Laharock, who she’d named Lola, and stroked her scales. Lola’s watchful gaze flitted between Ozias and her son, though her stare was one of interest