became. There was no possible way of knowing for sure. No way to measure the fortitude of the beast before it was tamed. And yet, excitement hummed through my body. If there was any merit to the rumor, there was no better donor than Noc.
Calem caught up to me. A mosquito landed on the vein along his neck, and he slapped it. “I vote we get this over with. As soon as possible.”
“We’re almost there.” At least I hoped we were. The Myad’s den would be in the center of the jungle, a safe distance from the volcano and potential ferry traffic. A secure place to raise young away from disturbances. Palm trees loomed above us, heavy fronds weighed down by coconuts. There needed to be a break somewhere. A place for him to land.
Another twenty minutes stretched on until we stumbled upon a shallow pond with crystal-clear water. Roots from overgrown trees lined the bottom, and small fish huddled in shaded spots. I slowed to a stop, my gaze jumping from one edge of the clearing to the other. Above us, the heavy trees parted, their branches forcibly bent. Loose bark and twigs littered the ground.
My heart stilled at the deep, clawlike wounds gouging the base of a nearby tree. Sap leaked from the bark and coated the jungle floor, glue for a mixture of forest-green moss and iridescent feathers—the Myad’s den.
He was out, but he wouldn’t be gone for long.
“We’re here.” Trying to ease the tension in my muscles, I rolled my head from side to side. If this taming went wrong, my life was on the line—even with Noc and his brothers at my side. Turning to the men, I lowered my voice to a whisper. “He’ll be back any minute. No matter what happens, I need you to stay here.”
Noc narrowed his eyes. I envied the way he used them as weapons. He ran his fingers through his bed-head hair, halting for a moment at the nape of his neck. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“I’ll be fine, I promise.” I stared at each of them. My band of assassins. When had I gone from dreading this trip to dreading its end? Each one clad in black, they stood ready to disappear into the shadows at their backs. “Myads can be volatile when surrounded. We won’t stand a chance if you don’t let me handle it.”
Oz frowned. “We tamed Lola and Jax together.”
“I know, but this is different.”
Noc’s gaze slanted to the treetops. “If your life is in danger, we’ll be forced to intervene. I’m still short a beast.”
I balled my hands into fists. Why did he want a Gyss so badly? Was he only thinking of fortunes? Was that all that mattered? He’d branded me with that honeyed kiss on my neck, but he was as cool as the sea breeze when we woke, ignoring me altogether. Was I alone in my delusions? Was it wrong for me to want something that was so clearly bad for me?
My breathing hitched, and I turned away. “I’m aware.” Flexing my right hand, I called on my power, and a cascading light showered the space around us. The door to the beast realm swung open, and out rolled Grundy, my Graveltot.
“Using him to tame the Myad?” Calem crouched to the ground and reached out to run his fingers along Grundy’s rocky hide. No larger than the size of a desk globe, he bowled between their feet until he nestled into the ground an equidistant point from each of them. Slates shifted, and his head popped up. Red-rimmed, coal-like eyes targeted me.
“Something like that.”
The jungle fell silent. Birds pressed themselves flat against tree trunks, hiding behind branches and burrowing into nooks. Craning my neck upward, I scoured the green blanket of leaves. Palm fronds quivered, and a low creak broke the quiet. A heavy branch smacked the ground. The Myad followed through, growling and dragging the limb off to the side away from his bed of feathers.
“Fuck me,” Calem barely whispered, but the Myad froze. Outstretched wings coated in vibrant teals and emeralds went taut, and he tilted his nose upward to sniff the air. Built like an oversize black panther, the lithe jungle beast exhaled, shaking his mane from left to right. The peacock streak running the length of his spine and tail shimmered in the sun. A plume of feathers exploded around his head, standing tall between his ears. Gold casings masked his ankles and heels,