He lowered his head and his shoulders shook. “He’s the Emperor, Zam. He has power that Ish and Merlin could never have. I’ve seen it. His power is unmatched in this world. And I don’t think he’s the evil we’ve been led to believe he is.” He lifted his head, sadness and fatigue curling through them. “But I understand, Zam. I do. I will always love you. Take care of those who are left. Take care of them better than I took care of you.”
I reached for him, guilt and shame heaped upon my shoulders. “Bryce . . . you always took care of me.” Which wasn’t entirely true, but when we were younger it was. He’d been my protector, my friend and teacher even.
“Go. Save them.” He put a hand to the ground and his body shifted from two legs to four until he was a full-sized male lion. He shook his mane and his whole body slowly dissolved along with his words. “You’ve got work to do, so do it. Get our family away from the Jinn. Be careful of Marsum. I think the Emperor was right about that, you aren’t strong enough. Not for Marsum. Do what you do best, slip in and steal them away.”
The sun rose, and its rays shot through where he’d stood only a moment before, the last of the mist that had created him evaporating with the day’s warmth. I reached out and put my hand where he’d been, and despite the sun’s heat, the air was cold as ice from a frozen river. I wasn’t sure it was the cold from his spirit or the cold from his words.
I wasn’t strong enough. Again. Would I ever see the end of those words? Would there ever be a time when someone believed I was strong enough? Hell. I’d be fine with them not believing, as long as they kept their fucking mouths shut.
I sat there with my hand waving through the air and stared at the place where he’d been only a moment before. Neither Lila or Maks spoke. I turned back to them. “Either of you see him? Or is this just me losing my mind?”
Lila spread her tiny wingspan and dropped to the ground beside me, her blue and silver scales catching the light like shimmering jewels. She squinted her big violet eyes at me. “See who, exactly? I mean, I heard you talking to someone, heard you promise to bring Bryce back. But . . .”
I grimaced and rubbed a hand over my face. That was what I thought—Bryce wasn’t visible to anyone else. And damn it if he hadn’t done exactly what I needed to get moving. My lips tightened. Between him and that fucking Emperor, whatever grief I had was put onto the back burner with ease.
If there was even a slight chance I could bring Bryce back, I was doing it.
I swiped my eyes with the heels of my hands, knocking the last of the salty liquid away, my resolve hardening.
“Yeah, Bryce paid me a visit,” I said. “And . . .” I pushed to my feet with a low, drawn-out groan. I let the words the Emperor visited me too die inside my mouth. I wasn’t sure I was ready to discuss that with anyone. Stupid maybe, but I couldn’t seem to make them flow from my mouth.
“And?” Lila prompted.
I shook my head. “Nothing.” I stretched again, groaning.
Sleeping on the cold ground was not my idea of a good time, even if there was a nice warm body behind me. Every joint and muscle in me ached even though it had been days since we’d done anything more strenuous than walk or ride at a slow pace.
Bryce had been the only one to die, but we’d all battled for our lives and it had taken its toll on us. Maks, as muscled as he was, stood up with difficulty, a twist of pain on his lips. “Damn, what I wouldn’t give for even a bit of moss.”
I smiled at him. “I’ll put it on the list for the next campsite.”
His blue eyes caught mine and he winked as he ran his hands through his hair, mussing it further. “You do that. Add on a pillow, chef, and hot bath and I might be your slave for life.”
Lila snorted. “Aren’t you already? Isn’t that what being in love does?”
“You would know,” I said. “Are you forgetting about Trick?”
Maks chuckled. “I bet she’d like you to forget how he made her blush in front of him.”
Lila huffed and flew straight into the air, but not before I saw the skin around her eyes flush a deeper blue.
“Lila,” I called after her. She tipped her wings so I could see her claw and flipped me off. I laughed. “Don’t be like that!”
She barrel rolled and flipped me off with the other claw. Maks moved up beside me. “You were talking in your sleep last night.”
“Did I say anything interesting?” I turned my chin up and narrowed my eyes. “Anything incriminating?”
He reached for me, and I let him tug me into his arms. Maks held me close and put his chin against the top of my head. “Something about Ish. And you called out for your father once.”
I took a step back, not sure if he was reprimanding me.
He pulled me back into his arms. “I’m not upset, Zam. I’m just . . . worried about you. We’re going into the Jinn’s Dominion and it’s going to get ugly before it gets better. For both of us.”
I laid my head on his chest, letting him be the one to hold me up for at least right then. “Uglier than losing Bryce?”
He didn’t answer, and that worried me.
“You two lovebirds,” a gravelly voice grumbled, “it’s too early to be awake. Lions are meant to sleep until noon.”
I looked around Maks to where my crazy uncle Shem yawned. Even though he was on two legs, he looked like nothing more than an old male lion waking up in the morning, showing off his teeth and shaking his mane out. Literally. Shem shook his head, his tangle of blond hair flicking about his face. I snorted and Maks stifled a laugh.
“Yeah, well maybe the males sleep until noon while the females do the hunting,” I said. “That shit is going to change with me in charge.”
Shem rolled his eyes. “Promises, promises. But I can’t hunt worth shit. My skills lie in other directions.”
Maks turned with me, his arm still around my back. Since we’d decided that whatever we had going on was worth fighting for, he’d been all about the public displays of affection.
I hated to say it out loud, but I didn’t mind. Especially with what Bryce had added to my plate. For a moment, I wanted—no, needed—to pretend there was nothing more than a rescue mission.
I looked back at the lion shifter who was both new to our pride and very old.
Crazy Uncle Shem . . . I’d named him my seer, but I wasn’t a hundred percent sure that had been wise. Let’s call it a heat of the moment thing when all the adrenaline was running high and I’d been running on empty and I’d just lost Bryce and Shem was the closest thing to blood family left in my life. I’d wanted nothing more than to keep him close.
He smacked his lips and scratched his rib cage. “Your brother won’t wander far. Not with all you’ve got going on.” He yawned again. “And for the record, I saw him, too, though likely not as clear as you did.”
Maks stretched an arm up over his head and rolled his head from side to side. “Gods, I’m sore.” He brushed a hand across my shoulders and then down my back. As if checking for wounds without looking like he was checking for wounds.
I arched an eyebrow at him. “You think I’m wounded?”
He swatted me on the ass. “Maybe I’m just copping a feel.”
“Not subtle either way,” I said and shoved his arms away from me.
He might have been a Jinn—part Jinn, to be exact— but that didn’t bother me as it once had. He fit in my life, just like Lila did even though she was a dragon and I was a shifter. We were family and that was all to that conversation no matter what anyone else might’ve thought.
“I’ll always look out for you,” Maks said softly. I wasn’t sure he had even meant to say that by the look on his face. I gave him a return swat on the ass when he turned from me.
Shem shook his head. “Feeling better then? Bryce showing up did the trick?” I nodded, but before I could say anything, he steamrolled on. “You need to pin down the rest of them. You got your dad’s gift for finding your pride?”
I nodded again and opened my mouth. He made a waving motion at me. “Then get to it.”