Dyna chuckled and handed Zev his clothes. “I have become accustomed to his constant shifts since we were children. I don’t pay it any mind, Your Highness.”
The Prince wrinkled his nose in disgust.
Shapeshifting was a way of life for werewolves. Zev had given little thought to his nudity, but he understood how it would make others uncomfortable.
“Why are you here?” Zev asked as he dressed.
While Cassiel still carried an air of arrogance, he no longer wore his silk robes. He was dressed in cream-colored trousers, a long-sleeved navy tunic fastened with ivory buttons, and knee-high black leather boots. A luxurious sword with an embellished sheath and a golden hilt hung secured at his waist. The crest of Hilos adorned the pommel.
Dyna spotted a leather rucksack wedged in the bushes. “Are you going on a journey as well?”
The Prince grabbed the rucksack and slung it on one shoulder. “I came to join you.”
There was no request in that statement.
“Oh?” She raised her brows.
Zev frowned. “You were quite clear in your opinion about this quest.”
And he came armed with silver. Why come if he didn’t trust them?
Cassiel crossed his arms. “It is dangerous, there is no denying that. However, she may fare better with someone of knowledge to guide her.”
“I’ve had no problems so far, Prince Cassiel.”
“Refrain from speaking my title outside of Hilos.”
Zev gave him a mocking bow. “As you command, Your Highness.”
Cassiel ignored him and his cool eyes flitted over Dyna’s appearance in disapproval. “The journey will be long and perilous. I imagine you will be difficult to guard against it, but I will make sure that you survive.” His gaze fixed on her face. “Unless my presence displeases you.”
She beamed. “No, not at all. You’re welcome to join us.”
“Good,” Cassiel replied in a manner that indicated he expected nothing less. “Now to be clear, there are caveats with the immunity I’ve granted you. Do not ever disclose the existence of Celestials. I will be damned if I am the one responsible for poachers returning to hunt my kind because I saved a stupid human.”
Her eyes widened. “I would never.”
“She’ll keep your secret,” Zev growled. “And if you’re not a prince outside of Hilos, then I won’t tolerate your discourtesy. You’ll not call her that again.”
The muscles in Cassiel’s jaw worked, no doubt with an equally scathing reply, but Dyna quickly moved to stand between them.
“I’m glad you decided to join us,” she told him while giving Zev a measured look. “We could use your knowledge of Urn.”
Zev supposed she was right. Neither of them had done any traveling.
He looked up at the darkening sky as the sun winked out in the horizon, and he felt the pull of the moon taking its place. It called to his wolf, making his skin itch. The wild part of him craved to shapeshift and run through the forest with nothing but the earth beneath his paws.
“The day has ended,” he said.
Dyna looked to him, seeing the nightfall’s effect on him. “We should make camp.”
Cassiel’s large black wings unfurled. The soft hue of twilight shimmered over the silk feathers. “Not here,” he said.
Zev agreed. The open glade left them vulnerable. They needed to keep going. They had traveled through the day, but it was not enough. “We must go. We’ve wasted too much time here.”
“I take it you don’t know the area well enough,” Prince Cassiel said to Dyna. “Let’s see your map again.”
She reached inside her satchel for the journal when a breeze passed over them. Zev’s nose was hit with the musky scent he’d been dreading. He spotted the large forms lurking within the trees, their yellow eyes glowing. It was too late to run.
