Sawyer growled and dropped his head. He breathed deeply for a moment. “I need him better, Annie. Please.”
“It will be done when the time is right, Sawyer. Shall I finish my tale or do you grow bored?”
“Bored? Really. Come on. On what planet are you ever boring?”
She grinned at him and he knew he’d managed to get back into her good graces.
“A short time later, I do not know the human time, I received another prayer. This one came in a storm that held much power. I recognized her prayer, of course, and wondered what she’d discovered. When I heard of the new child, the lion who was so broken, I intervened again. Our mother was most displeased with me.”
“Thank you for helping them,” Sawyer said.
She shrugged. “It was only natural when you finally returned, that I asked a favor in return for the blessings I’d bestowed upon her. And she did it with unfettered joy, brother. She loved you with all of her heart. You and the other two as well.”
“Yeah, I know that.”
“She was taken too soon,” Anuket said sadly. “But accidents do happen. I thought perhaps it had been some other force. I worried over you so much. But both of our sisters aided me and we didn’t find a trace of any other involvement.”
“That… I’d been afraid of that, deep down inside.”
“I know.”
“What about…Papa? Was he?”
“No. Thea’s husband was human. He was as pure a spirit as his wife, though. I made sure of it before I left you in their care.”
“Thank you.”
She smiled and touched his face. “Brother, I fear for you now. The time grows near.”
“I know. And the last guardian, he’s one of yours, too.”
“He is.”
“I’ll get him.”
“I know you will.”
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course.”
Sawyer held out his arm and one of the ravens flew down to him.
“What’s your animal? I have ravens. Our sister has hellhounds.”
“I have the orcas,” Anuket replied.
“Oh.”
“Why do you sound disappointed, my brother?”
“I don’t know. I was expecting something out there or something. Like the kraken maybe. That would have been a good one.”
She laughed and a little rain began to fall.
“You are fanciful, Sawyer. Always have been, always will be.”
“I try.”
