“I do not know,” she said.“I sensed the serenity and peace that the river offered, and I almost stepped into it myself.”Emmeric inhaled sharply, and Iyana absentmindedly ran her hand down his chest.“While I may have been close to death, Tal had actually died, so the call was probably stronger for him.Ripping himself away from that is going to affect him.In what ways and for how long, I don’t know.”
Before Zane could ask more questions, a black leopard bounded towards them.Kaz skidded to a stop and shifted simultaneously, her dark skin shimmering in the moonlight.“I secured the ship,” she said breathlessly.As soon as she saw Talon in Zane’s lap, obviously alive now, her eyes darted between him and Iyana.“What the shit happened while I was gone?”
“We’ll have to explain later,” Emmeric said, standing and again helping Iyana to her feet.When she stumbled, he swept her off her feet and cradled her close to him.She murmured something to him, too low for Zane to hear, and Em shook his head in reply.
Zane went to stand with Talon, but the man was larger than him and was unable to support any of his own weight.Kaz came to his side to help.“Let me shift, and he can ride on my back to the ship.”
“Are you sure?”Zane asked.Kaz nodded, shifting, and he blew out a relieved breath.Once they had Talon secured, they began their trek out of the Dead Lands.Wailers could still be heard shrieking in the distance, but they didn’t seem to be approaching.He was grateful for the small mercy.None of them were well enough to fight their way to the shore.
“Does anybody want to tell me why there are no stars in the sky?”Iyana asked weakly.Zane and Emmeric glanced at each other.He had seen the stars streaking across the sky until it was empty, but Talon had taken most of his attention.Now, though, with Tal breathing, he was free to think about what it meant that all the stars had fallen.But he still didn’t understand what Altair had done to Iyana.
The star had obviously betrayed them all, and he could only imagine how Iyana was feeling about the entire situation.What in the nine hells had he missed while he’d been with his father?He didn’t even remember how long Uther had detained him for; how long he had to withstand the former emperor’s special brand of attention.Zane pushed thoughts of those days out of his head; there was too much directly in front of him that needed to be dealt with.It could be stored with the rest of his trauma for the time being.
“Let’s just get to the ship first, Mouse,” Emmeric said.“There are some things Zane needs to know, and you should rest first.”
“I don’t need to rest.And put me down, Em, I can walk.”
“You absolutely cannot,” he replied sternly.Then, softer, he said, “Close your eyes, Mouse.I’ve got you.”
Iyana muttered something underneath her breath, to which Emmeric only chuckled and told her again to close her eyes.This time, the Aztia listened, falling asleep mere seconds after her eyelids had fluttered shut.
Talon still lay on Kaz’s leopard form.They were able to convince him to wrap his arms around her neck, and he hadn’t let go since.At some point, the panic on his face had dimmed, but his blinking was still slow, and he had not yet said anything.Zane was trying to not let it concern him, but he was failing.Badly.
When they finally made it to the shore, the moon had begun its descent, and dawn was visible on the horizon.Uther’s ship was in a flurry of movements, the crew shouting orders at each other.The noise was so incongruous with the Dead Lands—a place with no sound, no smell, no life—that Zane wanted to tell them all to be quiet.The new emperor was impressed, though, when none of them balked as a large leopard with a man on its back walked up the gangplank.
Kaz confidently lead them across the deck, down a set of stairs, and through a maze of wooden corridors, eventually pawing at a pair of double doors with ornate gold handles.The cries of the crew above them were muffled.Zane hauled open the doors and instantly realized this was his father’s personal room.In his mind, Zane had once likened Emperor Uther to a dragon jealously guarding its hoard of treasure, and this room was no different.
The first thing he noticed was the obscene amount of gold that adorned the walls in the form of sconces and gilded decorations.The posts of the large four-poster bed were most likely solid gold, too, with intricate, hand-carved details on each one.Zane knew if he were to inspect it closely, it would match the throne back in Athusia.The bar cart, the glasses, the gauzy curtains—hells, even the mantel over the hearth—were all made of gold.The amount of wealth shoved into this one room made him nauseous, and he was sure the attached bathing room contained more of the same.
A silent rage built inside Zane, his hands clenched into fists, and his entire body began to shake until he saw a bright flash of light and he realized that human Kaz was struggling to keep Talon upright.Zane launched into motion, helping the shifter get him situated in an overstuffed wingback chair.Brushing Tal’s red hair back from his face, Zane saw his blue eyes were still dull and unseeing.Zane sighed.He turned to see Emmeric placing a still-sleeping Iyana onto the bed and drawing the blanket over her.The Kanaliza looked towards Kaz.
“How did you secure the ship?”he asked her.
“I introduced myself as the crown princess of Nyr and commandeered it for my kingdom.Don’t worry, Your Majesty—I’ll return it to you.”
Zane couldn’t care less about who owned the ship.“And they just…let you do that?”he asked.It couldn’t have been as easy as simplyaskingfor it.Did nobody question where Uther was?
“Well, the captain was arguing with me, but I took care of it by biting him.”
“Gods, is he okay?”
“Of course he is.I used my human teeth.And my hands.And my—”
“We get it, Kaz,” Emmeric interrupted.She pouted, but then threw a mischievous wink to Zane.Em rolled his eyes at the shifter’s antics.
“Where are my father’s men?The ones who ran off?”
“Where they belong,” Kaz said, frowning, an expression of pure murderous intent crossing over her face.“Down in the brig.I’ll let you decide what to do with them.”
They all staggered forward as the boat left the shore.Zane wouldn’t breathe easy until his feet were back on Arinem soil.He was only too happy to be leaving the Dead Lands behind.Glancing towards Talon, he said, “I should have them all thrown overboard.”
Emmeric followed his gaze.“We all know that’s Uther talking.Tal wouldn’t want you to do that.”
“Don’t talk about him like he’s gone,” Zane snarled.
Em raised his hands in a placating gesture.“I’m not, Zane.He’s right there.We all see him, he’s okay…” Maybe physically, but what about his state of mind?“He just can’t speak for himself at the moment, and I know he would not want you to exact justice that way.”
And, suddenly, it was too much.Everything his life had become.The loss of his mother, of his childhood, of Jax.The deaths of Geoff and Gordon.The days or weeks of torture he’d endured to attempt to keep his friends safe.
