The vial of Noc’s blood weighed heavy in the breast pocket of my tunic. There were rumors the offered blood affected the power of the Myad. The stronger the donor, the more amplified his magic 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, protecting the weak points of his legs.
I’d never seen anything so beautiful. Powerful. I took a small step forward. The brush crunched beneath my feet, and the Myad skewered me with his blazing gold gaze. Thin tendrils of blue light streamed from his eyes.
“Grundy.”
Without further prompting, plates shifted along Grundy’s body, and two fat arms pushed outward. Once his soft hooves met the earth, a shallow divot appeared in a circle around the men. As one, they gasped, crashing to the ground under Grundy’s invisible weight. Calem sputtered, lungs working overtime to keep oxygen flowing through his body. Face flat against the earth, Oz groaned into the dirt. Muscles ticked along his back as he fought against the weight to no avail. Kost cursed and dug his fingers into the ground.
Noc alone managed to remain on his knees, palms pressed flat to the earth. Fissures of pressure cracked around his fingertips. Slate eyes lanced with frustration speared my heart, and a low snarl broke free from his lips.
Such power.I was wrong. The Myad wasn’t the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. Noc would always win that contest.
A rumbling growl sounded from deep in the Myad’s belly, and heavy paws thudded against the banks of the pond as he stalked toward me. Fifteen minutes, and Grundy’s gravity manipulation would fade. I mouthed an apology to Noc before turning to the beast. Palms outward, I slowed to a stop a few feet in front of the creature.No weapons. No beasts. No threat.A cool sweat misted above my lips. To be in front of something so powerful…
The Myad’s tail flicked from left to right. Pulling back his muzzle to reveal a row of elongated teeth, he growled. I willed my breath to remain steady. Blue wisps began to stream from the gold plates in his legs. He’d take flight or pounce if I wasn’t careful.
Kicking on the charm, I knelt before him. Rosewood light spilled outward, but he didn’t blink. My heart traded places with my throat, and I swallowed twice before exhaling deeply.
Step one: Blood of the murderer. With my eyes locked on his, I extracted the vial from my breast pocket. Another growl simmered in the back of his throat, and I paused.
Easy now.My heart thundered in my ears. I popped the stopper off and poured Noc’s blood into my cupped hand. The Myad’s nose twitched, and he lowered his head to sniff the substance. Slowly, his scratchy tongue grazed my skin. Sheer power thrummed from his touch. I’m sure he tasted the raw flavor of Noc’s magic in the blood. The icy heat of it threatened to sear my skin, and the scent of burnt honey and hot metal tainted the air.
Once the beast licked my hand dry, he sat back on his haunches and studied me, the corded muscles of his legs rippling beneath black fur.
Step two: A token of loyalty. Proof that, if the taming were a success, I was as much his as he was mine. That we would never abandon each other. With bloody, shaking fingers, I took my opal ring off my hand.
