Kymra and Leah smiled when they saw us appear in the kitchen.

Kymra looked like she had taken a shower of her own as well as Oren.

"Mehnit needs to hunt," Julian announced. "She needs to eat and gather her strength." He looked at Kymra. "Can you help?"

Kymra nodded enthusiastically. "We can take her in the woods here. They look desolate." She placed her hands on her knees and crouched as she looked at the small cat. "I'm so excited to see her. It's been so long since the Underworld has been gifted with an Egyptian mau." She smiled. "I'd love to see what she can do."

Mehnit sat down next to me, her chin lifted. She seemed to know exactly what we were saying and was more than willing to bask in the praise.

Oren stepped forward. "Right. I will stay with the queen but Kymra, you will need help too. In case you run into trouble."

Kymra nodded. "Julian, go with me. It will be like old times."

Julian crossed his arms. "I rather stay."

Kymra shrugged. "I think you need one more bout with someone that can beat you." She tugged on the gloves on her hands. "Leah says you've been training and teaching them for a while. I mean, the Alteazor is good and all but you should-"

"All right, all right," Julian said half-annoyed cutting her off as she spoke.

She smiled triumphantly. It seemed to be the response she wanted.

"You're on." He turned to Oren. "Where are Damien and His Highness the royal pain in the ass?"

Leah cleared her throat. "Asmodeus is setting up in his room. Damien isn't leaving him alone."

"Good," Julian approached Oren as he followed Kymra out the back door. "Don't let Asmo anywhere near Emylin."

Oren gave a curt nod.

I shifted uncomfortably where I stood.

Knowing how much they were going out of their way to keep Asmo away made me uneasy. He wouldn't harm me despite what he was...or...what half of him was. But I knew their fear wasn't that he would harm me physically, it was that he could potentially do something else that could put me in danger.

I followed them all outside with Mehnit close to me. As soon as we stepped outside into the night air, I breathed deep.

The dewy smell of the evening reminded me so much of my parent's house it made my stomach twist.

I wondered how my parents were.

The night was quiet save for the rustle of the pine needles in the trees as the wind blew.

"All right, Curran." Kymra shrugged her shoulders in a stretch as she addressed Julian by his last name.  She looked at him, her dark hair blowing in the wind that picked up. "Let's see how rusty you've gotten in your retirement."

Julian chuckled, a genuine smile on his handsome lips as he looked skyward. "Gods help me from the sarcasm of this group."

Oren laughed, stepping forward and planting a kiss on Kymra's cheek.

My eyes widened.

She grasped his fingers as he moved closer to her. She closed her eyes as he whispered something in her ear. The gesture was so natural, it seemed like they had been together for a while.

Her smile was loving and sincere as he kissed her cheek again. It was as if none of us were outside with them standing on the deck of Leah's backyard and it was only the two of them.

I didn't know they were even together.

Julian turned to me. "It would be best if you stayed in the house. The barriers will hold for you as long as you stay close to it." He looked at Mehnit sitting next to me. "We will watch each other and should come back soon." His eyes met mine. "As soon as we get back, we will get everyone together to talk about a plan."

I wanted to talk about a plan now. I didn't want to wait.

But if Mehnit needed to eat and gather her strength...

Absently, I nodded. The thought that they would be out turned my stomach in knots. They had set up barriers to keep us safe and now they were going outside of them for Mehnit. "All right," I whispered. "If you think it's safe."

He nodded. "I trust Kymra."

Slowly, I nodded.

He turned to move.

I reached for his hand at his side and took it.

He stopped to look at me.

I tried to smile but failed. I wanted to tell him so much. "Come back soon, okay? Stay safe."

He squeezed my hand.

I managed to smile. "I'll wait up for you."

A smile blossomed over his features. He squeezed my hand again. "I promise we will be safe."

I nodded trying desperately to calm my nerves.

Leah and Kymra spoke beside us. Leah gave Kymra instructions on what she would see, what to avoid in the heavily wooded area. Yes, there were deer but there were bears too. They might even see some campers.

Thunder rolled through the sky, lightning cracked lighting up the usually dark backyard.

"All right," Kymra finally said. "Are we ready? Emmy, we just need you to ask Mehnit to go with us."

I nodded, kneeling in front of Mehnit. As soon as I set my knees on the wooden deck, Mehnit pushed her small body against me. I could hear her purring as she did and I wondered if she knew what I was going to ask her.

"Mehnit," I said softly.

She sat down in front of me her tail twitching behind her. She looked like she was listening intently, almost like she was human too.

I smiled. This small cat was truly amazing.

"You need your strength and you need more food than we can give you right now." I scratched her head. "Julian and Kymra will be taking you hunting."

She meowed excitedly.

"Keep each other safe and come back as soon as you can. Go with them."

She stood and dipped her head low, her ears flat against her head.

When she didn't move from her position, I realized she was asking for permission. I scratched her head and she pushed her small head against it.

She turned around and as soon as she did, her form changed. She leapt over the deck's railing and disappeared over the other side. Kymra spectered and disappeared as I ran to the railing to see where Mehnit went.

As soon as I made it to the railing, I saw a flash gold disappear into the thicket of trees beyond the edge of the backyard. When I looked around, Julian was gone too.

I watched the edge of the woods where they disappeared. Would they be safe? Would Mal find them despite Julian's reassurances?

"They will be all right, Alteaza."

I looked at Oren as he spoke. "Emmy," I reminded.

He laughed. "Emmy." He gestured to the door back to the house where Leah stood. "Would you like to go back inside?"

I looked back again at the woods but nodded. "All right."

We went back inside silently. The house was chillier than it was outside, making me hug my arms.

Leah, noticing how I shook in my shoes, flew into the kitchen. "Alteaza," she started. "Would you like something to eat? Soup maybe? That will warm you up."

I shook my head, looking away. "I'm not very hungry."

"Oren?" Leah asked. "Something to eat?"

I sat at the table closest to the bay windows of the kitchen and kept my eyes fixed on the shadows out on the woods.

After a pause, Oren responded. "Soup would be appreciated."

Leah began to make the soup. "How did you and Kymra meet?"

Oren chuckled, setting aside his finished plate. "During training. I never met a more headstrong woman. She captivated me immediately." He sighed deeply. "She's strong, independent, loyal." He laughed. "It took a while to convince her to take me seriously."

"It looks like you've been together for a while," Leah mused. "How long has it been?"

I couldn't listen to them. After everything that happened that day, I couldn't listen to small talk.

My fingers clenched at my sides. I was too uneasy to listen to their conversation, too wound up with the day's events.

It felt too much like the calm before the storm. Like they were purposefully ignoring what was going to transpire in the next couple of days...or hours, if Mal found us.

I died the first time we went against her.

The second, we barely made it out by the skin of our teeth.

But somehow, I was their best bet.

I stood from the table. "I'm going upstairs."

Leah looked at me, stunned. "A-all right."

"The view from my window is better than down here anyway. I want to make sure I can see the woods in case anything happens to them."

Oren began to speak but Leah placed a hand on his. "All right." She smiled. "I can bring something up for you if you want."

I shook my head. "No, thanks."

As I began to leave the room, Oren followed.

Knowing exactly why he was following, I didn't argue.

Leah cleared her throat. "Oren, I'll bring the soup up for you when it's done."

I didn't even stay in the room to hear his response.

Oren shut the door behind me quietly as soon as I was in the room.

I sat on the bed on the side nearest to the window and kept a watchful eye on the woods.

It was quiet. The wind in the trees was the only movement I could see.

My nerves and muscles ached.

My magic ached.

It was almost as if it knew what was about to happen.