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Without needing him to explain, I knew he was quiet due to Hadi’s presence.
Pursing my lips, I wrapped my arms around Sun’s waist and pulled him until he was free.
Unfortunately, I was still stuck in the mess myself, so holding Sun in my arms, I lifted up until I was high on my tail, close to the branches of the nearest tree.
I helped Sun grab onto it and waited until he was seated in the limbs to release him, then I lowered and carefully removed myself from the web still attached to me.
Hadi didn’t always have to make his web so treacherous. He only did it when he did not intend to release someone.
I had no doubt that Sun had saved himself–in fact, had saved all of us with that outlandish deal he had made.
It was one thing to pray to the moon goddess Tsuki or the sun God Taiyo, but to claim he could speak to them directly... I was surprised that Hadi had agreed.
The entire idea seemed ridiculous.
Unless he only planned to play along until Sun showed him where Tsuki’s stone was.
I swallowed.
It had been our goal–the goal of the entire noc kingdom to get Tsuki’s stone for so long. After all, we had possessed Taiyo’s sunstone since taking the human kingdom. But the two were almost useless without each other…
The idea of getting the moonstone now, when we were no longer in a position of power over the kingdom felt strange. Yet with it, I knew it would be the key to Hadi regaining the throne.
Bracken suddenly lifted into the air with a gust of force from his massive wings.
I looked up to see that he had Clem cradled in his arms and a stricken look on his face.
“Meet us at camp,” Bracken said brusquely and left without waiting for the rest of us.
I slithered up the base of the large tree where I had left Sun, ready to retrieve him.
I knew he could see better in the open air than he had been able to in Hadi’s pit because he searched my face when I reached him and then without a word, put his arms around my neck and allowed me to lower him to the ground with an arm securely around his waist.
We walked back to the camp in silence. I did not know where Hadi was. Perhaps above us in the shadows, perhaps back at our camp already.
I found that I wanted to reach out, to feel the solidity and warmth of Sun’s skin. Whenever I looked at him, he appeared as troubled as I felt.
Then we reached the camp and the darkness in his eyes grew to fury.
Bracken had lit a fire and laid Clem next to it.
He was curled around him protectively and Sun went straight to them, crouching down to peer at Clem between Bracken’s wings.
Without saying anything, Bracken lifted his wing to allow Sun to see the damage.
He reached out, carefully touching Clem’s bruised face. His hand was gentle, but his eyes were ice cold.
If we weren’t bound together, I didn’t doubt that Sun would try to kill Hadi right then.
And what would I do? Help him? I may be bothered by Hadi right now, but he was still my leader and the idea of turning on him now, after dying for him, was crazy.
But then Sun shifted, and the firelight lit his skin in a different way.
Me and Bracken both saw his bruised flesh at the same time and all the confusion I felt cleared.
Sun was not up for grabs. Not even by Hadi. And if Hadi stepped out of line again, he would have me and Bracken to deal with.
Our gazes met and I knew he was thinking the same thing. Sun was ours to protect. Just like Clem. They were not to be abused.
