“My paws are tired, Lilly. Let’s rest.”

Lilly sighed, turning to glare at Ansh. “We’re almost at the cabin. She’s waiting for us there.”

“Just a little rest, here in this copse. Please.” The cat looked up at Lilly with tired eyes and a somber flick of his tail.

“Fine,” she said, walking back to the trees. She sat on a stump, thinking about their long journey. From the Palace of Herst, to the rough deserts of Zar, they had been through a lot together. Battles, scars, betrayals … She looked at Ansh where he curled in a small bit of foliage. He deserved this rest. She did, too. The smell of the trees and the flowers and a nearby lake served as her lullaby, and she drifted to sleep.

When she woke, a man in dragonsteel was standing over her, holding a knife to her throat.

“Move, and I slice, Lilly.”

She recognized the voice, but it couldn’t be. She wanted to shake herself from a dream but didn’t dare move.

“Ansh,” she called, summoning her companion.

The man before her laughed. “I’m Ansh. A shapeshifter. Hired to infiltrate and destroy you. Let’s get going to the cabin, without any trick moves.”

Lilly couldn’t bring herself to speak as she stood.