“Tomas and his men caught us at the river. I’d left Josh in a tree, hoping to get him across before Tomas caught up with us. I didn’t want to take the chance with his open wounds in the river. If I stumbled, he could get a major infection.” A ghost of a smile crossed his face. “Unfortunately, I didn’t have any of Tama’s famous green gunk to smear on him.”

“So you left him in the tree and went to do what?”

“I have a pulley and sling I sometimes use for the cats, especially if the current is strong. I went to retrieve it, but Tomas showed up. I winged a couple of his men, forcing him to get them medical aid.”

“But he left someone behind.”

Rio sat up and pushed his hands through his dark hair. “A bath sounds good.”

She took his hand and tugged. “Come on then. Get in and I’ll wash you, like you did me. It felt delicious.”

Rio stretched and padded across to the small closet that passed for the bathroom. He wasn’t going to tell Rachael he preferred the jungle. After his performance at dawn, she very well might think him entirely uncivilized. Rachael was making him coffee when he returned.

“You’re spoiling me.”

“I hope so.” She frowned at the marks on his body. “Leeches? Did those nasty little things manage to get on you again?”

“I was laying in the bog, waiting for my shot. They go for body heat.”

She grinned at him and pushed him toward the tub. “Well, we both know you have plenty of heat.”

He sank into the steaming water. Her hands went to his shoulders, soapy, sliding as she massaged the aches away. “Tell me what happened to upset you, Rio.”

She was standing behind him, her hands wielding magic on his sore muscles. It was far easier to talk about it when he wasn’t facing her. “I took him to the village. It was a long, difficult journey lugging Josh. Half the time I was afraid he was dead and the other half I knew I was hurting him. I didn’t have time to change into clothes so I had to go through the shrubbery bare.”

“That’s where all the scratches and cuts came from. Why did you shift?” She kept her voice curious, careful not to sound judgmental or accusing.

“To get back across the river before the man left behind spotted Joshua.”

Rachael kept kneading the tight muscles in his shoulders. He had made a third kill and wounded others. It had been a bad night. She remained silent, leaning down to brush a kiss on the top of his head.