“He won’t come if he knows you’re with Elijah,” Rio said patiently. “He’s afraid of Elijah. Your brother is probably the only man he is afraid of. That’s why he has to destroy him before he kills him. And the only means he has of destroying him is through you.”

“I know of his leopard assassin, Rachael,” Elijah added. “I can take him if he comes at me. I can take him in either form, human or animal.” There was complete confidence in his voice.

Rachael nodded and managed a faint smile, but Rio could feel her body trembling. He pulled her closer, trying to protect her from her brother’s all-seeing eyes. “Once Armando has entered the country, Kim Pang, Tama’s brother, will get word to Tama. You can head this way the moment Armando has entered our forest. I’ll have a few of my men standing by with radios to let us know where he is. He can’t take animal form, but he’ll come in with hunters, hoping to protect himself. What do you think, Elijah?”

“I think I’m going to trust you with my sister’s life.” Elijah stood up, stretched, a completely feline motion. His eyes were hard and cold and without mercy. “Don’t let me down.”

“Aren’t you going to stay?” Rachael asked, looking close to tears again.

“I have to be back in camp. You never know if he has eyes or ears planted and I don’t want to blow the plan before we have a chance to see if it will even work.” Elijah loomed over them, tall and dangerous and very alone. “You take care of her, Rio.” He brushed Rachael’s head with a gentle kiss, touched her shoulder and went out into the night.

Rachael tried to pull away from Rio to go after her brother. “Let him go. This is hard for him, to let loose of you after all these years. He needs to be alone. People like us need space, Rachael. He has to find his own way. He’s spent a lifetime concentrating on keeping the both of you alive. He’ll need to adjust in order to find another reason to go on. The forest is where he’ll find it. He doesn’t know that yet, but it will call to him.”

She ran her hands over his body, inspecting him for damage after his long run. “You need rest, Rio. At least come to bed with me.”