---
"Lily," he said.
Her eyes glistened with something she refused to let fall.
"You look…" she began, then stopped, because there was too much in the sentence.
Sekhmet gave her a tight, tired half-smile.
"I can talk later," he said, voice low. "Right now, we need to leave this place before someone else smells the blood."
The escorts moved immediately, scanning the ridges, checking for more threats. Their captain stepped forward, eyes sharp.
"Lady Lily," he said, "we should move. Now."
Lily nodded, but her gaze stayed locked on Sekhmet.
Sekhmet felt something twist in his chest again, not pain this time.
Familiarity.
A past he had not allowed himself to think about in purgatory.
Bat Bat fluttered down and landed on Sekhmet's shoulder, proud as a king.
"I kill big," Bat Bat announced loudly.
Sekhmet stared at it.
"You did not kill the big one," he muttered.
Bat Bat blinked.
"I pee big," it corrected proudly.
