* * *
Shamash landed beside me on the grass, whistling a sweet song.
"Hello, Adadda, did everyone get here okay?"
Shamash stretched his neck forward and rubbed his beak against my hands until I opened them up. Large tears fell from his gold eyes. My breath caught at the beauty. A tear fell onto my palm, and the burn healed. I held out my other hand and another large shimmery tear fell from Shamash's eye.
I opened and closed my hands amazed at how good they felt. "Thank you."
"You are welcome, Sapphire." Shamash sat next to me in his human form, his flame-red hair dancing around his face as the flower-scented breeze blew by us.
"Where is Aya?"
Shamash smiled. "She is helping the people that you sent home to us. Many of them have suffered on Earth and are in need of healing. Thank you, Sapphire, thank you for sending them home to me."
"You're welcome." The screams from the walk-ins and Yilmaz filled my head.
"Sapphire, what's wrong?"
To my shame my eyes filled with tears. "I didn't mean to hurt anyone."
Shamash wrapped his arms around me making me feel safe. "Hush, my Jewel. I know you didn't want to hurt anyone. Unfortunately, there are people in the world who make choices that cannot be ignored. Choices that force you to make horrible decisions. No one blames you for protecting those you care about."
Shamash stroked my hair and rocked me while I cried.