Page 117 of Moon Chosen

Thaddeus nodded and began to pick his way carefully down the bank, holding his wounded Terrier close. He reached the kayak easily, as he moved much more quickly than he’d realized. He looked back then, not sure what he was supposed to say to the Skin Stealers—almost expecting them to change their mind at the end and pull him back through their dead City to the bloody scaffold.

They were gone.

Thaddeus didn’t pause to wonder. He hurried to the kayak, settling Odysseus as comfortably as possible in the belly of the boat, broke off the one ballast that had made it through the battle, took the paddle that was still tied to the rear seat, and with a mighty push launched it from the bank, jumping in with an athletic ease that seemed remarkably Terrier-like.

He bent to work, paddling against the current. At first he was worried that he wouldn’t be strong enough to guide the kayak past the bridge debris and run-offs, but Thaddeus soon realized that he was beyond strong enough. He paddled the kayak with ease. It shot down the river as if a team of Hunters propelled it forward.

Surely this is just adrenaline. Surely as soon as my body realizes we escaped it will wear off.

But it didn’t. Thaddeus was filled with a tightly wound strength that mirrored the anger that seemed ever present within him. It didn’t fade. It didn’t wear off. It only increased.

Odysseus whined plaintively, and Thaddeus paused a moment to stroke the little Terrier, murmuring reassurances. As he did so, Thaddeus looked down at his arm. At his wrist and elbow creases the bandages had dried. Slowly, he unwrapped the cloth from around his wrist.

The wound had already begun to heal. It was closing around the strip of flesh the Champion had cut from Odysseus. Old, dead skin was sloughing from around it. Thaddeus brushed at it in disgust, and it shed from him, revealing healthy, pink skin beneath. Thaddeus stared, enthralled by what he was seeing. With hands that shook with haste, he unwrapped the next bandage around his elbow. It was the same there! His cracked skin was mending, absorbing Odysseus’s flesh, and the infected skin was shedding from him.

Thaddeus lifted his arm, flexing it, feeling powerful and whole.

“Cure me? No. I don’t need a damn cure. I don’t need a damn cure at all.” Thaddeus bent to pick up the paddle again, thinking,The Champion was right. I’m not sick. I’m changed. And I like it. I like it a lot.

***

When Mari finally made it back to Rigel and Sora and Nik she was sweating and thoroughly tired of trying to maneuver the light, but ungainly, litter. With a relieved sigh, she put the litter and Leda’s well-worn medicine satchel down close to where Nik was lying, and then went over to Rigel, telling him how brave and good he was to have kept watch.

“You know, I was watching, too,” Sora said.

“Thank you,” Mari said. Then she grinned at Sora. “Do you want me to pet you?”

Sora giggled. “I think you should save your energy for him.”

“Is he conscious?” Mari asked as she knelt beside Nik.

Sora shrugged. “I don’t know. He was awake while I was drying him and covering him up with your shift—which is, by the way, entirely too small for him. But he didn’t say anything except to groan a little. He opened his eyes a few times since, but all he did was stare at your creature.”

Mari pressed her fingers to Nik’s wrist, finding his pulse easily. It was strong, but faster than she’d like it to be, and his skin felt cold and clammy. She was about to call his name when he opened his eyes.

“Gray,” he said softly, his voice sounding as if he wasn’t quite awake. “Your eyes are gray.”

“How are you doing, Nik?” She ignored his comment about her eyes.

“Been better,” he said. “Back hurts. Skin Stealer’s spear got me.”

“I see that. I brought you something for the pain. Drink this and it’ll help.” Mari nodded at Sora. “Lift his shoulders a little so that he can drink, but be careful of that spear wound.” While Sora held him Mari put the skin to his lips.

Nik looked at her, hesitating. Then his lips curved up slightly. “Easier ways to kill me than poison.”

“I voted for slitting your throat with your very sharp knife, but Mari and her creature outvoted me,” Sora said.

“Ignore her,” Mari said. “I mostly do.”

As Nik drank his eyes smiled up at Mari. When the skin was empty, she helped Sora lay him gently down.

“All right, I’m going to get you ready to be moved while that tea’s working,” Mari said.

“Moved?” Nik said.

“Can’t stay here. The swarm will eat you,” Sora said. “Not that I think that’s a bad thing, but again, I’ve been outvoted.”

“I’m taking you to my burrow—my home,” Mari said. “It’s not far from here, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be an easy trip. We’re up high, and to get you home we have to go down low.”