Page 129 of Moon Chosen

“That’s not why I kept tracking Rigel,” Nik heard himself admitting. “I wouldn’t stop tracking him because…” He trailed off, unable to admit the embarrassing truth.

“You don’t have a canine, do you?”

“No. I don’t,” Nik said.

Mari’s brows shot up. “Oh! You wanted Rigel to choose you.”

Nik hesitated, and then blurted, “Yes, I did. It was my fault he got away that night. Almost everyone in the Tribe thought I was crazy for believing he could live through the bloody beetles and the roach swarm, but I never gave up on him.”

“He was hurt badly when he showed up here,” Mari said.

Nik blinked in surprise. “So, he did track you all the way to your home?”

“He did.” She caressed the young canine as his tail thumped against the floor of the burrow. “And then Mama and I healed him.”

“Has your family always been Healers?” Nik was asking as the door to the burrow opened and the other young woman rushed inside.

“Don’t tell him anything about us,” she snapped, sending him a glare. “Mari, I did it! The fern is alive!”

Mari’s face split into a wide grin that made her gray eyes sparkle and two little dimples appear in her cheeks. “That’s awesome! And now you’re ready for the next step.”

“People?”

Mari nodded. “People.”

“Sora, I’d like to thank you, too.” Nik said. “For saving me.”

The Scratcher sent him a dark look. “I didn’t save you. Mari saved you. I was just helping her.” She turned to Mari. “Let me know when he passes out again and I’ll come out and have dinner with you.” Then she disappeared into the back of the burrow.

Into another awkward silence Nik said, “Yes, I remembered correctly. That one wanted to kill me. Are you sisters?”

“Like I told you before, that one’s name is Sora. No, we’re not sisters.” After a pause Mari added. “We’re friends.”

“She doesn’t seem very friendly.”

“Actually, she’s a lot friendlier than me. She just doesn’t trust you.” Mari poured the broth from the skillet into a small wooden bowl and brought it to him.

“Thank you,” he said, then all of his attention went to sipping the delicious liquid and the warmth it spread throughout his battered body. It seemed as if the broth was gone in no time, and Nik leaned back carefully, feeling full and exhausted.

“Now this.” Mari handed him the cooled tea, which he finally took, gulping the bitter mixture quickly. “Okay, before you fall asleep again I need to change your bandages.”

Grunting, Nik rolled a little on his side, giving Mari access to his back. He gritted his teeth, steeling himself for more pain, but her touch was amazingly gentle and he felt little except a tug on the skin around the bandage.

“No, no, no. That’s not supposed to be happening.”

“What?” Nik tried to twist his head around, but a sharp look from Mari had him holding still and asking into the pillow. “What’s not supposed to be happening?”

“It was healing well—really well. No sign of infection except for your fever, which broke earlier today. But now the flesh around the wound is discolored, dusky even, like it’s dirty. But it couldn’t be. And there are small, raised black spots that look like scabs attached to the wound.”

“Does it have a scent?” Nik’s stomach felt hollow. Sweat had begun to bead his face.

He felt Mari lean down. She sniffed at the wound, and then he heard her gag. She turned away from him, but he craned his head around and saw her wiping her mouth and shaking her head. More to herself than to him she was muttering, “The flesh appears to be rotting. It has a rancid scent.” She placed the bandage back on the wound and said, “Let me see your leg.”

Without saying anything, Nik rolled carefully over, giving her access to the wound on his leg.

When she lifted the bandage he smelled it—the sickening familiar scent of blight and death. He lay back and closed his eyes, trying to calm the panic and fear that threatened to choke him.

“I just don’t understand.” Mari bent over the wound. “I see ulcerations appearing on this one, as well as the discoloration of the flesh and the foul scent. It makes no sense. I changed the bandages yesterday and there was absolutely no sign of this.”