Page 173 of Moon Chosen

Mari met his gaze. “I used to.”

“And now?”

“Now I’m not sure. I’m not sure about a lot of things I used to think I knew,” Mari said.

“Me either.” Rigel padded to them and sat between them, lying half on, half off both of their feet. Nik grinned. “We make a strange team.”

Mari laughed with him. “We can definitely agree on that.”

“I wish you had met my mother. She would have liked you,” Nik said.

Mari felt herself flush hot with unexpected pleasure. “That was a nice thing to say. Thank you.”

“It was just the truth, but you are welcome. Thank you for coming with me.”

They sat on the graceful platform for a long time, side by side, waiting for the world to catch up with them. They watched the sky go black, and then become dotted with the crystal dust of stars. The moon appeared, a fat crescent, glowing with a brilliance that caused Mari to squint against its brightness. Finally, the flickering lights from braziers and torches began to blink out and the Tribe became sleepy and still.

“Are you ready?” Nik asked her.

“Yes,” she said firmly, hoping the word would become a self-fulfilling prophecy. “But how are you going to sneak me all the way up there?”

“Well, Mari,thatis going to be a grand adventure for you. Um, you didn’t mention it before, but are you afraid of heights?”

“Does it matter if I am?”

“Only if you scream or faint when you’re afraid,” he said.

“I know we’re not up as high as the rest of the Tribe is, but I didn’t mind climbing up the stairs to get to this platform at all. I don’t think climbing farther up is going to be any problem for me at all,” Mari said.

“Oh, you’re not going to climb—you’re going to fly.” Chuckling to himself, Nik motioned for her to follow him down the stairs. Baffled, but intrigued, Mari followed.

***

“It’s like a litter that’s been turned into a strange cage that lifts.” Mari crouched beside the contraption Nik had guided them to.

“All you and Rigel need to do is to climb in.”

Mari looked up. And up. And up, up, up. Her stomach gave a sick flutter.

“Everything all right?” Nik asked.

“Yes. Just thinking. Nik, it’s really far up there. Are you sure this is safe?”

“Safer than hanging out here on the forest floor at night with a guy who has unhealed wounds,” Nik said.

“You’re right about that.” She looked at Rigel. “Is he going to be okay, or do we need to tie him in somehow?”

Nik grinned. “Rigel, let’s go up!” He pointed to the litter. With zero hesitation, the young canine bounded into the litter and lay down, mouth open in a canine grin, tail wagging. “He’s used to heights, remember?”

Mari sighed. She climbed in behind Rigel, clutching her medical satchel to her lap and trying to pretend that she was somewhere—anywhere—else.

Nik got in behind her. “Ready?”

“Absolutely not, but let’s go up anyway,” she said.

Nik chuckled and pulled on a thick hemp rope. There was a pause, and then the lift jerked up, causing Mari to gasp and flail for the sides of the litter and something to hold on to.

Nik’s strong hands were on her shoulders in an instant. “Relax,” he said into her ear. “We use this for people who have been so badly injured that they can’t make it to the infirmary nests from any of the large lift cages scattered around the city.”