Page 93 of Moon Chosen

“Will do!” Davis ran to the Scratcher idol that looked oddly like a woman rising from the earth.

“Bloody beetle balls, Nik! My skin is broken!” O’Bryan began to claw at the wound, as if he could tear it and the death sentence it probably contained from his body.

“Stop it, Cuz! Stop!” Nik grabbed O’Bryan’s hands, keeping them from causing further damage to his skin. “It’s not that bad. Let me pack it, and then we’ll get you to the Healers.”

O’Bryan collapsed back, legs in the creek, and the rest of him trembling on the bank. “There’s nothing they can do—you know that. I’m done.”

Nik shook O’Bryan by his shoulders. “Don’t you give up!”

“Here! Here!” Davis tossed a clump of thick green moss to Nik.

Nik packed the moss into the wound, trying to ignore the deep, bleeding pit of missing flesh. “It’s going to be okay. No bleeders were cut.”

Davis covered his eyes with his arm. “It’s not okay. You know that. It’ll never be okay again—not for me.”

“I said don’t give up!” Nik said, still packing the ugly wound. “Davis, I need that strip of cloth.”

There was a ripping sound. “Got it.” Davis handed him a long, thin strip of cloth.

Nik wrapped the cloth around the moss-packed wound, tying it securely. “Drink this,” he said, handing his cousin the water skin.

With trembling hands, O’Bryan did as he was told.

“Cammy’s alerting! There are more of them coming. We gotta get out of here,” Davis said.

“Go without me. Just leave me a crossbow. I’ll keep them busy,” O’Bryan said.

“Absolutely no chance of that,” Nik said grimly. “Now give me your hand and get your ass up out of that water. We’re going home.”

***

They did not see the big man and the two smaller, though no less dangerous, men, watching them from the deepest shadows of the forest. They did not see Dead Eye’s look of satisfaction as he stroked the trident-shaped scar on his arm and imagined the new future that was beginning to unfold before him.

“You were right, Champion,” said Iron Fist. “The Scratcher males have been infected.”

“Which means the Others will be infected as well. All we need do is to keep flaying the forest creatures, but as you said, not so far as to take them to the Sacred Place of death,” said the second man known as Stalker.

“No, we must do as you command, and stop while they still have strength to live—to travel—to be taken by the forest people,” said Iron Fist.

“And they will destroy one another even more beautifully than they did today,” said Stalker.

“Exactly. It pleases me that the both of you understand now,” Dead Eye said. “And all is ready with the lure?”

Iron Fist nodded. “It is as you commanded.”

“We made sure the Others’ foraging team saw no sign of us, but has been lured to the ambush site,” said Stalker

“You have done well. Very well,” Dead Eye said. He lifted the snare that held several fat turkeys. “Now, let us take our untainted catch back to Dove and the God. The People feast tonight in celebration of what bounty the morrow will bring!”

27

It took until well after dusk—after Nik had seen O’Bryan to the Healers’ Nest, and had Davis and Cammy checked over to be sure they hadn’t sustained any skin-breaking wounds—for his hands to stop trembling.

“It’s my fault. O’Bryan was only there because of me.”

“Son, drink this.” Sol placed the mug of warm, herb-infused ale in his son’s hands.

Nik shook his head. “No, I can’t sleep. I need to get back to the Healers’ Nest and sit with O’Bryan.”