Page 182 of Sun Warrior

Thaddeus had taken Nik’s father from him.

Men like Thaddeus had taken Mari’s father from her and her mother.

Thaddeus was done taking.

So Mari ran with Rigel racing at her side. When she felt her energy wane, she began to panic—she didn’t have time to stop and rest or even to slow to a walk! Her breath was coming in heaving gasps and Mari was clutching her side that radiated pain when Rigel suddenly stopped in front of her, forcing her to halt, too.

“Rigel!” Mari shouted between gulping air. “Get out of the way! You know we have no time to play.”

But even though the young Shepherd was panting and clearly exhausted, he stood his ground, staring into Mari’s eyes, and suddenly the sunlight around them seemed to glitter with an otherworldly glow and she realized what her Companion was trying to tell her.

“Sorry, Rigel. I understand now!” Mari yanked off her tunic, so that she was dressed only in simple hemp-woven pants. She staggered to a spot where the late-afternoon sunshine had found a way through the boughs of the increasingly large pines. Mari threw out her arms and stared up at the fiery orb. “I welcome the power that my blood craves!” Heat rushed into her body. She glanced down at Rigel. Beside her the pup’s eyes were glowing sunlit amber and he’d already stopped panting.

The stitch in her side was gone. In another second her breathing had steadied. And in another the exhaustion that running for half of the day had caused evaporated completely.

Her body was filled with heat and strength.

Her mind was completely clear.

She shoved her tunic in her satchel. No way was she going to cover her skin as long as the Sun was still in the sky—still providing Rigel and her with life-saving energy.

“Now, Rigel, wereallyrun!”

Moon Woman and Shepherd almost flew through the forest. As they sped forward, Mari’s mind was busy thinking of and then discarding plans.

Oh, Mama! I wish you were here. I wish you could tell me the smartest way to do this.

Then, whether it was actually Leda’s voice or just an echo from the past, Mari heard her words inside her head as clearly as if her beloved mama ran alongside her.

Often the simplest plan is the best. Just like when you’re confronted by a person with a terrible wound. Don’t overthink. Don’t panic. Act, sweet girl—act!

“Thank you, Mama. That’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

As Rigel and Mari drew closer and closer to the meditation platform and what remained of the proud Tribe of the Trees, they slowed to a walk. Mari glanced at the sky. There was little of the sun left, and she could feel the moon waiting expectantly for her turn to take charge of the sky. Mari tested the wind and then altered their course so that the breeze was against her face. She wasn’t going to sneak into camp, but she also didn’t want Thaddeus to be warned ahead of time that she was coming.

The stench of disease came to her before she heard the raucous shouts of men. It seemed as if they were at play, which caused Mari’s blood to pound through her veins as her anger built.They have Nik. And they’re enjoying hurting him.

Mari used her Earth Walker skills. Utterly silent, she and Rigel crept forward until they came within sight of the meditation platform. Mari’s stomach boiled with anger.

She needn’t have worried about Thaddeus and his men scenting her. They were too busy with their cruel game to take notice of anything except Nik.

As in the image Laru had sent her, they had Nik on the meditation platform. Only now his shirt had been ripped from him. He was bound with his arms tied behind him. The rope around his neck had been looped up over a branch above him. It was taut, and Mari could see that he had to stand almost on his tiptoes to keep from choking. Below them, in the midst of sick and wounded Tribesmen and women lying mutely on pallets around the tree, stood a small group of men—Mari quickly counted four of them, plus Thaddeus. They all had crossbows and full quivers of arrows.

They were taking turns shooting at Nik.

Horrified, Mari watched a man aim and fire. The arrow whizzed past Nik, brushing his right shoulder and ripping a bloody furrow in it before embedding itself in the bark of the pine. Nik made no sound. He didn’t even flinch. He just stood there, straining to remain on his tiptoes, his gaze focused on the forest.

Mari heard a whine, and her attention was pulled briefly from Nikto the Shepherd who lay by the feet of the Warrior who had just shot. While he laughed and hooted and was congratulated by Thaddeus, his Shepherd lay disconsolate, whining constantly, his amber eyes focused on his Companion’s face. The Shepherd shifted his body, as if he was in pain, and Mari sucked in a shocked breath.

His belly had been wrapped in a bloody bandage!

Her gaze went quickly to the three Terriers lying beside Companions who were laughing and taking aim at Nik. They, too, were bandaged just like the Shepherd.

It has to be true. They’ve done with their canines what we saw the Skin Stealers doing with that wild boar!

Another whine caught her attention and Mari’s gaze shifted to a woman who was seated not far from Thaddeus. Unlike the rest of the people, she was paying close attention to what was going on, and for a moment Mari felt some relief as she thought there might be at least one member of the Tribe who still cared about Nik. Then she saw what had drawn her attention. A young Shepherd was pacing around the woman, whining pitifully. Mari could see no wound on the young canine. With a jolt of shock, she recognized the pup as Fortina, Rigel’s littermate! At that moment the woman, who Mari now realized must be Maeve, backhanded the pup.

“I told you to lie down and be quite!” Maeve shouted. Fortina’s tail went between her legs and her ears fell back as she took to her belly. Resting her nose on her front feet, the pup continued to stare pitifully from Maeve to Nik.