Page 95 of The Temptation of Roan Island

Zarah bares her sharp teeth. “If you don’t have them dead in five minutes, I’m killing Noah to get out of this and get to Kay.”

We all know she can’t do it, but the sentiment is clear, and if anyone could break a patriarchal hold, it would be Zarah.

Noah gives me one sharp nod, then releases me.

Mirrav, I really hope this works.

41

PIPPA

My boy is alive. The words scream through my mind like the lure of a siren, drawing me toward my ruin. My boy is alive. And I’ll do anything to keep him that way. Even if it costs me my life. I don’t know what they have planned for me, but it doesn’t matter as long as he’s okay.

Dr. Reter turns to face me, still holding Tobias over his head, and I gasp when I see the flash of fangs in my little boy's mouth. What did they do to him?

“Mama!” Dr. Reter sets Toby down, and before my next breath, he’s in my arms, knocking me out of my captor’s grip.

I stumble and fall onto the hard, damp stone of the altar. Toby came at me so fast I didn’t even see him move. Fear battles relief as I squeeze my boy in my arms. “I’m here, baby. I’m here.”

“As some of you know, it has come to our attention, through the dedicated research of Mrs. Darning, here,” Dr. Reter takes Darning’s hand, “that the reason the Mavarri transformation has failed for so long is that the Mavarri did not love those they tried to change. The impure beasts slaughtered countless humans, blind to this law of the goddess. We will be different. The new Mavarri will be built on the love of a mother and her child. The New Mavarri will be made tonight!”

Cold fear follows his declaration as I realize what he intends. He wants Tobias to bite me! No. No no no no. It might work, but if it doesn’t, my boy will have to live with my death on his hands for the rest of his life.

He’s not really Mavarri, so what are the chances he’ll actually be able to transform me? And into what? I don’t know what Toby is, what they’ve made him. It doesn’t matter because he’s still my boy. He’ll always be my boy. But I can’t let him risk this without knowing what will happen.

Think, Pippa. Think!

My mind is still slow from the drugs, and rather than ideas, all I have are questions. Tears fill my eyes as I hold my boy. My gaze darts around looking for a way out, but we’re surrounded.

“It’s alright, dear,” the masked figure on my left says, patting my shoulder in a gesture that’s almost fatherly. “This will all be over soon.”

“Dr. Witten?”

He doesn’t answer, his attention instead on some disturbance off to the side of the cavern. Two acolytes break off from the group to check what it is. While everyone’s momentarily distracted, I fling myself off the altar, hoping to dart between the two masked figures and run for the stairs while clutching my boy to my chest. I lose my footing and trip the moment my feet hit the ground, barely managing to protect Toby from the fall. My shoulder stings from the impact, but my boy is safe.

“Mama? What’s wrong?”

Before I can answer, Dr. Reter rips him from my arms. Mrs. Darning and the man I assume is Dr. Witten haul me to my feet.

“Stop. Fighting.” Darning tugs my hair, ripping back my head.

“Don’t worry,” Dr. Witten coos. “This will heal you. You’ll never have to hurt again. Just stop fighting and let us help you.”

“I’ll never stop fighting.” Not for Tobias. Not for my life. Not for Shemaiah. I wrestle my hand free from Witten, curl it into a fist and throw it at Darning. It connects with her face, and pain rips up my limb into my elbow and shoulder. Darning stumbles, and I hiss, grabbing my hand as I lurch forward and throw myself at the woman. But I’m too slow. Dr. Witten catches me and drags me back to the altar with help from another acolyte.

“Stop!” Shemaiah’s voice is surreal in this nightmare.

Am I hearing things now, too?

But then, he’s standing in front of the altar. I don’t know which direction he came from or how he got here, but relief isn’t the first thing I feel. My head is clear enough now to recognize the gravity of this situation. He’s Mavarri, but he can still be killed. He’s alone and outnumbered. In my half-drugged state, I won’t be much help if this turns into a fight.

“He’s fast like me.” Tobias’s toddler voice echoes in the cavern, a look of awe on his innocent face.

Shemaiah’s stern expression breaks momentarily to look at the boy and smile. “Faster.”

I blink, and he’s behind me. Dr. Witten jumps back. The acolyte holding me curses before letting go and falling to his knees as if he’s worshiping a god. Tobias grins. Dr. Reter scowls.

“You have no place here,” Reter says. “Leave, and we won’t tell the entire colony what you are. There’s no reason all children of the goddess can’t co-exist.”