Page 90 of Bone Year

Theo the mender is in the doorway. His face goes white when he sees her wing.

“You have to cut it off.” His voice is urgent. “Now, before it reaches her heart.”

“I need to give her a sedative. Something for the pain. I can’t⁠—”

“There’s no time.” He shoves something into my hands.

The bone saw. Heavy and cold. The teeth are sharp and clean.

Nella sees it and becomes distraught.

She cries harder, “Please no, not my wing. I’ll do anything. Please don’t take it. Maelis, please. Please don’t let them.”

She’s begging me.

Theo says, “She dies if you don’t cut right now.”

I lift the saw.

My hands won’t stop shaking.

I move to the base of her wing where it connects to her back. The corruption hasn’t reached there yet.

I press the blade to her skin.

Nella screams, “Please I don’t want to lose it. I’d rather die. I’d rather die than never fly again.”

Don’t say that. Please don’t say that. I have to cut.

My father’s face appears in front of me.

His body on the bed. The gray of his skin and my shaking hand.

My arm locks up. All I need to do is cut to save her.

“I can’t,” I moan. “I can’t do it.”

“Maelis!” Theo shakes my shoulder. “She’s dying! Cut!”

I lift the saw again and press it to her wing. My hand shakes so badly the blade skips and cuts a thin red line across her skin.

Nella screams.

I can’t.

“Get someone else,” I say. “Get a healer. Find my blood lead. Get anyone. Now.”

“There’s no⁠—”

“NOW!”

He stares at me for one second. I see the disgust in his eyes before he turns and runs.

The saw falls out of my hands. It clangs against the floor.

Nella stops screaming.

I grab her hand. “Nella, stay with me. Help is coming.”