“Great,” Marin said, her voice laced with sarcasm and heavy with weariness. “Just great. It’s the same story on a different day, Phelan. They’ll want to control us. They’ll want to control our children. How do we stop them?”
Cariocecus pointed to the warding lines. “The way you just did it,” he said firmly. “By showing them that you’re not to be trifled with.”
“Really,” she said. “Is that why you came around?”
“I know when I’m fighting a battle I can’t win,” Cariocecus said. “And I know that I would rather be on the side that’s in the right and still breathing at the end of this than the alternative. I’ve got no desire to go where the dead men go to be tormented for all eternity.”
So that part’s true? Interesting. Matt shook himself and watched his sister’s face. Marin was staring at Cariocecus through narrowed eyes, her brows knitted together.
She doesn’t like what she’s hearing. I guess I don’t blame her. I’m not sure I do, either, but it’s not my vote to make. All I’m concerned with is making sure that we keep breathing—that she and Thom keep breathing. That everyone keeps breathing.
“Right,” she said at last. For a moment, she looked like she was about to say more, but she stopped herself. She glanced toward J.T. and Jacqueline. “How’s Phelan?”
“Still conscious,” Phelan said, though his eyes were squeezed shut and his teeth were gritted. Matt risked a glance toward the wound in his side, which was growing larger as J.T. worked at cutting the spearhead out of the wound. “You don’t have to talk about me like I’m not here. I’m trying to stay conscious until J.T.’s done carving me up like some kind of roast.”
“You couldn’t just pull it out?” Matt asked, eying the spear.
“It’d be worse if I did,” J.T. said, grimacing. “It’d shred everything coming out. That’s how these things work.” He shook his head, switching angles as he peered at the wound. “No good. Kel, I need a light. Can you quick grab me one of the lanterns?”
“And more scraps from my basket by the fire,” Jacqueline added, discarding another blood-soaked bit of cotton. “I swear, I didn’t think you had this much blood in your body, Phelan.”
“Apparently I do and there’s enough that I’m still talking,” he said. “But I’m starting to lose feeling in my small bits, so hurry it up.”
“The alternative to my being careful is you potentially bleeding out completely,” J.T. muttered. “So calm down. The cold’s probably helping.”
“That good, huh?” Marin said, her tone dry. Matt watched her for a moment, saw her waver on her feet. He bit his lip.
“Mar, are you okay?” he asked, knowing that the question had only been answered a few minutes before, but the more he watched her, the more he thought that maybe she wasn’t.
“Yes,” she said firmly. “…no.”
Thom caught her as she slumped toward the ground.
