\u201cGreat,\u201d Marin said, her voice laced with sarcasm and heavy with weariness.\u00a0 \u201cJust great.\u00a0 It\u2019s the same story on a different day, Phelan.\u00a0 They\u2019ll want to control us.\u00a0 They\u2019ll want to control our children.\u00a0 How do we stop<\/i> them?\u201d<\/p>\n
Cariocecus pointed to the warding lines.\u00a0 \u201cThe way you just did it,\u201d he said firmly.\u00a0 \u201cBy showing them that you\u2019re not to be trifled with.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cReally,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cIs that why you<\/i> came around?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know when I\u2019m fighting a battle I can\u2019t win,\u201d Cariocecus said.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I know that I would rather be on the side that\u2019s in the right and still breathing at the end of this than the alternative.\u00a0 I\u2019ve got no desire to go where the dead men go to be tormented for all eternity.\u201d<\/p>\n
So that part\u2019s true?\u00a0 Interesting.<\/i>\u00a0 Matt shook himself and watched his sister\u2019s face.\u00a0 Marin was staring at Cariocecus through narrowed eyes, her brows knitted together.<\/p>\n
She doesn\u2019t like what she\u2019s hearing.\u00a0 I guess I don\u2019t blame her.\u00a0 I\u2019m not sure I do, either, but it\u2019s not my vote to make.\u00a0 All I\u2019m concerned with is making sure that we keep breathing\u2014that she and Thom keep breathing.\u00a0 That everyone keeps breathing.<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cRight,\u201d she said at last.\u00a0 For a moment, she looked like she was about to say more, but she stopped herself.\u00a0 She glanced toward J.T. and Jacqueline.\u00a0 \u201cHow\u2019s Phelan?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStill conscious,\u201d Phelan said, though his eyes were squeezed shut and his teeth were gritted.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t have to talk about me like I\u2019m not here.\u00a0 I\u2019m trying to stay conscious until J.T.\u2019s done carving me up like some kind of roast.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou couldn\u2019t just pull it out?\u201d\u00a0 Matt asked, eying the spear.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019d be worse if I did,\u201d J.T. said, grimacing.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019d shred everything coming out.\u00a0 That\u2019s how these things work.\u201d\u00a0 He shook his head, switching angles as he peered at the wound.\u00a0 \u201cNo good.\u00a0 Kel, I need a light.\u00a0 Can you quick grab me one of the lanterns?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd more scraps from my basket by the fire,\u201d Jacqueline added, discarding another blood-soaked bit of cotton.\u00a0 \u201cI swear, I didn\u2019t think you had this much blood in your body, Phelan.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cApparently I do and there\u2019s enough that I\u2019m still talking,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cBut I\u2019m starting to lose feeling in my small bits, so hurry it up.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe alternative to my being careful is you potentially bleeding out completely,\u201d J.T. muttered.\u00a0 \u201cSo calm down.\u00a0 The cold\u2019s probably helping.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat good, huh?\u201d\u00a0 Marin said, her tone dry.\u00a0 Matt watched her for a moment, saw her waver on her feet.\u00a0 He bit his lip.<\/p>\n
\u201cMar, are you okay?\u201d 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\u2019t.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d she said firmly.\u00a0 \u201c\u2026no.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thom caught her as she slumped toward the ground.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cGreat,\u201d Marin said, her voice laced with sarcasm and heavy with weariness.\u00a0 \u201cJust great.\u00a0 It\u2019s the same story on a different day, Phelan.\u00a0 They\u2019ll want to control us.\u00a0 They\u2019ll want to control our children.\u00a0 How do we stop them?\u201d Cariocecus … Continue reading