Page 76 of The Cruel Dawn
Separi stands down.
Zigzag pounces at Philia again.
The young woman rolls, scrambles back to her feet, but stumbles on her wounded leg.
“The joints between his legs and torso are the soft spots,” I say. Right now, they glow a bright amber. “You can do it.”
Zigzag launches himself at Philia again.
This time, she focuses on his left leg joint, an impossibly small target. She releases the arrow…which drives into the burnu’s soft joint.
The burnu cries out in pain, black-green blood dripping down his thigh.
“One more time,” I whisper. “The other leg.”
The burnu roars again.
Philia shoots. The arrow lands.
Zigzag crashes to the ground, his teeth gnashing and his eyes bright with hate and fear.
We approach the burnu, now panting and snarling on his back. He’s even more dangerous this close to death.
Philia pulls an arrow from her quiver to finish him off.
“Don’t.” I hold an arm out. “You can’t kill him.”
“Why not?” Philia asks, defiant, raising her bow.
“Because he’s not yours to destroy,” I say. My eyes scan the sky.If a resurrector is nearby, he won’t die for good anyway.I don’t spot a resurrector.
“How will I learn, then, if you won’t let me experience everything?” She groans and grabs her hurt leg, forgetting her disappointment.
“If you want to experienceeverything,” I say, watching her blue glow evaporate, “then you can experience dying from this wound.”
Her twisted face pales.
“Or you can trust me,” I say, “and live to fight and grow another day.”
“Live,” Philia squeaks.
I nod to Separi, who knows what Philia needs without my instructions. I hope she brought a lot of tonics.
I drive Fury through the burnu’s heart, then turn back to the injured redhead. “Ease your mind. We won’t let you die.”Please don’t die.I grip her bloody thigh with one shaky hand and accept a tonic from Separi with the other. “Drink,” I tell Philia, my own strength depleting the longer I heal her with my touch. “Drink all of it. Immediately.”
Philia obeys and lies back down.
Maybe I should’ve listened to Separi and kept the redhead somewhere safe until I’d killed the otherworldly.
Separi catches my eye, but I can’t tell what she’s thinking—about Philia’s chances of survival or about me letting the young woman fight. Instead of speaking to me, she smiles down at the redhead and says, “I’ll mend your breeches after I bandage your leg.”
Philia nods, her mouth clamped tight, trying to be that brave shieldmaiden of Vinevridth.
I smile down at the young woman as Separi repairs both her torn skin and leather. “You name your bow yet?”Please don’t die.
Philia shakes her head.
I gasp and say, “She deserves a name after all you’ve put her through.”
