Page 164 of Moon Chosen

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Nik suspected the girl was leading him around in circles. He understood why—she was showing her loyalty to Mari and whatever rules of secrecy her Clan followed, but he was out of time, patience, and energy.

“Jenna, how close do you think we are?”

“Not far now, and a little way from here there’s a pretty stream and a clearing. I thought we could wait there. It might be cooler by the water,” Jenna said, sending him a shy, sideways smile.

“Thank you, Jenna. That does sound nice. This part of the forest is pretty, even though there aren’t any of our pines.” Nik smiled at Jenna. “I suppose that’s the point—that Earth Walkers don’t build their burrows near Tribal groves.” Jenna was opening her mouth to respond, when Nik hesitated, coming to a halt. He held up his hand, stilling Jenna. “Did you hear that? Someone’s voice?”

Jenna cocked her head, listening along with Nik.

The scream, filled with terror and pain, pierced the serenity of the forest.

“Stay behind me. If I say run—then you run and try to find Mari. Tell her I need her. Tell her she knows who can find me.”

Jenna’s dark eyes were huge with fear, but she nodded. Nik notched his crossbow and held three more arrows to ready between his fingers. Gritting his teeth against the pain in his leg, he began to run, following the sounds of fear.

He topped the rise with Jenna close behind him, and looked down at a clearing with a little stream bubbling through the middle of it. Sora lay beside the stream, arms and legs spread by three Scratcher males. The one between her legs was ripping her clothes from her as the two holding her arms bared their teeth and leaned down, licking and biting her arms and breasts. Sora was shrieking and struggling.

Horrified, Nik sighted and shouted. “Leave her alone you fucking animals!”

The males reacted exactly as Nik had hoped they would. They lifted their heads, searching for him.

Thawk! Thawk!

The two males that had been holding Sora’s arms were easy targets and arrows buried to the feathers in each of their foreheads.

The one between Sora’s legs began sprinting across the clearing, staying low, but running with superhuman speed. Nik sighted and shot, and then cursed loudly as the arrow went through the back of the creature’s shoulder. It knocked the Scratcher to his knees, but he recovered with amazing quickness, and before Nik could sight again, he’d crawled on all fours and disappeared into the forest.

“Stay close to me!” Nik told Jenna, and then he surged over the ridge, slipping and sliding down to the clearing. He ran through the stream to Sora.

“No! No! No!” she shrieked when he reached her, scrambling back, over the body of one of the men. Her eyes were wide and unseeing with panic.

Jenna moved quickly around Nik. “Sora! Sora! It’s Jenna. It’s me.”

“Oh, Goddess! Oh, Goddess! Jenna? Run! They’ll hurt you! Run!”

“I’ll check the forest for more of them,” Nik told Jenna. “Talk to her. Try to calm her.”

Nik hurried to the tree line. He found the bloody trail left by the wounded Scratcher, but saw no sign of more of them. He sniffed then, wondering what the hell that rancid smell was, and his eyes returned to the blood path. He bent, touched a scarlet drop to his finger and lifted it to his nose. He grimaced in disgust at the smell—it was the blood! Its scent reminded him of a long-dead carcass. He wiped his hand clean on a thick pad of moss, then, keeping a wary eye on the seemingly empty forest, he backed to Sora and Jenna.

Jenna was smoothing Sora’s torn clothing and trying to get it to cover her body. Sora looked up as he got close, eyes filled with fear.

“It’s just me—Nik,” he said. “You know I won’t hurt you.”

“Nik, you saved me!” Sora said, and then her face crumpled and she began to cry—great wracking sobs that shook her entire body.

Jenna pulled her into her arms. “You’re safe now. You’re safe now,” she murmured.

Nik crouched beside the two girls, eyes still scanning the forest around them. “Were there more than three of them?”

“I—I don’t think so,” Sora said through sobs.

“Okay, then let’s get you out of here—now.” Nik started to help Sora stand, but the girl cringed away from him. He met Jenna’s gaze, and the girl nodded her head, understanding.

“Come on, Sora. I’ll help you stand up,” said the girl.

Nik retrieved the satchel that wasn’t far from them. “Which way?” he asked Sora.