Page 36 of Moon Chosen

The words flowed from Mari as the power of the moon swelled above her. They were not her mother’s words, but Mari’s alone—in a new cadence spoken with equal parts desperation and love.

In the sketch she created in her mind, Mari drew the crescent huge, so that it dominated the night’s sky and the silver white light that cascaded down to the forest was like a dam had been opened—power, cool and calming—cascaded down.

Mari followed the power, making the cascade a waterfall that poured down, down, down finally finding the small figure that was not Earth Walker nor Companion, but was a matted-haired girl who was a mixture of them both. When she knew she was as ready as possible, Mari finished with her own version of the ancient language that called down the healing power of the moon.

“By right of blood and birth channel through me

that which the Earth Mother proclaims my destiny!”

Mari gasped as power poured into her. Keeping her eyes closed so that she didn’t lose the picture in her mind, she stretched out her open hand. “Xander! Take it!”

The hand that grasped hers was hot with fever, and Mari sketched the moonbeam waterfall flowing through herself and into Xander, filling him—cooling him—calming him. She gritted her teeth against the residual pain she expected from the unbound energy that poured through her body, but no pain came. And as Xander’s hand in hers cooled, he said, “Help Jenna now, please.”

Mari could only nod. In her mind she busily replaced Xander’s picture with his daughter’s, just as her little hot hand replaced her father’s.

Seconds or hours could have passed before Jenna squeezed her hand and released it and whispered, “You did it. You healed Daddy and me. Now I think you should heal Leda, too.”

Mari nodded, but kept her eyes tightly shut.Don’t lose the picture! I can’t lose the picture!She bent and started to blindly reach for her mother when Xander’s strong hands were there, guiding her to find Leda’s crumpled body. “She’s right here,” Xander said in a perfectly normal, perfectly rational voice.

Her hand pressed against Leda’s unresponsive body, Mari began to add to the picture in her mind, making the moon even bigger, more beautiful, more brilliant. She sketched shining ropes of silver power pouring down to Wash into and through her, and to pool within the sketch Mari created of her mother. First, her face, drawing it without the seeping cut on her forehead and the swollen, angry bruise on her cheek. Then her mind sketched the rest of her mother’s small body, making her strong and whole again. Finally, Mari turned her mother’s lips up into a welcoming smile, and sketched her eyes, open and clear.

“Oh, Leda, you did it!”

With a happy cry, Mari opened her eyes to see her mother smiling up at her.

“She did, Leda! Mari saved us!” Jenna cried.

“Shh, child,” Xander said, giving a nervous glance over his shoulder at the forest beyond their concealing vines. “The Companions are still there—still searching for their lost canine.”

“Lost canine?” Leda whispered, her sharp gaze meeting Mari’s.

“We heard the men talking. One of them searches for a pup,” Mari explained. “And it seems they found sign of him not far from here.”

“Then it isn’t safe to remain here, not even hidden,” Leda said.

“And now the tree dwellers do not simply steal us away if we are forced to forage too close to their Tribe. They find reason to encroach on our lands and kill our people.” Xander’s voice was low but bitter. “May each of them and their canines be cursed.”

Their canines, not mine.Mari kept her thoughts to herself, but now that her mother was better, Rigel’s absence weighed on Mari.Where was he? Waiting safely at home, or trapped somewhere between there and here by the seeking Companions?

How could I bear losing my Rigel?

“Mama, I have to get back to our burrow. I—I don’t feel well,” Mari said.

“It can’t be safe to leave yet,” Xander said.

“Safe or not, Mari needs to return to our burrow and regain her strength. Drawing down the moon is exhausting, especially for one such as Mari,” Leda said, watching her daughter closely.

“Thank you, Mother. I knew you’d understand.” Mari met her mother’s gaze, grateful that they were in agreement. At that moment finding Rigel was everything.

“Xander, you and Jenna wait here until the moon has risen above the eastern pines. Surely the Companions will have returned to their trees by then, but have a care with how you move through the forest. Do not pass through the Gathering Site,” Leda said.

“Leda, perhaps it is time you shared with Jenna and me where your burrow is located. We could follow you and check to be certain you returned safely,” Xander said. “And I give you my oath that I would never betray your trust.”

“Xander, the location of a Moon Woman’s burrow is forbidden for many reasons, none of which am I willing to break—especially as now it is home totwoMoon Women,” Leda said.

“Then youwillname Mari your heir,” Jenna said, grinning happily.

Mari found she was holding her breath as she waited for her mother’s reply.