he’d taken more zabba than her, hoping her own Sight proved wrong.
But he shook his head. “I can barely make out the water, much less See anything in it.” His brows drew together and he shrugged. “I don’t understand it, it’s like I’m in some kind of foreign land. I can’t See the Patterns clearly and when I do they won’t rearrange the way I want them to.”
The boat rocked again, this time with enough force that they both squatted and grabbed a side of the hull.
“You have to use their nature when you Push, not bend them to your will. The swamps are young and vital.” Mahri heard several “plops” around the boat. “It’s not like the tame city that you’re used to.”
Korl flushed. “I didn’t think it’d be this different.”
“And I don’t have time to give you lessons. Give me my pouch, Korl.”
He shook his head, that golden hair catching the dying rays of the sun and throwing glints of light at her. “You can’t push your tolerance this far. The next piece of root may be your last.” He turned and began to paddle furiously. “Pole, water-rat!”
Mahri flicked her wrist and the bone retracted. “I can’t pole, Korl. Don’t you get it? The water here is open straight down to the bottomless sea.” The boat suddenly shot straight up, plummeted so quickly she felt her stomach in her throat. “This creature’s huge, straight from the deep, come up for a snack of petals. The swamps don’t have all the thick, woven roots of the city trees. Sea beasts can break through them. Give me the pouch!”
Her craft near tipped over.
He quit paddling, turned to face her, his hand hovering near the pouch. Then his brows rose, his mouth dropped open, and Mahri felt a wet sticky rope wrap around her neck. Jaja lay trapped within that noose also, squashed against her ear, grunting with the effort of breathing. She tried to scream, only issued a strangled grunt before her feet left the deck, her bone staff falling from nerveless fingers. She hung in the air, her feet dangling a man’s height above the deck, scrabbled at the slimy thing that choked her but couldn’t break its hold.
Korl lunged for her legs and she tried to kick him away. By-the-moons he’s doing it again, she thought. Reacting before thinking about the risk to himself. Korl caught her legs, tried to pull her down, nearly hanging her for good in the process. She held on to the sticky thing, her bones cracking from the weight of the man as the monster flung her higher, then pulled her down into the water with a loud splash.
Prince Korl held onto her legs with stubborn strength.
Mahri closed her lids on the swirl of white petals, used the Power to See instead. Not enough root, and she’d have to use most of it to hang onto consciousnessfor lack of air, but in her panic she Saw clearly their destination, the black mouth-slits that the beast stuffed the petals into. That they’d be stuffed into.
It’s a tongue, she realized. That’s what’s wrapped around my neck and it’s bringing us to the beast’s mouths. She could See thousands of the slimy things, wiggling through the water’s Pattern. Think, think.
The water roared past her ears.
Tongues are sensitive, she thought. Well, at least human ones are, but Korl had her bone knife because he had her belt. And the surface of this thing felt tough as mosk-leather.
Suddenly the drag stopped, her ears rang in the silence as the creature’s tongue hesitated for a moment.
Perhaps he’s full, wondered Mahri with maniacal hope. The lack of oxygen’s making me giddy. And what’s that Royal doing anyway?
He crept up her body, hugging her closely, never releasing more than one hand at a time from his hold on her. She’d be covered with finger-bruises.
He locked his legs around her waist when he reached it, his hands finally letting go of that punishing grip. Mahri’s eyes flew open. Through the darkness she could make out the pale strands of his hair waving like grass in
But he shook his head. “I can barely make out the water, much less See anything in it.” His brows drew together and he shrugged. “I don’t understand it, it’s like I’m in some kind of foreign land. I can’t See the Patterns clearly and when I do they won’t rearrange the way I want them to.”
The boat rocked again, this time with enough force that they both squatted and grabbed a side of the hull.
“You have to use their nature when you Push, not bend them to your will. The swamps are young and vital.” Mahri heard several “plops” around the boat. “It’s not like the tame city that you’re used to.”
Korl flushed. “I didn’t think it’d be this different.”
“And I don’t have time to give you lessons. Give me my pouch, Korl.”
He shook his head, that golden hair catching the dying rays of the sun and throwing glints of light at her. “You can’t push your tolerance this far. The next piece of root may be your last.” He turned and began to paddle furiously. “Pole, water-rat!”
Mahri flicked her wrist and the bone retracted. “I can’t pole, Korl. Don’t you get it? The water here is open straight down to the bottomless sea.” The boat suddenly shot straight up, plummeted so quickly she felt her stomach in her throat. “This creature’s huge, straight from the deep, come up for a snack of petals. The swamps don’t have all the thick, woven roots of the city trees. Sea beasts can break through them. Give me the pouch!”
Her craft near tipped over.
He quit paddling, turned to face her, his hand hovering near the pouch. Then his brows rose, his mouth dropped open, and Mahri felt a wet sticky rope wrap around her neck. Jaja lay trapped within that noose also, squashed against her ear, grunting with the effort of breathing. She tried to scream, only issued a strangled grunt before her feet left the deck, her bone staff falling from nerveless fingers. She hung in the air, her feet dangling a man’s height above the deck, scrabbled at the slimy thing that choked her but couldn’t break its hold.
Korl lunged for her legs and she tried to kick him away. By-the-moons he’s doing it again, she thought. Reacting before thinking about the risk to himself. Korl caught her legs, tried to pull her down, nearly hanging her for good in the process. She held on to the sticky thing, her bones cracking from the weight of the man as the monster flung her higher, then pulled her down into the water with a loud splash.
Prince Korl held onto her legs with stubborn strength.
Mahri closed her lids on the swirl of white petals, used the Power to See instead. Not enough root, and she’d have to use most of it to hang onto consciousnessfor lack of air, but in her panic she Saw clearly their destination, the black mouth-slits that the beast stuffed the petals into. That they’d be stuffed into.
It’s a tongue, she realized. That’s what’s wrapped around my neck and it’s bringing us to the beast’s mouths. She could See thousands of the slimy things, wiggling through the water’s Pattern. Think, think.
The water roared past her ears.
Tongues are sensitive, she thought. Well, at least human ones are, but Korl had her bone knife because he had her belt. And the surface of this thing felt tough as mosk-leather.
Suddenly the drag stopped, her ears rang in the silence as the creature’s tongue hesitated for a moment.
Perhaps he’s full, wondered Mahri with maniacal hope. The lack of oxygen’s making me giddy. And what’s that Royal doing anyway?
He crept up her body, hugging her closely, never releasing more than one hand at a time from his hold on her. She’d be covered with finger-bruises.
He locked his legs around her waist when he reached it, his hands finally letting go of that punishing grip. Mahri’s eyes flew open. Through the darkness she could make out the pale strands of his hair waving like grass in
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