Bone Crier's Moon by Kathryn Purdie

Author:Kathryn Purdie
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, pdf
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2020-01-29T16:00:00+00:00

26

Sabine

I GASP AS THE DEAD flood to Ailesse. The Ferriers look as shocked as I feel. Odiva doesn’t pause. She charges through the water of the sinking land bridge and attacks every Chained in her path. Her eyes are livid and desperate. She thought Ailesse was dead. Or she lied, saying she was. Either way, she must be frantic about retrieving the bone flute. It’s the only way to get rid of the dead—if it’s not too late to raise the Gates.

“We have to stop the Chained!” I call to the Ferriers. “Ailesse can’t fight them all at once!”

Élodie squares her shoulders. Roxane lifts her chin. They chase after the souls, their staffs lifted. The other Ferriers shout a battle cry and follow after them.

Maurille is sitting on the stone I eased her onto after saving her from the Chained man. Blood drips down her brow, but she seems more alert now. “Take my staff,” she says.

I look to where it’s floating in the water near the shore. I’ve trained to fight with a staff like every novice Leurress, but only halfheartedly. I never wanted to harm my sparring partners. And I never wanted to be a Ferrier. “Will you be all right?”

She nods and squeezes my hand. “Go. Ailesse needs you.”

I suck in a steadying breath and race for the staff. I feel like I’m diving into the lagoon all over again, but this time it’s a horde of Chained that can’t be killed, not a tiger shark, that threatens my best friend.

I kick through the shallow water, grab the staff, and dash back to the beach, grateful for my graced speed. Almost every Chained who’s on the shore is engaged by a Ferrier. Another flare of chazoure draws my focus to a Chained man. He’s climbing the cliff wall to get to Ailesse. He’s too high for me to reach, so I draw an arrow from my quiver. I shoot and miss. It takes a second try for me to hit him. His body lurches, but he doesn’t fall; he keeps climbing.

I cast off my bow and quiver and bolt for him, praying my nighthawk grace will help me clear enough air. I plunge the end of my staff in the sand and vault as high as I can. I fly even higher than the Chained man and kick him as I arc down.

He’s knocked from the wall. Before I drop any farther, I push off the wall and flip backward. My landing isn’t elegant, but the sand absorbs most of the shock as I crash and tumble on the ground. I’m up again in a moment. The Chained is just pulling himself to his feet. His chazoure face turns a shade darker as he growls with rage.

I pluck up my staff, amazed at what I just did. Ailesse will laugh with pride when I tell her.

Ailesse.

My pulse quickens. She can’t defeat all these Chained on her own. I glance up. Some souls have already climbed over the cliff, and two more are nearing the top.

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