HIS EYE WAS ruptured. Look at me, Nomi wanted to say, but he could not, because his other eye was already swelled shut from the bruising. His cheek and temple were wet with clear fluids and blood, and his left brow looked soft and sunken. He foamed at the mouth. Nomi wiped it away but he kept foaming, starting to shake now, and she could only wince as he squeezed her hand.

Something screeched and clicked, and she recognized those sounds instantly.

They emerged from a clump of bushes to their left, four of them rising on those long, thick legs until Nomi thought they would never stop. They were almost twice her height. They had the faces of people, though their faces were long and oval. And even their bodies, though elongated and impossibly tall, looked human.

But their viciousness and rage were unnatural. They spat and clicked as they came, spinning leather pouches loaded with heavy stones above their heads. One of them released another stone and Noon fell aside just in time. The creatures were fifty steps away.

Rhiana knelt, drew her bow, and fired. An arrow found a home in the lead creature's face and it went down, its screech pained, and painful to hear. The others paused as if amazed, standing like statues as their companion held the arrow with one large hand and scratched at the ground with its other hand and feet.

One of them clicked, the others answered, and they turned their attention back to the Voyagers.

Rhiana fired her last arrow. A creature turned impossibly quickly and the arrow bit through its arm, tip stabbing through its clothes and into its side, drawing a gush of bright red blood.

Rhiana threw her bow aside and drew her sword in one hand, knife in the other.

Noon had found his feet and was also bearing his sword. He swapped a brief glance with Nomi and she saw his fear.

The second shot creature lifted its arm and bit through the arrow's shaft, tugging the split timber through the hole in its wrist and hissing at the pain. It threw the weapon aside. The three started advancing again, more warily now, spreading out and crouching down in predatory stances.

Nomi was amazed at how human they looked, and how wild they obviously were. Their gray hair was tied in intricate braids, and their clothing was not as ragged as she'd first assumed. Some of it bore dyed designs.

Some of these designs reminded her of the images on Ten's parchments.

“Beko?” Nomi said. She looked down at the Serian captain— her lover—and he did not respond. He shook and foamed, blood leaking from his shattered eye socket. She was sure she could see his pulse through the softened patch of skull above his eye.

“How is he?” Rhiana asked without turning around.

“Bad.”

“Draw his sword.”