“Let’s say your story is true,” Sunny started, cracking her knuckles as though it helped her think, “then how would godsblood heal an injury inflicted by another creature—the rat—that had been exposed to godsblood? Those are your words, not mine. Shouldn’t it be just like with Shim?”

Soraya had been thinking about this a lot since her meeting with Sinna, and, thus, had anticipated this question, and had a ready answer. “Because Seela wasn’t injured by godsblood. Well, just the tiny rat bite. But that’s not what we’re trying to heal. We’re trying to reverse the mutation, and for that, maybe godsblood can help.”

“I don’t like the word maybe,” Sunny said.

“The alternative is what Seela wanted me to do.” Sunny closed her eyes, and Soraya could see the pain in the wrinkles that surrounded them. “Look, I’m trying here, and this is the best solution I have at the moment.”

“Thank you,” Seela said. “Truly. But what if this doesn’t work?”

“Then we try something else. And then something else after that.”

Seela shook her head. “No. This has to be the last thing. If it doesn’t work, I’ll kill again. I can’t control the urges. I’m too…weak.”

Sunny’s eyes finally opened again as she grabbed the woman’s hand, fingers interlocking. “Don’t say that. You’re the strongest woman I know. This would be too much for anyone.” Seela bit her lip, but then nodded. Sunny turned back toward Soraya. “This is the last thing, so it must work. Just tell us what we need to do. We’ll do it.”

Any excitement Soraya had been feeling was squashed under the weight of the pressure she felt. The pressure to not fail. “We’ll need chains, rope, and cinder blocks. Lots of it.”

“I’m sorry we have to do this,” Soraya said as she pulled another rope tight around Seela’s body. The poor woman was already twined head to toe, her arms taut against her sides, her legs and feet bound together. Chains would be added next, attached to the heavy cinder blocks that Sunny had been carrying up the steps for the last couple of hours. Soraya didn’t know where the woman was getting all the supplies, nor whether it would arouse suspicions amongst the other townsfolk, but she didn’t rightly care at the moment. Time was of the essence as night would be upon them soon.

“I’m not,” Seela said through gritted teeth. As tender as Soraya had tried to be while tying her up, the ropes were tight enough to cut into her skin, and any reflexive movement would surely cause them to chafe. If her bindings were uncomfortable now, in a few hours they would be extremely painful. Sweat had been steadily streaming down her brow, washing away the powder and revealing parts of her golden leaves. “I’d rather be wounded, beaten and scarred then have anyone else die by my claws and fangs.”