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Back The Drowned Cities Save as PDF
Chapters (53)
  1. Welcome
  2. Dedication
  3. PART ONE
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. PART TWO
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  52. Contents
  53. Copyright

“Be realistic. Even monsters like this one die. They are powerful, but not immortal. Even if its flesh heals, perhaps its mind was burned in fever. You don’t know all the injuries it has sustained, and it’s disingenuous to involve Mouse in your plans. Perhaps it’s time for you to pursue another path, one that doesn’t involve fantasies of war and killing.”

“No,” Mahlia insisted. “I already got a plan. If we’re going to rabbit, we’re getting all the way out. All the way to Seascape Boston.”

“You speak with certainty about things you don’t understand,” the doctor said. “Even if the half-man returns to fighting strength, you will have to cover hundreds of miles infested with warlords and their armies. And after that? You still have to get past the border. No one in Manhattan Orleans or Seascape Boston wants this war flooding north. They protect their borders with more than a single half-man. If you think the UPF or the Army of God is dangerous, then you have no idea what a real army, well-equipped, can do.”

“So we’re supposed to just keep running around like chickens while the soldier boys try to chop off our heads? Pray to the Fates and God while they pick us off?” The girl’s voice was angry. “If anything can get us out, it’s a half-man. I don’t know about you, but as soon as it heals up, I’m going. I’m done with running and hiding. This monster is my ticket out of here.”

Tool stifled a growl as he finally understood the terrain around him. He knew his physical surroundings by scent and touch and hearing, and now he understood the human landscape as well.

The girl sought to chain him to her. To make him into her loyal fighting dog.

You think to do what General Caroa could not? You think to own me?

17

A LOW GROWL issued from the half-man.

“I am not your dog.”

Mahlia turned with a start. The monster was sitting up. It slowly climbed to its feet, a looming shadow in the space under the banyan tree. The doctor was scrambling back, shielding Mouse as he retreated.

The monster snarled. “You do not reward me with raw meat, you do not scratch me behind the ears, and YOU DO NOT OWN ME!”

Carrion and death washed over her. Mahlia gaped up at the half-man, fighting the urge to run. Knowing instinctively that if she fled, the beast would leap on her and devour her.

Fates, what was I thinking?

She’d forgotten what a monster it was. It dominated its surroundings. Its one good eye studied her from the wreckage of a bestial face, the yellow eye of a dog, huge and malevolent. Its lips drew back, showing rows of sharp teeth.

Mahlia swallowed. Don’t run. Don’t make it think you’re prey. Oh Fates, I was stupid.