Toxte’s hand stilled on the Drowned’s leg and then he gave a sudden sharp wrench. The Drowned threw back its head and whatever sound it made wasn’t song; Ekka and Ossa both cringed and Toxte’s hands flew to his ears, pressing against the sides of his skull as the Drowned thrashed – but the leg moved and bent again, the bones set back in place.

Xessa stepped past Toxte and prepared to strike even as he was jerked backwards by the rope harness, but his hands closed on the spear she held, jerking it from her hands. She spun to face him and could see his expression now, twisted with yearning and a terrible, blank need, a desperate urge to give himself into the arms of death. Xessa slapped him as hard as she could, the sting vicious in her palm, and shoved him hard in the chest to get him moving towards the exit. She ripped the spear back out of his hands as Toxte slid backwards in the water, on his knees, clinging on to the walls to slow himself. As she had at the river, Xessa gave both dogs the guard order and now Ekka responded; they sprang at him, barking and snapping until he flailed onto his feet out of their reach and was immediately pulled over onto his arse by the rope.

Pain creased his face as his tailbone struck stone and then he was gone, hauled out of the source. Xessa turned back to the Drowned and it was just climbing to its feet – or foot, anyway. The other leg was still twisted. It must have been in agony. Xessa didn’t give it time to stand; she brought the spear around and swept its foot from under it. The Drowned crashed into the pool, the impact shivering through Xessa’s feet and a great splash hitting her and the wall. Its throat sac deflated and its song ended, and the weird, oily vibrations that had been echoing through the womb and her bones began to fade.

Meaning Toxte would be free of its song and able to reach his feet and run.

Xessa watched it lying in the water. Tayan has such ideas and, Malel bless him, he wrote them all down for me. But I think I’ve already learnt enough for one night.