Chapter 18: Jinx

"Don't let them get away!" she shouted, hurling her harpoon through the wing of one rising in the air.

It struggled like a fish on a line as she braced. Three more harpoons sailed through the air into the creature, pulling it down, purple blood poured like rain as it struggled against the lines. Then it was down, a spiked boot through the back of its skull from the arboreal soldier on its back.

She yanked out her harpoon, shaking off the bloody chunk of wings and feathers that came with it. She looked up to the sky. She could see the Nobillo trying to take off but being swarmed by Bonat soldiers. Her soldiers had seen for years what she'd seen a minute ago and were not sparing the Nobillo any mercy. She saw, just above the canopy, wings.

"He's getting away!" she shouted.

"I've got him!" Nol called back. In a second, she was up a tree and bounding away through the branches. Lindsay watched as the wings moved further away. Then they fell. Nol had done her job.

"Oof!" Lindsay cried, falling to the ground. "Gah!" searing pain ripped through her shoulder. She looked up just in time to see the talons of a Nobillo swiping at her.

She rolled out of its way. She threw her harpoon, but with her arm out of commission it only glanced over the beast's shoulder. It seemed to laugh, grabbing the weapon. Oh hell no! It wasn't going to laugh at her!

As it lunged at her she swiveled around it, rope still lashed to her wrist. She leapt onto its back and wrapped the rope around its throat, pulling back on the ends with all her weight. It thrashed, it rolled, but still, she held tight. For the messenger and her empty indigo eyes, the golden light no longer shining. For the old Corsar and the baby ripped from his body. For the toddler torn apart and eaten. For every Bonat's scream she'd heard as they fell from hundreds of feet in the air. For every broken blue body on the ground. The beast could crush her to death, but she was not letting go.

She felt, rather than heard a dull thud. The creature stopped moving. She fought to free herself from under its heavy body, when it was lifted and a friendly face stared down at her.

"Good aim, Veralosa," she said, taking the hand of the grinning Bonat giant. He pulled her up so easily with his muscular arm she almost flew for a moment. She looked at the corpse. "You almost went through him and got me."

"I tried to hold back," he said with his usual smile as he stepped on the body and yanked out his harpoon.

Lindsay surveyed the scene. A few fights were still going, but it was clear they'd be over in seconds as the Bonat swarmed the final Nobillo soldier. "I suppose that's all of them. Did we lose anyone?"

"Haven't seen anyone so far. A couple of bad injuries. Nothing Donil can't fix. They'll think twice before another night attack."

"God, I hope so." She rolled her shoulder and winced. "Speaking of Donil, I should probably go see her, too. Did he get me bad?" She turned, showing Veralosa her shoulder.

"You're covered in purple,"

She looked at herself, he was right, she was completely soaked in the blood of the Nobillo. "Oh yeah." She scanned his tall, muscular body. "So are you, except that gash on your forehead."

"It'll make a good scar. Oh, do yoomans bleed red?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah, you probably should go see Donil. That looks pretty ugly. I can go with you."

"Nah, let me just find Nol and Sirix."

"If you find Sirix, you won't go see Donil."

She shoved against his chest; it was like shoving a boulder. "Shut up, Veralosa."

He grinned and they made their way into where the fray had been.

"Veralosa! Earth Girl!" Nol shouted, jogging up to them. She was covered in sweat with big swatches of purple on her shirt and pants. Smears of gold and dirt striped her face and arms, but it didn't look like the blood was her own. "Glad to see you made it!"

"Wouldn't have missed it for the world," Lindsay said. The two embraced. "Did we get them all?"

"Yeah! Hey, Sirix, I found her!"

Veralosa laughed.

"I told you to can it, Veralosa," Lindsay said.

"I didn't say anything. Just don't forget about your shoulder." He walked off, still grinning.

"Your shoulder?" Nol asked.

"Yeah, one of those damn Nobillo got me from behind." She turned, showing her back to Nol.

Nol traced the line with her finger. "Yeah, that looks pretty bad. Not too deep, though. Pretty lucky."

"Indsayee," Sirix slowly walked up to them, his harpoon gun hanging low while he held his side, exhaustion etching lines upon his face that were otherwise not there, making him look ten years older to Lindsay's mind (whatever that would be in Bonat time, she didn't even want to bother trying to calculate).

"Sirix!" She ran to him, embracing him with one arm and kissing him. She didn't miss Nol's raised eyebrows. She didn't care. Nol could tell Donil about kisses. She rubbed her cheek against Sirix's. "Are you hurt badly?"

"I won't die," he said.

"Not what I asked."

He smiled and kissed her cheek. "Are you hurt?"

"I won't die." She gazed into his gold-rimmed eyes.

"You two! Donil! That's an order!" Nol shouted.

"Yes ma'am!" Lindsay said, giving a mock salute.

"And if I catch you anywhere near that tent of his, you'll be running laps for the next six days."

Sirix and Lindsay smiled at each other and, taking his hand, they walked off toward the little hospital.