Part 17 (1/2)

The words repeated in my head in Isaac's voice, and a chill ran through me even as my body flamed and burned and battled.

I remembered it, Connolly. Finally I saw saw it. The most important memory of all. it. The most important memory of all.

A girl who looked like you. Running. Terrified. Another girl behind her. A girl with white hair. A girl closing in, calling out, 'Daddy! I've found her! I've found her for you!'

Me, leaping through the trees, misjudging my footing, falling behind.

They caught her. And it was my fault.

But I found her again, Connolly. I remember now. I found her again and we were friends. Cat and I were friends. friends.

Holy h.e.l.l. How did I forget that?

She was there the night I fell. It was a night-time patrol. Cat and I were paired up, searching the forest for signs of Diemens. She was trying out her new powers by jumping about on the rocky cliffs, deep ravines and creva.s.ses all around her. I begged her to be careful.

I called out to her yet again, 'Cat, watch it!' 'Cat, watch it!'

'I'm fine!' she called back. she called back. 'You're watching me. I'll be fine. Why don't you come up here and play with me, Tess? It's fun!' 'You're watching me. I'll be fine. Why don't you come up here and play with me, Tess? It's fun!'

'We are meant to be patrolling!' I protested. I protested. 'This is not the time for fun!' 'This is not the time for fun!'

'It's not dangerous up here, Tessa!' she said. she said. 'Look, follow me! I'll show you what I can do now!' 'Look, follow me! I'll show you what I can do now!'

I groaned inwardly, and made to follow, but then I heard it: footsteps pounding through the bush. At first I thought it was Cat coming back, but then I smelled them. Diemens Diemens.

'Lord's going to be so pleased with us,' one of them was saying. one of them was saying. 'Got the solution here safely 'Got the solution here safely and and a subject to test it on.' a subject to test it on.'

I crouched down. The Diemens were walking towards me, only a few metres away. They had another with them. Not a Diemen. A Sarco, by the smell. He was only half-turned, though. His legs were only slightly wrong-facing, pus.h.i.+ng against the backs of his trousers. His hands didn't yet have their claws. They were bound and he had a hessian bag over his head.

'Enough solution here to last us a while,' one of the Diemens said. one of the Diemens said. 'Good thing, too. I hear it's hard to make, and Lord had to pull some serious strings to get it s.h.i.+pped over from England. Greedy b.a.s.t.a.r.ds wanted to keep it all for themselves.' 'Good thing, too. I hear it's hard to make, and Lord had to pull some serious strings to get it s.h.i.+pped over from England. Greedy b.a.s.t.a.r.ds wanted to keep it all for themselves.'

The solution. I did not know what it was but I knew that if it was in the hands of Diemens and if they had a captive Sarco to test it on it could not be good. I had to get it from them. And save the Sarco. I did not know what it was but I knew that if it was in the hands of Diemens and if they had a captive Sarco to test it on it could not be good. I had to get it from them. And save the Sarco.

The Diemens had moved farther away now, so I knew I would not be heard. But they were not too far away for me to catch them, if I ran at my top speed. I was good at running quietly. I would be upon them before they knew it.

I moved carefully along the high ledge. But I was not as careful as I should have been. I lost my footing and slid silently down the cliff. And that is all I remember.

I failed. But I would not fail again.

I clenched my fists and looked up at the battle in front of me, just as another Diemen launched himself at me.

I deflected his attack; pushed him away with all my newfound might. The man fell backwards, but he was smiling, a sickening, twisted smile full of silver teeth.

'This is only the beginning, Thyla,' he snarled as he sprang back to his feet.

'You seem awfully confident,' I replied, s.h.i.+fting my stance and steadying myself.

'Oh, I am,' he said, moving forwards. 'We have the solution now. It's only a matter of time before what we have been waiting for these many years is finally realised.'

I launched myself at him, fangs bared. But he was quicker than I. He grabbed my arm and pulled me close. 'Too many years of waiting,' he whispered. He pushed his dagger against my throat. 'We know what we're doing now. We know how to test it, how to perfect it. You just wait, you filthy '

Then his eyes bulged and a trickle of black blood oozed from his charcoal lips.

His grip eased on my arm and he slumped to the ground. Standing behind him was Perrin.

'Don't you die, little girl,' he growled. His eyes seemed to pierce my skin and my breath became sharp and ragged.

'Hey, Tessa!' a voice called out to me above the wailing and roaring and pounding of the fray. I tore my eyes away from Perrin.

Another man leapt at me and I stuck my claws deep in his neck. Rhiannah was beside me, her arm twisting the head of another of Lord's men.

'Hey, Rhiannah,' I cried.

'When this is over, we'll go and get waffles, okay?' she yelled.

'Definitely,' I yelled back, allowing myself a smile.

And that's when it happened. In that small moment of distraction, Rhiannah was taken.

Lord, his white hair glinting in the moonlight, swept down like a goshawk and clamped his arm around Rhiannah's throat so tightly that her scream turned to a moan.

Then he looked me right in the eyes.

And he smiled.

My blood turned to ice.

In a fraction of a second they were gone.

Then Lord's men the ones who had survived retreated too, without a word or a backwards glance. They had come to us in a flash, like lightning, and they were gone every bit as quickly.

And we were left the ones of us who survived stunned and panting. Once we could breathe again, the forest echoed with our cry.

'Rhiannah!'

Perrin tried to chase them. He tried to get her back. But he returned to us alone, and with a face that looked as though it was made of marble. He shook his head. 'They disappeared,' he murmured. I felt as though my heart would explode.

'But shouldn't we even try?' try?' I cried, pus.h.i.+ng the sobs back down my throat. I cried, pus.h.i.+ng the sobs back down my throat. I do not cry. I do not cry.

Perrin shook his head. 'They will have set up sentries to trap us. If more of us go now, unprepared, we will all be killed. We need to make a plan. Rhiannah is in danger. We don't want to put her or any of the rest of us in more more danger. Besides, we don't know where to go. We don't know where they hide; where their headquarters are.' danger. Besides, we don't know where to go. We don't know where they hide; where their headquarters are.'

Isaac continued. 'Lord lets me in only as much as he needs to. I only see him on neutral territory. Perhaps if I allowed myself to be changed into a Diemen, he'd let me in more, but I have him convinced it's better that I stay ”human”. They need someone who doesn't need to feed the way they do someone who doesn't need to hunt to be their eyes and ears while they're doing so. This has its advantages I don't need to transform into a blood-bathing psychopath but it also means we don't know where their den is. In times like this, that would be useful '

Perrin interrupted. 'You will will promise me you won't go off after her, okay, little girl? I know you want to protect her, but I won't let you get ...' promise me you won't go off after her, okay, little girl? I know you want to protect her, but I won't let you get ...'

He trailed off. I felt anger flame deep in my belly.

'Little girl'. He always called me that. I hate how he calls me that.