“I don’t know,” Vincent snapped. “It doesn’t matter because she’s not.”
“In the old times before the Rift,” Conner insisted. “What would the ancient ones have done?”
“They would have…” Vincent rubbed the back of his neck as he paced the length of the room. “They’d take her to the circle and perform the healing ritual.”
“Then, that’s the answer.” Conner’s posture straightened. “We have to go now!”
“It’s almost three miles away.” Finn appeared in the doorway with a bucket and came to kneel beside Conner.
“He’s got a point.” Vincent shook his head. “The spirits haven’t responded to our songs in over a century. Moving her might just put her in unnecessary pain.”
“It’s not unnecessary if it saves her life.” Conner’s eyes darted between his two den-mates. “Guys, come on. From what little bit you know about this girl, do you think she’d want to just lie down and die? I saw her fight back when that guy attacked her. She got bounced off the rocks for half a mile of rough rapids and walked out on her own two feet. I’m telling you, she’s a fighter.”
“When she got bit, even when I told her how bad it could get…” Finn took a step toward Vincent. “If she was afraid, she didn’t show it.”
“Am I hallucinating, or are you two agreeing on something for once?” Vincent crossed his arms, arching a scarred eyebrow.
Finn and Conner looked at each other and nodded in acknowledgment.
“Well, then I guess we’re doing this.”
CHAPTER THREE
After crafting a crude stretcher and securing their precious cargo, the three men picked up Jillian and headed through the woods. They took care to handle her as gently as possible, occasionally sharing anxious glances when she would scream or thrash against the straps holding her down. Stopping only to let her vomit over the side of the stretcher, they were all painfully aware that she was waning, and every passing second was working against them.
When they finally reached their destination, Jillian smiled at the sound of rushing water. Cool mist caressed her face, and she opened her eyes, gasping at the sight of a forty-foot waterfall surrounded by bright-green bushes dotted with white blossoms. Finn unfastened the straps and lifted the sheet off her leg.
“Jesus.” Conner looked away as Finn replaced the sheet.
“Let’s get you over there.” Finn’s voice was low as he forced a smile.
“No, let me see.” Jillian sat up and looked down at herself.
“We need to get you into the water,” Conner whispered.
“Fuck off.” She swatted Conner’s hand away. “Finn, let me see.”
Pressing his lips together, Finn pulled the sheet back, and Jillian’s eyes widened. The dark-purple discoloration around the bite had completely covered the bottom half of her leg, and it was spreading up to her thigh. She tilted her head and wiggled her foot.
“The swelling is so bad; I don’t think I could bend it if I wanted to.” She blinked tears from her eyes, unable to imagine a scenario where she would be able to keep her leg. “How much further is the ranger station?”
“We’re not going to the ranger station.” Finn frowned. “Listen, I know this is going to be hard to believe. But your best chance of surviving is going to be out there.” He pointed to a flat, circular, stone platform in the middle of the water.
“What are you talking about?” She tensed as tremors shot through her nerves. “Is this some freaky cult thing?”
“I know it doesn’t make a lot of sense.” Finn stood up and paced to the edge of the water. “I wouldn’t have believed in this stuff, either.”
“Look, I’m a pretty open-minded person.” Jillian shuddered as a surge of pain shot up her inner thigh. “I think you guys should be allowed to practice your religion without fear of persecution. But if this is some kind of faith-healing thing, it won’t work.”
“Why are you so sure?” Conner prodded.
“Because I don’t have any.” Jillian laid down her head. “I don’t believe in God or the Devil. I don’t believe in ghosts or aliens or the loch ness monster.”
“Because you only believe what you can see.” Finn nodded.
“Look, we don’t have time for this.” Conner knelt next to her. “I need you to look at me.”
Opening her eyes, she turned to Conner. Between the pain and sheer mental exhaustion, every breath was a deliberate choice that became harder and harder to make. Conner stood up and took a few steps back, stripping off his shirt and unbuckling his belt.
“What are you doing?” Jillian shot a worried look to Finn. “What’s he doing?”
“He’s not getting naked to be creepy.” Finn sighed. “Just watch.”
She looked back at the now completely naked man who was shaking out his arms like an athlete warming up for a game. His face screwed up in concentration as his shoulders distorted, growing more prominent as he hunched over. His mouth opened, but instead of a grunt, a deep, guttural growl came out, a noise that didn’t seem like it could come from a human being. Jillian gaped, briefly distracted from her mortal peril.
Brown and gold shaggy fur sprouted around his shoulders, spreading downward as he fell to his knees. When he lifted his head again, two dark, beady eyes had replaced the once fluorescent blue, and a furry muzzle tipped with a big black nose
