He stops under the tree.
I start toward him, Malric only watching and following. “The only death you’re going to get is falling from the tree if you try to climb it. You can’t—”
He whistles, the sound slicing through the silent forest. Then he lifts his arms. “All right, baby dropbear. Do your thing. Drop.”
I barely get a squawk out as I race forward to knock Dain out of the way. The dropbear is already plunging, paws extended, and I cannot see its claws in that blur, but I know they’re out as it drops straight onto Dain’s—
Straight into Dain’s arms.
CHAPTER FIVE
Dain staggers back in surprise and tries to throw the dropbear off, but it clings to his tunic. It does not slash him with its claws. Does not dive for his neck with its razor teeth. It just clings and whimpers.
At that whimper, Dain’s arms reflexively cradle the beast, even as his horrified expression says he wants to throw it to the ground and run.
“Rowan?” he says in a strangled voice. “It…it’s…”
“So cute. You’re both just so cute.”
His look cuts me off. That look tries for outrage, but it’s tinged with fear and worry.
“Could you please…take it?” he says.
I reach out, but the dropbear hisses at me and snuggles against Dain. Jacko bumps my leg with his antlers, and when I look down, he rears onto his haunches, telling me he would also like to be picked up. When I do, I think he wants a closer look at the dropbear, but he only cuddles into my arms and then gives a haughty sniff to the wounded creature.
I chuckle. “Yes, you are the royal monster hunter’s snuggle-beast. Dain now has one of his own, the lucky boy.”
“I didn’t want—I don’t want…” Dain manages, in a strangled tone.
“You rescued it.”
“For you. I was getting it to drop out of the tree so you could examine it. Could you please…take it?”
As much fun as this is, we do need to get back to the others. I set Jacko down and try to take the dropbear again, but neither small monster likes that. Jacko chitters with jealousy, and the dropbear hisses with annoyance. I get Dain to drop to his knees as I settle onto the ground. The small beast still won’t budge. It’s staying with its rescuer, and that’s not me. So I examine it on Dain’s lap.
“It’s a she,” I say.
“Not really my main question right now.”
“I know. Well, you’ll be pleased to know she doesn’t seem too badly wounded.”
“Also not my main question. How do I get rid of her?”
I look at him. “So you aren’t concerned about her injuries?”
He shifts, one arm tightening around the dropbear when she starts to fall. “Fine. I am, of course. Just…examine her, and let’s get going.”
“She’s torn the skin at her shoulder. A bite, I think. It isn’t deep, but it would likely become infected because she can’t clean it—she’d need another dropbear to do that, and she seems to have lost the others.”
“Or they drove her out. Maybe they blame her for the trap.”
I consider that. “I don’t think so, but they might have rejected her because she’d been inside with us. With humans. Whatever happened, she’s alone and she needs this shoulder stitched. We’ll bring her along. Alianor can fix her up, and then we’ll let her go. Unless you want a baby dropbear.”
“No.”
My lips twitch. “I’m teasing. She’s old enough to be on her own. We’ll get her fixed up and then—”
Malric twists suddenly. He’s been standing guard, watching the treetops. Now, when he turns, his gaze fixed up there, I think he’s overreacting. I don’t see a thing. Yes, it’s a little darker now, but there are no telltale red eyes.
I’m about to joke about Malric’s nerves when something moves overhead. A shape perched high in a massive oak. Another shape moves beside it. Both are the size of full-grown dropbears.
Dain leaps up, and the juvenile lets out a squawk and digs in her claws. He grabs her and holds her at arm’s length. “None of that. You did lay a trap.”
“Not necessarily,” I say. “She could have been separated, and they’ve come for her. Either way, though, we need to give her back. Let me set her on the ground.”
I reach out, and the marsupial monster’s head swivels as she snaps at my hand. Malric growls, and Jacko chatters, but the dropbear just glares at them and clings to Dain.
“Maybe if you take off your tunic,” I say to Dain.
“Ha, ha.”
“I’m serious. Slide it over your head, and then we’ll run. Malric can make sure she doesn’t follow.”
“This is silly.” He grabs the dropbear. “You need to go—”
The dropbear yowls, a most piteous sound as she throws back her tiny head. Dain ignores her cries and tries to wrestle her free of his tunic.
I gesture for Malric to guard the dropbear as we make our escape. Dain crouches, holding her at arm’s length while he wriggles himself out of his tunic. Then he gives the dropbear a little toss, very gently, onto the ground. The moment she releases her grip on the tunic, he snatches it up. Then we run. A snarl behind us as Malric leaps into her path. Shrieks—furious shrieks—as the dropbear tries to follow. When we’re about twenty feet away, I turn.
Malric still blocks the dropbear’s path. And she’s still on her hind legs, screeching at him. Dain looks from me to the monsters, and then squares his shoulders.
“It’s for the best,” he says as he puts his tunic back on.
“It is.”
“She’ll be fine.”
“She will.”
Jacko chitters at us. When I glance down, he looks between Dain and the dropbear and chitters again, in obvious concern.
“She will be fine,” I say firmly. “Her pack is right
