Free WinterMaejic by Terie Garrison Page B

one at a time and tried to prise thumb away from forefinger. His touch was gentle, but my hands might have been made of stone for all the good it did.
    He shook his head. “That’s bad. I don’t know if I have the skill for this,” he said in a worried voice. “Why don’t you lie down now and sleep? I’ll tend the fire and try to find something to eat.” He stood up and walked away again.
    At first, I felt reluctant to sleep, even though I was tired beyond belief. I tried to “speak” to Chase, but the dog didn’t respond. My maejic must truly be gone. Still, Chase was watching me closely, and something about his manner reassured me about his master. I lay down and fell asleep almost immediately.
    I awoke to the smell of cooking meat. I knew I should feel hungry, but instead the odor made me sick to my stomach. I didn’t have the strength to stand; I just rolled over and crawled a few paces away before I vomited. Not much came up, but I felt a little better once it was gone. Then I crept back to the fire. Grey looked at me and then at the rabbit he was roasting on a stick.
    “I don’t know if you’ll be able to keep this down,” he said, “but you’ll have to try. I went out this morning to hunt, not camp, so I can’t do more than this. Unless you have food stashed somewhere?” I shook my head. “Well, we’ll see how it goes. I want to try to get you to my house before nightfall. We’ll need to leave soon.” He took a knife from a sheath at his hip and cut into the rabbit. He sliced off a small piece and handed it to me. I reached out for it before I remembered about my hands. He frowned as he looked at my fist, then he looked at the meat, then at me. With a small, apologetic shrug, he held the meat to my mouth. I blushed, but there was nothing to be done but to accept his offer.
    I ate what I could, which wasn’t much, then Grey doused the fire. He helped me to my feet, and I took a few halting steps. How far was it to Grey’s house, and could I actually make it there?
    I stumbled along as best I could, but I never would have made it under my own power. Most of the way, I leaned heavily on Grey for support, and in the end, he had to carry me the last bit.
    I scarcely noticed when he set me on a low pallet and covered me with furs. My last conscious thought was that it was nice to be so comfortable and warm before I died.

    On the cusp of a new dawn, I can’t help but think of those who turned away from us. Fools! True, most didn’t survive a month beyond leaving us. How deluded they were to think they could simply turn their backs on us with impunity.
    But there were those who had sufficient power to hide themselves. So sure in their self-righteousness that we would be defeated in the end. How they will tremble when they learn of their error.
    And as our power waxes stronger than ever, we shall root them out. Traitors! They will certainly die a most painful and lingering death. And I shall relish watching.

Idon’t know how long I was unconscious. I don’t even know how long I was semiconscious—two or three days at least. Sometimes I was half-aware of things around me: a fire crackling on the hearth near where I lay; my hands swathed in aromatic poultices; Grey spooning broth, juice, or even wine down my throat; wind and rain howling outside; Grey taking care of things about my person that would have mortified me had I been fully awake; Chase curled up near me and sometimes even on the pallet as if he were keeping watch.
    When I finally came fully to my senses, I wondered if it were all a dream. But, no. Although I was warm and comfortable, lying under several furs, I was in a place I didn’t recognize.
    The walls were of rough-hewn stone, and the ceiling had huge, dark-colored wooden beams. A fire snapped nearby. But when I pulled my hands from under the covers, they were still balled into fists. Useless lumps of flesh at the ends of my arms.
    Chase let out a small whine, and a throat