Read Online The Mortal Bone by Marjorie M. Liu - Free Book Online
Authors: Marjorie M. Liu
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quiet breath. “Safer for you. Safer for us. Sunlight burns our hearts.”
“I didn’t know the sun would hurt you.”
“Doesn’t hurt bodies,” he murmured. “Feeds us . . . too much.”
I remembered my dream. I remembered, and felt too uneasy to ask. So I held him tighter, closer, and stroked his rough, bony back, running my fingers down soft razor spines that could cut through bones like butter if Zee wished.
“But you saw the sun,” I murmured.
“Sun,” he whispered, as though the word hurt him. “Many suns we have seen, on many worlds. But this light, sweet.”
“Good,” I murmured, unsure what else to say. I still felt empty in my heart, like part of it was missing. Lighter, but not in a good way. I touched my chest, fingering the spot that hurt most.
“Feel it, too,” Zee rasped. “Cut. Missing bits.”
“Missing you ,” I told him. “You’ve been part of me a long time.”
“Part of you longer. All, you. Every mother, in her blood.” He gave me a mournful look. “Lived on your human body. Lived on your heart. We were one. Now, we are broken. Broken, hearts.”
“No,” I told him, though my voice was too hoarse to be convincing. “You’re free, not broken.”
“Free,” he echoed, softly. “Free is dangerous.”
“I trust you. I’ve always trusted you.”
Zee snuggled closer. “Dangerous. We destroyed. Left only bones. Worlds of bones. No mercy. No love. Just war.”
My boys. I still could not imagine it. “You’re different now.”
“No.” He placed his small, clawed hand over my heart. “Just . . . some things . . . more important.”
Some things more important.
Ten thousand years ago—so I was told—the boys had been so terrifying, so monstrous and powerful, the Aetar had committed themselves to the desperate act of binding their five lives to a mortal prison, calculating that it would diminish them, leave them weakened.
And it had. With unintended side effects.
I covered Zee’s hand, tenderness and concern warring inside my heart. This moment seemed so peaceful. Normal, even. Me. Boys. Grant.
But I knew it wouldn’t last.
It will not. It cannot, whispered a sibilant voice, rising from deep inside my body, speaking with sly, sleepy desire. We lived within their souls for a thousand years. We know them. We know their hunger. Perhaps they are diminished now, but the longer they live apart from your heart, the stronger they will become.
With strength, will come need.
With need, there will be death.
Quiet, I told that presence. You’re not welcome.
We are one, it replied, though that coiled presence drifted and faded. Never fear, Hunter. We will not leave you.
I shut my eyes, not comforted in the slightest.
Zee murmured, “It waits, inside you.”
“Yes,” I said, reluctant to talk about the dark entity living in my soul: a power, and presence, inherited from the boys. Power they had bargained away their lives, eons ago, to possess . . . and which had consumed their strong hearts, and strong souls . . . and given them everything they needed to fight a war in a place far beyond the edges of the Labyrinth.
Power that had slept inside my bloodline for ten thousand years. Resting dormant, until me.
I had fought its possession for a long time. Only recently had we seemed to reach a stalemate—if only because my defiance was almost as strong as its curiosity.
Zee placed his clawed hand over my heart.
“Good,” he replied. “Good, you have protection.”
I was ready to tell him that I didn’t want the kind of protection that dark presence could offer. Before I could open my mouth, he shook his head, ears flattening against his skull.
“Protection, from us ,” he whispered.
I covered his hand with mine. “Don’t.”
“Must. Might hurt you.”
“You won’t.”
“Our hearts been guided by your heart.” Zee hesitated, and his voice softened. “Don’t know our hearts now. Might be same. Might change. Warn you now, in case.”
I
“I didn’t know the sun would hurt you.”
“Doesn’t hurt bodies,” he murmured. “Feeds us . . . too much.”
I remembered my dream. I remembered, and felt too uneasy to ask. So I held him tighter, closer, and stroked his rough, bony back, running my fingers down soft razor spines that could cut through bones like butter if Zee wished.
“But you saw the sun,” I murmured.
“Sun,” he whispered, as though the word hurt him. “Many suns we have seen, on many worlds. But this light, sweet.”
“Good,” I murmured, unsure what else to say. I still felt empty in my heart, like part of it was missing. Lighter, but not in a good way. I touched my chest, fingering the spot that hurt most.
“Feel it, too,” Zee rasped. “Cut. Missing bits.”
“Missing you ,” I told him. “You’ve been part of me a long time.”
“Part of you longer. All, you. Every mother, in her blood.” He gave me a mournful look. “Lived on your human body. Lived on your heart. We were one. Now, we are broken. Broken, hearts.”
“No,” I told him, though my voice was too hoarse to be convincing. “You’re free, not broken.”
“Free,” he echoed, softly. “Free is dangerous.”
“I trust you. I’ve always trusted you.”
Zee snuggled closer. “Dangerous. We destroyed. Left only bones. Worlds of bones. No mercy. No love. Just war.”
My boys. I still could not imagine it. “You’re different now.”
“No.” He placed his small, clawed hand over my heart. “Just . . . some things . . . more important.”
Some things more important.
Ten thousand years ago—so I was told—the boys had been so terrifying, so monstrous and powerful, the Aetar had committed themselves to the desperate act of binding their five lives to a mortal prison, calculating that it would diminish them, leave them weakened.
And it had. With unintended side effects.
I covered Zee’s hand, tenderness and concern warring inside my heart. This moment seemed so peaceful. Normal, even. Me. Boys. Grant.
But I knew it wouldn’t last.
It will not. It cannot, whispered a sibilant voice, rising from deep inside my body, speaking with sly, sleepy desire. We lived within their souls for a thousand years. We know them. We know their hunger. Perhaps they are diminished now, but the longer they live apart from your heart, the stronger they will become.
With strength, will come need.
With need, there will be death.
Quiet, I told that presence. You’re not welcome.
We are one, it replied, though that coiled presence drifted and faded. Never fear, Hunter. We will not leave you.
I shut my eyes, not comforted in the slightest.
Zee murmured, “It waits, inside you.”
“Yes,” I said, reluctant to talk about the dark entity living in my soul: a power, and presence, inherited from the boys. Power they had bargained away their lives, eons ago, to possess . . . and which had consumed their strong hearts, and strong souls . . . and given them everything they needed to fight a war in a place far beyond the edges of the Labyrinth.
Power that had slept inside my bloodline for ten thousand years. Resting dormant, until me.
I had fought its possession for a long time. Only recently had we seemed to reach a stalemate—if only because my defiance was almost as strong as its curiosity.
Zee placed his clawed hand over my heart.
“Good,” he replied. “Good, you have protection.”
I was ready to tell him that I didn’t want the kind of protection that dark presence could offer. Before I could open my mouth, he shook his head, ears flattening against his skull.
“Protection, from us ,” he whispered.
I covered his hand with mine. “Don’t.”
“Must. Might hurt you.”
“You won’t.”
“Our hearts been guided by your heart.” Zee hesitated, and his voice softened. “Don’t know our hearts now. Might be same. Might change. Warn you now, in case.”
I
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