Page 74 of Held
The voice hummed. “We are the old instincts. There is not much left of us. Only corpse bones sticking up from the ground, only whispers in your head. You have made us louder. We thank you.”
Briar nudged him from where she was peeking out from behind him. “Corpse bones? Are you saying they’re themountains—wait, not important. Wick, ask if they can fix you!”
The voice made a noise like rocks cracking.
“Fix,” it repeated curiously.
Wick’s skin crawled. He held Briar tighter to him and said, “I am plagued by a blood frenzy which makes me kill all I see. This amulet, the witch infused it with you. It is the only thing that calms the frenzy.”
The thing that was once Marigold’s head lolled. It was many moments before it spoke.
“No,” it said simply.
“No,” Wick repeated. “No, it is not you?”
“It is us,” it rasped. “But we will not rid you of your primal instincts.You are the purest Skullstalker still living.”
“Pure?” Wick demanded. “I amcursed! Even now, it invades my head. I can feel it burning inside me. I don’t want?—”
He looked down at Briar, the words sticking in his throat as she looked back at him with those big, bright eyes. He had said the words so many times, but never more than right now.
“I do not wish to hurt anyone,” he whispered.
He touched the amulet hanging over her shirt. Briar covered his hand, squeezing gently.
The voice boomed through the trees. “There is nothing wrong with you, child. In fact, there is something very right inside you. Many eons ago, all Skullstalkers were like you. Born to wage our wars. Then, at the end, the defects began. All of your Skullstalkers are wrong… except for you. Your ‘blood frenzy,’ as you call it, is your species in its purest form.”
Wick reeled. He had lived his whole life knowing only the scant history his brothers told him, a history even their eldest were unsure of. But none of them had ever suggested this.
“Wick?” Briar asked uncertainly. Her hand was so warm over his, rubbing comfortingly.
“No,” Wick said. “That is not true. I would— We would know.”
“You were created to destroy,” the voice continued. “This is what you were meant to be. Beautiful destruction.”
“But the amulet,” Wick tried. He opened his hand, revealing its dull glory. It had cracked even further since last night. His only hope—and it was breaking.
“A mortal mistake,” the voice said.“Nothing more. Goodbye, child.”
“Shit,” Briar whispered. “Hey, wait! You can’t leave like this!”
She took a step toward the floating Marigold. But Wick was faster, bounding up and seizing her, dragging her down to look her in her glowing face.
“If this is the nature you placed in me,” he hissed, his voice distorting with the blood fury welling inside him, “then I refuse my nature! I am not what you made me!”
“We can sense it,”the voice told him, maddeningly calm.“We feel it burn. The fire swells.”
“And it is notme,” Wick roared. “I am not this relentless, savage thing unless I will it! I am choice! I am— I?—”
He stuttered to a stop. His head throbbed with heat, the blood frenzy threatening to take over.
Briar rushed to his side. He tried to hold her back, but she ducked under his wing and grabbed his chin.
“Look at me,” she said, trying to force him to look down. “Hey! Wick! Eyes on me, big boy. Don’t give in.”
“Run,” Wick managed. “Hurt me. Do whatever you must.”
“I’m not leaving you,” Briar insisted.
