Thyla. Part 18

'Hi Cat,' I replied. My voice sounded calm but my heart was beating like a military drum. Cat Connolly was standing in front of me. She had survived.

Cat laughed, throwing her head back. 'I thought you said she'd forgotten me,' she said to Isaac. He shrugged.

'I only just remembered,' I admitted.

The girl walked towards me, and flung her arms around me.

'Tessa, ya doofus. I knew knew you wouldn't forget me. You're the one who saved my life! If it wasn't for you I'd be Blood Bather prey.' Cat leaned out, her face serious now. 'Look, I'm really sorry for leaving you that day on the mountain. If I hadn't run off, you might never have fallen. I didn't get far away before I realised you weren't with me. I started to come back, but then I heard the Diemens coming through the bush and I had to hide for a bit in a little cave. Once they'd gone, I went back to where I left you. When I saw you lying at the bottom of the cliff, my first thought was that they'd done something to you. But I knew they wouldn't have just left you there. Like that. They would have roughed you up a bit more. They can't help themselves the b.a.s.t.a.r.ds. You were pretty lucky the Diemens didn't hear you fall, or if they did, I guess they thought it was just a rock fall 'cos they didn't turn back. Anyway, I could see how bad your injuries were and I knew we couldn't fix you. We heal faster than humans, but even though you'd improve quickly, I didn't know if you'd you wouldn't forget me. You're the one who saved my life! If it wasn't for you I'd be Blood Bather prey.' Cat leaned out, her face serious now. 'Look, I'm really sorry for leaving you that day on the mountain. If I hadn't run off, you might never have fallen. I didn't get far away before I realised you weren't with me. I started to come back, but then I heard the Diemens coming through the bush and I had to hide for a bit in a little cave. Once they'd gone, I went back to where I left you. When I saw you lying at the bottom of the cliff, my first thought was that they'd done something to you. But I knew they wouldn't have just left you there. Like that. They would have roughed you up a bit more. They can't help themselves the b.a.s.t.a.r.ds. You were pretty lucky the Diemens didn't hear you fall, or if they did, I guess they thought it was just a rock fall 'cos they didn't turn back. Anyway, I could see how bad your injuries were and I knew we couldn't fix you. We heal faster than humans, but even though you'd improve quickly, I didn't know if you'd survive survive long enough to get there. So I just put your cuff on and rang ... well, Mum, as it turns out. But she didn't know it was me, thankfully. I decided at the last minute to put on this stupid accent. Lucky I did, hey? G.o.d, I feel really stupid thinking I did that now. I was still so new to this. I was still in the human mode of "when in danger, call the police". I'm smarter now.' long enough to get there. So I just put your cuff on and rang ... well, Mum, as it turns out. But she didn't know it was me, thankfully. I decided at the last minute to put on this stupid accent. Lucky I did, hey? G.o.d, I feel really stupid thinking I did that now. I was still so new to this. I was still in the human mode of "when in danger, call the police". I'm smarter now.'

Cat my friend, friend, Cat smiled again. Cat smiled again.

I wondered how she was able to smile when her friends had just been killed.

Perhaps it is just as Isaac said death is normal. It is the way of things. Perhaps Cat knew this.

I could not smile back, though. I grieved. I ached for my lost friends.

And I also ached for you, Connolly. Cat was alive and you were still yearning for her and searching for her. And she was thankful thankful you hadn't recognised her voice! you hadn't recognised her voice!

'Your mum thinks you're dead!' I cried. I couldn't keep the accusation, the anger anger, from my voice.

Cat's smile faded. 'I know,' she whispered. 'I hate that. I hate hurting her so much. But Isaac has been looking out for her, haven't you, Isaac? He got her to come to the city, and he's been taking care of her.'

'How could you?' I asked, suddenly furious. This was all too much the fight and the death and the pain, and now this? Now Cat coming back and seeming so uncaring about it all. About you. you. 'She's so worried! You're letting her worry! It's not 'She's so worried! You're letting her worry! It's not fair fair.'

Cat crossed her arms defensively but her eyes were troubled. 'I know, Tess. But if she knew I was still alive, she'd send me right back to Cascade Falls. And I can't just go back there. I was a loser there. I'm not saying I've got it all figured out now but, well, at least there's no Charlotte Lord here. She still rules the school, I bet.'

I nodded. Then another thought struck me. 'Is she one of them? I remember her chasing you. I remember her calling out to her dad that she'd found found you.' you.'

Cat shook her head. 'I can't be sure, obviously, but I don't think she's in on it. I think she knew her dad needed to find me, and she was helping him, but I don't think she knew why why he was looking for me. You know this, but you've forgotten: I was in trouble at school that day. It wasn't my fault. It was Laurel and Erin. We were on the bushwalk, and we were practising lighting fires from scratch. I got put in their group because I had no partner, and they cheated and used deodorant or body spray or something. Even though it wasn't my fault, we all got in trouble. Anyway, Lord was on the bushwalk with us. It was some big "tour of the school" thing he was doing, letting everybody see what a great big philanthropist he is. Charlotte and her friends were making fun of me for getting in trouble. I couldn't handle it, so I nicked off. Lord chased after me. Charlotte did, too. I guess she thought I was just going to get in trouble. She's a nightmare. She used to treat me like dirt at school. But I'm pretty sure she's just a b.i.t.c.h, not a Diemen. For one thing, there aren't any female Diemens. They're all men. As far as we know, Diemens have only ever been men. Men of a certain age. Charlotte doesn't fit the Diemen mould. Plus, I used to go to school with her, remember? And I sneaked out a lot. I never once saw her leave campus, and she would've had to. To hunt. Unless she only hunted Cascade girls, in which case there would've been a lot fewer of us. Lord's already taken enough of us, but he's careful. He only takes the bad girls. Like those Scottsdale chicks. Most people at Cascade Falls thought I was just as bad as they were. If you hadn't rescued me from them I would have been next. You saved me.' he was looking for me. You know this, but you've forgotten: I was in trouble at school that day. It wasn't my fault. It was Laurel and Erin. We were on the bushwalk, and we were practising lighting fires from scratch. I got put in their group because I had no partner, and they cheated and used deodorant or body spray or something. Even though it wasn't my fault, we all got in trouble. Anyway, Lord was on the bushwalk with us. It was some big "tour of the school" thing he was doing, letting everybody see what a great big philanthropist he is. Charlotte and her friends were making fun of me for getting in trouble. I couldn't handle it, so I nicked off. Lord chased after me. Charlotte did, too. I guess she thought I was just going to get in trouble. She's a nightmare. She used to treat me like dirt at school. But I'm pretty sure she's just a b.i.t.c.h, not a Diemen. For one thing, there aren't any female Diemens. They're all men. As far as we know, Diemens have only ever been men. Men of a certain age. Charlotte doesn't fit the Diemen mould. Plus, I used to go to school with her, remember? And I sneaked out a lot. I never once saw her leave campus, and she would've had to. To hunt. Unless she only hunted Cascade girls, in which case there would've been a lot fewer of us. Lord's already taken enough of us, but he's careful. He only takes the bad girls. Like those Scottsdale chicks. Most people at Cascade Falls thought I was just as bad as they were. If you hadn't rescued me from them I would have been next. You saved me.'

'I don't remember that yet,' I admitted, still thinking about Charlotte. Cat might think she wasn't involved in all of this but I wasn't so certain.

'Well, I have to take some of the credit,' said Cat, smiling. 'The Diemens had me. They were running through the forest with me. One of them was holding me by the neck, as if I was a rag doll. I kicked him in the b.a.l.l.s and he dropped me and I ran. But the Diemen b.a.s.t.a.r.d had ripped a chunk out of my throat. I was all woozy and bleeding everywhere. I reckon I would have pa.s.sed out, but you burst through the forest and grabbed me. We hid in a burrow for ages until they gave up. You were Thyla and you expected it to freak me out, but it didn't. I loved it. I wanted it. I begged you to change me too. I don't reckon you would've if I hadn't been bleeding everywhere. You thought I was dying. You were probably right. You saved me. You made me this.'

Cat gestured down at her body. At her Thyla Thyla body. I felt like I was going to faint. body. I felt like I was going to faint.

'I did that?' I whispered. 'I killed killed you?' you?'

Cat shook her head. 'You didn't kill me, Tess. You gave me a second chance at life.'

A strong scent filled my nose. Sarco.

I turned around quickly, my heart in my throat.

'Rha,' said Isaac, nodding at the Sarco walking towards us. It sounded like he was talking through clenched teeth. Clenched fangs. fangs.

'Isaac,' the Sarco echoed, and his voice was just as tense. Having to speak civilly to one another was obviously difficult for them.

I felt my own nose curling. My lip pushing back and my hands tensing. I felt a hundred and sixty years of hatred pulsing through my veins. Instinct was telling me to attack this man, this Sarco. Sarco. The word jangled in my head. Its sound was unpleasant. Its smell was repulsive. I hated Sarcos. I was The word jangled in my head. Its sound was unpleasant. Its smell was repulsive. I hated Sarcos. I was meant meant to hate Sarcos, though I did not know why. to hate Sarcos, though I did not know why.

And yet ...

I looked across the clearing to where the other Sarcos were standing. I caught Harriet's eye. Her face was blotchy and her eyes were red. Her sun-streaked hair, which I now understood would gradually turn fully Sarco-black as she matured, was messy from having been raked through so often by her trembling hands.

She'd lost two friends. Sara dead. Rhiannah kidnapped. They had been my my friends, too. They had been so good to me. But they were friends, too. They had been so good to me. But they were Sarcos. Sarcos.

I didn't know what to think.

Rha ran his hand through his own tar-black hair. 'It's all getting so much worse,' he growled.

Isaac nodded. 'I know, Rha,' he replied. 'I think the time of petty fighting and small battles is over. It's war now.'

'Are we on the same side?' I could see it pained Rha to have to ask the question.

Isaac looked at the ground. 'I think we have to be if we're going to survive. A treaty is our only choice. It won't be easy, though. You know that. You know there are those among us who will not agree to it. Some of them might even actively oppose it.'

'I know. But I think we have to try. I believe he has the poison and is testing it,' said Rha. 'I believe that's why he took Rhiannah instead of killing her.'

Isaac nodded. 'He has the poison, Rha. He calls it the "solution". Tessa heard some of them talking about it before she fell. And tonight one of them whispered to her that Lord has got it working. And there's something else. Tessa saw the Diemens with a Sarco captive. We think it might be Raphael.'

Rha nodded slowly. 'We need your help.'

'You have it,' Isaac grunted.

'We should have done this sooner,' Rha growled. 'One hundred and fifty years sooner. Like you said petty fighting, small battles. We thought we were doing enough. Why didn't we realise we weren't doing even nearly nearly enough? Why did we let it get this far?' enough? Why did we let it get this far?'

Isaac sighed. He looked out at the clearing. The bodies of Beagle and Sara were nearly gone now, turning to earth and sinking into the ground. I saw his eyes gleam with tears. 'We thought the same, Rha. We thought we had it in hand. I think we just overestimated ourselves. We overestimated our powers we were here first, after all. We know the land. They're foreigners. We thought they couldn't touch us. I think we overestimated also what we could do alone.'

He said this last part flatly, but still I could sense the pain that saturated every syllable: the pain of losing friends, of knowing it was partly his fault, of having lived so long and seen so much. I could also see it was difficult for him, talking to Rha about these things and admitting he had been wrong.

But Rha had also been wrong. He had made mistakes. And lost friends.

Rha nodded at Isaac and then at me, and moved towards the surviving Sarcos. Perrin looked up as Rha approached.

His black eyes seemed full of fire. His red lips looked soft and pillowy against the strong set of his jaw and his angular cheekbones were even more p.r.o.nounced in his Sarco form. The scar beneath his eye was still there, and it looked even more dangerous. And attractive.

He was looking at me.

I felt gooseb.u.mps rise on my arms.

He was looking at me. And I liked it.

'Whatcha looking at?' Cat asked, breaking the spell. I jerked my head away.

'Nothing,' I snapped, still bristling at the frivolity in her tone. It seemed as though the events of this evening had not affected her at all. 'Just them them,' I added, realising I may have sounded rude. Perhaps this was how Cat dealt with hardship by pretending it did not exist.

I sneaked one last look across the clearing. Harriet was looking back at me. 'Goodbye, Tessa,' she mouthed.

I nodded back. My eyes searched for Perrin. He was already gone.

I felt a jolt in my heart.

Cat sighed. 'I know, Tessa. It's tough,' she said. 'They're your friends, but your instinct tells you you're supposed to hate them. Trust me, it never gets easier.'

Isaac, who had moved away to talk to one of the other Thylas, was now walking back towards us. 'Cat. Tessa. We have to go,' he said, abruptly.

'What's up, Isaac?' asked Cat.

'I was talking to Delphi,' he said, gesturing towards a short, stocky female with a shaved head and nose stud. She smiled at me tentatively and I smiled back. I couldn't remember her being there during the fight. 'She was up at Cascade Falls,' Isaac said, confirming my thoughts.

'I was keeping watch,' she said sheepishly. 'I have no idea how they got in.'

'How who who got in?' I asked. got in?' I asked.

'A couple of Diemens,' she said, her chin wobbling. She ran her hand nervously over her bald scalp. 'A couple of Diemens got in,' she repeated, 'and they took one. I couldn't stop them. They took a girl. I heard some other girls talking about it. It was during some astronomy lesson. They said they saw her sneak away, heading back towards the dorms. They saw two men, in silver masks, come out from behind the trees ...'

'Did they say what her name was?' I croaked, a sick feeling twisting my stomach.

'Laurel,' said Delphi. 'Her name was Laurel.'

'No!' I cried. 'Why would they take Laurel?'

Delphi shrugged. 'They knew most of us would be here. I suppose they thought it would be a good opportunity to feed.'

I turned to Isaac. 'Isaac, I need to go to Cascade Falls.'

'There's no point! It's too late,' said Delphi. 'The Diemens are long gone. I tried to track them, but their smell had already faded and that was half an hour ago. Isaac, tell her. We need to get back to camp and '

I cut her off. 'No, Delphi! I need to go to the school. I know it's too late to find the Diemens, and there's probably nothing I can do at the school either. I just want to be there.'

Isaac nodded. He understood. 'Let's go,' he said.

When we got back to Cascade Falls, you were already there. Someone had called you.

Cat had been walking with me, but I felt her pull back when she saw the police car. I turned around to face her. She shook her head. 'I can't do it,' she said. 'I just can't. I can't go back to that life.'

'Maybe you won't have to,' I replied. 'Maybe Connolly will understand. She loves you, you know.'

'I know,' Cat sighed.

'And it's killing her not knowing what's happened to you,' I countered, my voice coming out harsher than I intended.

Tears puddled in Cat's eyes. 'Okay,' she said shakily. 'I'll tell her. I promise. But after this, all right? You go ahead. She needs to do her police stuff. Once it's all over, I'll come out. Okay?'

I nodded. 'Okay.'

When Cat left, disappearing back into the shadows, I turned to Isaac. 'We can't go up there like this,' I whispered, gesturing with my clawed hands at my bent-back legs and my stripes.

He shook his head. 'Of course we can't, Tessa. That's why we have these.' He pulled from his pocket two shiny bangles. 'This one's yours. It snapped on the day of your accident. I only just got it back from the jewellers. Good timing.'

'That's a copper bangle like Rhiannah has,' I stammered.

'It is a cuff cuff like Rhiannah has,' said Isaac. 'But it's not copper. It's bronze. An alloy. Made from natural materials, but created by man. It gives us the ability to shift between our natural state and our human one. Without it, there is the risk of us changing at any time, though shifters who have been changed for longer have a higher degree of control. Not at the full moon, though. None of us have control at the full moon without one of these. Here. It's for you.' like Rhiannah has,' said Isaac. 'But it's not copper. It's bronze. An alloy. Made from natural materials, but created by man. It gives us the ability to shift between our natural state and our human one. Without it, there is the risk of us changing at any time, though shifters who have been changed for longer have a higher degree of control. Not at the full moon, though. None of us have control at the full moon without one of these. Here. It's for you.'

He pa.s.sed me the cuff and I hesitated, remembering the jolt Rhiannah's cuff had given me.

'Don't worry, it won't bite,' said Isaac, laughing.

When I still refused to take it, his forehead creased. 'You've touched one since your accident, haven't you? A Sarco one? Rhiannah's one?'

I nodded. I felt very ashamed.

'Sometimes we put protections on them,' Isaac explained. 'Natural bush magic to make sure n.o.body takes ours. I reckon that's what Rhiannah did. I can teach you how to do it with yours as well, but trust me, this this cuff won't hurt you.' cuff won't hurt you.'

Gingerly, I took the cuff from his fingers. He was right. It just felt like an ordinary bangle. Isaac looked at his with a wry smile. 'It's not part of the official police uniform, so I gotta hide mine. It's more of an anklet anklet than a bracelet for me. Very masculine.' He laughed bitterly. 'Now, are you ready to go over?' he asked, gesturing with his head towards Cascade Falls. 'If you're not ready, it's okay. Delphi was right. There is probably nothing we can do. By the time Delphi got back to us, the Diemens would have been long gone. They have probably already ' than a bracelet for me. Very masculine.' He laughed bitterly. 'Now, are you ready to go over?' he asked, gesturing with his head towards Cascade Falls. 'If you're not ready, it's okay. Delphi was right. There is probably nothing we can do. By the time Delphi got back to us, the Diemens would have been long gone. They have probably already '

'Don't say it!' I cried. I shook my head. 'I know, Isaac. I know Laurel's probably already gone, but I need to be here. I need to make sure the rest of them are okay.'

'You need to protect them,' Isaac said, softly. 'The same old Tessa.'

We began walking towards the school, more slowly now.

Isaac spoke as we walked. 'Do you remember the story of my cuff yet?' he asked. I shook my head. Isaac nodded and went on. 'One night I was walking in the grounds behind the factory, trying to organise my thoughts I was worried about Hopkins and Cha.s.sebury. They seemed to be growing more demented by the day and I didn't know what to do. I heard a noise coming from the forest. It sounded like something whimpering. I followed it and found a creature huddled in the undergrowth. It was a Thyla, half-turned, though I didn't know it then. I was really scared, and was going to run away, but then the creature called out in a human voice. "Help me." The voice was so full of pain, how could I refuse? I moved back over to him and saw that his leg was almost torn right off. He told me that he'd been trying to protect a convict girl who'd strayed too far from the factory grounds when she was collecting firewood. But there had been too many of them them and he'd lost her, and they'd taken his leg to punish him. Diemens think that sort of thing is funny. I asked the Thyla who and he'd lost her, and they'd taken his leg to punish him. Diemens think that sort of thing is funny. I asked the Thyla who they they were and that's when I first found out about the true extent of Lord's powers. I said we had to stop them. The Thyla, Adam, told me he knew he would not heal quickly enough to survive his injuries but, if I really wanted it, he could turn me so I might have a chance of fighting Cha.s.sebury on equal terms. I agreed and he bit me and gave me his cuff. He died soon after. I wish I could show the world Adam's cuff. I'm so glad to own it. And you won't remember this, but your cuff is special too. We melted it down from a necklace your mother wore. It has the added protection of the love she felt for you. You wear it with pride, okay?' were and that's when I first found out about the true extent of Lord's powers. I said we had to stop them. The Thyla, Adam, told me he knew he would not heal quickly enough to survive his injuries but, if I really wanted it, he could turn me so I might have a chance of fighting Cha.s.sebury on equal terms. I agreed and he bit me and gave me his cuff. He died soon after. I wish I could show the world Adam's cuff. I'm so glad to own it. And you won't remember this, but your cuff is special too. We melted it down from a necklace your mother wore. It has the added protection of the love she felt for you. You wear it with pride, okay?'

I nodded, feeling tears well in my eyes. For once, I did not shoo them away. 'Okay,' I whispered.

I pushed the cuff onto my wrist as Isaac clipped his around his ankle.

My muscles turned to jelly. My joints flamed and contracted and shook and burst. My fingers pulsed with pain. My eyes burned. I gasped, and my hands flew to my face. 'It hurts!' I cried. 'It hurts, Isaac!'

'I know,' he said, putting one of his huge hands awkwardly on my shoulder. His hand was trembling. He was hurting too.

'It didn't hurt going the other way,' I moaned. 'Why does it hurt so much going this way?'

'Because "the other way" is your natural state, I guess,' he said, his voice gentle. 'So shifting to that state is kind of like ... I dunno, putting on your comfiest pair of tracky dacks. Shifting to your human state again is like ...'

'It's not like like anything,' I grunted. 'It's agony.' anything,' I grunted. 'It's agony.'

'Yeah. Trust me. I'm feeling it too,' said Isaac.

'Do you ever get used to it?'

'Tessa, I hate to break it to you, but you've already been doing this for a century and a half, whether you can remember it or not. So no. You never get used to it.'