The Broken World Book One - Children of Another God Read Online Free Page A

rustled the
bushes and the air filled with the sound of beating wings. Talsy
recoiled in shock, her crutch skidded and she fell, twisting her
broken leg. Dizziness washed over her in a sickening wave, and she
clasped her thigh with a groan, striving to stem the wave of pain
that washed up it.
    When the world
stopped spinning, she stared at the golden-skinned man dressed in
black leather who sat where the eagle had been. His silver-studded
tunic hung open to reveal a smooth, muscular chest, and her arrow
protruded from it, oozing a thin red line down his belly. Worn
trousers hugged his slender legs and narrow, scuffed boots shod his
feet. His straight jet hair framed a scowling, fine-featured face
with a sensual mouth and high cheekbones. He pulled her arrow out,
studied it and tossed it aside. She gaped at him, awestruck by his
wild beauty. He glanced at her without interest, and Talsy
swallowed hard. He was Mujar. Her father had told her about the
strange unmen, and armed her against them. Once, there had been
quite a lot of them, but now only legends remained. The hatred of
them had not faded from older minds, but hardly any of her
generation had ever seen one. They were all supposed to be in the
Pits.
    The Mujar
scooped up a handful of snow and rubbed it on his wound, grimacing
as it melted. After a few seconds, he relaxed and glanced down at
his chest. The wound had vanished. The Mujar rose to his feet,
regarded her indifferently for a moment, and turned away.
    Talsy raised a
hand. "Hey! Wait! Help me, please!"
    The Mujar
looked at her, pursing his lips. "No Wish."
    Talsy shook her
head in confusion. "Please, my leg is broken."
    The unman gazed
at her with flat, empty eyes, clearly unmoved by her plight. He
glanced around, measuring the clearing, and she knew he was going
to leave her to the wolves. Reaching into her quiver, she found the
white-fletched arrow and pulled it out. Her numb fingers fumbled
with the bow as she struggled to notch it. The air seemed to swell,
and the Mujar took a few light, running steps, then leapt high. A
rush of wind and the sound of beating wings filled the clearing,
and a daltar eagle rose into the air, each deep downbeat carrying
it higher. She took careful aim, her heart in her throat. She must
not miss this shot.
    The bowstring
twanged, sending the arrow hissing on its deadly course. It struck
the eagle with a thud, making it stagger in mid-air. Its wings
folded, and it plummeted to the ground in a spray of snow a few
yards from her, where it lay still. Talsy crawled towards it,
hoping it was not too badly hurt. Her father had told her to use
the gold-tipped arrow on Mujar, but had not detailed its effect. To
her relief, the eagle appeared only to be stunned, and glared at
her when she neared it.
    Mujar, the
accursed undying. She reached for the arrow, then hesitated. What
would happen when she removed it? What had her father said? She had
not been listening that closely, and now wished she had. Something
about owing debts? When she had asked the Mujar for help he had
said 'no wish', and 'wish' was one of the words her father had
used. If you helped a Mujar, he would grant you a wish. What was
the other word? Gratitude. Yes, that was it.
    Sitting up with
a grimace, she bent over the bird, which watched her with fierce
defiance.
    "If I take out
the arrow, you owe me, Mujar," she said. "If I leave it in, you
can't change. You'll stay a wounded eagle, won't you? Maybe the
wolves will find you and tear you into little bits. You can't die,
so what happens? Do all the little bits go on living? In a wolf's
intestines?" She shuddered. "Now you need help too. So, if I help
you, you help me, agreed?"
    The eagle
glared at her, and she realised that he could not reply whilst in
bird form. With some misgivings, she grasped the arrow and pulled
it out, holding it threateningly, ready to stab him again if
necessary. The daltar's eyes followed her hand, and its wings
quivered. She wondered if it was too