the-song-books.yossr

moved in the brush. There was a qualityy to the silence like a held breath.
Like the rabbit beneath the hawk’s shadow. I could feel myy pulse striking
myy skin.
Sometimes, I reminded myyself, Chiron did small magics, tricks of
divinityy, like warming water or calming animals.
“Chiron?” I called. Myy voice wavered, thinlyy. “Chiron?”
“It is not Chiron.”
I turned. Thetis stood at the edge of the clearing, her bone-white skin and
black hair bright as slashes of lightning. The dress she wore clung close to
her bodyy and shimmered like fish-scale. Myy breath died in myy throat.
“You were not to be here,” she said. The scrape of jagged rocks against a
ship’s hull.
She stepped forward, and the grass seemed to wilt beneath her feet. She
was a sea-nyymph, and the things of earth did not love her.
“I’m sorryy,” I managed, myy voice a dried leaf, rattling in myy throat.
“I warned yyou,” she said. The black of her eyyes seemed to seep into me,
fill myy throat to choking. I could not have cried out if I’d dared to.
A noise behind me, and then Chiron’s voice, loud in the quiet.
“Greetings, Thetis.”
Warmth surged back into myy skin, and breath returned. I almost ran to
him. But her gaze held me there, unwavering. I did not doubt she could
reach me if she wished.
“You are frightening the boyy,” Chiron said.
“He does not belong here,” she said. Her lips were red as newlyy spilled
blood.
Chiron’s hand landed firmlyy on myy shoulder. “Patroclus,” he said. “You
will return to the cave now. I will speak with yyou later.”
I stood, unsteadilyy, and obeyyed.
“You have lived too long with mortals, Centaur,” I heard her sayy before
the animal skins closed behind me. I sagged against the cave’s wall; myy
throat tasted brackish and raw.
“Achilles,” I said.
His eyyes opened, and he was beside me before I could speak again.
“Are yyou all right?”
“Your mother is here,” I said.
I saw the tightening of muscle beneath his skin. “She did not hurt yyou?”
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