Page 57 of Ice Planet Barbarians

“I am now,” I answer in his language. “That was scary as hell.”

“They are strong,” he admits. “But not so strong that I would not bring one down for you and the humans.”

“Just as long as this is not a regular occurrence,” I tell him.

His hand touches my belly, and there is warmth in his shining eyes. “We will need one for our kit, and I will gladly do so.”

“All right, all right,” I grumble. “So what now?”

He presses a kiss to my forehead. “Now, we get the khui. Gather the women.”

My stomach drops at the thought, but I force myself to nod. If they risked their lives to get us the symbionts, the least we can do is hold up our end of the bargain, since it’s for us anyhow.

I go to Tiffany’s side and help her walk, trying to seem more confident about this than I really am. If I freak out, so will the other humans. I need to be cool, calm, and collected about things.

I manage to remain cool, calm, and collected for all of five minutes as we gather nearby. The men are watching us avidly, hope and hunger both in their eyes. I ignore them, focusing on the gigantic fallen sa-kohtsk. The long, spindly legs are splayed, and the fat belly of the creature sticks out. I look for something that resembles a remoraplease please don’t look like a remora—but the thick, bushy coat of the creature hides anything that might be living against the skin.

“Where are the khui?” I ask, since the men seem to be waiting for the humans to say something.

“Inside,” Vektal says. He moves forward and touches my jaw. “Are you ready, my Georgie?”

Oh God. I don’t know that I am. I swallow hard. “Let’s do this.”

He nods and pulls his longest, thickest blade out of the sheath at his belt. I brace myself as he sets the tip of the blade against the creature’s belly. In a swift motion, he sinks it deep and then begins to cut. Blood gushes and dribbles out of the wound, and someone behind me makes a choking sound. There’s a sickly, coppery smell in the air, and I force myself to ignore it.

Two of the warriors move forward, and they peel back the creature’s wound, revealing a mass of bloodied organs.

“Just like skinning a deer,” Liz breathes at my side in a curiously blank voice. “No big deal. No sweat.”

Vektal moves to the ribcage of the creature and steps on one side then pushes against the other. His big arms strain, and then there’s a snap like a tree falling in the forest, and the ribs split open.

“Really, really big deer,” Liz says.

Vektal makes a few cuts, the sound wet and overloud in the quiet evening. He pulls out a giant organ that must be the heart, still pulsing. It’s glowing from within, the light dappled and shining a pale blue. With one slit, he opens it, and the light spills out.

There are dozens of thin, wriggling gossamer worms in there.

Worms.

Oh God.

One of the warriors approaches Vektal, and he hands off the heart before gently pulling one of the glowing filaments from it.

“I think I’m going to be sick,” Kira says faintly.

I think I am, too. But I force myself to remain in place as Vektal reverently frees the long, coiling strand of light and comes toward me with it cupped in his big hands. It’s wriggling and writhing against his palms. “They cannot live long out in the cold,” he tells me. “We must make an incision in your neck and give the khui a safe place to reside.”

His eyes are speaking volumes. In this, I must be a leader. In this, I must trust him.

I swallow hard, looking at that long, wormlike glowing thing. “What . . . what if it goes to my brain?”

“Like that’s any better than your heart?” Liz sputters.

“The khui is the essence of life,” Vektal tells me, even as he cups the snakelike thing in his hands. His gaze is on my face, and there is a mixture of emotions there. If I turn away now, I’m turning away everything he and his people are offering. I’m turning away a life here and love, all for the potential of a Hail Mary rescue.

“In the neck, huh?” I say, my voice faint. “Will it hurt?”

“I do not know.” Vektal approaches me, and I can hear the thing in his hands flicking and making a purring sort of sound.

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