<p><b>Avatars, Book Three: Kingdom of Twilight</b></p><p><b>Chapter One</b></p><p><b>Cavern of Bones</b></p><p>Tigre was up to his elbows in blood, trying not to pass out. The ship surged beneath his feet, making him dizzy. As the waves tossed <i>Skidbladnir</i> violently from side to side, Viking weapons clanked ominously inside a huge chest shoved against the curving far wall. He clutched the carved wooden post of the bed with his free hand, feeling the raised shapes of ships, and boars, and dragons, and giants beneath his fingers.</p><p>The expensive-looking sheets on the bed, once crisp and white, were soaked through and dripping, and all the pillowcases he'd pressed to Diana's wound were wet red blotches on the floor. It looked like a battlefield after vultures had gone around ripping out everyone's organs.</p><p>He dropped the last pillowcase on the bearskin rug, pulled off his shirt, and pressed that to the deep slash in Diana's stomach. He couldn't think of anything else to do. Kali insisted that his experience working in a vet's office should help, but the truth was that Tigre's mind had gone blank. He couldn't remember a thing about helping Dr. Harris. The only memory that kept coming back to him from that time was Dr. Harris's daughter Vicky-Tigre's ex-girlfriend-mocking him for being such a useless waste of humanity.</p><p>If she were here, Vicky wouldn't be at all surprised that Anna had betrayed him, that the Sumerian avatar had never really liked him, and that he'd been dumb enough to fall for her love goddess tricks.</p><p>Panic flared up inside him again. This was his fault. He'd been the closest to Anna; he should have noticed her dark side. Or he should havedone some research on her goddess, Inanna, before trusting her. It wasn't often you could look up your potential girlfriend in a library book and spot warning signs like also a war goddess and has no problem with killing people.</p><p>If Diana died, Kali and Gus would blame him. But all this blood-the smell, the sticky warmth-took him back to the bus shelter where he'd found the body of the old man, and then he felt even more guilty.</p><p>Plus, it did not help that the ship kept pitching violently from side to side. He ducked as an unlit lantern flew across the cabin and crashed into the opposite wall.</p><p>Diana made a soft sound of pain. She lifted one hand slightly, then let it drop and subsided into silence again.</p><p>If only he could open a window, let in some fresh air. But the portholes high in the wall wouldn't budge, and the rain was pouring down so furiously outside that the cabin would probably fill with water instantly, flooding the ship and drowning them all.</p><p>That would be typical, Tigre muttered. I mean, if anyone's going to accidentally kill us all, it'll definitely be me.</p><p>Well, if anyone's going to <i>intentionally</i> kill us all, it'll probably be me, Kali said, coming into the room. You know, being a goddess of death and destruction and stuff. And also considering how annoying you all are. If that makes you feel any better.</p><p>Not really, Tigre said.</p><p>The ship shuddered convulsively and then seemed to leap into the air, where it paused for a moment before smashing down again. Tigre clutched the bedposts to stay in place, while Kali hung on to the door frame.</p><p>Our fearless navigator isn't doing so well, in case you hadn't noticed, Kali said, jerking her thumb at the deck above them.</p><p>Gus is probably doing better than I am, Tigre pointed out.</p><p>I'm sure he'd love to trade places too, Kali said, but remember, he's soaking wet out there. Trying to drive a ship in a god-crazy thunderstorm isn't much more fun than what you're doing. Kali herself looked like she'd been swimming alongside the ship instead of standing on it. Her long dark hair was loose and dripping around her shoulders and water streamed off her into a small lake around her feet.</p><p>Here. She stepped forward and set a leather case on the bed beside Diana. I've been searching the cabins and I found this. We're on a freaky boat, let me tell you. The food in the kitchen replenishes itself as soon as you eat it, and the whole place is a weird mix of ancient-Viking-longboat-meets-luxury-cruise-liner-for-the-gods. I guess Frey and his friends are pretty keen on creature comforts. No TVs though, sadly. Or casinos.</p><p>Wait, Tigre said. You ate?</p><p>An expression of guilt briefly flitted across Kali's face. No? she tried. He frowned at her. Oh, fine, stop whining, I'll bring you food in a little while, she said. I thought this was more important.</p><p>She took over applying pressure to Diana's injury while Tigre untied the leather ribbon and opened the case. Inside there was gauze, needles made of reindeer horn or something like it, thread, and strange bundles of herbs. He picked up a packet of long dark leaves.</p><p>What am I supposed to do with this?</p><p>Kali shrugged. Hey, I found you a first aid kit, didn't I?</p><p>I guess, Tigre said, sniffing the leaves. They smelled sharp and totally unfamiliar. Either that or a spice rack.</p><p>Well, this ship belonged to Norse gods, Kali said. She peeked under the shirt at the long slash in Diana's stomach. They're gods, but they're still Vikings, and that means battle-lots of battle. I assume even gods need sewing up now and then, when other gods stick giant axes in their arms and stuff.</p><p>Tigre looked down at Diana, feeling ill. You want me to sew her up?</p><p>Come on, Tigre, Kali said sharply. Snap to. You've been down here with her for hours; surely you remember something. You like animals, right? Just imagine she's a wounded pet or whatever you have to do.</p><i><b>Avatars, Book Three: Kingdom of Twilight</b></i>. Copyright (c) by Tui Sutherland . Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold.
