Naamah's Blessing

out of the path of the oncoming final vessel.
    “It’s Jean,” Brice said in anguish. “He’s too weak!”
    Bao stood with care, our narrow canoe rocking as he balanced on the balls of his feet. “Hold steady,” he cautioned us before diving into the water, setting the canoe to rocking further.
    Once again, it was a near thing. But this time, luck and the gods favored us.
    Swimming strongly, Bao reached the shattered half of the canoe. Swearing and cajoling, one arm draped over the splintered
marupa
wood, his legs kicking, he did his best to drag it out of the collision path as the last vessel shot through the gap, daylight showing between its hull and the water.
    And for a mercy, the very capable Septimus Rousse was at the helm in the prow of that vessel, anchoring our lineup along the course of the river with his expertise.
    “Starboard!” he roared, digging in with his paddle and suiting actions to words.
“Starboard!”
    There was no collision.
    Exhausted and weary, we dragged ourselves to shore one way or another. Most of us paddled our canoes.
    Some swam.
    Some drifted, clinging to spars. In time, all of us fetched up along the shore. The sick men were as sick as ever or worse. Jean Grenville shivered incessantly after his dunking, muttering incoherent apologies.
    Balthasar regarded me with his uncanny yellow-and-blue eyes. “You should have left me. Now that we’re down another canoe, you have no choice.”
    I shook my head. “No.”
    “There aren’t enough to carry all of us, Moirin.”
    I gazed up at the moss-covered cliffs. “We’ll deal with that problem later. We’re not done here, my lord.”

FIFTY-ONE

    T hey’re up there?” I asked Eyahue. “The trees with the bark we need?”
    The old
pochteca
grunted in assent. “Maybe. But like I said, there are hostiles, too. I make no promises.”
    A sense of calm settled over me. “I’m going with you.”
    He shook his head. “No point. You’ll only give them another target.”
    “I can conceal us,” I said to him. “You wanted to know how I’m able to catch more fish than anyone else? They can’t see me. That’s the gift of my mother’s folk. We’re able to conceal ourselves.”
    Eyahue eyed me uncertainly. “Are you mad?”
    “No.” I led him some distance away until no one was watching, and bade him close his eyes. When he reluctantly obeyed, I summoned the twilight and wrapped it around us both. “Open your eyes.”
    He let out a sharp cry at finding the vivid green daylit jungle turned dim and silvery in the twilight. “What is this? Can you turn day into night?”
    “No, no.” I considered my words. “Our elders say it is a way of taking half a step into the spirit world, where eyes in the mortal world cannot see us. We are a peaceful folk. This is a gift our goddess gave us to protect us from our enemies.”
    Ignoring me for the moment, Eyahue returned to our landing site. He planted himself in front of Temilotzin, waving his arms at the spotted warrior. “Hey! Hey!”
    “He cannot hear you,” I said. “Not unless you
will
him to hear you.”
    Eyahue leaned forward. “Hey!” he shouted. Temilotzin startled, his eyes stretching wide as he glanced from side to side in confusion. Eyahue chuckled. “That’s a pretty good trick.” His amusement faded, giving way to stony regard. “Why didn’t you use it the night Pochotl betrayed us?”
    “It is a small gift,” I said. “I cannot conceal an entire army, and I cannot use it when there are already eyes upon me.” I pointed at the cliffs. “But I can conceal us from the hostiles for a time.”
    Eyahue sucked his teeth. “Did the Emperor know about this?”
    “He knew I possessed a gift, yes.” Having told a half-truth, I gambled with a whole one. “But I thought it might make you afraid if you knew.”
    It stung his Nahuatl pride. “Of you?” he scoffed. “I’ve survived a thousand and one dangers. Why would I fear a girl with a gift for hiding in the shadows?”
    “Then you’ll let me come with you?” I asked.
    He nodded. “I will.”
    With relief, I let the twilight fade, causing Temilotzin to jump nearly out of his skin. Chuckling once more, Eyahue patted the Jaguar Knight’s arm. “There’s something I need to tell you about your little warrior,” he said to him.
    Although the shore wasn’t suitable for making camp, there was a good-sized cave halfway up the cliff, accessible by a steep path among the moss-covered rocks. When we