by Nancy Gray
Mercy felt a wave of fear coming from Mirliee for the first time since she met her, before she replaced it with her usual defiant nature. Mercy tried to think of something else to stall them. She felt that Erebus was close.
“You really couldn’t see me when you opened that locker, could you?”
She felt something akin to fear in Marrow, but he kept his expression cold and unreadable. She decided to use it to her advantage.
“I was using magic, wasn’t I? I know that all of you can use it. Before Erebus killed him, I talked to Carmine. He told me everything.”
Brine said in as shaky voice, “I’ve heard rumors that the curse is unraveling, could he have taught…”
Marrow shouted something in the bat language and Brine physically shivered, then got very quiet.
Dim said, “Grimes, bite her and drink until she can’t speak. I’m starting to feel the pain.”
Grimes slapped a hand over Mercy’s mouth and buried his face into her neck. She tried to struggle out of the way and bit down on his hand until he bled, but that just made his fangs dig into her throat harder, and she felt the immediate dulling effects of the venom.
Mercy thought, “No, I can’t let them kill me, but I said too much. They won’t let me survive now. If I can just hold out until Erebus gets here…but he’s taking so much blood, so fast that I’m getting dizzy. I’m not going to make it.”
Mercy could feel the blood being pulled from her neck. She never realized how gentle Erebus was being with her when he drank from her body. Grimes drained the blood from her with the fervor of an alcoholic guzzling a bottle of ale. She could actually feel the pressure of her blood moving too quickly through her veins and it made her feel cold and light headed.
Just as she thought she was going to black out, she heard an unspeakable howl from the hallway. Even though she recognized Erebus’ voice, she had never heard such a terrifying sound from his throat. It was a sound of unrestrained fury blended with acute pain. It sent chills down her back.
Grimes stopped drinking from her and shouted, “Who’s there?”
Erebus snarled, “Your executioner.”
20
Mercy looked in the direction of the doorway. In the feeble candlelight, she could just barely see Erebus standing in the doorframe wearing a long, flowing robe and armor made out of dyed black leather. Behind him was a beast man with snow white fur, a grizzled face, and wrinkly skin. He was wearing leather and metal armor that was dyed red and black, and he looked well dressed enough to be a very important person. Behind both of them was a face that Mercy didn’t expect to see again. Even though he looked thin and frail, and his eyes darted nervously around him, Pack Leader was there, as well. As he stared at Mercy, a look of recognition began to spread across his face.
Brine said with a gasp, “Shadow Weaver Erebus, and Lord Cruor!”
Marrow said with a placating smile, “My Lords, you arrived just in time. We just ran across these human spies as we…”
Erebus shouted, “As you indulged in stolen blood and illicit substances, and nearly drained the person I’m bound to protect entirely dry.”
Dim gasped. “You’re blood bound to her? We couldn’t have known. We’re sorry. Lord Erebus, forgive us.”
Erebus stared at Dim with raw fury. Dim suddenly clutched at his chest and wailed, collapsing on the ground and releasing Mirilee. He coughed uncontrollably and began to claw his chest harder, ripping at the simple tunic he was wearing until his chest began to bleed through it. He gave one last shuttering gasp and then died. The air around Mercy began to feel thick, and the shadows in the room became more pronounced. A trickle of blood began to flow from Erebus’ nose.
Marrow gripped Mercy tighter. “Erebus, let’s not be hasty. I think we can work something out. After all, if you’re blood bound to her, I would hate to think what would happen to you if she were to bleed to death.”
Mercy felt Marrow’s breath hot on her neck. She winced, remembering the sensation of Grimes sucking out her blood like a greedy leech.
The white beast man put a hand on Erebus’ shoulder. “He’s right, Erebus. You need to calm down or you’re going to do something you’ll regret.”
Marrow grinned. “Yes, listen to Cruor, young pup. Your father might’ve been important, but you’re nothing but the bastard son of a traitor now.”
Erebus shrieked in rage and began to chant something in the language of the Blood Wings that made Marrow’s face pallid. It looked as though he was getting ready to bite Mercy, but the air around them became so thick and oppressive that the room itself seemed darker. The flame of the candle turned from bright orange into a vaguely outlined black, and Mercy screamed as she saw the shadow of Marrow begin to twist and morph.
Black tendrils of shadow reached up and grabbed Marrow’s arms and legs. They yanked him down, knocking Mercy over, but his hands and face were thankfully wrenched away from her skin. She could hear the horrible ripping and snapping sounds and knew what the shadows were doing to her captor. They were quartering him. She tried to look away, but saw the outline of his limbs parting from his body and felt the warm spray of blood wash over her.
Mercy turned and looked at Erebus in revulsion. A look of hurt understanding ran across his face. He began to say something, but before he could speak he began to scream in physical pain, holding his head and stumbling around. Blood was pouring from his ears, eyes, nose, and mouth. His body and face began to change.
His violet glowing eyes changed into the color of a clear sky blue. His fur receded along with his leathery wings, and his fangs and muzzle shrank down until they were a human mouth and nose. The features fit Erebus just as much as those in his beast form, if not more. His body shuttered one last time, as though shaking off every last semblance of his bestial nature. He looked at his hands with a shocked expression and then fell unconscious.
Cruor caught Erebus before he could hit the floor and snapped, “You just had to use your abilities in front of them. In some ways, Marrow might’ve been right.”
Mercy didn’t waste the distraction of her enemies. She drew her bow and readied an arrow just in time. Grimes was limping towards her, clearly taking advantage of the fact Erebus was incapacitated. She released the arrow and it hit Grimes squarely in the chest. He clutched at the wound and fell down, rasping for breath. His brother Dread rushed forward. Mercy knew she wouldn’t have time to nock the second arrow, so she braced herself for the impact of his body - only to find he abruptly stopped with a stunned look on his face and then fell forward. Mirilee had hit him squarely in the back with one of her throwing daggers. He toppled over, dead.
Mercy saw Brine’s eyes began to roll back in her head. Blood was everywhere in the room, and it seemed that the Blood Wing’s own blood made them frenzy as easily as that of the tribal people. She howled and rushed at the closest person in the room, which happened to be Mirilee. Before Mercy could shoot Brine with an arrow, Cruor threw a long ornate spear which hit Brine directly in the neck. She died instantly.
Cruor said sternly, “You need to go, now. Go back out the way you came in and take Erebus with you. The guards should still be asleep. I’ll meet you where Erebus left the mounts.”
Mercy stammered. “What about the watchers?”
“We’ve already taken care of that. They’ve been relieved of duty for the day.”
“What will you do?”
“I’m going to stall for time by reporting that Erebus and I ran into a group of dangerous blood thieves and disposed of them. It’s the truth, and it’s all they need to know. Take the bags of blood with you, too. Erebus will need them.”
Cruor turned to Pack Leader and began to speak, but Pack Leader interrupted him. “I’m going with my sister.”
“I was going to suggest it. Take care of Erebus. Remember, he’s the reason you’re here.”
“Mind of Mercy is the reason I’m here, but I’ll take care of it.”
“I’ll be there in half of an hour at the l
ongest. If I don’t show up after you’ve waited that long go without me, but be very careful with Erebus. He’ll be lucky if he survives the night.”
Mercy felt physically sick at the words, but nodded. Mirilee gathered up the blood bags on the floor and then Mercy motioned to Pack Leader to help her get Erebus’ shoulders while she grabbed him by the feet. Mirilee skirted in front of them and crawled beneath the boulders first. Pack Leader went second with his arm around Erebus’ chest, pulling him along the ground like a Render dragging its prey. Mercy waited until his feet disappeared from her view before going out behind him. There were so many things she wanted to say to her brother, but all she could think about was Erebus’ limp form in front of her and how disturbingly pale he looked.
When Mercy emerged from the cave, she grabbed Erebus’ legs again and Pack Leader got him up under the arms. She glanced up at the top of the cave entrance and saw the Blood Wings that were guarding it sleeping soundly. Pack Leader noticed and glanced in their direction.
He said in a rough whisper, “I should cut their throats just to be sure.”
“We don’t have time. Besides, Erebus knew what he was doing. I doubt they’ll wake up anytime soon.”
“My own sister, working with the beast men. I never would’ve believed it.”
“A simple thank you would be enough. I was the one who asked Erebus to look for you while we were in the city. You should be grateful to him, too. He might’ve died protecting us from those monsters.”
“He’s one of the monsters too, Stealer of Secrets. Never forget that.”
Mercy glanced away for a moment, hurt and confused, but Pack Leader said in a gentler tone, “Still, I’m very glad to see you, Mind of Mercy.”
“I’m glad to see you too, brother.”
They walked the rest of the way in silence, with Mirilee scouting ahead to make sure the way was clear. It felt like a much shorter distance without having to move so slowly and quietly, but they still weren’t going at a very fast pace. Erebus’ body dangled between them like a deer carcass being carried back to the village. Mercy couldn’t look at him. He looked more dead than alive, and there were times when she couldn’t tell if he was breathing. He was bleeding from every orifice. Even though she knew the cause, she didn’t know how to treat it. He had preformed magic in front of her, and the beast men couldn’t even talk about magic without physical repercussions. What he did hit his body with the power of a behemoth.
As soon as they reached the horse and desert strider, Pack Leader dropped Erebus roughly on the ground. Erebus didn’t even make a sound. Mercy put his legs down and checked for a heartbeat. He was breathing, but in ragged slow breaths. Pack Leader was watching her in silence.
He shrugged. “We should go.”
Mirilee glanced in the direction of the sun and said, “But, it hasn’t even been half an hour yet.”
“That’s why we should leave now.”
Mercy turned and snapped, “Cruor helped us escape. Why would he do that just to betray us now?”
“We can’t trust the beast men.”
“Erebus has saved my life more than once. I’m not leaving him here to die, and I don’t know how to treat his injury. Cruor will, so I’m waiting. If you want to leave now, take my horse.”
Pack Leader sighed and leaned against a nearby tree, sinking to the forest floor in exhaustion. It was the first time that Mercy got a good look at him. His muddy brown eyes had a crazy glint to them, and he was looking around like a frightened rabbit. The way his ribs jutted out of his chest made him look malnourished and weak. Pack Leader’s light brown hair was long and tangled and he had a long stubbly beard. His skin, which was once tanned, now had a sickly pale look to it. It made the scars on his back stand out like tiger stripes. For a moment, Mercy just stared in stunned rage as she realized the scars were lash marks.
He said in a cold whisper, “Fine. We’ll wait on the white bat. I guess if he does betray us, at least I got to see the sun one last time.”
“I’m sorry. What did they do to you?”
Pack Leader laughed bitterly. “What didn’t they do?”
Mirilee cringed. “Maybe it’s too soon to discuss it.”
Pack Leader stood up and snapped, “No, if my sister wants to be an ally to these monsters, then now is the perfect time to talk about it.”
“Then tell me.”
He stood up and began to pace. “I don’t want to hurt you. So, I won’t tell you about the trip to find the beast men. Suffice to say it was a devastating failure.”
“I already know what happened.”
“I take it that means Green Arrow survived?”
Mercy said with a bitter chuckle, “You could say that.”
“Well, at least one of us did. When I got to the bats’ lair I tried to sneak in, but they found out about it somehow and ambushed me. They threw me in a cell without food and with barely enough dirty water to survive. I don’t know how long I was there. There was no way to tell the time, but when they came to get me, I was too weak to walk much less fight. That’s when they gave me the choice…”
Mercy finished for him. “To become a slave or to become a sacrifice, right?”
He nodded. “At first, I was going to let them kill me, but then I remembered that Wind Dancer was still somewhere in the city alive, and I thought I could play the slave to one of them in order to find her. After the beast men killed Wind Runner, I felt I at least owed it to him not to give up.”
“The beast men weren’t entirely responsible for his death.”
Pack Leader frowned. “What are you talking about? I saw him die. One of the beast men was trying to finish off when I found him.”
“You’d better sit back down.”
Pack Leader sat back against the tree and Mercy began to tell him her story. She told him about the blood rain and her trip to Concord, along with meeting Carmine and Wind Dancer. As she went into detail about Wind Dancer’s story, at first Pack Leader tried to prove to Mercy that it was all a trick, and that Carmine must’ve forced Wind Dancer to lie. As Mercy told him about her journey back and about Green Arrow’s guilty reaction when he was banishing her, Pack Leader became silent and began to shake with fury. She finished the story by telling him about her journey with Mirilee and Erebus’ plan to discuss a temporary truce with the beast men.
As she finished, Pack Leader asked in a murderous whisper, “Green Arrow left Wind Runner there to die, and the beast man showed more compassion to him than one of his own people?”
Mercy nodded. “They did drop Wind Runner, but if Green Arrow had tried to bandage him, he might’ve been able to save his life before he bled to death.”
“And, Green Arrow left me to die at the hands of the beast men, as well?”
“Yes. I’m sorry. You don’t have to believe me, but it makes sense doesn’t it? He didn’t come running in when you called for him, and you know that he never liked Wind Runner. He’s always been the kind to care more about his status than his people.”
“I’ll kill him. When I get back to the village, he’s dead.”
“No, don’t do that. Death is too good for him. Tell father what happened and then let him face justice at the hands of our people. Hopefully, they’ll treat him with as much courtesy as he treated me.”
“It’s not right. They shouldn’t have banished you. Why, Mind of Mercy? Why take the wrath of our people on your back? You’re doing everything in your power to help our tribe.”
“Because, it was the only way to get them to recognize the Ashen People as the greater threat. I wouldn’t mind if you put in a good word for me, though. Someday, I would like to return.”
He stood up. “I’ll do more than that. I’ll make sure that they know you were responsible for saving me.”
Mercy nodded. “Tell father, what’s going on, but don’t let the others know that I’m working with one of the beast people. They’ll never understand.”
“I don’t understand entirely myself, but I
know that you have good intentions. Just don’t be surprised when he betrays you.”
“You never told me what happened to you.”
Pack Leader winced. “It’s hard to talk about, but you deserve to know what you’re dealing with. So, I’ll tell you.”
Mirilee spoke up and said, “We were at the part when you decided to choose slavery so that you could try to find Wind Dancer.”
“Yes. I was foolish to think that I would be able to find her, but they knocked me unconscious when they took me to the dungeon, so I didn’t know how big the city actually was. When I saw it, I realized there wasn’t a chance. I was bought by a spoiled, rich brat named Scarlett, the daughter of one of their military leaders. She wanted me as a…” Pack Leader paused and then shivered, whispering, “As a pleasure slave.”
Mirilee cringed and Mercy felt her own body beginning to shake with fury.
Mercy muttered, “That’s disgusting.”
“You have no idea. Of course, I resisted, but I didn’t have any choice in the matter. She chained me up in the basement and came down to bite me every evening until I became addicted to her venom. I started associating her visits with nothing but pleasure.”
Pack Leader spat at the ground, clearly envisioning his mistress. Mercy couldn’t blame him. It sickened her, too.
“Anyway, eventually I started to feel affection for her, and I guess you could say that I fell in love with her and was foolish enough to believe that she loved me, too. After I gave in, she started treating me very well. I didn’t even want to leave, Mind of Mercy. I forgot about Wind Dancer, about every reason that made me want to go. I was that far gone.”
Mercy thought about Carmine and Wind Dancer and said, “I can believe it.”
“It went on that way for an entire year until her father bought her a new servant. I guess you could say he was prettier than I was, and she wanted him as well. She gave him the same training that she gave me. She wanted us both at the same time. I ended up fighting him instead.”
Mirilee asked, “Did you kill him?”
