Blood Moon (Blood Rain Book 2)

by Nancy Gray

  Mercy quickly crawled into her hammock and placed the blanket all the way up over her wet hair. She did it just in time, as she heard heavy footfalls coming down the hallway.

  She heard Captain Morrissey say, “Incenda, did you see someone come down this way?”

  “No. It’s just been me and Mercy in here for awhile. She’s a little seasick, I think.”

  Mercy groaned from beneath the blanket. “I threw up. Oh no, I think I’m about to do it again.”

  Incenda groaned. “I wonder where that bucket has gotten off to. I’ll bet that Garnet made off with it. It seems the sort of prank she would pull.”

  Mercy could feel Captain Morrissey’s suspicion. She could almost feel his eyes crawling over the blanket, looking for any sign that she was the one spying on his conversation.

  “Well, keep your eyes open for someone wandering around the lower decks with wet hair. I saw some wet footprints coming down this way. There is some water on your floor, too. There are penalties on this ship for spying on the captain.”

  “Well, I’m afraid your trail might not do much good. There are plenty of sailors outside that are probably soaked by now. Heck, I just dried out my hair, too. It could’ve been any of them. I think Garnet might’ve left those footprints.”

  “I guess you’re right. Hope you feel better soon, Mercy.”

  She shivered. Something about his tone didn’t seem entirely sincere, especially combined with the anger he was feeling at the time. Everything was quiet as she listened to the heavy footfalls slowly receding.

  Incenda finally said, “All clear.”

  Mercy got out of the hammock. Her clothes were soaked and so was her hair, but at least it seemed that the water hadn’t soaked through the hammock. She looked through her supplies and got a towel, running it over and over across her hair and body and changing into a fresh set of clothes.

  “Thanks for covering for me.”

  “So, were you really spying on him?”

  “I’d hardly call it spying. I was going up to wait by the door for Beryl, and I heard the two of them arguing. Well, I guess I was eavesdropping, a little. They were talking a lot about the North.”

  “Well, no harm done. The Captain likes to talk big, but unless someone puts the rest of the crew in danger or betrays him, he’s pretty lenient. He probably would’ve given you a strong talking to. Still, don’t push his limits or he might make an example of you.”

  “Speaking of pushing people’s limits, where is Mirilee?”

  Incenda smiled. “I like that girl. She’s off doing a little sneaking around of her own, something about checking up on Erebus. After you left, I saw her following Garnet below deck.”

  “I really don’t like Garnet.”

  “She grows on you, like a fungus.”

  Mercy laughed.

  “I wouldn’t worry too much about it. I think she thinks of any new girl as a rival. She’ll probably pretend that she’s trying to steal your man away, especially if it gets a rise out of you. Just ignore her. That’s what I do.”

  Mercy settled down on the hammock again. “Thanks, Incenda. And, thanks for covering for me.”

  “Not a problem. Things wouldn’t be fun around here if we didn’t all get into a little bit of trouble.”

  Mirilee appeared in the doorway. “Well said.”

  Mercy grinned. “Hey Mirilee, where have you been?”

  “Oh, you know, around. I’ve heard some very interesting things. I followed Erebus and Garnet first.”

  Mercy tried not to sound too eager, but she said a little too quickly, “What did you find out?”

  Mirilee grinned at her obvious curiosity, “Apparently, she was throwing herself all over him when they got below deck, but he was insistent that he didn’t want her to the point of shoving her away. He said that he just wanted to pay her off so that she wouldn’t tell his secret. And do you know what she said? She said that she wouldn’t tell if they ‘took a little tumble.’”

  Mercy felt her hand balling into a fist, “That whore…”

  “Well, Erebus said that he was tired of playing games with her and that he wouldn’t tell her secret if she wouldn’t tell his. I’m not sure what her secret is. Anyway, they left it at that. Garnet didn’t sound too happy. She was cursing at him in another language.”

  Incenda laughed. “That’s great! I wish I had been listening there with you!”

  “After that, I found Kylas. We talked for a little while. Things are still kind of tense between him and Erebus, but I think it’s getting a little better. He’s more suspicious of the other crew members than he is of Erebus now.”

  “Well, that’s good at least.”

  Incenda pretended to be insulted and said, “Yes, it’s good that he’s suspicious of the other crew members. I see how it is, good day to you, Ladies.”

  “No offense meant, Incenda.” Mercy leaned forward and said in a whisper to Mirilee, “I’m just hoping he’ll eventually figure out that Erebus doesn’t really think of him as his slave. Kylas should know that was only a ruse to get him away from the stealer wings.”

  “Honestly, I think he’s a little afraid of Erebus, after what he saw with his gift.”

  Mercy glanced in Incenda’s direction and Mirilee quickly became silent. Incenda was pretending to get ready for bed, but Mercy could tell that she was listening in. Kylas could see things that others could not. When he looked at Erebus, he saw within his soul some sort of corruption that was the source of his control over blood and shadow.

  Even though most of the crew didn’t entirely know what was going on, all of them knew that Mercy and her group were searching for the cause of the blood rain. All of them suspected there was more to the story than that, wondering what brought so many different groups of people together. Most of them didn’t buy into the “ambassadors of their people” story that Pyron was spreading around.

  Mercy felt that the less they knew the better. If Tolbert ever found out that Erebus was a Blood Wing, Mercy was sure it would cause a nasty fight that would result in bloodshed.

  Mercy yawned. “Well, I’ve had enough excitement for one evening. I talked a little to Pyron. It sounds like we’ll reach the Ashen capital in a week.”

  Mirilee leaned back in her hammock with a wistful smile on her face. “Wow! I’ve never been to the Ashen capital. I wonder what it looks like.”

  Incenda spoke up, “It’s the most beautiful city you’ll ever see, but I doubt that Pyron is going to give you any shore leave. They aren’t always friendly to outsiders.”

  Mirilee popped herself up. “You’re telling me that it’s the most beautiful city in the world and I’m not going to get to see it? I don’t think so!”

  Incenda shrugged. “Well, just don’t say that no one warned you.”

  Garnet came into the room. Her clothing looked slightly disheveled, and she had a huge grin on her face. Mercy hated that grin. The smile combined with her cold, calculating eyes gave her the look of a basking crocodile. Mercy could feel her intent as an excited burst of energy that came from a person looking for a fight.

  Incenda sighed. “Oh, here we go again.”

  Garnet leaned against the frame of the doorway. “I’ve had such a busy night. First, I negotiated with Mercy’s friend to keep his secret, and then I found Mirilee’s friend, Kylas, and worked out an arrangement with him.”

  Mirilee looked furious. She fixed a stare on Garnet that was as intense as a behemoth staring down one of its rivals. Mercy tried to keep her expression blank, remembering Incenda’s advice to ignore her. Garnet fixed her eyes on Mirilee and her grin became wider. To Mercy, such a wide grin looked obscene against Garnet’s smeared, red lipstick.

  “Yes, Kylas was very passionate. I think he said your name once, though.”

  “That’s pretty strange since he’s my brother.” Mirilee chuckled, “Never knew he felt that way about me. Creepy!”

  Garnet’s mouth dropped open. She clearly couldn’t think of a good comeback,
so she simply frowned petulantly and stalked away.

  Mercy turned to Mirilee. “Your brother? I thought you said he was your best friend!”

  “He is. That doesn’t mean that she has to know that, does it?”

  Incenda laughed loudly and clapped Mirilee on the back. “Well played, Sister.”

  Mercy slowly rolled out of the hammock. “Did you say something about a bucket earlier? I really am starting to feel pretty sick this time.”

  Incenda rushed out of the room and came back with a bucket just in time. Mercy gagged and retched until her stomach felt empty.

  Incenda sighed. “I understand. Even the wind picking up just a little bit can be too intense for someone who’s never travelled by ship. This is nothing. Wait until there’s a real storm.”

  When Mercy stopped being sick, she began to chew on the ginger root that Pyron had given to her. She nearly gagged again at the strange, overpowering taste, but it was nothing compared to vigor ash root. She chewed a large section off and then got back into the hammock. It swayed back and forth with the boat. Even when it stopped swaying as much, she still felt as though she was rocking back and forth at a fast pace when she closed her eyes. She didn’t know how, but eventually she fell into a fitful sleep where she dreamed of walking across a treetop village similar to her own, except that it was entirely composed of swaying rope bridges.

  3

  By the time they reached the Ashen capital, land of any kind was the sweetest sight that Mercy had ever seen. On the seventh day, it rained all day and through the night, but every one of the sailors was insisting that it wasn’t a “real” storm. Mercy spent most of the day below deck trying to stay out of everyone’s way and catching up on her sleep. It was early morning when they reached the Ashen capital, and she had already decided that despite Pyron and Incenda’s warnings, at the very least she was going to get off the boat and wait on the dock. Pyron seemed to have staved off his motion sickness entirely. She hoped that by the time she got to the North she would have learned to adapt as well.

  As they approached the Ashen capital, Mercy temporarily forgot about her seasickness from being overwhelmed with the sight. Fortress walls made out of stone encircled the city like the fence of a giant. Buildings made out of brick peeked up above the walls, their glass windows reflecting light as the eye shine of some great animal. Large buildings belched smoke and ash into the sky.

  Mercy tugged on Pyron’s sleeve. “Those buildings seem to be on fire.”

  “Don’t worry. Those are factories. They produce goods by utilizing the power of fire and steam. There are large fires inside of thick brick structures called forges, but they’re very well contained. Those large chimneys are there to make sure the buildings don’t fill with smoke.”

  Mercy nodded, but didn’t entirely understand, so she took in the rest of the sights. The backdrop behind the city was a towering mountain that made the largest buildings look like the toys of children.

  “I’ve never seen a mountain so close before, or one that looked like that.”

  “That’s Nurial, the volcano. They say that our people were created from the union of the spirit of the mountain, Nurial, and the king of the stone, Petrum.”

  Mercy nodded. “That sounds similar to our mythology. They say we come from the Green Blooded Man, the spirit of all forests, and the Lady of the Moon.”

  “Some of my people still follow the old teachings, but oddly Mirilee’s religion has started becoming more acceptable. Some dictators would’ve put a stop to that because my people are very proud of our heritage, but Dictator Crevane believes that people need at least the illusion of choice.”

  Mercy muttered in a bitter tone. “Well, that’s very forward thinking of him.”

  Pyron shrugged and leaned against the side of the ship, holding a hand over his eyes to get a better view of his city, “Say what you will about our city and our people, but we take care of our own. The Ashen capital is the safest city in Lacern, and the people like that.”

  Mercy squinted and shielded her eyes from the glare as well. She could see people moving around on the dock, and she thought she saw an entire contingent of soldiers doing a military drill through the street. It was an impressive sight, and she supposed that it would make the populace feel safer. However, something about it seemed a little too rigid, too militaristic. So, she concentrated on the rest of the scenery instead. There were steps carved into the side of the volcano that seemed to climb all the way up to the top. Arches spiraled up the staircase at even intervals. It made the steps look like the winding spine of a giant creature.

  Mercy pointed. “What are those stairs?”

  “We call them ‘Petrum’s Spine.’ Many of my people go on a religious pilgrimage to walk up those steps and read what’s written across the arches. I’ve been once. The view is very impressive.”

  “How long does it take?”

  “Days. Weeks. It depends on how strong the person is that walks it, also how many stops you make, and if you get injured. The stairs circle around the mountain a few times all the way up to the top.”

  Mercy glanced at him, “How long did it take you?”

  “Three days with a good bit of vigor ash root.”

  “I wish I had time to walk it.”

  Pyron suddenly became serious and stern. “It wouldn’t matter how many days we have here. I don’t want any of you going into the city. Is that clear?”

  “Why? You just said the city was safe.”

  Pyron shook his head and turned towards her, taking an intimidating step forward. “I said that we looked out for our own. The city is safe for the citizens living in it, but we don’t accept many outsiders. This might seem cold to you, but it’s very difficult to become a citizen if you aren’t born here. And if someone decides to move away, they aren’t allowed back in.”

  “Well, can I at least stand on the dock? I need to get off of this ship.”

  Pyron shook his head. “No. Besides, you need to adjust to being on the ship anyway. Once we moor, one of the soldiers will more than likely inspect our cargo. Since I’ll be a higher ranking officer, I’m going to try to see if they can move things along by not inspecting the crew. It would be better if they don’t know that there are foreigners on the ship that aren’t part of the usual crew.”

  Mercy rolled her eyes. “So you want us to stay in our quarters the entire time?”

  “Yes. I’ll probably be gone for most of the day. Today is the festival of the City’s Name. Dictator Crevane has finally decided to rename the city after himself, and I need to be there.”

  “There’s a festival devoted to renaming the city? How often is the city renamed?”

  “Generally, every time there’s a new dictator. And being one of the dictator’s personal emissaries, I’m required to be present.”

  Mercy caught a motion behind her and wheeled around. Beryl smiled sheepishly and said, “I should’ve known better than to try to sneak up on either of you.”

  Mercy glanced over and saw that Pyron was placing a knife back into the loop of his belt.

  Pyron grinned. “Oh it wasn’t an assassin, just an idiot.”

  “Sorry, Pyron. I was just wondering if you wanted me to come along with you. Since the dictator wanted us to work together, I thought it might look bad if I wasn’t there.”

  “Not this time. This is a festival day and I’ll probably have my hands full. Still, stay above deck in case he has someone watching our ship. She’s kind of conspicuous.”

  As they approached the docks, Mercy could see what he meant. “The Serpent Queen” was the only ship in the dock that had black sails instead of white or gray, and it was the only ship not waving any sort of Ashen capital flag. Even the elaborate figurehead on the front of the ship was bound to draw stares. The artisan that carved it made the detail so intricate that it almost looked as though the figures were alive. Every scale on the serpent seemed to glisten in the sunlight, and Mercy could see why. Each scale was trimmed with
obsidian. The mermaid was depicted with tawny skin, cherry-red hair and a cherry-red tail, and the serpent was completely black. After overhearing Beryl’s conversation with the captain, Mercy was almost sure that there was good reason that “The Serpent Queen” looked like a pirate vessel.

  It was as though Beryl read her mind. “Last night someone was eavesdropping on a private conversation between me and the captain. You wouldn’t know who, would you?”

  Mercy glanced at Pyron. From his reaction, she didn’t think that Pyron had told Beryl anything. Mercy just hadn’t covered her tracks very well. The captain probably knew it was her from the moment she walked into the girl’s quarters – leaving her wet footprints behind her and conspicuously covering her head entirely with the blanket.

  Mercy looked at the ground. “I don’t know who it was, but I’m sure that person would be very sorry for what she did, and in her defense, you were being kind of loud.”

  Beryl sighed, “Don’t do it again, Mercy. Captain Morrissey was furious. It shows a blatant disregard for his authority and a lack of trust. We need to be able to trust each other if we’re going to succeed.”

  Mercy continued to look at her feet and nodded.

  Pyron shrugged. “Well, maybe if you were a little more forthcoming with information, there would be no need for others to spy on you. What were you two talking about anyway?”

  Beryl quickly changed the subject, “I’d better go and hide that cask of blood for Erebus. We’re approaching the dock, and it could raise some difficult questions.”

  “Best be getting below decks yourself, Mercy. I’ll see you at sunset.”

  As Mercy went below deck, she felt a pair of hands grab her by the shoulders, and another hand clamped over her mouth. She began to struggle but then saw that it was Mirilee, Erebus, and Kylas pulling her into the men’s quarters across the hall from the girl’s. Although it was cramped inside, it was a little larger, mostly because there were more male sailors than female on the crew. It also seemed dirtier. Mirilee pulled her hand away from Mercy’s mouth and Erebus let go of her shoulders.