by Nancy Gray
Mercy, Erebus, Mirilee, and Kylas camped just outside of the caravan of tents, carts, and riding animals that represented Mirilee’s people. Even though the festivities were dying down and people were going to sleep, they could still hear the faint lull of idle conversation and laughter that represented the people celebrating their survival and the ending of another long and difficult day.
The attitude from Mercy’s small camp couldn’t be any more different. She could already feel the discord caused by Kylas’ suspicion of Erebus, the worry that Mirilee felt for him, and Erebus’ sense of concern that the plan wouldn’t work. Mercy tried to exude calmness and confidence.
Erebus went over the plan one more time in response to another one of Kylas’ questions. “As I said, the Stealer Wings have a peace agreement with my people. Since I’m a representative of the council, they’ll listen to me. All they asked was that I bring you to them, but if I claim you as my prisoner, then they can’t take you away from me. If I promise them that you won’t spread their secret and take responsibility for you, then I take the fall if you break your word. So they’ll know I’m serious and will more than likely spare your life.”
“This still leaves me as your prisoner. This might be hard for you to grasp, but I’d rather be killed by the desert beast men for being a spy than to be your prisoner for the rest of my life.”
Mirilee rolled her eyes. “Kylas, for the last time, he isn’t going to turn you over to the other Blood Wings. You would wear the fake slave collar and pretend to be his prisoner. That’s all. You would come with us and help us find out what caused the blood rain. It might even be enough to redeem you in Josiah’s eyes.”
“And what guarantee do I have that he won’t turn on me if something happens to either of you?”
“If something happens to them, then I’m leaving you in Concord. If you’ll just agree to a blood pact with me you won’t have to worry about it at all. The pact would just ensure that if you tell no one else about what you saw, then I’ll ensure your safety.”
“I’m not going to make a blood pact with you.”
“Then I guess you’ve chosen to let the Stealer Wings have you. I hear that they make an example of spies.”
Mirilee snapped, “Just do it, Kylas.”
“I won’t let my soul be corrupted by him. I’d rather die than do that, and you shouldn’t blood bind yourself to him either, Mirilee. Our God would frown upon it.”
Mercy rolled her eyes. “Fine. If you won’t swear on a blood pact, can we at least assume that you wouldn’t tell a secret that would endanger your people?”
Mercy took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She knew what Kylas’ emotions appeared to be. He was lying and felt guilty. She would just have to make sure he made his promise in good faith.
“Yes. I won’t tell another soul. But, I can’t guarantee that Mirilee won’t when she hears what I have to say.”
“He isn’t lying, Erebus.”
Erebus shrugged. “Then I guess I have to trust him.”
Mirilee looked like she was deep in thought as she said in a quiet voice, “Kylas, what did you see?”
“Well, first of all, they have an oasis as big as the one that was the location of our ancient city.”
Mercy asked, “You mean as big as the Glass Dunes?”
“Possibly even bigger,”
Mirilee shrugged. “Well, I can see why they wouldn’t want us to know about that. It would be tempting for us to attack.”
“It wouldn’t be wise for us to attack. I also found out there are far more Stealer Wings than we ever thought possible.”
“Why was that such a big secret that they attacked us to get you? You would think they would want us to know that.”
Kylas was shaking. “Because that wasn’t the big secret. I saw something that I still can hardly believe. I saw your parents, Mirilee, but they didn’t look like themselves anymore. They had wings like the beast men.”
Erebus shook his head. “That’s not possible.”
“LIAR! My parents weren’t Stealer Wings.”
Kylas looked at the sand. He was still shivering. Mercy felt his fear like a cold chill down her back. He was telling the truth.
Kylas took a deep breath and continued. “I know that they weren’t but they are now. I don’t know how it happened, but I know they were your parents. They saw me and they recognized me. They were the ones who pointed me out to the others, and they spoke the language of the Stealer Wings. I’m sorry, Mirilee. But, I know what I saw.”
Mercy asked, “But how?”
Mirilee stood up shaking with anger instead of fear. “If my parents were alive, then they would’ve come to see me by now. They wouldn’t have just abandoned me.”
Erebus frowned, worried. “If they somehow became Stealer Wings, then they couldn’t come back even for you. There are important rules that all beast men follow. The penalty for breaking certain rules is death.”
Mirilee began to murmur something in her own language. Kylas’ eyes grew wide for a moment, but he let her continue until she was finished.
Mercy said, “Well, let’s just say that what you saw was true. I can see why that would be a secret they would be willing to kill others to protect. It looked as though they didn’t take prisoners. If they can turn people into more of their kind, it would mean that they have captives. I’ve seen how loyal your people are to each other. That wouldn’t be something they could ignore.”
Kylas sighed. “Except they weren’t captives. They weren’t being led around by chains. They were walking around like the other beast men, talking to them like equals.”
Mirilee was silent. Her anger and confusion were like swirling winds about to clash to form a devastating tornado.
Erebus shook his head. “A person can be a captive without being locked in a cage. If they’ve somehow joined the beast tribe, there’s no going back.”
“Erebus is right, Mirilee. We don’t know the full story yet. They might not have a choice.”
“I’ve had seven years of not knowing if my parents are alive or dead without one word from them. I should be happy they’re alive, but if this is true, they’ve been this close and haven’t made one attempt to contact me. Not a word, not a sign, nothing, and all those people who went missing may have just joined them without telling anyone?”
Kylas shrugged. “I don’t know for sure, Mirilee. I only saw your parents. But, all I do know is they were willing to kill me so that you wouldn’t find out.”
“I need some time alone. Excuse me.”
Mercy sighed as Mirilee took her blanket and walked in the direction of the plateau. Erebus was about to call after her, but Mercy shook her head.
“She isn’t going to sneak away. She just wants to get out of earshot to think.”
Mercy didn’t add that she knew that Mirilee was also going to cry and was too proud to let any of them see her. It seemed that Kylas knew because she could feel his sympathy. A part of him wished he hadn’t told her the secret. Sure enough, Mirilee sat down just close enough that they could still see her, but far enough away to make sure that they couldn’t hear her and she couldn’t hear them.
Erebus whispered, “If the Stealer Wings have found out how to change humans into people of their kind, this could be very bad. Tension is high between our people as it is. I need to find out how much of this is real.”
Kylas sighed. “It’s real. I know it was them. I could tell that they recognized me by their expressions.”
Erebus frowned but didn’t say anything.
Mercy sighed. “What about Mirilee? She’s going to want to see them.”
Erebus poked at the fire. “I’m sure that they won’t trust us enough to let her see her parents. I’ll say that I tortured the spy, and he confessed what he saw to me. Maybe they’ll be willing to at least give me some more information. The problem is that I’m not sure what they’ll be willing to tell me in front of you.”
Mercy stammered. “We’re actuall
y coming with you? I assumed you would make us wait at the bottom of the plateau.”
“I don’t trust them. Like I said, they don’t like my tribe. I’m not leaving you or Mirilee out of my sight. I can’t protect you if you aren’t close. If they want to deal with me, they’ll have to deal with all of us.”
Mercy felt Kylas’ surprise keenly when Erebus mentioned protecting them.
She smiled smugly at Kylas and then turned back to Erebus. “But how do you know that they won’t kill us outright?”
“I’ll tell them that you’re both ambassadors of your people and that we’re going together to find out who is responsible for the blood rain.”
Mercy nodded. “I never thought of it that way before, but I guess that’s kind of true.”
“It is. That issue of the rain concerns everyone. That’s ancient sorcery and anyone who could produce that storm is possibly trying to cause a war between humans and beast men. That makes the group a threat to them, as well.”
Kylas spoke up. “If it means that you can find out more information about what they did to Mirilee’s parents, you can use me as a bargaining chip. I’d gladly give my life if I thought it would help her.”
“That’s very noble of you, but I doubt it’ll come to that. They aren’t going to just tell me everything they know right then and there no matter what I say. But, if we do them a favor, we might be able to earn their trust.”
Mercy glanced in Mirilee’s direction. She was coming back towards the camp. When she got to them, she turned her back to them, opened up her bedroll, and curled up in silence.
Erebus yawned. “I think she has the right idea. Let’s get some rest while we can. Mirilee told me that the sand storm will probably hit midday tomorrow. We don’t have much time to get to those plateaus before the encampment catches up with us.”
Kylas said, “Yes, sleeping sounds good. All of us have had a rough night.”
Erebus nodded. “I’ll take the first watch. You should get to bed, Mercy.”
Mercy nodded and got into her bedroll. She couldn’t sleep. She was thinking about what she had learned about the Stealer Wings, and she was worried about Mirilee. After about thirty minutes of pretending to sleep, she heard Kylas talking to Erebus.
Kylas whispered, “Have you told her yet, about your demon?”
“You talk too much, desert thief.”
“She has a right to know what you are. She really likes you. She slapped me and left these marks when I insulted you.”
Erebus chuckled. “Did she?”
Mercy could almost feel his gaze at the back of her head. She was very careful to keep her breathing steady, not wanting to interrupt the conversation.
“You might’ve fooled her and even Mirilee, but you can’t fool someone with my gift. Every time I look at you, I see that monster writhing around in your shadow. That’s why you’re so weak, isn’t it? You have to feed it.”
“I’ve been told I have a silver tongue. I would hate for that silver to tarnish when I’m negotiating for your freedom. You would be wise to be quiet.”
“I might be able to help you, you know. I can talk to those things. Some say I have a way with them. I might be able to help you break away from it someday.”
Erebus laughed bitterly. “And who said that I wanted to break away? It’s not a demon. It’s a part of me, a part that thankfully most people don’t ever see. Besides, the ritual was started when I was a child. It can’t be reversed, and I don’t want it to be.”
“Fine. But, if you change your mind, let me know. In the meantime, don’t you dare corrupt that poor young girl. Your taint is starting to spread to her.”
Erebus said flatly, “I haven’t corrupted her, and I would never do anything to put her in danger. Worry about your own fate. It’s still undecided.”
Kylas snapped, “Is that a threat?”
“No, but it’s true.”
It felt like an eternity as Mercy waited for Erebus to slide next to her in his bedroll. Finally, she heard him gently shake Mirilee awake for her to take her watch.
Mercy just barely heard Kylas whispering, “Mirilee, I’m sorry. Please, if you need to talk...”
Mirilee said flatly, “No.”
Then, they were both silent. Mercy wanted to talk to Erebus. The other bedrolls were far enough away from the fire that she was sure they could whisper and wouldn’t be overheard, but she couldn’t seem to gather the courage to say anything. Thankfully, Erebus spoke first.
He whispered in Mercy’s ear, “It’s rude to eavesdrop, you know.”
Mercy cringed and turned towards him. “How did you know?”
“I think by now you know that I have a connection to blood. Your heart was beating too fast for you to be asleep.”
“Is what he said true?”
“I don’t know. There’s a lot I still don’t understand about our traditions, but I believe we all have a side that we don’t want others to see. Mine is just a bit more pronounced. Did you really strike him just because he insulted me?”
“Yes.”
Erebus smiled and leaned in closer. She could smell his honey sweet scent and even though she knew it was the scent of a predatory flower, she couldn’t help but marvel at how much it made her want to lean in and breath it in more deeply.
He whispered, “Thank you,” And kissed her gently on the lips.
Mercy didn’t know what came over her, but she reached out and ran her fingers through his hair and began to try to part his lips with hers. He moaned softly, but to her surprise he pulled away.
Erebus stammered. “The venom. I wish I could. I’m sorry,” He tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear, smiled at her, and then closed his eyes.
Mercy sighed miserably and turned away from him, feeling unsatisfied and sad. As she tossed and turned and tried to get comfortable, shivering with the cold of the desert night’s breeze, eventually she felt him pull her closer, and she finally was able to fall asleep.
28
When Mercy awoke, the wind was howling so loudly that it reminded her of the wailing of a dying render. Everything was so hazy with dust and sand that it obscured the sky, making the distant rising sun look like a dull brown disk resting on the horizon. Mirilee immediately rushed up to her and put a thin cloth over Mercy’s nose and mouth. She demonstrated in silence how to tie the make-shift mask around her head securely. When she seemed satisfied that Mercy’s breathing mask was attached, she nodded and motioned towards the animals.
Mercy got on the desert strider with Mirilee. Erebus was on the horse behind them with Kylas sitting in front of him. Kylas’ legs were free but his arms were bound behind his back and he was also wearing the fake slave collar. His bright clothing was mostly stripped away, leaving him bare-chested with plain leather pants. Mercy knew it was probably all for the impression it would make on the Stealer Wings, but she could feel the satisfaction from Erebus about Kylas’ situation. He was clearly still angry. She just hoped that he wasn’t angry enough to make good on any of his threats.
The storm raged around them, making every step difficult. The strider seemed more accustomed to the weather, but the horse was stumbling slightly. Erebus put blinders on the sides of its eyes to protect them, but it wasn’t enough to keep them entirely free from sand. Everyone kept their heads downcast and only risked glancing up every few minutes.
Mercy looked behind them. The dust was too thick to see anything clearly, but she could make out a mass of people that was the rest of Mirilee’s encampment. They weren’t moving yet, but they would only be an hour or so behind them. She hoped they would be finished with their business with the beast men by the time they caught up. She could tell that the encampment was nervous and hurried. They would catch up soon.
Dust devils reached towards the dunes behind them, scrawling swirling patterns in the sand like a child’s fingers dragging through a sandbox. They made Mercy nervous, but Mirilee was unafraid, as usual. As the plateaus came into view, Mercy could just ba
rely make out moving figures flying above the highland. They were the child stealers that the beast men rode when they attacked Mirilee’s encampment. She also noticed something strange. The closer they got to the plateau, the less severe the dust storm seemed to get, as though the storm itself was afraid to encroach on lands belonging to the Stealer Wings.
The plateaus loomed in the distance like fractures in the flat dry earth, and she began to see a canyon between them that sloped upward. It seemed to be the only entrance, and it was also a perfect ambush spot for those attempting to defend the territory. They were expecting Erebus, so she hoped that they wouldn’t attack. Erebus nudged the horse forward and took the lead, gently putting a comforting hand on Mercy’s shoulder as he rode by. He was ready.
They ducked into the canyon and the sound of the dust storm behind them stopped abruptly. If she strained to listen she could barely hear it, but the sound was muffled like a sound heard underwater, or the sound of a storm from within an enclosed building. They slowly removed their cloth masks and took deep breaths. The air within the canyon was clean and fresh. Mercy glanced above her and noticed flashes of movement. They were being watched, and she could feel the suspicion from those above them washing down the canyon like cold rain.
They dismounted and began walking forward.
Erebus whispered, “Let me do most of the talking. Remember, neither of you know what Kylas saw. Can I trust that you won’t do anything drastic, Mirilee?”
“I’m not making any promises.”
Mercy groaned. “Please, Mirilee. I understand how you feel, but if we blow this we’re all dead.”
“I told you that there are worse things than death. I can promise you that I won’t do anything stupid, but I always trust my own judgment. You’re not our fearless leader, Erebus, and you aren’t always right.”
Erebus sighed but didn’t say anything further. They walked a winding trail upward until the exit of the canyon was no longer in sight, and then they saw a lone figure waiting for them on the trail. It was the centurion that had spoken to Erebus before. Mercy averted her eyes as she looked at him. He looked like a living alabaster statue except for his flowing blond hair. She couldn’t imagine more perfect features on a man, and that intimidated her almost as much as the thought of having to fight him. As they approached, his expression changed from stoic to furious, and he reached for a long sword at his side. The sword glowed with an inner light, and Erebus narrowed his eyes at the sight of it, slowly reaching for his own dagger.