Ice Crypt (Mermaids of Eriana Kwai Book 2) (15 page)

Nothing indicated who, or what, they belonged to.

“Do you think her pet is a sea demon?” said Tanuu. “Maybe the Host is an ancient mermaid deity.”

I chewed my lip, staring closer. Each eye was larger than Eriana’s head.

“I don’t think so,” I said. “Adaro would never call a mermaid the pet of a human.”

“Besides, look at the colours,” said Blacktail, pointing. “A sea demon’s eyes are red. These have been drawn to match the colour of the water.”

I looked to Anyo, who shrugged.

“As a boy, I remember asking my father about those eyes beneath the ship. He told me it represented the angry sea. Now I wonder if it’s something more—something that fills the gap in the legend.”

I rocked in my chair, thinking. How much could that story be trusted? Were we supposed to interpret it metaphorically?

Whatever I thought about the gods of Earth and Death punishing Eriana, the fact was that Eriana had escaped an ice storm that killed everyone else. How? Did it have to do with the Host?

“Why is it called the Enticer?” I said.

Anyo rubbed a hand across his scalp. “I assumed Eriana used it to entice fish while she was hunting.”

I frowned. “That doesn’t make sense. I thought her duty was to protect animals, not hunt them.”

“Then maybe she used it to call them to her for other reasons.”

I let it drop. The story had gaps, but it also answered several questions.

“Thanks for showing this to us, Anyo.”

He snapped it shut. “That’s what I know. Like I said, I’m not sure it helps.”

It did help. A glance at the others told me they felt the same. Their eyes were wide, excited.

We had a starting point: the legend of the Host of Eriana had to do with the ancient ship at the Safe Training Base.

“But how does the story end?” said Annith. “How did Eriana become a goddess?”

“When Eriana died, after a life of servitude to this island, it’s said the Gaela forgave her. Eriana ascended to the stars to become a goddess, where she remains protector of our island to this day.”

“Some protector,” said Tanuu, looking up as if addressing the sky. “You could maybe help us out with these sea demons, eh?”

I smacked him on the arm. “Don’t be disrespectful.”

Annith was still focused on the book. “Do you mind if we take this?”

Anyo hesitated. “I’d rather keep the world’s only copy in my possession.”

“Oh. What other stories are in there?”

“Nothing more on the topic of Eriana herself.”

“Why haven’t these stories been shared more widely?” said Blacktail.

“Perhaps with more recent history to teach, and under the influences from other nations, the school system has considered legends this old to be irrelevant.”

“But it’s our history,” said Annith. “We need to keep telling it so we don’t lose it.”

“I’ve told the stories to Adette,” said Anyo. “She’s known them her whole life.”

No one said anything, but I knew what Annith was thinking. Did anyone else on Eriana Kwai know all these stories? What if Adette died on the Massacre? What if something happened to Anyo?

“You should get the stories written down somewhere,” said Annith timidly. “In case … I mean, it would be tragic if our history was …”

A pained expression overcame Anyo’s face.

“Adette won’t have to go on the Massacre,” I said. “We’ll find the Host.”

My confidence must have rang through the room, because the others sat up taller.

“You have a kind heart, Metlaa Gaela,” said Anyo. “Never let this unfair world take that away from you.”

I gave an almost-smile, not sure what to say.

He checked the clock on the wall and stood.

“I wish you luck. For now, all we can do is hope Mujihi proves to be a more effective training master than I ever was.”

“He won’t be,” said Annith, Blacktail, and I together.

Anyo turned to slip the book into his bag, and I thought I saw him hide a smile.

“Before I left, I added a mind and body component to the program,” he said, “for more, ah … mental preparation and soundness. I’ve come to realise such training is woefully lacking.”

“How’s it going over?” I said.

His expression sank into a deep frown. “I don’t think the program is following through with it, given that last year’s top combat student is head of training.”

I jumped up so fast, my chair tipped over with a loud clatter.

“He put—head of training?”

Annith and Blacktail caught on at the same moment, gasping in outrage.

“You haven’t heard?” said Anyo dispassionately. “Yes, Dani was just appointed. I tried to put you in there with her, Metlaa Gaela, but Mujihi has already chosen his other assistant teachers for the program.”

“Texas, no doubt,” I said, not bothering to hide my venom.

Anyo shouldered his bag. “You must admit she showed exceptional skill with a range of weapons. Combined with her leadership skills, she could make an excellent teacher.”

I gaped at him. On the Massacre, Dani had managed to create nothing short of a cult. Those who’d never experienced the worst of Dani called it ‘leadership skills’.

“You honestly think that?” I said.

Anyo’s eyes flicked past me. “Ah, speaking of … We were just talking about you.”

I whirled around to see Dani in the doorway, her wicked expression darkened by black-lined eyes.

“All good things, I’m sure,” said Dani, casting an appraising glance around the room as she sauntered in.

“We’re on our way out,” I said. “Sorry to have missed your visit.”

Dani made a sympathetic sound. “We’ll catch up later.”

She straddled the chair I’d just been sitting on, facing Anyo, and motioned that he should sit back down. He obliged, dropping his bag.

Annith closed the door behind us with a little too much force.

The moment we were outside, Blacktail whispered, “What was she doing there?”

Annith and I said nothing.

“She was probably going to ask for advice about the training program,” said Tanuu lightly.

The rest of us shared an uneasy look.

“You don’t know Dani,” I said.

“What, you think she was eavesdropping?”

I didn’t respond.

“She really won’t want the Massacres to end now,” said Annith. “She’s in a position of power over like, a hundred girls.”

The idea sickened me. If the potential for glory hadn’t driven her mad enough on the Massacre, it would now. The success of every future Massacre could come back to her training methods.

What would she accomplish as head of an entire training school? Her captaincy on the Massacre had been a gradual climb to power because she’d met opposition from me and other crewmembers. Now, every one of these trainees would be desperate to prove her worth in training, and do anything to make Dani like her.

Tanuu cracked his knuckles. “Let’s do this thing quick, before she can go all crazy on those trainees. Let’s go to the Enticer.”

“We can’t go right now,” I said. “Mujihi is probably still there. I don’t like the idea of asking him if he minds if we have a poke around the training base.”

“When do we go, then?” said Annith.

I thought for a minute. “We’ll want daylight, which means we’ll need to go when the trainees are on a rest day.”

But would the trainees even have rest days? I felt like the word ‘rest’ was not in Dani’s vocabulary.

“Tomorrow’s Sunday,” said Blacktail.

“What if Dani shows up again while we’re there?” said Annith.

“We won’t be stealing anything this time,” said Tanuu. “There’s nothing to get us in trouble for. It’s not like the training area’s outta bounds.”

“You weren’t there when Mujihi was yelling at us,” I said.

Annith grimaced.

“Sounds like we need to get him and Dani out of the way,” said Blacktail.

We pondered this as we walked down the dirt road. That was exactly what we needed.

“What if we told Dani she got some
Heroes of Eriana Kwai
award, and she has to go to the other side of the island to pick it up?” said Tanuu.

I laughed. “She’s a lot of things, but stupid isn’t one of them.”

“We could set her house on fire,” said Blacktail dryly.

“I’ve got one,” said Annith. “Rik can have them in for an interview about the new training program.”

I gasped. Of course. Rik was an intern at the news station. An interview with the new training master and head of training would undoubtedly be newsworthy.

“Annith, you’re a genius!” I said. “Think Rik will be up for it?”

“He’s already talked about doing it. He hasn’t yet because I threatened to dump him if he gave Dani any limelight.”

We arrived at the fork in the road and stopped. Something like excitement passed between us. Whatever Anyo had said about the story being a myth, we now had more direction than ever before.

“That’s our plan?” I said. “Get Dani and Mujihi away from the training base, then have a look around the Enticer?”

The others nodded.

“It’s a start,” said Tanuu.

“I’ll get Rik to do it tomorrow while the trainees are off,” said Annith. “It’s our best shot at being discreet.”

With a wave goodbye, Blacktail and Tanuu set off one way towards their houses, while Annith and I left in the opposite direction.

We didn’t speak for several minutes. I ran through everything Anyo had told us, replaying the story in my mind so I wouldn’t forget any of it. I lingered on Eriana’s escape from the Aanil Uusha. I didn’t think it came down to punishment, forcing her to live the rest of her life in guilt. Did I believe she made a bargain with Death? What had she offered in return? And what did those eyes in the water belong to?

I considered the end of the legend, how Eriana had ascended to the stars to protect our island as a goddess. Tanuu was partly right in accusing her of not protecting us. I recalled what King Adaro had said about the legend, how Eriana’s Host was apparently bound with its master’s soul. Did this mean Eriana’s soul was literally trapped inside her pet as a further punishment? Or was this all a metaphor, and Eriana’s body was buried in a cave somewhere next to her pet wolf?

“Is everything all right with you and Tanuu?” said Annith, jolting me out of my thoughts.

“Oh,” I said, and hesitated for way too long before saying, “Yes. We’re fine.”

“No you’re not.”

I brushed my hand along the tall grass on the side of the road, the soft ends tickling my palm.

“I just need space,” I said, spewing the same lie I’d been telling Tanuu. “The Massacre was draining and I need some time to myself.”

“Uh huh.” Her flat tone suggested she knew I was lying but also wasn’t about to pry.

I glanced around, checking we were alone. The empty dirt road extended out of sight, sloping in an uphill climb. Dense grass, bush, and trees pressed in on either side, obnoxious with birdsong.

I let my hand graze a Ravendust bush, which stained my palm black. I wiped it on my jeans. “I don’t think I’m in love with him.”

I expected the words to hang in space. But without any note of surprise or judgment, Annith said, “Don’t feel bad, Meela. It happens. It’s okay to fall out of love with someone.”

Falling out of love might have been a loose definition of what had happened. Now that I knew what love felt like, I wasn’t sure if I’d been in love with Tanuu in the first place.

“I don’t know if I can tell him,” I said, my throat tightening. “I can’t do that to him.”

“You still care about him.”

“Exactly. It’s like, I love him, but I’m not
in
love with him. Does that make sense?”

“Yes.”

I let out a breath. I should’ve talked to her about this ages ago.

We stopped at the place where we had to part ways.

“Are you going to break up with him?” she said.

I dug my toe into a groove in the dirt road, avoiding her eyes. “Can’t I be distant with him until he gets the point and moves on?”

Annith half-laughed. “I thought you said persistence was his most endearing quality.”

I made an indistinct grunt.

“You can’t try and subtly wean him off you,” said Annith. “That’ll draw out the pain. He’ll spend every day dragging behind you, hoping you’re going through a phase and will come back to him.”

I sighed. Annith threw her arms around me in a rib-crushing hug.

“One day you’ll find someone to sweep you off your feet,” she said into my hair.

I hugged her back.

In a perfect world, I would tell her I’d fallen in love years ago. I’d tell her love looked like sapphire blue eyes and coppery blonde hair and smooth, ivory skin. But I couldn’t. Not in this world.

The thought of Lysi tightened my chest, a pang of dread and urgency. Every second that passed, she was somewhere far away, waiting for me to free the Host.

I needed to hurry.

I wondered where Adaro had taken her—if he had her imprisoned, enslaved, or tortured. I wondered where she was at that moment. I hoped, with every fibre of my existence, that she wasn’t suffering.

CHAPTER TEN
Fit for a King

I convinced Spio to swallow as many glowing copepods as he could before puking. I wanted to see if it would make his skin glow. He didn’t get so much as a blue ear.