Alliance of Blackbirds Page 5

  Chapter Five

  Gabe leaped towards the man pulling his dagger to his throat.

  “No need to be rash, companion,” the man said with arms pinned behind his back. “My goodness you are a strong and quick one at that. I could’ve used you on my ship.” He didn’t try to resist, but seemed more amused at Gabe.

  “Where is it?” Gabe shoved the man to the floor. Still, The Black Ghost let Gabe throw him around like a limp rag.

  “I’ve got no idea what you speak of. You’re going to have to work on the specifics. I’ve got lots of “its”.”

  “Pandora’s Lock,” Gabe said putting his knee to the man’s neck.

  “Not another one.” He managed to say with his face pressed to the floor. “Look, you’ve got no business with such a dangerous piece. Shouldn’t you let that job of acquiring it belong to someone older with more…” Suddenly he vanished into the air.

  Gabe looked dumbfounded and glanced around the room with dagger held in front of him.

  “Experience!” Gabe’s knife flew up into the air and was thrown backwards.

  I ran over to him as he held his bloody nose. I reached into my pocket and found an unused tissue I had from Zach’s funeral. Loud laughter erupted behind us as the man stood crossed armed peering down at Gabe.

  “I do have to say you are pretty good, but as you can see it only takes a second to gain the upper hand.”

  Gabe got up glaring at the man.

  “Tell me and I’ll let you all live,” he said with slit eyes. “What do you want with the Lock?” He walked around the room peering at Claire then Ian and then to David. “Especially one who has been touched by the glass people.” He turned back to Gabe. “He’s changing you know, and nothing can stop it. I’ve seen it too many times.”

  “It’s our business,” Gabe said with blood smeared across his cheek.

  The Black Ghost raised an eyebrow looking passively at Gabe. “Yes, well, I could’ve killed all of you in a flash, but I didn’t. The way I see it you came asking about me and that makes me part of your business. And since I’m in a generous mood, I’ll agree to take you on as my company.”

  “Your company?” I asked.

  “Yes, company. You know crew, shipmates.” He stepped closer to me with his pale eyes that looked like they barely hung onto the color. “You’re different aren’t you?”

  “Back off!” Gabe shoved me behind him.

  The man half smiled and held his hands up. “Sorry, she is yours I see, simply making an observation.”

  He backed away with his eyes steady on Gabe.

  “Times running out here crew,” he said drawing the word crew out. “What do you say? Join me.”

  “Join you or what?” Ian asked as The Black Ghost looked at him over his shoulder.

  “Join me or die if you’re looking for another option.” He turned back to Gabe. “I take it you’re the leader and this here is your girlfriend. So I suggest if you want to keep her alive along with the rest of your group, you follow me.”

  I looked up at Gabe with apprehension and him at me.

  “Come!” He snapped. “Haven’t got all damn day and I don’t mind killing things that get in my way.” He motioned towards the witch on the floor.

  Gabe didn’t say a word only nodded his head and glared at the smiling white haired man.

  “Good, I like to spread out my killings anyway.” He smiled and motioned towards the door.

  “I don’t like this Em,” Claire said walking beside me.

  The twisting and turning alleyway was dark as we followed Gabe and Ian hanging onto David. The Black Ghost led the way and warned if we would try to run something worse than him would have us and we’d be happy to have him come to our rescue. By the sounds that came from some of the darkened corner, I believed him.

  “I know Claire.” I glanced at her and even in the darkness I could see her pull at the chopped ends of her shortened hair. “It’ll be alright.”

  Suddenly Gabe and Ian stopped. I couldn’t see past them as we stood between the tall buildings.

  “And just as the sun burns away the night,” The Black Ghost said stepping down the flight of wooden stairs. “We’re here.”

  The jagged cliffs framed the tiny harbor filled with a few shops. Everything was quiet and finally we came to a ship that was the smallest one there. No one was around as we walked down the long peer and got into the ship. The only other boat I was ever on was David’s and it was what I expected a ship to be, but this one was different.

  Instead of wood planks, spongy, cork like material covered the floor. The bow of the ship was square instead of coming to a point and a glass arch several feet high sat there. Two tall poles pointed towards the reddening sky and were in the center of the ship. One large mast of what looked like spider’s silk sat taunt reflecting in the early dawn light. The top of the ship was flat with a small opening in the center that led to the lower level.

  “Ah, yes,” The Black Ghost said. “Let’s go shall we?” He then went to the bow of the ship and stood in front of the arch.

  He raised his hands and a map, fluid like water and transparent appeared. He looked at it, rubbed his chin and then touched a certain spot on it.

  “Yes, that will be a good spot,” he said more to himself.

  “Where are you taking us?” I asked as Gabe and Ian put David on the ground.

  “Well, if you must know, I’m taking your inflicted friend to a safe place. Milk of the poppy only works for so long then you might as well give him water to make him more reasonable.” He turned looking at me with his twinkling eyes. “I suggest you hang on and take everyone below.”

  “You there, stop!” A distant voice cried out.

  Running down the pier were two men dressed in black.

  “Yes, get below and we’d better hurry.”

  “Stop thief!” The man yelled again coming closer.

  “You’re stealing this ship?” I asked.

  He shrugged his shoulders. “No, not really, technically maybe yes, but the man who owns it is dead. So, I took the liberty of maintaining it since he had no crew and no one to claim it. Shame to see it rot,” he smiled. “Now get below along with your friends.”

  Gabe and Ian dragged David down the stairs followed by Claire and I. The door went shut and then a loud hum surrounded us. I stood close to Gabe as we suddenly jolted forward. The ship took off like it had a motor on it and was very smooth.

  “This is a Portal Ship,” Ian said getting up and examining it.

  The downstairs was lavish and completely open with a galley behind us and large cushioned pillows on the floor. More of the same cork covering was on the floor and tear shaped lights were mounted on the wall. The ceiling sparkled from the warm light.

  “I think you’re right.” Gabe joined Ian as I looked at David still sleeping.

  “Where do you think he’s taking us?” Ian asked Gabe.

  “He said to a safe place and somewhere that can help David.” I turned and looked at him over my shoulder.

  “Em,” Gabe said pulling me aside. “We can’t save him. David is too far gone and a danger to everyone.”

  I looked into his soft, grey eyes. He pushed back my hair and ran his fingers down my arm.

  “I know he’s a danger, but he’s fighting to not give in.”

  “He might be fighting, but he’s changing and we can’t stop it.” He took a deep breath. “Believe me if I knew how, I would.”

  “Yeah, but what’s even more important is how are we going to find Pandora’s Lock now that we’re with a pirate?” Ian stepped beside us.

  “You’re not going to find Pandora’s Lock because it doesn’t exist, at least how you think it exists” said The Black Ghost walking past us to the galley and flipping open a small door in the counter. “Hmm, well what would everyone like to eat?”

  “What do you mean doesn’t exist?” Gabe ask
ed.

  He glanced at Gabe with raised eyebrows. “Gabe, you’re leader of this group and you don’t understand a simple statement?” He chuckled. “It means it isn’t real and never was. Unlike many magical things of this world, Pandora’s Lock is a fable, myth or legend if you like to call it that, at least in a physical state.”

  Ian stepped beside Gabe and whispered in his ear. “It’s a lie, he’s misleading us.”

  “No, not a lie, Ian son of a portal maker,” He closed the lid holding something wrapped in wax paper. “More of a misrepresentation of Pandora’s Lock is spoken of. It exists, but only as an idea, method or,” he tapped his finger to his chin, “something you’re familiar in this world, a spell.”

  Gabe looked him as he stepped closer and then stopped just as The Black Ghost pulled out several plates locking his eyes with Gabe.

  “How do you know our names when we’ve hardly revealed them?” Gabe’s asked.

  He gave a small, amused chuckle. “The vines don’t talk to the Alfheim exclusively. They also talk to other ears and I happen to be one of them.”

  He then pulled a large frying pan out from one of the lower cabinets. “Merfish are in season. I caught these only days before we met.” He removed the paper revealing the fish’s colorful scales. “Salt and pepper everyone?”

  “It’s real…Pandora’s Lock,” David said sitting on his side propping himself up with shaking arms. His head was bent over and body trembled with weakness. “I know because I’ve seen it.”

  The Black Ghost went to him kneeling to his level. “I’m sure you thought you saw it, but it wasn’t it. I know all too well.” His words were smooth. “I know the bitter-sweet taste of the glass people’s poison. I know how you cling to your sanity feeling it be torn away piece by piece and being blown away by the wind. I also know the power you feel taking its place. You long to stay who you are, but at the same time, you don’t mind who you’re becoming.”

  David gazed at the pirate shaking his head with confusion.

  “How do you know?’ I asked knowing that was what everyone wanted to know.

  He looked up at me with his white hair and pale eyes barely containing any color, or color that was once there, but now hardly remained.

  “I know Emily because I’ve been poisoned by the glass people’s venom and I’ve overcome it.” He looked back at David. “You can too.”

  I stepped closer to David. Gabe tugged on my hand and I stopped gazing at David. His eyes once filled with desperation and fear now had a glimmer of hope.

  “You, you were cured?” David asked meekly.

  “Yes and that’s where we’re going. The person who healed me said if I want to repay them then I should bring anyone inflicted by the poison to them right away.”

  “Where are we going then? Where is this place?” Gabe asked.

  “A tiny island south of Meropsis,” he said turning back to his fish.

  “That could be any island.” Gabe took a step towards him. “You make us become your crew, tell us Pandora’s Lock doesn’t exist and steal a ship and now we’re headed to the well-known islands that lie south of Meropsis.” Gabe stared at him. “I demand to know where we’re going!”

  “The islands south of Meropsis are known for slave trade,” Claire whispered in my ear.

  The pirate’s eyes shot to Claire. He smiled at her walking past Gabe. “Yes, they are known for their slave trade, but don’t worry, the witch stripped you of any value.” He brushed his finger across her uneven locks. “And I’m not into slave trade anyhow. I want all of you for myself.”

  A glimmer of silver came from Gabe’s hand. I could see him pull a smaller dagger from the inside of his boot. I looked back at the pirate who returned the smile. Gabe came behind him with dagger raised. The pirate continued smiling with his eyes locked on mine. He put up his hand and faded into the air with a quickly evaporating mist.

  Gabe stopped and looked around when he was thrown to the floor and dagger plucked from his hand by the materializing pirate.

  “Now see how I work.” He stood over Gabe holding the dagger. “I don’t want to hurt you and I risked even bringing you along.”

  “Why then, why did you bring us along if you’re not going to sell us into the slave trade?” Gabe asked.

  The pirate smiled and held out his hand to help him up. Gabe looked at it then stood up on his own. “Very well, I don’t expect companionship right away especially under these circumstances. I brought you along because Ulric doesn’t need the power of the glass people.”

  “So you want it for yourself?” Gabe stood protectively in front of us.

  The pirate shook his head. “You don’t understand. The power of the glass people can’t be tamed, controlled or had. Never,” he said glancing over to David. “You’re not the only one who he experimented on.”

  “What do you mean only one?” I asked.

  “Ulric doesn’t mind using his children as specimens for mutations, even the bastard ones.” He replied with eyes steady on David. “It’s all for the cause, all for the advancement and…”

  “All for the power,” David and the pirate both said in unison.

  “I take it he told you the same things he told me, brother,” the pirate said kneeling before David.

  “It can’t be, I was an only child and you were part of the Blackbirds.” David pushed himself up trying to stand.

  “Just stay sitting, and yes, I was part of the Blackbirds. What do you think Ulric would do with me? Would he say here’s my bastard son please welcome him into the Dragon clan that is not to mention strict on extramarital affairs. I stayed with my mother and either from Ulric feeling to take on his parental role or guilt; he got me into the Blackbird clan when I came of age. My mother told me about you when I was young and I had to keep my knowledge of you secret. It wasn’t all to benefit you or Ulric, it was for my safety. Bastards are looked down upon and if I wanted to be anything in this world, I had to keep my mouth shut.”

  David gazed at him looking in his eyes like he was searching for more information, more understanding.

  “So how did you become a pirate?” David asked.

  The pirate laughed. “Really, out of everything I told you and you want to know how I came to be known as The Black Ghost.” His chuckling faded. “My mother named me Rasmus, after her father. And I liked the Blackbird clan, but after Ulric started experimenting on me, which I didn’t know at the time until it was too late, I had to leave or more like escape. I stole my first ship and sailed away with no destination in mind and ended up in the Key Islands of the Mers. There, I met a Mer named Marisha and she taught me how to control the poison that I’m sorry to say, you won’t ever get rid of. But, you can control it like it tries to control you.” Rasmus got up and started preparing the fish again with everyone’s eyes on him.

  He glanced at all of us. “You want to hear more?”

  “I think we need to hear more,” Gabe said.

  Rasmus swayed his head from side to side. “Alright, then more you shall hear.” He sprinkled the fish with salt and pepper. “How I came to be a pirate is why everyone becomes a pirate—money. The money is good if you’re a good pirate. I sold everything from stolen goods on the black market, semi-magical implements and the harmless ones that bring good money, there’s no sense in letting just anyone run wild with the Flaming Wand of Mira even if they offer you a good price—I don’t want to become rich only to have my ass on fire two days later. Even a pirate knows when to say when with certain magical implements. Well, this fish is protected by the High Alfheim and I managed to catch several and even have some for a feast. Made a pretty good profit too.” The fish began to sizzle in the skillet as Rasmus flipped them over.

  “But why do they call you The Black Ghost?” David asked.

  “As you can see my skin is dark, the one thing I kept from my mother, and between my white hair and nearly colorless
eyes combined with the ability to vanish into thin air and reappear where least expected earned me the name The Black Ghost. I was feared and shunned when I was in market which is awful to make anything when your customers are frightened to death of you, so I stole for myself the Fan of Change so I could appear like a normal pirate at market. Problem solved,” Rasmus said taking the tiny pieces of fish from the pan.

  “Here we are,” he said with a smile. “Please eat with me. All of you must be starving.”

  We stood still as Rasmus set the small table with plates and then pulled down a bottle from an overhead cabinet.

  “And here is a bottle of Ambrosia from…” he said looking at the bottle.

  “From the hills of Shangri-La,” Claire said with a gasp. “How did you get it?”

  “Ah, a connoisseur of the finer things of this world,” Rasmus said as Claire took the bottle and he handed her a glass.

  I remembered Claire having a bottle she kept in her room hidden in a teddy bear. I also remembered sampling some myself and how good it tasted.

  “Please,” Rasmus said, “the fish if getting cold.”

  We sat at the table as Gabe and Ian helped David over. His body was shaking and sweat dripped from his forehead.

  “I’m not hungry,” he mumbled out.

  “You need to keep your physical strength even if you don’t feel like eating, your body needs it,” Rasmus said firmly.

  David began to breathe heavily and his body stiffened as he clenched his fists and let out a growl showing his teeth at us.

  “Get the poppy milk!” Rasmus shouted.

  Ian reached into his pocket and pulled out the small vile of white liquid. Rasmus and Gabe pulled David to the floor. Ian pried David’s mouth open letting the substance drip to his open mouth.

  Under the weight of Rasmus, David squirmed until the convulsions stopped. Gabe and Ian got up as Rasmus put a blanket over his half-brother.

  “All I can say is that I hope we make it to the Key Islands in time. I didn’t have as much poison as he had.” He motioned towards David. “Time isn’t on our side and as a crew, we’d better work together or Ulric will surely win.”