Into Dreams: A Gina Harwood Novel (Gina Harwood Series Book 3) Read online

  "You've met him," realized Gavin slowly, a grin spreading across his face. "You've actually met my brother."

  "Gina-Dreamer! Get back!" Gina heard a voice call out over the deck and turned to it, holding onto the balustrade as the memories threatened to overwhelm her. It had taken Victor hours to pull her up from the visions that monster had placed in her mind, and that work was being undone in an instant, the hateful symbol boring into her brain and ripping apart her support beams with a crowbar. She slowly turned her head to see Kyrri running full-force at Gavin Crowell, his tail puffed out and his fangs bared, snarling a feline scream as he barreled forward. Kyrri leaped and hit the surprised-looking Crowell straight in the chest, sending them both tumbling over the edge of the ship.

  “NO!” she screamed, shaking her head to try to clear her blurred vision.

  Captain Gage had ducked his head out to see what all the fuss was about, and he watched the two tumble over. "MAN OVERBOARD!" he screamed, running to the edge of the deck. "MAN OVERBOARD!"

  "Man overboard!" came one echo, and then many. The deck was swarmed with crewmen and Gina saw several leaping into the water, ropes tied around their waist. She was still rooted to the ground, trying to make sense of what had just happened, her mind numb from the unlocked memories of what she'd seen. Gina looked down at the deck. The symbol was gone.

  "Kyrri!" she whispered, realizing suddenly that he had indeed gone over the side of the boat. "KYRRI!" Gina ran and leapt to plunge into the water, but the captain grabbed her out of the air and slammed her, harder than she felt was required, onto the deck.

  “Not today, miss,” he growled, letting her up but pushing her back. “No more of that today. They’re gonna have enough trouble haulin’ two in.”

  Gina shoved her way forward to join the captain looking over the edge, gritting her teeth. He glanced her direction, but asked no questions, and returned his gaze to the work being done below. Two men had rappelled down the front of the ship, and there were two additional men swimming freely in the water. As they watched, one of the swimmers handed a large bundle of wet fur to one of the danglers, and the captain bellowed "HAUL IN, STARBOARD ROPE!" The captain, Hammer, and two other crewmen began pulling the man up, and Gina quickly joined them, pulling against the rope as hard as she could. Her hands burned by the time the dangling man reached the banister, laying the dripping Cat on the deck. Gina rushed forward.

  Kyrri coughed weakly and twitched a paw, but otherwise did not move.

  "Go lay towels out on the bed," ordered Gage as he crouched down and picked up the Cat in one fluid motion.

  “Find Crowell,” she commanded Hammer as Gage began walking briskly toward the cabins. “I need him alive!” Gina ran past the captain to the cabin door and through her own, throwing open the cabinets and gathering up the towels quickly. Captain Gage walked in, holding Kyrri while she lay the towels out.

  "Wasn't a Man," whispered Kyrri, so low she could barely hear him. She smoothed out the last towel and nodded at Gage. "It was a monster, the yellow-eyed monster. I saw his eyes," he coughed.

  "It almost sounds like he's talking," wondered Gage, setting the Cat down on the towels.

  "He is," said Gina, tired of hiding it. "He said that man wasn't human. He says it was the yellow-eyed monster." She looked up at the captain, and the blood had drained from his face. "I take it you know what that is?"

  “I'll be back," said the captain, looking ashen, and he ran out of the cabin.

  “I need him ALIVE!” she shouted after him. "Kyrri," whispered Gina, pressing the towels against his fur. "What happened?"

  "I saw you talking, and I could see what he was even from in here," coughed Kyrri, laying completely still. A shudder ran through his body, and his breath rattled in his chest. Gina felt tears prick her eyes. "My eyes are better than yours."

  "Yes, they are," she agreed, taking a quick moment to wipe her eyes with the back of her hand before stripping the wet towel away and replacing it with a dry one. "I need your eyes, Kyrri. You can't leave me."

  "I'm not going anywhere, Gina-Dreamer," he whispered as his eyes drifted closed. "But I'm very tired."

  Gina continued rubbing his fur until he was dry, moving through towels rapidly and then moving to blankets. She swaddled him in dry blankets, rolling him up tightly, and propped open the window to let the fresh air in. He lay there, silent and deathly still, and Gina leaned over him twice to ensure that he was still breathing. He was, though his breaths were weak and shallow, and she could hear a fierce rattle in his lungs. Gina stood and looked sadly down at the Cat. “I’m so sorry, Kyrri,” she whispered, before turning and storming out on the deck. She needed answers from Crowell, and she needed them now.

  30

  By the time Eliah Stargazer returned to the hut, Morgan had managed to massage enough life into his legs to walk to the spear rack and back, hobbling carefully and leaning heavily against the wall as he went. His thoughts were focused. Hlanith. Calephais. Kadatheron. King. Find Pan and bleed him dry. It seemed positive to have a list of things to accomplish for the future.

  “You are able to walk,” commented Eliah as she ducked into the hut, as composed as though she had not just been fighting a monster.

  Morgan wrapped the blanket around his waist quickly and tucked it secure. He scratched his beard. “Sort of.” He noticed that her hand was still tightly clutching her spear, and he leaned against the wall in what he hoped seem like a non-aggressive manner. “Hey, I need some info. Do you know where I can go to visit a king?”

  Eliah looked unimpressed. “The gug was small. We have killed it.”

  “Great,” he replied. “I need to find a king.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “We have no king. We care for ourselves. Many Men have many Kings. Which King?”

  “Kadatheron?” ventured Morgan hopefully.

  “Kadatheron has no king that I know of,” she shrugged. “But I do know of the city.”

  “Great. Really, really good.” He ran his hand through his hair and was dismayed that it seemed longer than he remembered. “Okay. Do you know how I get to Kadatheron?”

  Eliah relaxed her grip on her spear and leaned it against the wall, turning back to Morgan and crossing her arms. “Do you have dinieri?” She paused for a moment, but continued before Morgan could answer. “No, you do not, because you were a naked man when my daughter convinced my gentle giant of a son to drag you back to here. Where you became my problem.”

  Morgan pursed his lips. “Yes, and I’m very thankful for everything you’ve done.” He paused before adding, “And for not cutting off my foot, regardless of the reason. Now I’d like nothing more than to stop being your problem, but that’s going to require me finding a way off of this island.”

  Eliah cocked her head at him, but waited for him to continue.

  “That’s it. That’s all I got. I need to get to Kadatheron, to some king. Point me in the right direction and I’ll swim if I have to.” Morgan shrugged at her. “But I have to go.”

  There were a few moments of silence as Eliah seemed to consider his words. Morgan listened to the waves on the beach, and the sound of the village kids playing some game, and the call of the gulls, sick or otherwise, above the island. It was still, almost silent compared to the usual soundtrack of his life, and he felt more serenity than he had any right to feel. He didn’t come close to understanding what was happening here, and he knew things were operating by rules he didn’t have any experience with - but he now had a destination, and with it came a sense of purpose. Stay alive. And right behind that was Find Gina. Keep her alive.

  She nodded and let her eyes fall. “I won’t stand in your way. You clearly don’t belong here.”

  The words didn’t sting Morgan this time. He nodded his agreement.

  “But I will not make you swim. My husband’s vaka should be returning in four suns, if the wind pleases. I will convince him to give you passage to Aphorat, but we cannot sail across the great seas in our ships. I don�
��t know how you will book passage with no dinieri,” she snarled. “No one here does things for free.”

  “Then it’s even more appreciated. I’ll figure it out,” replied Morgan, rubbing his shoulder.

  Eliah considered him. “Perhaps. You should rest. I will have Nopah bring you something to eat. Hopefully tomorrow you can manage a few things.”

  “I’m alright. What things?”

  “No, you were virtually dead a week ago. I know you are not alright. But the village wonders why I am allowing a stranger to lay useless in my hut for more than a week. It will help matters if you are able to dig up a few tubers or gather some berries. Something.”

  Morgan smiled. “Sure. I’m sure I can manage that.”

  “Good. Then rest now and wait for dinner. I will gather you in the morning,” Eliah gave him a curt nod and raised an eyebrow at his blanket. “I will send a pair of pants with your meal.”

  “Thanks,” said Morgan, but Eliah had already ducked out. In truth, he was not alright, and he knew it. His body was still fighting back from poison, infection, near-drowning, and complete exhaustion. Pan, or whatever his damn name was, was at least correct about that. He should be dead.

  Morgan hobbled back to the small cot and sat down heavily. Standing at length had frozen up his muscles again, and he pounded at his thighs with his fist in irritation. At least the giant would be bringing pants, he reminded himself, and brightened at the thought. That was positive. Hlanith. Calephais. Kadatheron. King. Find Pan and bleed him dry. That was also positive.

  31

  Dinner on the Blackbird that evening was a somber affair, the usually jovial atmosphere thickened and dark from their day’s events. Gage was tucking into his mince pie mechanically, but Hammer was only picking at his, and neither would meet Gina’s eyes as she slid into her seat. The chair that had been previously occupied by Gavin Crowell was conspicuously empty.

  “Never found any sign?” ventured Gina carefully. As soon as the captain left her quarters, he’d called off the search and instructed them to set full sail and full power. He’d wanted them out of the area. Gina had been furious, and hadn't been quiet about her displeasure.

  “No,” answered the captain gruffly, his mouth full of pie. His eyes were dark and brooding under his thick brow.

  “I’m not… I’m not from around here. I don’t understand what Kyrri meant. What did he mean when he called Crowell the yellow eyed monster? It seemed very specific,” asked Gina, watching them for reactions as she ate a piece of bread.

  “Couldn’t tell ya,” mumbled Gage. Hammer didn’t answer, but picked at his food.

  “Really? You seemed to want us out of there pretty quick. Against my wishes.”

  Gage stuffed a large piece of crust into his mouth and glared at her as he chewed. “Your wishes don’t mean shit aboard my vessel.”

  “Okay, fair,” replied Gina. “But I think Kyrri needs a doctor. Is Calephais the nearest city?”

  “Don’t you mean a vet?” chuckled Gage.

  “Yes, we should reach Calephais tomorrow afternoon if we keep at our pace,” interjected Hammer in a quiet voice.

  “Do you know the city?” she asked Hammer, swiveling in her chair to face him. “Do you know where I could find a doctor, or a vet, or whatever might know how to help?”

  Hammer opened his mouth to speak, but Gage brought his fist down to the table with a loud crash. Hammer closed his mouth again and dropped his gaze to his pie, his face conflicted. “No. We have a one strike policy. You and the fleabag are off at Calephais, and we’re off to our next location, which is somewhere far away from where you are headed. And I don’t care which way you’re headed, I’ll pick the other.” Gage looked up at her and his eyes were cold. “There ain’t no yellow eyed man. And if there ain’t, then your pet just killed a good-paying customer.” His eyes softened a bit. “And if there is, then I want no part in whatever this is.”

  Hammer looked at a point out the window and set his jaw.

  “I see,” replied Gina evenly, pursing her lips. “Well, okay. At least direct me to a doctor when we get on the deck.”

  “I’ll yell it at you while we’re debarking.”

  Gina inhaled deeply, counting to ten in her head. It would do no good to take her frustrations out on the captain again, at least, not at the moment. The last time accomplished nothing, and she at least needed them to get to shore in one piece. “Well, thanks for your help, anyway. I think I’ll just take this back to my cabin.” She glanced at Hammer, but he was still glaring out the window as she lifted her sizable mince pie and walked out of the galley. Hammer’s eyes met hers as she walked past the window, and his face was soft and apologetic. She shifted her eyes forward and walked up the stairs to the cabins.

  She heard Kyrri’s rasping coughs from the wheeldeck and grimaced, walking quickly in and shutting the door behind her. “Hey Kyrri, look. Mince pie,” she said, laying the aromatic pie near his head.

  “Thank you, Dreamer,” he rasped, and his voice sounded terribly weak. She helped him lift his head and he took a painfully small bite.

  “Don’t thank me, Kyrri,” she snapped. “This is all my fault. There is absolutely no reason that you should be out here on a ship sick as a… well, sick. I shouldn’t have involved you at all. That was selfish, and I’m sorry.”

  “Please don’t send me back home, Gina-Dreamer,” he pleaded in a whisper, his eyes wide, and she helped him take another bite.

  “It’s not a punishment, Kyrri!” she laughed. “This, THIS is punishment.”

  “No, this is an adventure,” he wheezed, and took another bite of the pie. “And this pie is really good.”

  She chuckled but bit her lip. “Yeah, it smells good. But I mean it, Kyrri. I’m not … well, I guess I am a Dreamer, but I don’t have a dreamquest, I’m not fighting to save the world from something awful. I was selfish and foolish and he got stranded here, and my only hope is that I find him before something kills him. If he's still alive to begin with.”

  “He’s not dead,” reminded Kyrri. “That’s the first thing I heard you say.”

  “This is just a rescue mission. There’s no greater cause.”

  “The lore says all dreamquests are vital. No exceptions.” Kyrri coughed and Gina was horrified to see blood in his mucus.

  “Then your goddamn lore is wrong,” she snapped. “And you are not going to die on my watch, do you hear me? You are going to get better, and you are going to go and live a long, fluffy Cat life, being fed meat and ale by every wench in Ulthar. Got it?”

  “Yes. After our adventure. Promise me,” he answered, smiling weakly at her before laying his head back down on the pillow.

  Gina looked down at the pie, which was missing very little of its original contents. “I need you to eat, Kyrri,” she pleaded.

  “I can’t,” he said. “I just need to sleep. Promise me you won’t send me home,” Kyrri closed his eyes and Gina placed her hand on his head.

  “I’m not going to let you die, you stupid kit,” she murmured, stroking the fur on his forehead.

  “I’m not a kit,” he whispered, eyes still closed, before his labored breaths deepened into the raspy breathing of the sleeping ill.

  32

  The first day was hard, but not impossible. Eliah Stargazer ducked into his hut at first sunlight, but Morgan was already awake and ready, having spent the first several minutes of his day pounding at his legs to convince them to function. He was standing when she entered, his linen pants covering the blue and purple blotches underneath. It wasn’t the prettiest method, but it seemed to work, and he wanted to show that he would be ready to travel when the ships returned to the island. She examined him coldly, nodding her thin-lipped approval before turning on her heel and walking back outside, only the tiniest flick of her wrist indicating that she expected him to follow. He did so, using the walls for additional support as he made his way toward the exit.

  The warrior-woman was already halfway across the white
sand beach standing stock straight next to another hut, staring stonily back at him. Ignoring her gaze, he took a moment to lean against the hut wall before continuing his labored journey. Breathing heavily from the exertion, his legs shaking with the effort of keeping himself upright, he calmed his mind and scanned his surroundings with a professional eye. The huts all appeared to be roughly the same layout and dimensions as the one he’d been laid up in, and he could see about a dozen of them, peppered along the edge between the thick jungle and the open shore. There were a surprising amount of people milling about on the shore, and Morgan realized with a start that they were, indeed, all women and children, except for Nopah, who was trailing behind some of the younger kids. Nopah, Eliah’s son, was by far the oldest boy he could see.

  “The men sail. And when they are too old to sail, they retire to the sea,” informed Eliah, following his gaze as she doubled back toward him. She was holding a long, carved piece of wood and handed it to him. “This was my father’s, before he retired. It’ll probably help you walk.”

  Morgan accepted the walking stick gratefully, and experimentally took a few steps. It did help. “Retired?” he asked, watching two small girls chasing each other and running from the water at the edge of the shore.

  Eliah held his gaze coldly. “We do not abide the useless. When the Men are too old or sick to be useful, they walk off of the ships and drown in the ocean. It is tribute to the sunrise, and it keeps our village safe from the gods’ wrath.” Eliah glanced at Nopah and her face reddened. “My son continues to be useful here in the village, just not out on the sea with the men. He can only handle the simplest of tasks, but he does them thoroughly.”