Water over Blood: Last Moon Rising, #3

Chapter One

Darkness filled my head. And pain. My eyelids shifted, tried to open, but the pain dug its claws deeper, pinching, stabbing, slashing. It blurred my thoughts as I probed the edges of my mind, trying to pull something free, some memory that I could hold on to, but there was nothing but dark walls. And pain. Always the pain.

A flutter of movement stirred my hair. A brush of breeze across my cheek. The faint scent of burnt cinnamon. My head moved toward the smell, causing a spasm of pain. I moaned; the sound seemed to come from far away.

Rest.

I latched on to the voice: soothing, soft, velvet. My lids fluttered open, and I blinked against the rapid-fire rays of light. I glimpsed dark hair sweeping over green eyes. The guy touched my cheek with his knuckles, so gentle. He was beautiful, an angel. Sighing, I swept back into darkness, comforted by the thought of the dark angel watching over me.

**********

When I woke again, I lay still and concentrated on the rise and fall of my chest. Slowly I inventoried my body, moving my toes first and working my way up. My head throbbed and buzzed like it was full of hungover bees. Everything else, though a bit achy and stiff, seemed to be in working order. My skin felt warm and sticky, and there was a soft pressure against my forehead. My tongue was thick in my dry mouth.

The air smelled damp, and water dripped nearby, the soft plops echoing hollowly. Birds tweeted and chirped, and a chorus of hawks sounded nearby. Air cooled the sweat along my hairline, and I shivered so violently my elbow rapped the ground. A slight scuffing sound, like a boot on rock, and then the air beside me stirred. My nose flared at the burnt cinnamon and wood-smoke scents.

I struggled to lift my lids. A shard of sunlight pierced my eyes, seeming to explode inside my head. Wincing, I squeezed them shut and then flicked them open. I blinked my watering eyes until I could focus on the guy kneeling next to me. My dark angel.

He slid a cloth from my forehead. He dunked it in an animal-skin bucket, wrung it out, and put it back on my forehead. Then he sat back on his heels and studied me.

I ran my tongue over my cracked lips. Water?

A small canteen was slung over his shoulder. He pulled it over his head and held it out.

When I raised myself on one elbow, the cloth tumbled to my lap. Lightning stabbed the inside of my head. Nausea swirled in my stomach. I held my breath, trying not to puke.

Sucks to be me, I muttered, my voice raspy and dry.

He didn’t respond.

When my head cleared, I reached for the canteen with a shaky hand. I took a long drink, and then took an even longer moment studying him. His green gaze was steady, focused, unblinking. His hands hung relaxed between his knees. He didn’t seem to have issues with the drawn-out silence.

You got a name? I asked.

He tilted his head, eyes narrowing. You don’t recognize me?

I tried to draw from the dark well that substituted for my brain. No matter how hard I squeezed my eyes closed, all I got was a big, fat, blank brain fart. Should I?

He rubbed his fingertips together. Do you remember your name?

I took another swallow of water, ran my tongue over my teeth, shifted my gaze from his face to the floor and back to his face. No.

It’s Haley.

I waited for a ping, a light, anything to appear on my brain-blackboard. My stomach squeezed when nothing happened.

Are we friends?

He shook his head. No.

He took the canteen and screwed the cap back on. My gaze traveled from his sexy, dark hair, to his green eyes, and then over his gray shirt with the frayed hem and long sleeves; the drawstring cord hung loose so that his chest was partially bare. I tore my gaze away and moved down to his black pants. His knees weren’t quite poking through the worn fabric... yet. I thought he looked to be about eighteen or nineteen years old.

He was beyond hall-god, more like a god of the hall-gods. My stomach fluttered.

But we know each other, I said.

He tilted his head then stood. I wasn't entirely sure if he'd just agreed or not. His knees were dusty from kneeling on the ground, and I thought his boots were black, but they were so scuffed and dirty it was kind of hard to tell. My eyes wandered up. His lightweight pants fit snugly, highlighting his leg muscles. His hips were narrow, his shoulders wide. My gaze lingered over his square jaw and full lips before catching his gaze. He gave me a half smile. Heat flashed across my cheeks, and I quickly studied my fingers. I frowned. What the hell happened to my nails? They were cracked, torn, and dirty. So were my hands.

He turned away and I couldn't stop from checking out his ulta-fine ass. My heart tugged. I wondered how he knew my name. If we weren’t friends, why were we together? I pulled at the vacant edges of my mind. Nothing.

He strode to a fire, shifted a warped pot so it nestled on a bed of coals. The cave we were in was gloomy, water trickling down the sides to dampen the floor. Daylight filtered through an opening, tunneling through the gloom and highlighting backpacks leaning against the wall—one red, one black, and the other a dingy gray.

The coolness triggered goose bumps. I rubbed my arms, realizing my shirt was not only sleeveless, but dirty and torn and missing a couple of buttons. My pants were made of tan suede, with a major tear up the side of one leg, exposing shredded skin that had begun to scab. I wore brown, leather, lace-up ankle boots.

I sat a little straighter, and the movement sent pain flicking against my eardrums. Shit. How big was the elephant that sat on my head?

I pressed a palm to my temple and felt something sticky. I studied the orange goo covering my hand before looking at him. What happened?

He rummaged through the gray backpack, holding up glass bottles filled with different-colored contents. He squinted at each one, muttering to himself. He finally opened one, sniffed, and dumped some of the contents into the pot.

He stirred for a few moments before ladling lumpy, mud-looking stuff into a metal cup. He pressed the cup into my hands.

It smelled like dirt and mushrooms and mold. My stomach rolled. Gross.

Drink, he said, nudging the cup. It’s for the pain.

I held my breath and sipped. Once the moldy taste hit my tongue, I spit it out, spraying my lap. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. My head spun. I took deep breaths, trying to calm my stomach.

Drink it, Haley, he commanded.

I sucked in a deep breath, and then downed the contents in one shot. Gagging, I smacked him in the gut with the cup. When he headed toward the backpacks, I wiped my tongue on my shirt.

I lay back down on the thin blanket. A cool sensation filtered through my veins. My stiff muscles slowly relaxed.

What’s your name?

Dane.

Where are we, Dane?

He leaned against the wall near the entrance and gazed outside. On the Ashar River, near Lake Zuhaar.

I rubbed my scratchy eyes. My lids felt so, so heavy.

He continued. Yesterday, I found you lying half in the river, unconscious.

My eyelids drooped. Dark angel to my rescue, I slurred, and then darkness claimed me again.

**********

A crash woke me. I bolted upright, blinking against both the searing pain in my head and the flash of lightning outside. Thunder pealed, so loud it seemed to rattle not only the cave but my teeth as well.

Lightning illuminated the cave, and electricity lifted my hair. Dane stood by the entrance. He didn’t flinch when the lightning pounded the ground in front of him, shooting rock pellets that pelted his boots and bounced off my blanket, which I gripped to my chin. When another bolt slammed into the mountain, the electrical buzz made my skin tingle. I slapped my hand to my chest, my heart pounding beneath my palm. 

I ducked at another flash, the sudden movement sending pain flaring through my skull. The lightning nearly caught one of Dane’s boots.

Are you numb-nuts? Get away from there! I dropped my blanket to hold my head.

He turned slowly, and then sat next to me. The Fire Eyid’s angry.

The who?

The Fire Eyid, God of Fire. One of the four gods of nature.

Eyids. Nature gods. I had a fleeting memory of the Eyids in my dreams. I gasped when lightning shook the ground and shot more pebbles into the cave.

Why’s he so pissed? He’s making my head hurt.

The Eyids have been at war since the Web of Harmony was broken.

After some seconds had gone by without any action from the sky, I relaxed my sweaty fists from the blanket. The gods are fighting for power over nature?

He thought for a moment, and then said, "Ach, the gods are simply not at peace. It’s men who fight for power."

I don’t get it, I murmured, and I thought I spoke in time with the pounding in my head.

Men want power over nature, to control the destiny of this globe. Others wish to control all seven globes in the planetary chain.

I opened my mouth to ask another question, but he said, It’s over. You should sleep.

His eyes seemed to glow in the gloom, a glow that highlighted his emerald gaze. A moment ago I’d been wide awake, but now I thought resting was the best idea in the world. I lay back down and slipped into darkness, peaceful darkness where thunder didn’t make my head throb.

**********

When I woke up again, my headache had gone. I stretched, reveling in the pain-free moment, and then groaned. Though my head felt better, the muscles in my arms, sides, and back were stiff and cramped.

A small fire crackled near the cave’s entrance. A wood spit held long sticks with chunks of sizzling meat. The smell made my mouth water.

My stomach rumbled in the quiet. I glanced around, but Dane was nowhere to be seen. I licked my lips, staring at the meat. I was sure he wouldn’t mind sharing, and I'd bet one of those kabobs was meant for me anyway.

I flicked my blanket to the side, and then froze at a low, guttural growl. I slowly moved my head. A monster-sized dog towered in the cave’s entrance. Its rust-colored fur rose in a wave along the back of its neck. Unblinking, it stared with blood-red eyes. Its lip curled back in another snarl, trembling over sharp, yellow teeth.

I had frozen with my arm in the air. I squeezed my thighs together against the urge to pee. My palms began to sweat, and my face felt cold. Slowly, I lowered my trembling arm. As if that was a signal, the dog barked. A tongue of flame darted from its mouth. I gasped, my eyes widening. Growling low in its throat, a tendril of smoke curling up from the corner of its mouth, it stepped into the cave.

Chapter Two

I crab-walked backward, trying to put distance between me and the monster-dog with the fire-shooting mouth. My hands and feet went numb. Shivers raced over my clammy skin. My gaze darted around the cave, looking for a weapon; all I had to defend myself with was a thin blanket.

Monster-dog halted several feet from me, growling and smoking. A wave of sulfur-breath washed over my face. I shrank against the wall, stomach muscles quivering. My mouth hung open, but I couldn’t seem to suck in a breath. Despite the cool air, sweat beaded my upper lip. I squeezed my eyes shut, tensing every muscle as I waited for the monster-dog to pounce.

"Hech leb!"

I snapped my eyes open. Dane stood in the entrance, holding a flaming torch. The monster-dog continued to growl, drool, and shoot sparks.

Hech leb! he repeated.

The monster-dog licked its lips, slurping up some spit dangling from its mouth. Its head hung low to the ground, a pink scar plowing a trail through the fur on his face from the corner of its right eye, down its nose, and to the end of its snout, like its face had been split in two. One ear flicked back then forward again. Its other ear was slit down the middle, making it flop over its forehead. I thought I shouldn’t look directly into its eyes, thinking it might be considered a challenge in dog-world, but the swirling red of its irises, like pools of lava, captivated me. I clenched my fists, eyes wide as Dane strode into the cave and swung the torch. Flames nicked the dog’s tail.

Monster-dog pivoted toward Dane, its upper lip trembling as it pulled back in a fang-toothed growl. It was tall, its head level with Dane’s belly.

Dane rapped the dog on the snout with his torch. Behave.

With a high-pitched yelp and a final puff of smoke, it laid its ears back and licked Dane’s hand. Dane rubbed the dog’s ears, and then pointed to the cave’s entrance.

"Lochte."

With a whimper, it tucked its tail between its legs and streaked out of the cave.

My heart pumped so much blood to my head that my ears throbbed. I pulled myself to my feet. What the hell was that thing?

My dog.

I edged toward the fire. "Your dog? As in pet?"

Dane took a stick of meat off the fire and handed it to me. It’s a fire hound.

That explained the flames shooting out of its mouth. Are you sure it’s gone? I craned my neck to peer at the smoky trail the dog left behind.

From the cave, yes.

I collapsed on my blanket. It was impossible to eat with my heart break-dancing on top of my stomach. Absolutely, positively sure it won’t come back?

Dane chewed for a minute. No, but Kashiri listens reasonably well.

It had a name? I swallowed. Dane was numb-nuts crazy.

After a few minutes of flicking my gaze between the entrance, Dane, and my food, hunger overtook fear. I slid meat off the stick and popped it into my mouth. The spicy flavor hit my tongue, and my mouth watered in response. I quickly chewed and swallowed and popped another chunk into my mouth. I shot glances at the entrance between bites of food.

How’s your head?

Better. I licked my fingers. Can you tell me where I am?

Eyidora.

Well, duh. I knew what globe I was on.

Dane poked his skewer into the fire and watched the tip burn. Lak’ Neynu.

The Region of Water? I remembered the laks, the regions of the Eyids: heika—land; nurr—air; toom—fire; and neynu—water. I finished my meal before voicing my next question. Do I live around here?

He shook his head.

Night began to fall. Shadows lurked through the cave. I shivered in the sudden coolness, and even though I couldn’t possibly have been awake more than an hour, found myself yawning.

Where do I live?

Lak’ Nurr. Dane poked the fire with a stick. You should rest.

I think you’re right, I agreed, not even trying to stifle another yawn.

I lay down on my blanket. Through half-closed eyes, I watched Dane pull a burning stick from the fire, running his hand through the flames, a back and forth stroking that made the flames burn brighter, hotter. I wondered if it’d been a trick of the light, but then the thought slipped away, forgotten, as sleep claimed me.

**********

I snapped open my eyes, listening to the darkness, trying to figure out what had woken me. I heard it again... mumbling. Dane murmured in his sleep, his legs jerked once, and then stilled.

The air had grown much cooler, clinging to my face like a damp mist. Iciness prickled the inside of my head. Darkness smudged the edges of the cave so that I felt like I looked at an unfinished painting.

I massaged a leg cramp, then got up and stretched, wincing. My joints were still stiff and achy. I did a couple of leg squats and toe touches.

Limping to the cave’s entrance, I paused. To my right, flashes of the river glinted in the moonlight through the trees, and my gaze followed its trail to a wide, flat surface that I guessed was the lake. As my gaze swept back up the river, I spotted a tall guy with shimmering, light hair. He turned slowly in a circle, peering at bushes and trees as though searching for someone. My memory tugged. Did I know him?

I crept down a path to the river’s edge, the walk loosening my muscles. The river spit white froth as it slammed against the rocks that blocked its way. A shallow pool reflected the pale moon above me, lapping at it like a watery tongue licking a lollipop.

Crickets chirped in the tall grass. Frogs burped along the shore. Something splashed in the water, and an owl called to the dark. I looked in both directions, then across the river, then back toward the cave. The guy I’d seen earlier had vanished.

I knelt and leaned over the water, looking at my reflection. My face wasn’t that bad, I supposed, though I was on the pale side, and shadows smudged the area around my flint-colored eyes. A gash ran from my eyebrow to my hairline, lined with orange goo. I frowned. Did I always look like I had twisted, brown pipe cleaners poking out of my head?

A heavy, stone necklace swung free from my shirt. I sat back on my heels and smoothed its milky surface with a dirty thumb.

Eyids be. Haley?

I leapt to my feet, whirling to face a crazy-hot, Greek god. Dark-blond hair had been pulled into a ponytail, while cool, blue eyes gazed at me. I sucked in a quick breath. My nerves tingled with an undercurrent of electricity, and a force as strong as the river pulled at my chest.

I knew him, yet I didn’t know him.

We would search for you, he said, and his gaze traveled to my necklace.

His voice, low, lilting with an accent, caressed my ears like a warm sea breeze. It swirled before seeping inside my brain and wrapping my mind in a comforting embrace. My stomach did a little flip.

I loved him, yet I hated him.

He stepped toward me. Your fate was uncertain.

Distant memories banged against the dark wall in my mind, trying to burst through. I closed my eyes, fighting the invasion, and I wondered why I fought them. Didn’t I want to remember my past? My eyes snapped open. I knew him, I was sure of it. But I didn’t want to remember him. Now my stomach didn’t flip, it churned.

I felt safe with him, yet I feared him.

Haley? His brow wrinkled while he studied me.

He reached out. I flinched as panic burst inside my chest.

Reveal to me where you are.

No! The thought exploded in my head.

I jerked awake, panting. Holding my hand to my chest, I tried to calm my beating heart. Who was that guy? Somehow, I didn’t think a hall-god would be in to me. I thought how he'd ogled my necklace. The tool must be a thief. Was my necklace worth a lot of money? I tucked it under my shirt, lay back down, and drew my blanket to my chin. I stared at the cave's entrance, half-expecting to see a tall, light-haired, thieving stranger come barreling inside to kidnap me.

I’d never sleep now.

**********

When I woke, it was to find sunlight streaming through the cave and Dane stepping through the entrance with one backpack strapped over his back and one looped over a shoulder.

Was he ditching me? What the hell?

I jumped to my feet. Hey!

Dane halted, but didn’t turn.

Are you leaving? I asked.

He nodded.

Wait for me. I dashed across the cave and grabbed the red backpack. Is this mine?

Dane didn’t respond, or turn, but he didn’t leave either. I dug through the pack. Finding a brush, I fought with my hair, tangling and pulling and breaking strands until the brush ran through. I flung the brush back in my pack. I balled up the blanket and crammed it inside, not caring if Dane witnessed that I was, apparently, a slob.

I slipped my arms through the straps. Okay. I’m ready.

Dane finally looked at me; his lips squeezed in a stiff frown. Ach.

I gripped the straps, my heart spinning like a pinwheel caught in a sudden draft. I had an awful feeling that he’d just said no. You’re not going to help me?

He shook his head.

Oh. I see. I wiped my hands on my pants.

I’m sorry, Dane said, backing out of the cave.

But, I don’t know where I am, or who I am, or where I’m going. My voice cracked. I sucked my lips between my teeth to hide their trembling. What if that monster-dog comes back?

She won’t.

Well, what if something else comes for me?

Dane hesitated. Maybe something in your backpack will help you remember.

I gave a little sniff, slipped my pack off my shoulders, and dropped to my knees. As I bent over my pack, my necklace swung free from my shirt.

My fingers trembled as I fumbled with the cord. I ripped open the pack and started yanking stuff out: blanket, canteen, nuts, wrinkly olives, meat jerky, extra clothes (though I made sure my underwear stayed in the pack). Pulling out a jingling pouch, I stopped long