Secrets in the Mist Read online

  A hand shot out from the darkness and grabbed her by the arm.

  Cass let out a yelp as she twisted around and brought her hands up.

  “What do we have here?” a bass voice rumbled.

  “Let go of me!” She couldn’t see the man in the shadows, only two reflective eyes. She shot a fist out, but the arm holding her was longer than her reach.

  “You’re quite a little fighter,” the man observed.

  “I didn’t do anything wrong!” She struggled. “Now let go of me.”

  “Then what’s in your knapsack?”

  Before Cass could react, the man was already taking her the rest of the way to the deck outside. His grip was tight, but not so tight as to leave a bruise, and his hand encompassed her entire arm. If his hand was this big, how big was the rest of him?

  Outside, she realized the sailor who had been sleeping in the chair was gone. Had he been pretending?

  “Oy! Daedalus crew! To the deck!” The man’s deep shout was followed by a whistle. There was pounding across the ship, and a minute later, a dozen sailors showed up, emerging from every which way.

  Cass finally caught a glimpse of her captor. He was the biggest man she had ever seen: at least two men wide and a head taller than anyone else. His head was shaved, his dark skin gleaming in the gas lanterns a few of the sailors had brought with them.

  “Bert spotted this little thief entering our cargo hold.”

  “Aye,” the lanky sailor said, coming to stand in the circle now surrounding Cass. “The little mouse went down the hatch.”

  The sailors around her snickered, including the man holding her.

  “It’s been a while since someone was bold enough to try and steal from the Daedalus.” Her captor turned her around until she faced him. Actually, all she could see was his midsection.

  Blood whooshed inside her ears as she began to tremble. What were they going to do to her? She’d heard stories about what happened to street urchins who were caught by gangs or the bluecoats. What about sailors? Would they torture her? Sell her? And when they discovered she was a girl?

  Cass kept her head bowed, hoping her hair was still caught up in her cap.

  “Why did you take from us?”

  Cass clenched her teeth but didn’t answer.

  A quiet spread across the ship, only broken by a shrill from a factory below.

  “I know you can talk.” The voice rumbled across the deck. “You told me you did nothing wrong. So please explain what you were doing on my ship.”

  Cass tightened her grasp around the cords of her knapsack. Hot tears prickled her eyes. Her head shot up and she glared at the man towering above her. “It’s not like you were going to miss what I took. So why does it matter to you?”

  “Were you hungry?” His gaze startled her. Instead of anger, his eyes were soft, same as his voice.

  Cass bit her lip and looked away. She needed to escape. But how? The hand holding her was the size of a ham hock.

  “Will, get this boy a biscuit.”

  What?

  Cass glimpsed a small figure disappear down the same hallway she had been fleeing from minutes ago.

  The captain turned back toward her. “You’re right, being hungry is not wrong. However, stealing is. So why don’t we make a deal.”

  “What kind of deal?” She was waiting for the moment his grasp loosened so she could make a run for it.

  “Wouldn’t it be better to work for food instead of stealing it?”

  Work? Her heart sped up. Was he offering her a job? Then she scowled. What kind of job? Would he still offer it if he knew she was a girl?

  “I need you to look at me. I like to see the face of the person I’m making an offer to.”

  Her street sense was screaming at her to fight and run, but a small part of her was now curious about this strange, large man. She slowly lifted her chin and looked up at her captor’s face.

  Seconds later he broke out in a wide smile. “Well, I’ll be, you’re not a boy at all.”

  Cass’s breath lodged in her throat. “What’re you talking about? I’m a boy.”

  The chuckle seemed to vibrate through his entire body. “I’ve worked with enough with men to know when I’m looking at a girl.”

  Cass felt her face grow hot.

  The man looked at her thoughtfully. “Ever heard of a diver?”

  She hesitated. “A diver?”

  “Yes. You’re small, nimble, and fast. Traits for a good diver.”

  A diver? Yes, she knew of them. Treasure hunters. The only humans who ventured into the Mist to search out the cities abandoned after the Plague Wars.

  The captain let go of her arm. “I’m always looking for more divers. It’s a dangerous occupation, but it pays well.”

  She took a cautious step back. She should run, right now, but. . . a diver . . . “Are you saying you want me to be a diver?”

  He folded his arms across his massive chest. “I’m offering you the chance to become one. Work for me, here, on my ship. Wouldn’t it be better to earn your food instead of stealing it?”

  Her eyes widened. A real job. As a diver. She could leave Belhold, sail the skies, explore other places, even visit the old cities within the Mist. It was dangerous, but her life on the streets had been one big risk anyway.

  Could this possibly be true?

  She narrowed her eyes. “What’s the catch?” He could be lying. Maybe it was to lure her onto this ship, then sell her.

  A stocky ginger standing nearby piped up. “I was like you a year ago, miss. Stealing food and living off the streets. Then Captain Gresley found me and offered me a position on this ship. He works us hard, but you’ll not find a better or fairer captain in all the skies, or a nicer ship than the Daedalus.”

  The other sailors nodded and murmured their agreement.

  Cass looked straight into the captain’s eyes. “So you’d take a girl on your ship?”

  Captain Gresley raised one eyebrow. “So now you’re admitting you’re a girl?”

  She gave an embarrassed shrug, her mind working through these latest developments. “You’re not going to punish me for taking food?”

  He laughed again. “Not this time. All of us have been hungry at some point in our lives. You can even leave with the food in your knapsack, and I won’t hunt you down. But consider my offer. Here on the Daedalus, you would receive a fair wage and be treated with respect.”

  “Even though I’m a girl?”

  “Especially since you’re a girl. You wouldn’t be the first female crewmember on the Daedalus, and you won’t be the last. You would have nothing to fear on my ship.”

  A place where she would be safe, unlike the factories or streets.

  This couldn’t be real.

  “Tell you what,” Captain Gresley said, “take the rest of the night to think about my offer. We leave in the morning, at sunrise. If you want to join my crew, be here. If not, then may Elaeros bless your travels. And keep the food.” He smiled. “As a gift from the Daedalus.”

  She readjusted her hold on the knapsack and took a step back. “So you’re letting me go?”

  Captain Gresley held up his hands. “You’re as free as a bird.”

  She took another step back. “And you’re not going to call the bluecoats on me.”

  “No. Not this time. Instead, I’m giving you a choice.”

  One more step, and then she’d make a run for the plank.

  “A diver, eh?”

  “Yes.”

  Cass turned and sprinted. Down she ran until she reached the walkway, then across the boardwalk, the glow from the factories below and gas lamps her only light. The knapsack slapped her back, and a can of milk caught her right in the shoulder.

  As she reached an intersection along the boardwalk, she glanced back. The Daedalus hovered far behind her, a grand airship amongst the smog and cloud cover. Was that man being serious?

  Nope. Couldn’t be true.

  She ran until she reached the
streets, then turned right. Most of the factory workers were at home, in the taverns, or already on their shifts, leaving most of the streets empty.

  After a couple blocks, she slowed down and slipped into a narrow alley.

  Cass pulled her knapsack off her back and slumped to the ground. Her clothes stuck to her body, and her hair was a sweaty mess. She pulled the cap off and ran a hand through the sticky curls.

  Her mind replayed her conversation with the captain.

  Was Captain Gresley a good man? One she could trust?

  Cass closed her eyes. She had until morning to decide.

  Cass stood on the walkway next to the Daedalus the following morning. The sun was rising, a mixture of orange and yellow over a valley of factories and smog. Smoke and sulfur filled the air and burned her eyes.

  “This could be dangerous, Cass,” she muttered to herself as she gazed up at the airship. “Very, very dangerous.”

  But there was something inside of her that wanted to take the chance. A chance to leave the life she had now behind. A chance to be up in the sky, to explore new places, maybe even dive down into the Mist. Diving was a dangerous job, but the thought only thrilled her more.

  And each day the streets were becoming more and more hazardous. She had to make a change. And it was right here in front of her.

  She hefted her knapsack over her shoulder and stepped onto the board that connected the Daedalus to the walkway.

  “You came!” A young man jumped the railing from the top deck, landed on the main deck, and ran toward her. The stocky ginger from last night. The one who also used to live on the streets. He stuck out his hand with a wide grin on his face as she stepped onto the deck. In the morning light, she could see the same colored freckles across his nose. He appeared only a few years older than her. “Jeremiah.”

  Cass hesitated, then slowly lifted her own hand. “Cass.”

  He grabbed it and shook it hard. “You’re gonna love it here!”

  “Don’t be scaring her off, Jeremiah.” The lanky sailor stepped forward. His blond hair was pulled back at the nape of his neck where a tattoo of a snake stuck out from beneath his tunic. “I’m Bert. I’m the one who let you on board last night.”

  Cass withdrew her hand from Jeremiah’s enthusiastic hold. “I still don’t understand why.”

  He shrugged. “I was curious. I’d never seen such a tiny thief before. I wanted to see what you were capable of. And why you were here.”

  Cass raised one eyebrow, which only made him laugh.

  More sailors joined the others on the main deck, each one acknowledging her. The men were a variety of heights, body shapes, colors, and ages, ranging from young Jeremiah to a man who looked old enough to be a grandfather. And they all seemed excited she had returned.

  Captain Gresley appeared from the stairway. “Well, well, looks like you decided to join my crew,” he greeted her as he crossed the deck. The men parted for him, and there was no mistaking the look of respect these sailors held for their captain.

  As he stood before Cass, she felt overwhelmed again by his size. She had to crane her neck just to look up into his face. If it weren’t for the deep smile creases, he would be overly intimidating.

  Captain Gresley beamed down at her. “We haven’t had a woman on board the Daedalus since my mother left the captaincy and this ship to me. As captain of the Daedalus, I would like to welcome you on board as a new member and extend to you the respect, courtesy, and responsibilities of a fellow sailor. My handshake is my bond. If you wish to continue, then accept my hand.”

  A core of ice suddenly formed inside her belly as Cass stared at his proffered hand. Once again she wondered, What kind of men were these sailors?

  Could she trust him?

  Then again, what did she have to lose? Opportunities like this never came to people like her.

  Cass took his hand, hers dwarfed inside his palm. “I’ll join.”

  “Deal,” Captain Gresley said. “Now, what’s your name?”

  “Cass.”

  “Just Cass?”

  “Yes.” She didn’t have a last name, and she wasn’t about to reveal her full name. Caution still prohibited her, and it was a rare private connection she had left to her parents.

  He didn’t seem put out by her name—or lack thereof—and glanced over her head. “Jeremiah, I’m going to have you train Cass here on the duties of the ship. And show her to the empty cabin off the galley. That’ll be hers.”

  Jeremiah leaped to her side. “Aye, Captain!”

  The large man looked sharply around. “The rest of you, we sail out in a half hour. Make sure the Daedalus is ready.”

  “Aye, Captain.” The chorus of men’s voices rang out across the deck before they scurried back to work.

  Cass stood there with her knapsack in hand, bits of curls escaping out her cap, and sweat pouring across her body. This was it. She was no longer a street rat. She was a sailor now. And soon to be diver.

  She gazed up at the wide balloon that held the ship in the air and smiled to herself. She felt the same kind of buoyancy in her chest.

  A half hour later, the ship shifted, then began to ascend into the skies. Cass could no longer hear Jeremiah’s instructions as she held onto the rail and felt the motion of the airship. A weightless bubble seemed to expand inside her. She was flying. She was really flying!

  “Did you hear me?”

  Cass turned to the young man, her face glowing. “I can’t believe it! We’re taking off! It’s been years since I’ve left Belhold.”

  Jeremiah grinned back. His freckles spread across his sunned skin, and his ginger hair stuck out all over his head. “I’m from Tyromourne. Captain Gresley picked me up a year ago off the streets. I’ve traveled countless times since then, but it never gets old.”

  “So you lived on the streets?” Cass prodded. She was curious to know more.

  “Yep.” He raised his arm and pulled back his sleeve. A long scar followed the inside of his arm. “Almost died in a knife fight. Unlike Belhold, gangs openly roam the streets of Tyromourne. The captain’s always picking up strays, training them on the Daedalus, and sending them off.”

  “Off to where?”

  “Some find other jobs. Some marry and start families. You’re the first girl we’ve brought on board since the previous Captain Gresley.”

  “Was that the captain’s mother?” Cass asked, remembering the captain’s reference.

  “Yes.” His face sobered a little. “I never met her, but I heard she was a strong woman. You’d have to be as a ship captain, and she raised her two boys on the Daedalus. She died shortly after Captain Gresley took over.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.” She barely remembered her parents now. Just faded memories and impressions. But she did remember the hollow grief she carried inside her heart after they died in the Purge.

  They stood silently as the Daedalus continued to rise into the air. Cass breathed in deeply and closed her eyes, focusing on the motion of the airship. She felt like she was slipping away from her old life. In many ways, she was. The tether had snapped, and she was flying away.

  A couple minutes later, the ship leveled off, and the three wings on either side started their revolutions with a soft whir. Wisps of clouds slipped around and below the ship like airy waves. The sun, now free of the smog, shone brightly across the sky.

  As bright as her new life.

  Jeremiah showed her around the ship: the galley, the decks, the hold, and the captain’s cabin. “We should get back to work. As a crew member, you’ll be expected to help keep the ship clean and serve where you’re needed.”

  “I see,” Cass said, touching the tiny locket around her neck and thankful for the shard of glass she’d wrapped and placed inside her knapsack. Although she’d chosen to join the ship, that didn’t mean she trusted the men here, not yet. At this point, the Daedalus was simply a means to escape her life on the streets. What would come next, she wasn’t sure.

  “Fo
r now, start with swabbing the deck,” Jeremiah said as he reached inside a small storage room near the galley. “A bell will ring when it’s time to eat. You won’t be expected to take a watch anytime soon, so your day will end at the night watch, unless the captain or Bert, the first mate, needs you.”

  “And that room you showed me?”

  “That’s yours and yours alone. You’re not expected to bunk with the men, of course.”

  That was a relief.

  He handed her a mop and bucket, and they headed back to the main deck. “Water can be found in one of the rain barrels on the main deck. If you have any questions, I’ll be climbing up and down the rigging today, checking the lines on the balloon.”

  Cass glanced up at the massive distended gasbag thirty feet above her, held to the ship by thick ropes and iron rings. She pictured Jeremiah climbing the ropes like a performing monkey and laughed under her breath at the thought.

  “Oh, and Patterson might be by with some new clothes for you.”

  “Patterson?”

  “The cook, carpenter, and medic for the ship. He said there was a trunk of old clothing and might be something you can use, at least until we reach Decadenn in three weeks.”

  Three weeks. She had little concept of what the world outside Belhold looked like, or even how big it was.

  “You might even get to see Bert and the other divers go for a dive before we get there.”

  Her head snapped up. “A dive?”

  “Yep. If we spot a good air torrent in the Mist, our divers might go down and investigate. Bert might even start training you—that is, if that’s still what you want to do.”

  Forget Decadenn, she wanted to see the world that existed in the Mist. The cities humankind lived in before the war.

  “I see you know a little bit about divers.”

  “Yes.” She smiled.

  Her reaction must have taken Jeremiah by surprise. “You’re not afraid of the Mist?”

  “Well, yes. But . . .”

  He raised one eyebrow. “Well, like the captain said, we’re always looking for divers. And”—he looked her up and down—“you’re the right size. Bert’s always been a bit tall, and the captain can’t glide as far as the others because he’s so large. If you do well and show that you’re trustworthy, there’s always a chance for a promotion.”