The Blood Racer (The Blood Racer Trilogy Book 1) (32 page)

              “Coming! I’m coming right away!” he screeched, his voice high and panicked. “Coming! Coming! Coming!”
              He raced by us without a word and skittered down the spiral staircase that we had come up, mumbling to himself all the while. He was clearly not in his right mind.
              “Don’t mind him,” Darby said in my ear. “He’s harmless. He’s actually very sweet.”
              “Right…”
              Together, the two of us made our way up several more flights of stairs, none of which were joined, and all of them were located in small cubby holes in the corridor walls. I didn’t know how anyone could find their way around in this place. Though, I guessed that growing up here probably helped a great deal. Someone like me could get lost in a few minutes. The entire place was a labyrinth. Our path took us through darkened rooms, through alleyways that were exceptionally narrow, and even through one or two living rooms. The occupants of the homes never even paid us mind as we strolled through their homes. On a couple occasions, we emerged from a hatchway or a porthole and were suddenly outside, standing on the wooden gangways that crisscrossed the outside of the city. The first time, I felt a sudden vertigo as we stepped out into the open air. Thankfully, there were plenty of support ropes and lines to grab on to.
              Finally, we emerged into a room that was much larger than the others. The walls were primarily empty, save for a dent here or there, and the ceiling had several four-bladed fans tha spun slowly overhead. There were long wooden tables that ran the length of it, accompanied by equally long benches for sitting. There was also a series of windows on the far wall that opened to let the sunlight in, and in the back, there were three middle-aged women working busily in a kitchen area.
              “This is the galley,” Darby announced to me. “This where everyone comes to eat.”
              “For free?” I asked, gazing around.
              Darby nodded as we began walking toward the kitchen. “Sure. Everyone chips in by growing vegetables or spices. The town is kind of divided by quadrants, and each quadrant takes turns buying supplies when they’re needed.”
              I was impressed. Every citizen made a contribution in some way, and in turn, every person could eat as equals. I had never fathomed such a practice. Even in Adams, a plate of food would cost you money. Unless you were plucking it from your own garden, that is.
              “Darby,” I said, suddenly curious. “What…is your job?”
              She smiled. “I make clothes,” she said simply. “Clothes get old, and people need new ones, or they just want something else, so I crochet and sew and make alterations, if I need to. I use old fabric to make something new.”
              I grinned. “Wow. I didn’t know you were so talented.”
              She scoffed, but I saw the hint of rosiness that crept into her cheeks.
            As we made our way through the room, I became acutely aware of the heads that were turning our way. Each pair of eyes was gazing curiously at me, undoubtedly wondering who I was and what I was doing there. I did my best to appear unfazed by their stares, but it was very uncomfortable. I could practically feel the gazes on my skin, itching like little worms. I shuddered as we stepped up to the small counter outside of the kitchen.
              The three women didn’t stop working. They were rolling dough, chopping vegetables, and stirring pots and pans of various sizes. I wondered if this was their full time job, to provide food for everyone in Ravencog. If so, it must have been a tremendous effort every single day. I felt slightly guilty that I was about to ask them to serve one more.
              Darby cleared her throat and gestured to the three women. “Elana, these are our master chef sisters: Desi, Nona, and Morta. They make the food, so…they hold our lifelines in their hands.”
              Desi, who was the tallest one of the three - and also had the biggest nose - glanced up from the pot she was stirring, but made no motion or gesture of greeting. Morta, the shortest and stockiest of the three, flashed a smile at us, but was too busy slicing dough into strips to assist us. It was Nona that finally approached us. She had a very prominent chin, and her hair was thick and frizzy, but she seemed the most personable of the three.
              “Do you need somethin’, dears?” she asked, sounding far too polite to be genuine.
              Darby nodded. “Yes, ma’am. I was wondering if we could get a bit of lunch for my friend Elana.”
              Nona glanced over at me, her pale green eyes seeming suspicious. “Silver,” she said flatly. “We’ve heard of you.”
              “Blood Racer,” Morta chirped from behind her.
              “Dominion drudge,” Desi grumbled, not even bothering to look up.
              I furrowed my brow at the remark. “Drudge? I’ve never-”
              “Don’t worry,” Darby whispered to me. “She just says that because you’re an outsider. Anyone not from Ravencog is a part of the Dominion.”
              I sighed, unable to form an argument. Despite the fact that the quality of life in Adams was only slightly better than it was here, Desi was right. We were still technically a part of the Dominion, whereas Ravencog operated away from their prying eyes and outside of their jurisdiction.
              “Well, I’m not an enemy,” I said, still feeling the need to defend myself.
              Nona nodded her head. “Of course not, dear. Let me get you something nice and hot to eat.”
              She disappeared from view, and I could hear her muttering to herself. I gave Darby a nervous look, but she only smiled reassuringly. Apparently, these odd women always acted this way. It was only a few moments later that Nona returned with a tray, on which sat a large bowl of vegetable stew with a glass of water and a thick slice of toasted bread. She handed the tray over the top of the counter and I took it.
              “Thank you,” I said. “I really appreciate it.”
              Nona looked momentarily stunned at my words. Behind her, Morta had stopped slicing her dough, and even Desi had cocked an eyebrow at me.
              “You are very welcome, sweet girl,” Nona replied. She grinned at me, and I couldn’t help but feel that she meant it. Though, their reaction had puzzled me. It wasn’t until we had walked away and sat down at the far end of a table that Darby finally explained.
              “No one ever thanks them,” she said. “A couple of us do sometimes, but…most people just see it as their job. No one thanks the machinists or the mechanics, no one thanks the riggers or the builders, no one even thanks the Captain. It’s just…how it is here. People have a job, and they just…do it.”
              “No wonder they acted like it was such a strange thing,” I said, glancing back at the kitchen. The three sisters were back at work, and I felt a stab of pity toward them. I was glad I thanked them for giving me food.
              “They liked it, though!” Darby said quietly. “I think it meant a lot to them. I will compliment them more from now on.”
              That made me feel a bit better. Maybe Darby could start a chain reaction that would somehow get around the whole town and make every worker feel a bit more appreciated. “Good,” I said, taking a bite of the savory stew.
              Darby sighed and stood up. “You’ll be all right for a few minutes, won’t you? I need to go see Killian’s sister.”
              I swallowed hard, but nodded. I didn’t like the thought of being left alone, especially when people seemed to hate the fact that I was even here, but I knew what she needed to do, and I wasn’t going to stop her.
              She exited the galley and I was on my own, sitting by myself in the corner of the galley, trying to hide in the glare of the sun. I could still feel eyes on me, but I just ate in silence, trying to enjoy the feeling of a full stomach. The stew was very good. There was no meat in it, but it tasted almost like there was.
              Darby was gone for longer than a few minutes. Even after I’d finished my meal, I stayed in my seat, watching native citizens come and go, wondering how long it would take for someone to come ask who I was. As it was, I didn’t have to wait long.
              As an elderly man passed by me, I leaned forward to catch his attention. “Excuse me,” I said, trying to sound friendly. “Do you know a man named Sparks? Is he here?”
              The old man, who was bowed and hobbling, turned his head toward me and looked me over. “Hmm. Yes, I know him. He ain’t here, though. Off on his mission, I expect.”
              I blinked. Mission? What exactly did that mean?
              Before the man could turn away, I spoke up once more. “What about his…brother?”
              “Works down below. Never see much of him,” the man said, toddling away.
              I frowned. Granted, whoever Sparks’ brother was, he’d surely be as wary of me as anyone else, but I was curious to meet him, even if it was for no other reason than to surprise Sparks when I next saw him. Maybe I’d get to see the guy on my way out.
              When Darby finally returned, her eyes were red and puffy once more. I didn’t know if it was better to address it, or just ignore it. In the end, I decided to keep quiet about it. She had surely just recounted the whole thing for Killian’s sister, and I didn’t want to make her go through it again. She made it easy, though. Instead of sitting down, she grabbed my lunch tray and gave me a smile.
              “I went to see the captain first,” she said, gesturing for me to follow her. “He’s agreed to head west. That way, when your ship is fixed up, you won’t be quite as far behind.”
              I was a bit flabbergasted as I stood up and trailed after her. “Wow…are you serious?”
              She nodded. “He says if you’re a friend of mine, you’re a friend of his. And it doesn’t hurt that he’s also my father.”
              “Your father!?” I asked in disbelief. My voice came out much louder than I’d intended. I adjusted it before continuing. “Are you kidding? Really?”
              “Well, he’s sort of an adopted father,” Darby clarified. “Not biological, but he sort of took me in when…I was young.”
              I narrowed my eyes at her as she handed in my tray. There was clearly more to that story, but once again, if she wasn’t going to tell me, I wasn’t going to ask.
              “Anyway, he wants to see you,” she said, leading me out of a door that I hadn’t even noticed was there.
              I stayed on her heels, not wanting to stray off and get lost. “Me?” I asked. “Why? Am I in trouble?”
              She chuckled. “No, not at all. He just wants to meet you.”
              I let out a slow breath. I imagined that the captain was sort of like the mayor of Ravencog. No doubt she had told him my name. I suspected that was why he wanted to meet me, to see what all the hype was about. Then again, maybe he just wanted to meet his daughter’s new friend.
              Together, we journeyed back down into the belly of the city. Some of the passages and corridors were familiar, like we had taken them before, but most were new, and once again I was glad that I had a guide. After we had descended what seemed like the one hundredth staircase, we came to a thick, metal door. A man, clearly a guard, stood outside of it, leaning against the walls. He was thin, but well-muscled and lean. He wasn’t dressed like a guard, I noticed. He looked more like a mechanic. He obviously didn’t take his work very seriously, but when his eyes fell upon the pistol on my hip, he straightened up.
              “Hold on,” the guard said, speaking in a thick accent. “Whoziss? What ya doin’ down here wiff ‘er?”
              “She’s with me, Gerard,” Darby said, sounding slightly annoyed.
              Gerard put his hands on his hips, and I noticed that he had a gun of his own. “I don’t bloody care. She ain’t goin’ in wiff a weapon.”
              I reached for my holster and drew the pistol out of it. Clearly, this was wrong thing to do, because Gerard snapped up his own gun and had it leveled at my forehead before I could make another move.
            “Oi! What ya fink you’re doin’!?” he shouted, his eyes wide and intense.
              Instant terror gripped me, and I couldn’t keep myself from staring right at the rounded barrel of his weapon. His finger was right on the trigger. One little motion, and I would be dead. I wanted to flinch away from his aim, but I guess that would only escalate things. I held my hands up to try and show him that I wasn’t a threat, but I had seemingly lost my voice.
              “Are you crazy?” Darby shrieked at him. “She was turning her gun in, you idiot! Get a grip!”
              Gerard lurched forward and snatched the revolver out of my hand. He sighed with relief, immediately relaxing when he had both weapons. He still looked more than a little angry, though.
              “Well, say somefin’!” he barked at me. “Don’t just go pullin’ a bleedin’ gun on a fella…blimey.”
              “I - I’m sorry,” I stammered. “I didn’t mean…”
              “Jus’ go on,” he said, nodding toward the door.
              Angrily, Darby pushed past him and shoved open the door. I followed after her, unable to meet Gerard’s gaze as I passed. I noticed that I was breathing heavily, and my heart was fluttering like a crazed bird in my chest. It wasn’t until the door was shut behind me that I was able to draw a deep breath. Instantly, however, I got the sense that I wasn’t supposed to be in here.
              The walls were covered in telemetric and communications devices, many of which were blinking active. Several men and women, all of them mature, sharply dressed, and clearly intelligent, were standing around the walls, looking over readout screens and adjusting various knobs and dials while they murmured data to one another. I had no idea what they were scanning for, or listening to, but it seemed important. I wondered why they were even allowing me in this room. There was clearly a lot of crucial work being done.