The next morning Mac woke to the smell of cooked meats and eggs. It reminded her of her first night here and she smiled at what a few weeks’ difference could make. She slid out of bed a chill running over her still naked body and she grabbed her undergarments from the end of the bed and slid into them.
Watching Devin and his normal morning ritual cooking for them, Mac couldn't help but notice how thrown off he was. It was obvious he was distracted and was dropping things on the floor and even burnt the eggs. At one point, he put his hands on the counter and let out a sigh.
Mac stood behind him and wrapped her hands around his waist. "Is there something bothering you?" She said with a small smile. She knew he was used to being a loner. It was obvious. He had never worried about anyone other than himself. It is what she had come to realize the day before. It was the dark cloud he was hiding under. He never had anyone but himself to be concerned, and now she was under his protection and he was her mentor. It was not something he was used to. Once she realized that, she finally trusted him and saw how beautiful he was.
"Everything is going to be all right?" Mac said in a low tone.
"How could you possibly know that?" He replied shaking his head slightly.
"Because I have faith. I have faith in you and I now have faith in myself. Every day that passes I get stronger and more accomplished with my magic. That is because of you." She held him tighter and he turned to look at her.
"What if I can't protect you?" He said.
"What if you can't? If we never did anything out of fear of death, we would never do anything at all." He just stared for a moment, then kissed her on the head and ushered her back to her seat saying nothing else.
After breakfast Mac scrubbed down her gear and strapped it on readying for the morning lesson. Devin brought her back down to the pond where she had kissed him. She couldn't help but notice him blush slightly.
Devin had her make a whirlpool in the water. It started small then gradually became larger and larger until it was a dozen feet in diameter. Then she raised her hands and the massive vortex lifted from the pond and into the air. Devin watched with a smile on his face. Beads of sweat ran down Mac's face, but she didn't give in. Devin raised his hands and the vortex exploded into dozens of smaller vortexes. Mac refused to be outdone and even though her energy was spent, she threw her hand through the air and the water started ballroom dancing with each other moving around the top of the pond with the grace of royalty. Devin let out a laugh and with a crack, the water splashed back down into the pond. Mac's chest burned from the exhaustion of pushing herself too far. She turned to Devin who looked at her pale faced and wide eyed.
Mac reached out to grab Devin as he fell. His lifeless body lay motionless on the ground pooling with blood. Mac leapt on top of him pushing on the hole in his chest. Incoherent screams for help went unanswered.
A man stepped into the clearing, a blur from her exhaustion, but she lifted her hand towards him and a rock shattered into small pieces next to him. Her breathing ceased for a second and pain ran through her chest like nothing she'd ever felt. The man continued towards her like a park goer without a care in the world. She lifted her hand towards him again ignoring the blood running from her nose and the field spinning before her, but she couldn't bring herself to do more magic. She instead threw herself over Devin hoping to protect him while he healed.
"Get away from him, stupid girl." The shooter said with a thick accent. "Can't you see that this man is manipulating you? Get off him." He grabbed Mac and pulled her up off Devin.
As Mac was lifted closer she could see the man through the blur of exhaustion. His face was covered with goggles and a dirty white bandana and he wore a bowler hat which was also caked in dirt. His long brown leather duster was cluttered with gadgetry and gizmos.
"He was protecting me, not trying to kill me!" Mac tried to yell, but it came out more as a loud mumble.
"He has been following you since you ported here; stop being so ignorant." The man snapped. "I am going to get you out of here before you manage to find more trouble."
"I'm not going anywhere with you!" The words were dull as they dribbled from her lips.
The man pulled a vial from his coat with his free hand and popped the cork with his thumb then ran it under Mac's nose. She suddenly forgot where she was and what was going on. He slung Mac over his shoulder, pulled something from his vest and threw it on Devin, then started heading back into the forest. Mac watched the pretty fire start to burn as they walked away.
Once they cleared the tree wall and were in the open woods the man found his motorized cart and tossed Mac into the back and mounted the front. Gripping the handlebars tight, the cart lurched forward and moved effortless through the forest.
Mac lay in the back of the cart staring up at the colorful leaves lit with the morning sun. Everything moved in waves and trails followed. The euphoric feeling left a goofy smile on her face. The man looked back at her before tossing a thick blanket over the top of her.
"I need you to stay quiet and do your best to not get us killed." The man said.
"Ok." Mac replied with a bubbly uncaring tone.
After several moments, the cart came to a halt and she could hear the mumbles of voices come from outside the blanket. Then the cart jetted forward again. There were several stops and turns, then several more stops before the cart finally came to its destination and the man pulled the blanket away from her. He reached down and aided her in stepping out of the cart. She examined the pretty blackened rock walls in the alley and breathed the amazing urine-esque smell covering the area. The man wrapped his arm around her and led her through a set of metal doors and into his home.
His house was set up like a giant workshop filled with long tables and tools. There were piles of scrap metal and gadgetry everywhere Mac turned. The only area that wasn't littered with metal or tools was a small section of wall lined with drying herbs and corked vials. A large menacing robot stood unmoving by the door, but she could feel its cold stare on her.
The man pulled a flask from one of his cupboards and poured some of the contents into a small tin cup before making his way back to Mac and examining her.
"I can see my potion is already starting to wear off. Very impressive. Most magic users would last hours, or even days under its effects. You seem to be metabolizing it at an immense rate. I am going to give you this to drink." He held up the glass. "The liquid will nullify the rest of the potion. What I need from you is to stay calm. I am here to help you, not to hurt you. Do you understand?" Mac shook her head up and down, silly smile still on her face. He handed her the glass, took several steps back, and waited. She looked at the cup and lifted it back draining the contents.
As she stood looking at the man, her blinding veil started to lift. First, she began to realize she had been taken, then she realized she was back in the city. Finally, she remembered the smell of burnt flesh and flames covering Devin's body. Her face reddened and brows furrowed looking at the man. He quickly pulled a gun from his side and pointed it at her. She stepped forward and readied her magic. In the corner of the room a large robot sprang to life and pointed two large caliber gatling guns at Mac.
"What the hell do you think you’re doing?" Mac said through gritted teeth looking from the man to his robot guard and back.
"I need you to stay calm, Miss Blackburn." He said quietly before motioning to the robot. "He doesn't have a 'care' mechanism and would be more than happy to spray your body parts all over the wall. That is something I certainly don't want."
"Then who are you and what is it that you do want?" Mac said still glaring.
"Oh, how rude of me. I am Master Tinker Jonas, head of the Tinker Council and Leader of Brass and Bones. I am also head council for the Duke and the other aristocrats for all things tinker worthy. The reason you are here is because I was called in for a favor. That favor was to save your life."
"I was fine where I was." Mac said now shaking slightly. Jonas set the
gun down, sighed, and sat down on a stool.
"Do you know what a lilygulch is, Miss Blackburn?"
"No." Mac said simply looking around the room for her escape.
"It is a cute little furry creature that cuddles snugly against you bringing down your defenses. Then you pick it up and play with it. It plays back. The whole time this is going on, the animal is secreting a neurotoxin into its fur which seeps into its victim through touch. Once you are paralyzed the lilygulch starts biting chunks out of you for its meal. It takes hours for you to finally bleed out. Your choice in a boyfriend is just like a lilygulch. He is making you very comfy before he devours you."
"You don't know anything about him." She barked back.
"I know he was using fire magic to keep you cozy and comfortable. I know he has been keeping an eye on you since you ported here. I know he has more power than you can even imagine, and I know he frequents the duke's mansion a great deal."
"Bullshit!" Mac spit on the floor in front of him. "Why should I believe a word that comes out of your filthy lying mouth."
"I am the one person that has not lied to you since you arrived here. Also, I am one of the most powerful people in this city; even more so than the duke. I have connections everywhere and I do not ever make mistakes."
"You have this time." She turned away from him.
"I suppose time will tell, now wont it." The robot lowered its guns and stood stationary by the door again. "But hey, the door is right behind you and you are free to leave my home any time you would like." Mac took several steps towards the door then stopped.
"We both know I wouldn't last five minutes in the city streets right now." She said breathing hard.
"That's right, we do. I think it is in your best interest to sit back, relax, and enjoy what little time you will be spending here until we can get you to a safe place. If you can’t stand me, there's an observatory upstairs. It is yours to use in peace until the time comes where we leave." Jonas motioned to a set of stairs. She was so disgusted with him she said nothing and instead stomped up the stairs like a child throwing a temper tantrum. She wanted nothing more to do with the man and couldn't believe he thought Devin was such a threat, so much a threat in fact that he murdered him. A tear ran down her face.
The winding staircase led up into a large glass dome. Mac couldn't believe the view. She could see the entire city and part of the forest from here. As she stared out at her surroundings she gradually became sicker at the sight.
She had already known the city was run down and filthy. She had seen the damaged buildings and all the burned-out homes, but from here, it looked a great deal worse than she had thought. The maze of devastated buildings all led to the center which was bright and beautiful. A massive copper ball at its center was obviously the source of the areas steam power. Surrounding it was full of wealth and disregard for any of the poor outlying areas. The ghettos which surrounded it all, even if the people tried, were too damaged to make livable, but they were still packed full of dirty degraded citizens who had no choice except to live there.
The walls of the ghettos were coated in black and green sludge; many were dilapidated and crumbling to the ground. A care for the outer city was completely lost. It looked to Mac like a place where people were sent to die.
The people that left their homes moved through the city with their heads down and looking only at their feet as they went. Anyone that was conversing was leaning in to the person they were talking to and whispering in that person’s ear so that the conversations could not be heard by the guards who moved slowly up and down the streets.
The clothing was worn as bad as everything else. Torn suits and muck covered dresses were the norm. They trudged through the raw sewage coating the streets. The metal guards moved amongst them like a beast waiting for its prey. It was clear the citizens tried to keep their distance, but some were not so lucky.
A young man looked as though he was pleading with one guard, but there was no hope for him. The mechanical beast grabbed the man by the head and squeezed. His skull easily gave in to the force of the machine. The guard dropped his body and walked away as if nothing had happened. Not one person looked in the man's direction. They simply walked around him, his blood staining the street red.
"It is sad what has become of our city." Jonas said from behind her. He held out a sandwich and cup. Mac looked at it for several long seconds before taking it and biting off small pieces." We were once a proud city which all others aspired to, now we are all but dead."
"This city needs a champion to stand up to the duke. For someone who claims to be more powerful than the duke, that should be your job."
"I'm afraid the problems with this city go beyond the duke. He may be what we see, but crime runs the streets here and that is a much more complicated issue, but I do fear you are right. Someone does need to stand up to the duke." Mac noticed the sad look on Jonas' face. "Weir was once a great man, a man of peace. It is sad to see what he has become."
"Are we talking about the same person?" Mac looked back to the dead man in the streets and pointed. "That is the result of what kind of man the duke is."
"I ask you this." Jonas snapped glaring at her. "What would you do for the ones you love, girl?"
"Anything." Mac said regretting picking a fight.
"Would you take down this entire city to save your sister?"
"If that's what it came down to, yes."
"So would the duke; and that's exactly what he did." Jonas' face was hard. "If it wasn't for your people, this city would still prosper."
"You can only put so much blame on my grandfather killing the king. At some point the people need to take responsibility for their own actions."
"I am not referring to what happened to your grandfather. That took place years before the travesty that fell upon this city."
"Then you need to tell me what you're talking about because I have no idea." Jonas took a deep breath. His face had reddened as the conversation passed.
"Above all else, the duke cared for his sister. He loved and cherished her, making sure she was well cared for and given the best. In his eyes, she was the jewel of the city. The people loved her."
"Are you kidding me? She's guano crazy." Mac interrupted. Jonas gave her a hard stare.
"The duchess was not always 'crazy'. At one point, all she and her brother wanted was for the city to be as great as it had once been. They starting planning to do amazing things for the city could prosper and so the citizens could once again be happy."
"If that is true, then what happened to bring this on." Mac pointed at the city.
"Your father tried to kill them." Jonas watched her reaction saying nothing. Mac just stared unable to speak for several seconds.
"That doesn't even make any sense." Mac finally said looking away from him. "My father was a man of peace who tried to raise me to be the same."
"Girl, you have a lot to learn."
"Then why don't you enlighten me." She turned back looking at him and waiting.
"With the high regard you hold your father in, this is one story I am unsure you want to know."
"Try me."
"Don't say I didn't warn you." Jonas sat down into one of the chairs, looked at Mac, took a deep breath, and began. "The fall of Crystal Well was an event that sickened many of us. We had friends and family living there who didn't deserve to die that fateful night, but most felt it was a much-deserved death. After Crystal Well, Steam City started to prosper again. You could see hope in the eyes of the citizens. Then, your father came to meet with the duke under a flag of peace. He claimed to want a truce between our people. He claimed things square between our people now. His claims were a lie."
"The duke granted the meeting and your father met in the mansion with the duke, duchess, and several of the head assassins. Even with the power in that room, your father was undeterred. He was determined to get a truce, and when a compromise could not be had, your father pulled the roof down trying to kill the
m all. The duchess was crushed along with some of the assassins and your father fled. No one has seen him since. “
The duke's physicians could not keep the duchess alive by themselves, so they came to me for help. Being a friend of the family, I was more than happy to oblige. I used all my skills as a Master Tinker and with the help of the physicians could create several gadgets which allowed her to breathe again and a metal heart which gave her the ability to pump blood. She is more metal under that skin than anything else. Unfortunately, the damage to her brain was too severe and the sweet girl I once knew was no longer. Now the mad duchess is all that remains."
"The duke lost control after that and blamed not only your father and your people, but also the citizens. He felt if they had not put him in that kind of position in the first place his sister would still be safe. What you see in our streets is a direct result of your father trying to kill the duke and is; therefore, your fault."
"If that is what you believe and my family is the one who brought down the city you love so much, then why are you helping me?"
"I am helping you because you being here will only bring this city more death. Your existence is a threat to the duke and is leverage towards a second revolution. A second revolution would only bring more blood with nothing to show for it. This city can't afford you being here. I am going to help you get back home, but until I can make that happen, I want you gone from this city. You are a blight on it."
"If I'm a blight on your precious city, then why bring me here in the first place?"
"This is my home and where my contacts are. I have friends here who are going to take you to a safe place. To be honest, I have never acquired much of a taste for killing which was the other option. I guess you're lucky for that."
City of Steam (Blackburn Chronicles) Page 16
