As the door shut on Delia’s final rites for the ship, Frank, Ember, and Finney saw the captain throw the lever to full power. The ship shivered for an instant and then started forward. The box they were in vibrated, and Ember had the strange sense that they were moving downward, like the hoist she experienced at Payne’s. When the door opened, she found she was in the dark center of the ship, a part she’d never explored. Crewmen with bandaged heads and bleeding gashes sat in chairs, some even at their stations, staring at buttons and knobs and levers.
“What is this place?” Ember asked Frank.
“Backup plan in case of emergency.”
“Oh, then I suppose this qualifies,” she said.
“Amazing!” Finney said as he hunched over, watching a crewman. He tapped a dial. “I think this is a depth gauge.”
The door opened and Dev, Jack, and Captain Delia came in, the grinning pumpkin floating behind.
“Are we ready, men?” Delia asked as she shrugged into a coat.
“Ready, Captain,” Frank replied.
Delia took hold of two handles and brought down a bronze tube, then peered into the visor. She turned to the left and then to the right. “There she is,” Delia said. “Brace for impact. Release on my mark. Impact in five, four, three…release!”
There was a wrenching and a shearing of metal. Then Ember’s stomach dropped as they fell. A great explosion rocked the ship and they were tossed against machinery and gadgets of all description. Still they fell, faster and faster. Even the crewmen were grimacing, holding on to the panels for dear life.
Then they hit. Finney’s feet left the ground. Jack turned to fog. Dev grabbed Ember in the air, and when they crashed down, he made sure it was his back taking the brunt of the impact. Steam gushed out from a broken pipe, and red lights pinged and flickered. Frank immediately rose to tend to the pipe.
Ember ended up with a lump on the head, a bruised elbow, and a bleeding gash on her hand. The injuries on Dev’s body, which were not few, healed quickly with help from his blood stores. He wrapped Ember’s hand with his tie and sat her in one of the swivel seats. Jack’s pumpkin hovered over an unconscious Finney, its carved mouth gaping with worry.
Jack, disgruntled at seeing Dev tending to Ember, checked the boy. “It’s just a lump on the head,” he said, comforting his pumpkin. “He’ll be fine.”
“We came in too fast from too high a position,” Frank said to his captain. “Ship’s not meant to take that much pressure.”
Delia patted her console. “The Phantom Airbus still lives, Frank. She’s watching over us. We’ll survive. Are we ready to dive?”
“D-dive?” Ember said, attempting to sit up.
“It’s a submersible,” Dev said gently, inspecting the bump on her head. “Delia had it built a few years ago. Right now, we’re somewhere on the Saccadic Sea. Delia timed it so we’d look like a piece of the ship, broken and dropping to the water. It should put off whoever is following us.”
“Put off all but one,” Frank said, dragging a man out from the supply closet.
Ember peered around Dev and saw the man who stood proud and unafraid, even though the colossus that was Frank was certainly holding his arm in a painful grip. His eyes were a piercing storm-gray, and his brown hair, darker than Dev’s, was long and drawn back in a leather tie. The strong cleft chin in a square jaw and the powerful arms and shoulders of the man told Ember he wasn’t someone to cross.
The captain stepped around the viewing tube and her breath caught. The man smiled as Captain Delia, her face full of fury, stormed up to him. She raised her hand and the slap was so loud, the echoes of it rang through the bridge. Everyone froze except the man who lifted his hand to his cheek and rubbed it, then moved his jaw back and forth.
Instead of addressing the captain, the stowaway said, “It’s nice to see you again, Frank.”
“Nice to see you too, Captain Graydon, circumstances being what they are.”
“Indeed,” the man replied.
“I believe you have something that belongs to me,” Delia said, her words venomous.
The man leaned closer. “More than one thing, if truth be told, darlin’.”
Delia hissed and raised a finger, daring him to speak again. “Throw him in a cell and toss the key out an airlock,” Delia said.
“But, Captain,” Frank said, hesitating. “We don’t have a cell.”
“Then chain him like a dog. He deserves at least that much.”
When they were gone, Ember whispered to Dev, “I don’t understand. Who is that man?”
“He’s not a man. He’s a werewolf. The same captain, in fact, that my sister tossed overboard and is still obviously in love with.”
Ember turned shocked eyes to Dev. “You mean he’s alive?” she asked. “Even though Delia threw him overboard?”
“Apparently so.” Dev checked the submersible’s chronometer against his own pocket watch and was irritated to see Jack doing the same thing. Dev was even more irked when the lantern pulled out a second, very lovely pocket watch and wound that one as well. Jack frowned and shook it, then put it back. What kind of a man needs two pocket watches? Dev wondered. He rubbed his jaw considering if he should procure a second timepiece for himself as well.
Frank marched the captive, Captain Graydon, out of the command area, and an extremely shaken Delia headed back to the periscope, not deigning to look at the rest of them until there was an unquestionable clank of the metal door signifying that her lost love, the one that had betrayed her, had disappeared from view. Even then, she only gave them a cursory glance before going back to work.
She placed her eyes against the periscope viewer, and after a moment of slow turning and scanning the skies, she slammed her hand against the bronze tube. “Blast!” she said. “The dreadnaught suffered little to no damage. I thought surely, once the smoke cleared, I’d see something….”
Her words drifted off. Ember would have never believed she’d see the captain look so…defeated. Ember didn’t know if it was losing the Phantom Airbus, seeing her lost love returned, or their current predicament. Whatever the case, the captain’s mood affected Ember and the witch felt as if she wore a cloak of foreboding on her shoulders.
Ember was weary to the bone and thought maybe her adventure had taken her far enough, at least for this trip. As exciting as it was traveling with Deverell, she missed her aunt and the little crossroad where Jack made his home. Her potions had been completely used up, and she no longer had the cauldron charm that stored her power. With her resources drained, Ember thought it might be a good time to stop and reassess her immediate goals.
She was thrilled that Jack and Finney had joined her, of course. Having the two of them near felt right—well, righter than just being alone with Dev. And even though their situation was terribly dangerous, there was something inside telling her she was in exactly the place she needed to be. Though she was certainly appreciative of the attention Dev had bestowed upon her thus far, Ember was starting to suspect that the vampire’s motives regarding her were not altogether innocent. There was the tea to consider, and then there was also the way he looked at her. It was rather territorial.
There was no question the Otherworld was a wondrous place, but maybe next time she could go at a bit of a slower pace. One where she could simply meet interesting people and not be chased by ghosts or travel on skyships. Perhaps she could meet the high witch another time. Surely there was no rush.
Ember felt something brush her hand. It was the cat. She smiled and shook her head remembering never to underestimate the instincts of a cat. She picked it up and nuzzled it, whispering, “You’re lucky you got off. Maybe next time you should stay home instead of heading off on a skyship. Perhaps I should do the same.”
Truthfully, the skyship traveling wasn’t so bad; it was the attack she didn’t like so much. Maybe, if she was a bit more world-wise or understood her power better, sh
e’d know how to avoid such situations. Not getting on a pirate airship might be the first step; to think such an attack might be part and parcel for that lifestyle!
As she considered the idea of asking the captain to drop her, Jack, and Finney off at the nearest city, something tugged in her belly again. She’d thought her purpose, the thing calling her forward, was needing to save the ghosts, but now that she had, there was still a niggling something. Suddenly, leaving didn’t seem right. The more she thought about it, the more she realized she wanted to stay on course with Dev and the captain.
Ember frowned. No, that’s not right. She would have rather liked to shop in the town, have tea with a gargoyle, or explore a tinker’s shop. Dev had rushed her past all the interesting bits and she regretted not taking her time to explore as she would have liked. Perhaps, now that he was here, Jack would be willing to escort her properly. They’d have to get off the submersible first, of course. Her stomach lurched.
Ember gritted her teeth, ignoring it. Consciously, she decided that she would indeed inquire to see if Jack might have changed his mind and was perhaps willing to take over for Dev. Finney could tag along as her chaperone. Perhaps they could locate an apothecary where she could procure ingredients to restock her potions. Suddenly, she felt sick and cupped her hand over her mouth.
Dev interrupted her thoughts. “We’d better dive as soon as possible, sister. Otherwise, they may spot us floating here intact on the water.”
“That’s Captain when you’re aboard my ship, Deverell. Eddie!” Delia barked, her nerves on edge. “Check the hermetic seal. Are we sound? Any damage?”
“Ship looks to be in working order, Captain. We’re watertight.”
“Good. Then prepare for diving. If they spot us here, all they’d have to do is drop a bomb and we’d combust like oiled vellum.”
“I think I’ll show our guests to their cabins,” Dev said. “Ember needs to rest from the fight.”
Delia gave him a piercing glance and a sharp nod.
The vampire offered Ember his arm, but she’d stooped down to check on the mortal boy.
“I’ll bring him,” offered Jack softly, placing his hand on Ember’s shoulder. The lantern then scooped up the lad in his arms, his pumpkin following along behind. Dev felt like a dolt. Of course the lantern would do the gallant thing first. Dev hadn’t realized how much the boy meant to Ember.
He’d been bested by the lantern again. That much was obvious. Though Ember took Dev’s arm, her eyes and grateful smile belonged to Jack. Dev tried to make up for it by holding the door for the lantern, but he knew it was too little of an effort too late.
They settled Finney in the room that Dev had wanted for Ember, as it had a connecting door to his own. If he could have thought of a tactful way to suggest moving the boy, he would have, but Ember insisted that Finney have the best and she could make do wherever there was a free spot. Jack set Finney down and the boy groaned and struggled to open his eyes.
Ember went to the washroom and wet a cloth, then perched beside Finney, pressing it to the bump on the side of his head and then to his cheeks. The crimson-haired lad winced until he recognized Ember, and then settled back on the pillow with a contented sigh. The pumpkin floated down to the bed next to the young man and nudged his hand.
“There’s my good man,” Finney said as he patted the side of the orange globe; then the boy promptly fell asleep, his hand still touching the pumpkin.
Jack bent over the bed and removed Finney’s spectacles, setting them on the desk, before loosening the boy’s vest and shirt and removing his boots. The pumpkin swiveled on its base, blinking at Jack.
“Yes, you can stay with him,” Jack said to his pumpkin; then the lantern turned to Dev. “She’s going to want to stay with Finney too. Can you find her an extra blanket?” The ship angled down and Jack heard the whoosh of rushing water flowing up and over the submersible. The idea that they were now completely immersed beneath the sea set Jack’s nerves on edge.
Apparently, the vampire felt the same way. “I loathe being trapped inside this metal coffin in the black depths. Especially knowing that the only thing standing between a life of leisure, and one where some sea beastie from the depths slowly digests me, is this flimsy piece of tin.” To make his point, Deverell kicked the wall of the ship. There was a pinging noise afterward, as if the ship protested his abuse.
Jack tilted his head, considering the vampire with his strange gleaming eyes. It gave Deverell the shivers. He’d never liked lanterns. They saw too much. He couldn’t stand knowing that the man he considered a rival could peer into his very soul and, perhaps discern all his secrets. Besides unnerving, it was also unnatural.
The man’s white-blond hair was mussed and stood out around his head at all angles. His greatcoat was nowhere near as fashionable as Dev’s. The boots on the lantern’s feet were scuffed and worn. And though his face was young, his eyes were very old. Older even than Dev’s.
Jack was such a strange creature. He was a wayfarer, a man endowed with great power, a being whose very soul had been stripped away and placed in a container for all to see. That a man like him could capture the attention of a witch such as Ember caused Dev a great deal of consternation.
Dev gestured that Jack should follow him through the adjoining door. “Ember can have this room when she can bear to be parted from the boy,” he offered, purposely disregarding the lantern’s raised eyebrow. “It’s mine, but it’s more comfortable than anything else I could offer her.” Deverell strode up to a wall, sealed over by imbricated plates of metal. “She’ll be closer to the young man and the view is incredible.” He pulled a lever and the plates drew back. A bubble of glass, thick, hard, and resistant to all but the most powerful witchlight, gave Dev and Jack the opportunity to stand beneath the ocean and see it as if they were creatures of the deep.
“Have you seen sea monsters, then?” Jack asked, curious, as he studied fish and plants made visible by the powerful witch lamps running along the sides of the ship. “Is that what you fear? Death in the belly of a beast?”
Truthfully, Dev’s fear wasn’t the ocean, or even coffins, in particular. Only half-breed vampires were forced to reside in those. No. Dev’s fear was isolation. Being truly alone and shut away from everyone and everything he cared about. He didn’t say as much to the lantern, preferring to keep his own weaknesses to himself. Instead, he clutched his hands behind his back and stood with Jack, staring into the vastness of the sea.
“In my experience,” the lantern began, his voice soft, “places like the oceans or the heavens, an undiscovered forest, a great underground chasm, or the mystery of a woman’s heart and mind are not the end of a journey, but a beginning. Do not let fear of the unknown prevent you from discovery, vampire; otherwise, the story of your life will be a dull tale indeed.”
“Ironic, isn’t it? A lantern advising an Otherworlder about life. I can’t imagine your life story is riveting.”
The lantern was quiet for too long a minute. Finally, he replied, “You’re not wrong. Up until Ember, I was more of a watcher than a doer. Now I’m a firefly caught in her glass. She takes me where she will. Until she releases me, I must take this road with her.”
When the vampire snorted, Jack glanced over at him and continued, “Perhaps you think you’re the one in charge. That you are guiding this ship. Determining our destination. Maybe you are. But you also should consider whether perhaps, like me, you are caught in Ember’s glass, and the pain and frustration you feel comes from you bumping your head against it, trying to escape.”
“I assure you, the last thing I want is to escape from Ember.” Deverell pulled the lever to retract the metal, hiding the glass bubble from view. Jack studied Dev’s aura. His abilities were diminished slightly when his pumpkin wasn’t near, but he could still see enough to know the vampire had an agenda regarding Ember.
The problem lay in the fact that Jack didn’t know what
that agenda might be. Perhaps Dev fancied himself in love with the girl. Jack supposed the vampire’s motivations mattered little. What did matter was keeping Ember safe when dreadnaughts and who knew what else were following her. He hoped Dev’s mysterious end goal would hide her, as Delia promised it would.
Taking a last look at the vampire’s aura, Jack squinted, unsure of what he was seeing at first. Then it became clear. Jack’s light showed him that the strength of another witch ran through Dev’s blood. A witch had given Dev her heart, her everything. That it was still roiling inside his aura meant that he’d selfishly kept it, along with her blood, without returning the favor. If he had shared his heart with his witch, Jack would see the signs of his being claimed. Interesting.
It might explain why he was so interested in Ember. His blood was telling him that it was wrong to hold back his heart, to hoard the power and give nothing of himself. To be whole, for his soul to be at peace, he’d have to willingly offer his own heart.
Jack was silent as the two men went back to the room where they’d left Ember and Finney. They found both of them asleep, Ember slumped over Finney as the boy lightly snored.
Gently, Deverell picked Ember up and put her into his own bed. Jack followed, tucking the blanket around her, while Dev pulled a few very wrinkled, paper-wrapped items from a bag and left them on the nearby table. Without discussing it further, both men left the room together, separating in the corridor. Dev didn’t know that when he was out of sight, Jack turned to fog and slipped back into the room where Ember slept.
This time he made sure to stay well enough away from her so she wouldn’t trigger the magic to cause him to take human form. He settled in the doorway between the two rooms, the pressure from the ocean making his fog thick, heavy, and wet. Soon the doorway was coated with moisture, but he was so strangely exhausted that he didn’t care. His pumpkin turned to look in his direction, but his mind was soon lost as he allowed his supernatural body to rest.
The Lantern's Ember Page 18
