“Yes indeed, Adrian. That’s not a problem, is it?”
“I think it will be too close to Christmas, don’t you sir?”
“Yes, well… Christmas is for romantics and sentimentalists.” With that, Professor Granger whirled, and huffed out of the office.
Chapter Two
Adrian was deeply disappointed at not being able to name the motor company after Wylie’s maiden name. One glance out at the darkness and he knew she would already be performing her Teselym duties.
Who would have thought that I would be married to a woman who would be a dragon at night, and human during the day? They had only been married a few short months, and in that time Adrian had learned the history of the Siapheg and Teselym dragons.
The Teselym dragon, a beautiful pure white creature that flew the night skies and balanced the good in the world, was only capable of being a Teselym, if the human who the duties had been bestowed upon, accepted the job. That human was Wylie, and she had indeed accepted her fate as the Teselym dragon, as she magically turned into one every night by the power of a magical device called a Dracosinum that she wore around her neck.
The Siapheg dragon, was the exact opposite of her, and in this case, Adrian had personally known the Siapheg dragon. A former acquaintance of his, Lord Jameston Ukridge, who had rejected his destiny and passed on the responsibilities and powers to his daughter, Lady Judith. Judith had been Wylie’s best friend, and in a showdown between the two dragons, Wylie had killed Judith. As a result, the Siapheg duties of balancing the evil had reverted back to Lord Jameston.
Things had ended badly when a dark being far worse than the Siapheg, an evil Immortal One from the underworld, had made his presence known, and tried to kill Wylie. The Siapheg, Jameston Ukridge, had died in that battle, but not without trying to right some wrongs, and Wylie had fought the evil beast that had tried to kill them all.
Now, a few months later, they were all still trying to recover from the unbelievable turn of events. While rebuilding their lives one day at a time, Wylie was still maintaining her Teselym duties.
The Teselym and the Siapheg were a species of dragons called Dragaleths placed on Earth to balance good and evil. It was an attempt by the Immortal Ones to protect the human race.
A lot of the things that had happened seemed so preposterous at times, Adrian found it hard to believe them. However, he still had flashbacks of his time as a Phoenix, the Greek bird of mythology, and how he had fought to rescue Wylie when she nearly died. Jerked back to the present, he said in all sincerity, “Immortal Ones, please protect her this night, as she performs her duties.”
He knew that Wylie in her Teselym form would not be back until daybreak. It didn’t bother him that she was the one appointed to balance good, nor did it bother him that there was no longer a Siapheg dragon, meant to provide the balance of evil, even though evil remained on earth without him. What bothered him most, was that her human form remained cold and lifeless in their bed, until she returned from her dragon duties each morning.
As Adrian resumed work on the schematics for his new motor design, he couldn’t help wondering what would have happened if Professor Cornelius had not died so tragically. Perhaps Cornelius would have been able to influence Langdon’s choice of name for the motor company. However, now was not the time for mourning, or delay. Adrian and Wylie had already sent a message back to Dobbinsturn to inform the folks at home, they would not be coming home for Christmas.
The servants would definitely be disappointed, as the one thing they looked forward to every year, like clockwork, was the McCollum Christmas celebration. The former Lord McCollum, Adrian’s father, had always made sure the servants and their families were part of the festivities. It was the one time of year that none of the family’s servants were allowed to work. Adrian’s father would hire some of the less fortunate in the community to prepare the meals and take care of other work around the estate.
On Christmas day, every family was given gifts. Clothing, and a ham, handcrafted wooden toys for the boys, and dolls for the girls. The previous Christmas Adrian had handled everything himself, but the idea of a McCollum Christmas with Wylie by his side, was even more appealing. He was sure that Wylie would eat it up as she had a naturally generous nature. She would get a thrill out of watching the children, and servants opening their gifts.
He fell asleep at his desk with dreams of a Christmases yet to come, playing in his mind. When Adrian awoke, sunlight was beaming through the windows. He sat abruptly upright, scrambling to roll up the plans and put them back in the drawer.
There was a soft tapping on the door.
“Enter.”
Wylie pushed open the door and at sight of him said, “Adrian, why are you still out here?”
“I’m afraid I fell asleep, m’dear.”
“Is everything all right?”
“As all right as can be expected, except for the fact that I don’t know when we will be able to go home, and you’re going to miss your first Christmas in Dobbinsturn. And…” He wanted so badly to tell her what he had planned, even if Professor Granger had shot his idea down like a deflated air balloon. “I wasn’t going to tell you, it was supposed to be a surprise.”
“Tell me what, my love?”
“I had planned to name the motor company after your father, Petford Motors. Cornelius loved the idea when I told him, but alas, he’s gone.”
“Oh, dearest… that is the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“Yes, well, unfortunately, Professor Granger insists on calling the company by his own name, which makes sense I suppose, since it’s his money backing it. However, I can’t help but feel sad at the thought of not being able to do this for you.”
Wylie crossed the room and clasped Adrian’s hand in hers.
“It’s the thought that counts dearest. I’ll tuck your gesture away in my heart, for always.” She leaned across his desk to kiss him on the cheek. “Come on, let’s go out somewhere and enjoy the day,” she urged.
“That sounds delightful. I’ll have Cyrus ready my carriage.”
“No, my love. I’ve given Cyrus the day off as well. He wanted to go into the city.” Adrian nodded his approval at this gesture. His devoted footman had been terribly tense since the disastrous events had taken place a few months before.
Adrian still recalled his conversation with Cyrus after Lord Jameston had died, and a giant snake had tried to kill them all in the barn where Wylie, in an effort to save them, had set the whole thing ablaze with her Teselym dragon fire.
Once everyone had recovered, and the police and reporters had stopped coming, Cyrus, had knocked on Adrian’s office door one night.
Three Weeks Earlier
“Lord Adrian, I need to speak with you at once.”
“Why of course, Cyrus. I knew this day was coming. Please come in and have a seat.”
“With all due respect, sir, I need to understand what occurred the night that Lord Jameston died.”
“Cyrus, I’ll be honest, even though it will sound so fantastic... I don’t know if you’ll believe everything that I say. But you’ll have to trust me.”
“Lord Adrian, I saw a gigantic white dragon set the barn on fire. I saw a huge snake kill and eat Professor Cornelius, and I saw Wylie... who we buried, walking around like nothing happened. I need to know the truth before I go completely mad.” Cyrus’s dark brown eyes, were tinged red, like the eyes of a man who had not slept in a long time.
“Very well, Cyrus. Here is the truth,” and he went on to relate the entire history, or at least what he knew about the Dragaleth race to Cyrus.
“And what about the pocket watch Wylie carries around all the time?”
“It’s not technically a pocket watch, it’s more or less what makes Wylie who she is.”
“Which is a dragon?” Cyrus asked, befuddled.
“Indeed,” Adrian answered.
“With that device gone, her dragon essence dies. They cannot be separated from e
ach other.”
“It’s just a pocket watch though?”
“Not necessarily. In the situation we recently faced, Jacob stole her Dracosinum, her pocket watch device, which was why she became so sick and began to die. However, the Wylie you saw, who appeared to have died here, was not dead. It was her human body in its sleep state.”
“I really don’t follow,” Cyrus said.
“Well, when her human essence leaves her body, her human form stays behind in a sleep state that can appear to be death like.” Cyrus’s eyes widened in surprise.
Adrian went on to explain about Jacob the snake, and his own turn at being a magical beast. How the Immortal Ones had made him a Phoenix, and how he had nearly died. They talked long into the night about the events of that day, and when it was over, Cyrus had only one question.
“Are you still a Phoenix?” His eyes wide with curiosity.
“For the time being, no. It was only temporary, so I could help rescue Wylie.”
“And the Siapheg is gone?”
Adrian took a deep sigh. “Yes, I don’t believe there is one currently living.”
Cyrus went silent, and Adrian ventured a question of his own.
“Do you believe everything I’ve told you?” Adrian prodded.
“I believe it, but seeing as how it’s late… I can’t guarantee that I’ll cease to worry, or stop looking over my shoulder all the time,” Cyrus answered honestly.
“Well, there really is nothing more to worry about. Wylie is on the job, balancing the good in the world, and not letting evil get a grip. Jacob and the Siapheg are dead.”
“Yes, you’ve said that.” Cyrus nodded his head as he rose from the chair. “I am sure I will never stop having questions, but at least now I know what happened the night that Professor Cornelius died. I will attend to my duties now, sir.”
“Do you still wish to remain in service to me, and my family?”
“Without question, sir.”
“You’re a good man Cyrus, please don’t hesitate to come and talk to me, if you need to. We’re in this together now.”
Cyrus nodded his head and departed and that was the last of that conversation. Cyrus went back to serving Adrian with full vigor and loyalty as he always had.
Back in the Present
Cyrus had been witness to Adrian’s former stable boy turning into a snake of mythical proportions. He had seen too much not be told the truth about everything that happened.
“You’re not still thinking about Jacob, are you?” Wylie asked in concern, jerking Adrian out of his reverie.
“How can I not? You died because of him, well nearly. Professor Cornelius is dead because of him. It’s not just that, it’s the memory of The Immortal Ones. The memory of being a Phoenix. Was it all a dream?”
“That’s exactly why we need to get away for the day,” Wylie smiled broadly, “I’ll go change, and you get us a carriage. We can do breakfast at the Steaming Pig.”
“I don’t understand why you like that place. It’s so grimy and full of questionable people.”
Wylie laughed, “They’ve got the best coffee and bacon on this side of the Atlantic. As to the grimy questionable people, you forget where I’m from,” she grinned at him.
“You’re impossible. I don’t know why you won’t let me take you some place with a little more class.”
“How about I pick breakfast, and you pick dinner?”
“That sounds marvelous,” Adrian said with a smile. Wylie bounced away, radiating happiness. Her skin was still a bit pale as she hadn’t fully recovered from nearly dying, but she looked healthier than he had seen her in weeks. The rosy color was gradually returning to her cheeks.
Perhaps it’s time to put all that behind us. The Immortal Ones will soon pick a new Siapheg to balance evil, but until they do, mankind is fully capable of evil acts all on their own. They’re lucky to have Wylie.
Adrian locked the drawer where his plans were kept, and exited his office, calling for one of the inn’s servants to summon him a carriage. His Petford Pusher, the steam powered carriage that was to have been the beginning of his motor company, was still in total disarray after being destroyed by Jacob, and would not be available for rides into the city for a long time to come.
Chapter Three
November 1851
Professor Langdon Granger sat grim faced in his New York City office, staring at a ledger of parts and their corresponding costs. Before his passing, this was exactly the sort of thing Cornelius had always dealt with. He had been the perfect business partner, and the only person that Langdon had fully trusted.
A fresh stack of papers on Langdon’s desk had to do with Cornelius’s death and burial and his assets. The biggest asset being the deed to the Octagon Inn in Oyster Bay, which the kind man had left for Langdon Granger, as he had no family of his own. Not that Cornelius and Langdon considered each other as close as family, but they had been business partners, and in their world, it was nearly the same thing.
“What in the world am I going to do with that run-down inn? Invest more of my own money into it and keep it going? Or focus on this new venture with Adrian McCollum? Imagine that. Him wanting to name our motor company after his wife’s father. As if that man ever put a single dollar toward this, or anything I’ve done. It’s my money backing it, so my name belongs on it.”
He slammed his fist down on the desk, as if anyone else could hear his rant, and care. The truth of the matter was that Professor Granger preferred to be alone. Professor Cornelius had been the only person he had been able to tolerate. Cornelius was the one who had dealt with numbers and solving problems. That was the man’s job. Cornelius, who had been a casualty of something that sounded like a fairy tale gone wrong. An incident that had cost him the barn which as the deed holder, Langdon was now responsible for rebuilding.
Not only that, but he’d had to pay a stipend out of his own pocket to each of the inventors whose inventions had been ruined by the fire that took the barn. This fact gnawed at him every day.
The main reason he had bothered with it, was because it was his name and reputation on the line. As stingy as he may be, he had fought hard to be a man whom others looked up to, even if they didn’t like him very much; a fact which didn’t bother him in the slightest.
He chose to keep Adrian on the payroll and paid him handsomely for staying. He also decided to push the symposium ahead to December, extending the invitation to any inventor who was willing to come back and promote their contrivances. His only real interest though, was Adrian, and his steam powered carriage.
But now, the end of November had come, and Adrian was back to work rebuilding his carriage. The evidence of which, lay before Langdon, on a much-handled sheet of paper with the list of parts still needed, and their prices written in smudged ink.
“Blast it all,” Langdon cursed at the paper. “This is going to cost me a fortune.” He snatched his tall black hat from his head, and tossed it down on the desk, quite agitated by the numbers staring back at him. “Adrian better be worth what this is costing.”
Wylie called out from the doorway of the barn, “Adrian, dearest. Any chance you’ll be done with that soon?” Snowflakes were falling on her face, causing a slight shiver to run through her. She couldn’t understand how Adrian could work out here, day in and day out with the cold settling in like an unwanted relative. However, Adrian, was so engrossed in his work on the carriage, he didn’t hear her, as he banged away on the boiler.
It pained her to see him working so many hours on his invention for Professor Granger. They’d barely had time for dinners together over the past months, and now it seemed Adrian would be working through the night, and napping during the day. When he didn’t look up, she walked up behind him, and placed a hand on his shoulder. He jumped in surprise and whirled to face her.
“Wylie, m’dear!”
“Adrian, aren’t you coming in for dinner?” She noted the dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep, and her h
eart went out to him. The events that had happened with her, and Jacob, had definitely taken their toll on him.
“Not tonight, Love. Langdon says he’ll pull the funding and cancel everything, if I don’t finish by this week's end. He has investors coming, and other important people. Community leader type’s I guess.”
“You can’t be serious?” Her face tightened as she looked over the parts that lay in front of Adrian. She couldn’t tell how much of it was finished, but she understood why he worked so tirelessly.
Adrian nodded. “I’m very serious.”
“So, you won’t come eat dinner with me?”
“I want to, but I can’t.” The look in Adrian’s eyes, nearly broke her heart. He’d been very different since everything had happened, and she wished she could go back in time and change things. Even if it wasn’t her fault.
“I didn’t choose this, you know.” Wylie looked down at the ground. Her admission caught his attention, and he stood up from where he was working to face her.
“What do you mean, Wylie?”
“I mean, I didn’t choose for this to happen. Yes, I chose to be the Teselym, because it was in my blood. I am my father’s daughter… it was my responsibility. But, I mean, everything that happened with Jacob. When I hired him as the new stable hand, I had no idea who he was. If I had only known…” She began to tear up, the lump in her throat too heavy to bear.
Adrian walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Wylie, I never blamed you. If anything, I blame myself. I should have known. I should have sensed something was off with him.”
“Why, Adrian?”
Adrian shook his head.
“I don’t know. I’m so protective of you, and yet I didn’t recognize a threat when it was right under my nose. I almost lost you.” Adrian’s face had started to redden, his eyes misting over. He pulled her into his embrace and squeezed her tightly.
“Maybe it was having my Phoenix powers taken away, or maybe it was you, quite literally returning from the dead. I just don’t feel like myself. It’s not your fault, Love.”
A Steampunk Christmas Carol: (The Dracosinum Tales) Page 2
