It was ironic that one Darkin could turn the tide against another determined to end the world as they knew it. He glanced at Marley. “Do you think my brothers know what will happen when we reunite the Book of Legend?”
Marley took off his glasses and removed a thin white cotton handkerchief from his breast pocket. He cleaned the lenses in slow, small circles as he considered the question. “It’s difficult to tell. I’m certain that they’ve faced challenges just as you have, but there is no way of knowing if they’ve come to the same conclusion regarding your joint status as the Chosen, or if they’ve recovered the other pieces of the Book as you have.”
Remington shut his eyes and took a deep, still breath. The resonance was still there, deep inside him. The disjointed pieces of the Book were coming closer together. The vibration of it in his bones was now a constant, pleasant hum in his system. “They have them. And they are getting closer. Look!” Remington pointed out the window.
On the stretch of horizon a dust cloud rose, a tan plume against the piercing clear blue of the desert sky. “It’s either a steam carriage or he’s on Tempus,” Marley said softly.
Colt’s mechanical horse could cover more ground than any ordinary horse without the need for food or water, but it had a downside. One bit of gravel, one worn gear or spring, and the internal clockwork of the thing would seize up, leaving it useless. Technology was a wonderful thing, but unlike Colt, Remy didn’t like to rely on it too much.
And until China, he hadn’t wanted to form permanent attachments to anything beyond his brothers and Marley. It had seemed a waste, knowing that the end of the world was possibly at hand. There was no future. Not unless they closed the Gates.
Remy and Marley both headed outside and watched the plume grew wider. Regular, rhythmic thump of hooves could be heard pounding against the desert valley floor. The familiar black-and-white cowhide covering that made Tempus look like a paint horse, instead of a machine, became easy to see. Colt was riding double, with Lilly behind him.
They slowed to a trot and quickly transitioned to a walk as they approached Remington and Marley. Colt waved, and they both waved back.
“Got your telegram. I thought we were all going to meet up in Bodie,” Colt called out as he dismounted from the horse and helped Lilly down.
“We were until we decoded what I found in Diego’s codex. Turns out the location of the Gates of Nyx is still a mystery. China has gone to find out if she can nail down that information.”
Colt tipped his hat up. “Marley, you mind if Lilly gets out of this heat inside?”
Marley gave Lilly a familiar and easy smile that she returned, her green eyes sparkling. “Not at all. You know where everything is, don’t you, Miss Arliss?”
“I do. Thank you, Marley. It’s good to see you again.”
Lilly glanced between the two Jackson brothers, a soft, knowing smile on her lips. “Boy talk, huh? Fine. I’ll get you a drink too, while I’m at it. I have a feeling you’re all going to need one before the day is out.”
Colt watched her sashay into Marley’s house, then turned and scowled at Remington. He lowered his voice. “Didn’t I tell you not to get mixed up with that thief shifter?”
Remington shrugged. “You mean just like I suggested to you?”
Colt rolled his eyes. “You ain’t gonna bring that up again, now are you?”
“Nope. Knowing what I know now, can’t say I blame you.”
Colt eyed him, his gaze narrow and assessing. “I’ll be damned. You and China are together now, aren’t you?”
Remington could hardly deny it, but he refused to give Colt the satisfaction of being right, so instead of answering he just gave him an inscrutable smile.
“You ain’t gonna fess up to it, are you?” Colt pushed.
Remington glanced at Marley. “You said Winn would meet us here as well?”
Marley adjusted his wire-rimmed glasses. “The mechanical messenger bird I received stated he was on his way here with the vampire’s piece of the Book of Legend in hand. It also stated that he was bringing something else we’d need.”
Remington raised one brow. “What else could we need? We’ll have all three pieces of the Book of Legend.”
Marley shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “We’ll need all three pieces, and all three of you brothers, but we also need the instructions on how to bind the Book back together. And those are in the Book of Jezriel.”
“Never heard of it,” said Colt. He looked at Remington expectantly. “You’re the smart one; you ever heard of it?”
Remington shook his head. “Me either.”
“You’ll likely wish you never had,” Marley replied. “Believe me, it’s one of the things that got me lured into this entire Hunter existence.” Beads of perspiration dotted Marley’s high forehead.
“Then how did you come across it?”
Marley sighed. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket once more and mopped his brow. “That is a long story for an entirely different time, when we’ve closed the Gates of Nyx, defeated Rathe, and are old men ensconced by a nice fire with a bottle of brandy.”
Colt chuckled. “You got some imagination, you know that, Marley?”
Marley smiled and stuffed the cloth back in his breast pocket. “From the likes of you, I shall endeavor to take that as a compliment.”
“What the devil is that?” Remington squinted, looking into the too bright sky. The dark dot in the air appeared to be growing larger. “It can’t be.”
He’d never seen anything like it.
“It looks like a goddamn ship,” Colt muttered. And indeed it was a full-size galleon, the style from a hundred years ago, with billowing white sails, rope rigging, and a wooden hull, descending upon them. Two shimmering copper wings extended from either side of the ship, glaring in the harsh sunlight, and a twin set of propellers hung off the aftdeck. Its hull came to rest with a groan against the edge of the bluff that bordered Marley’s property.
“Ahoy there!”
The voice sounded familiar. Remington put his hand to his forehead and peered up to the edge of the galleon’s deck. His brother Winchester waved his black Stetson at him, his goggles glinting in the afternoon sunlight. Remy shook his head. Leave it to Winn to fly out on a vampire’s airship and come back home on something even more out of place.
“I say, that’s a most intriguing vessel,” Marley said, as he pulled down his goggles to take a better look.
“Winn, you taking up a hobby riding strange airships?” Colt called up.
“At least I’ve had a more interesting time than you the last three weeks,” he answered back.
“I doubt it,” Colt retorted, not to be outdone.
Remington cleared his throat. “Would you two stop trying to outdo each other. We’ve got a world to save here.”
“I have to agree with Remington, chaps,” Marley added. “Regardless of how intriguing this all may be, we must focus our efforts on reuniting the Book.”
Beside Winn appeared a shorter person, whose face was shadowed by a wide-brimmed hat accented with ostrich feathers that had seen better times. The individual’s billowing white shirt, black britches, and high boots made it difficult to discern if it was a man or a woman. But whoever it was looked like a pirate.
“Let down the ladder!” The high voice left no doubt it was a woman.
A chorus of other female voices answered. “Aye, captain!”
Remington looked at Colt, who looked at Marley. A ship with a female captain and crew? Perhaps Winn’s adventure had been more interesting than his brother’s. Winn started down the rope and rung ladder and was followed by the small woman in men’s clothing. She was agile on the ropes, Remington gave her that.
Colt whistled long and low. “Would you look at that,” he said under his breath. “I think I’m liking this trend of women wearing britches.” Remington glared at him as did Marley.
Colt shrugged. “What? It’s an observation.”
Remington shook his head. He couldn’t understand how his little brother could remain aware of women when he had a succubus waiting for him just inside that could literally seduce the soul right out of a man. But then again, this was Colt. He’d have to be dead not to notice women.
Personally, Remy was just glad to have all his brothers together, alive and all in one piece. Winn and the pirate captain reached the dirt, and Remington jogged up to clasp his brother in a hug. “God, it’s good to see you, Winn.”
Winchester smiled at him. “Good to see you too, brother.”
“You’re the last to the party, I’m afraid. Colt beat us both to finding a piece of the Book.”
Colt gave Winn a smug grin. “That’s because I’m fastest.”
Winchester raised a dark brow and ignored his little brother’s comment. “He had the least distance to travel I imagine. I’ve been to Transylvania, France, and London to get my hands on Haydn’s piece of the Book.” He put his hand to his forehead. “Where are my manners?” He gestured to the small woman beside him. “Captain Le Renaud, may I introduce you to my brothers, Remington and Colt, and to my good friend Marley Turlock.”
The captain swept the broad-brimmed hat from her head and gave a bow from the waist. “Enchanté, messieurs.”
Remington gave a slight bow. “The pleasure is mine. And thank you for returning my brother to us in one piece.”
“And Haydn’s piece of the Book,” Winn added.
Remington glanced at the cloth-wrapped oblong object Le Renaud held with gloved hands and nodded to it. “That it?”
He reached for it but Winn grabbed him by the wrist. “Don’t touch it without gloves on.”
Colt frowned. “Why not?”
“We had to take some precautionary measures to keep it away from Rathe. Keeping it simple, you touch it with your bare hands, you’ll die from cyanide poisoning.” He pulled a pair of gloves from his hip pocket and pulled them on, then the captain handed him the oilcloth-wrapped parcel.
“How did you manage that?” Marley asked, his face alight with curiosity.
Remington glanced at Marley. “We’re going to have to discuss how it had become poisoned some other time.”
Marley’s shoulders slumped a little. “Yes, yes. Rightly so. Time is of the essence. The sooner we figure out how to bind the pieces back together, the better.”
Captain Le Renaud cast an amused glance between each of the Jackson brothers. “The family resemblance between the brothers is most intriguing,” she said as she made eye contact with Marley.
He swallowed hard, and nodded vigorously. “I believe it’s due to a rather strong gene inheritance, if Gegor Mendel’s work is to be believed.”
The captain’s smile broadened, as Marley’s reply intrigued her. “If you gentlemen will excusez-moi for the moment, I have duties on my ship to attend to if I am to raid the gold fields of California.” Her eyes met Winn’s and he winked at her.
“Pirate,” he said by way of explanation. Each of them nodded in turn at the petite captain, touching the brims of their hats. Marley moved to grasp her hand and the captain pulled it out of his reach.
“Cyanide traces on the gloves,” she said as she removed the glove from her right hand and held it back to Marley. He smiled and grasped her hand lightly in his, brushing a kiss over the back of it.
“Adieu, Messieur Turlock,” she said as she mounted the ladder and quickly climbed back aboard the ship.
Winchester glanced up the ladder. “Tessa will be down any moment.”
Remington narrowed his eyes. He’d already been surprised by the pirate airship captain. Had Winn picked up someone else as well? “Tessa?”
“The Contessa Drossenburg.”
He had a nickname for the vampire? What the hell had happened on his trip? Perhaps it was a good thing. At least they still had a vampire on their side when it came to fighting Rathe.
“The vampire?” Colt said.
Winn’s face grew both sad and fiercely proud, if that were possible. “Not any longer. She gave up her powers to save me from Rathe.”
It took a moment for that to roll around long enough in Remington’s head to fully sink in. “She’s not a Darkin anymore?”
Winn nodded. “Pulse and everything. As flesh and blood as you or I.”
“Fascinating,” Marley said, rubbing his hands together.
“Blast.” Remy ran his fingers through the edges of his hair beneath his hat and gripped the back of his skull. “That’s awful.”
Winn arched one brow. “I thought that was a good thing.”
Remington sighed, letting his hands fall limply to his sides. Their advantages were slipping away one by one, and their showdown at the Gates of Nyx was becoming a more dangerous proposition by the minute. “Means she’s more in danger. We all are. It would have been useful to have another Darkin on our side. That leaves us with just China.”
Winn frowned. “And the succubus.”
Colt shook his head. “Nope. She’s changed back to mortal too.”
Winn’s frown deepened into a scowl. “Damn. That does put us at a disadvantage.”
“Hold up now. That’s not exactly true,” Colt said, putting his hand on Marley’s shoulder. “We got Marley too. One great inventor can sway a battle.”
Winn’s mouth split into a wide smile, making his mustache broaden. “How about two?”
Remington flicked his gaze to Marley, then his older brother. “What?”
“Octavia’s part—well, was part—of Le Renaud’s crew. Her chief mechanic. But she’s come to meet Marley.”
Down the ladder shimmied a slip of a girl, in mechanic’s pants and shirt, her hair a froth of copper red curls.
Beside him Marley started making a choking sound. Remington stared at the inventor. His mouth hung open, and his eyes looked larger than ever, which was saying something since he looked so damned bug-eyed with his special goggles on anyway. He’d never seen Marley stunned like this before.
“Sephie?”
The girl pulled her goggles down around her neck and gave him a wide smile. “No. My name is Octavia. Octavia Turlock.” She held out a hand and Marley frowned, confusion flitting through his eyes.
“I’m your daughter.”
Marley’s mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. He cleared his throat and ran his finger under the edge of his collar. “My daughter?” His voice cracked.
“It’s the truth, Marley,” Winn said. “And if I do say so, she looks an awful lot like you.”
“I’ll tell you who she looks like. She looks just like Balmora, that code machine of Marley’s,” Colt said as he tipped back his hat.
Marley’s eyes darted from Octavia to Winn to Colt and back again. “That’s because I based my design of Balmora on Sephie—the Lady Persephone Hargrieve. Wherever did you find this girl?”
“She was crewing aboard Le Renaud’s airship,” Winn said. “And she’s got your flair for inventions. Apple don’t fall far from the tree on that one.” He clapped a hand on Marley’s shoulder and gave him a good-natured grin. “Congratulations, Marley. You’re a father.”
Remington snorted. Colt outright laughed. It was a rare treat to see Marley out of words. The man almost never stopped his long-winded explanations. Figured that having a kid would be the one thing to flummox him.
Marley turned to Winn. “But how?”
“My mother assured me it was in the normal way,” Octavia stated, a hint of humor to her voice.
Marley looked at his daughter. By gum, Winn was right. The family resemblance was there in the stubborn tilt of her chin and the intensity of her eyes.
“But why did she never contact me?”
Octavia’s blue eyes grew misted. “She said you’d made yourself crystal clear. You were going to America, and you didn’t want her to follow.”
Marley pulled at the tufts of his white hair, making them stand out in an even more crazy fashion, and began to pace back and forth. “That was because I was
disgraced! She was supposed to marry some chap her parents could approve of! She was supposed to find a doctor who could cure what ailed her. But she never said she was with child! Never!” He stopped and grasped Octavia by the shoulders, his face suddenly turning solemn. “I never would have left had I known. You must believe me. Your mother was the love of my life. The only woman I’ve ever loved.”
Octavia laid a tender hand on Marley’s cheek. “She felt the same about you.” For a second Remington felt embarrassed to be there during such a personal moment, but he didn’t want to ruin it by distracting either of them from something so monumentally important, so he stood stock-still and remained where he was.
“Where is she now? How is she? Did she recover from her sickness?” Marley frowned. “Does your mother know you were crew on a pirate airship?” He tossed his hands in the air and began pacing again. “How could she have let this happen?”
“Father . . .” The one word stopped Marley in his tracks. “She’s been gone a long time now. She died when I was only ten. She told me if I ever found you, I was to give you three things.” She handed him a metal box with a complicated locking system, then fished out a small key on a chain around her neck from the folds of her shirt and pulled it off and handed it to him. Last, she reached deep into her pocket and pulled out a ratty piece of faded black velvet. She pulled the frayed fabric back to reveal a miniature mechanical King Charles spaniel. The sun glinted off of its copper and silver curls.
Something within Marley broke. There was simply no other way to describe it. He took the toy dog from Octavia with a shaking hand and clutched it tightly. Remington had never seen him this way before. He slumped to the ground, and Octavia crouched beside him.
He looked at her, his eyes sadder than Remington ever recalled. Then suddenly the spark of life reappeared in them. He bolted upright like he’d been electrically shocked. “Ten? Ten! Why on earth are you not with your grandfather, girl? You’re the granddaughter of a duke!”
Octavia’s mouth hardened into a firm line, and her eyes sparked with defiance as she straightened. “He shipped my mother off to some far-off property the moment he discovered she was with child and forbade her to come back to London. And once I was born, he said the only way they would take her back into the family fold was if she married that horrible Lieutenant Frobisher. She refused.”
The Chosen Page 26
