Fall of Sky City (A Steampunk Fantasy Sci-Fi Adventure Novel) (Devices of War)

by Blooding, SM

  He shrugged with a chuckle. “Yeah. Mine. My very own.”

  “He, les gars,” Yvette yelled. “I will pay. But let us go eat.” She gestured us to the door. “Now.”

  Keeley hopped off her stool, left her apron, and followed Yvette out of the laboratory.

  I raised my eyebrows at Joshua. “When was the last time she offered to pay?”

  “Has she ever?” He pulled his apron over his head and draped it on his table.

  “No.” I met him stride for stride. “I want to see my pistols.”

  He chuckled. “Ye want to see mine too, eh?”

  I grunted, but refrained from saying anything further. I wanted to see what he’d done to my designs, and I wanted to see if he had possibly improved them. Maybe. Possibly. Well, definitely with the plasma pistol because everything I’d done to date had been a semi success, but in a pinch, I never really knew if it was going to work or…not.

  We continued to banter back and forth, the girls occasionally glancing back at us and shaking their heads, Yvette’s ridiculous shoes clip-clopping down the sidewalks. They disappeared into the café. I held the door open for Joshua, intent to follow.

  I was stopped by a hand on my arm. “maadhaa waqa’a?”

  My breath was lodged in my throat as I scanned the long shadows of the dark side of the building and Sang rose slowly into the sky. It had been so long since I’d heard my own language, much less the voice of my friend. “Haji?” I asked, my hands seeking him. “Is that you?”

  He pulled me into the gap between the two smooth buildings. “What happened?” he asked again. “Your father is gone and Isra said that you were captured.”

  I gave him a long hug, one that he returned with great vigor. I pulled away and studied his face. He’d grown into a man. The rounded playfulness of his boyish features had been chiseled away. “If you knew I was captured, you must have known I would not be among the living.”

  He snorted and chucked his chin at me. “Yes. I did know that, but then I started hearing that a boy was burned and then survived, wearing the Mark of the House of Wands. Tell me this isn’t true.”

  I closed my eyes and turned away.

  “You’ve become a Hand? They’ve made you their knight?”

  I shook my head and smiled at him. “No. I’m studying, trying to find a way to get out of here. I am. But there’s so much technology here, so much knowledge. I want to take as much as I can.”

  “Come with me now.”

  And leave Joshua and Keeley? “I need more time.”

  “I have a way off this city, but we have to leave tonight.”

  “Haj.” I shook my head. I needed those pistols, and more importantly, I needed the pistol that Joshua and I were working on for my abilities. “I need more time. What’s the hurry? How did you find me? How’d you get to Sky City? No one knows where it is. It’s hidden.”

  “Not so well as you might think.” He took a step back and really looked at me. “Did it even hurt when you watched my Family murdered?”

  The memories flashed over my mind, bringing with them emotions I’d learned to hide. “Haj, it’s not like that.”

  “Oh, I see. Yeah, you’re the pet now, the chosen one. Did you know that the queen has targeted the rest of the El’Asim Family? That nowhere is safe for them? What did you do?”

  I knew exactly what Nix was doing. She was trying to ensure I had no place left to call home, no family but her.

  “And the Ino? They nearly lost their lethara last month. The Hands targeted it. Can you believe that? And why? Do the Hands know of the alliance?”

  I swallowed and ducked my head. “My Mark is fire, Haj, not storm. For all that I look like my father, I am my mother’s son.”

  He ran a hand over his stained hat. “Great. So you’re staying?”

  “I—” I shook my head and let out a short breath. “I need more time.”

  “Will you come or not?”

  My mind said no. I needed more time to study, to plan.

  My heart told me to get out of there as quickly as I possibly could.

  I nodded. “I’m coming. But there are things I need, one of which we’re still building.”

  “I’ll see if I can buy you a couple of days, but, Synn—”

  I stared at him, waiting.

  He blinked and disappeared, refusing to finish what he’d started to say.

  The door to the café opened and Keeley stepped out. “Synn?” she called.

  I cleared my throat and stepped out of the shadow. “Yes.”

  She smiled, letting the door close. “We were wondering where you were. Yvette already paid.”

  I smiled. “I just had a thought I needed to finish while I was out here. That’s all.”

  She looked at me with disbelieving eyes. “Are you sure?”

  I started to affirm my lie, but stopped. “If I could get us out of here, would you come with me?”

  “Where?” she asked with a laugh. “Where could we go?”

  I took a step toward her and grabbed her hands. “I mean it. If we could get out, would you come with me?”

  Her mouth opened and then closed, her eyes darting around the empty street. It was well past our time of sleep. “I don’t understand,” she whispered. “What are you talking about?”

  I didn’t know what to say. I shouldn’t have mentioned anything in the first place. What was I thinking? “You know what? Never mind. It was just a silly thought, a dream. Think nothing of it.”

  She stood floundering and blinking.

  I stepped around her and opened the door. “Are you coming?”

  Before I disappeared into the café, I saw Varik leaning against the building across the street. He crossed his arms over his chest and saluted.

  I saluted back, my heart racing, and disappeared into the café, hoping, praying that he saw nothing.

  And knowing my prayers were in vain.

  CHAPTER 9

  GOOD-BYE, NIX

  We stayed up much longer through the sleep time than we’d intended. After we ate, with Sang rising high and bright in the sky, we went back to the laboratory and worked on our projects again. Keeley needed more help with her motor. She wanted to chop and spray her disgusting concoction because she said it would help with an even delivery.

  With my head buried deep in Keeley’s motor frame, I didn’t realize that we’d worked through the entire sleep time until Varik came up to us and put a hand on my shoulder. I came up fast and spun.

  He took a quick step back, his hands raised, a semi-pleasant smile on his face.

  “Ah, Varik.” I relaxed, taking a rag and wiping my hands off with it. “To what do we owe the pleasure?”

  He raised his eyebrows, his gaze falling on my companions, and folded his gloved hands in front of him. “Queen Nix would like to know when you will be coming to her bed.”

  I closed my jaw to my immediate reply, sparing a brief glance at my friends. “You may tell her that I failed to note the passing of time, and that I should really be off to class.”

  He met my gaze, paused and then nodded, snapping his heals together before pulling an about face and leaving.

  Joshua sat back and laughed, mocking me. “Her bed. The man’s asked to join the queen in her bed, and all the bloody boy can do is say he’d rather go to school?”

  Keeley sent her brother a pained look and stood up, stretching. “I’m going to change and grab something to eat. The next time you two decide you need to spend our sleeping hours working on something you’re just going to melt or otherwise destroy, don’t call me.”

  Joshua quirked his head at her. “I don’ recall callin’ on ye in the first place.”

  Keeley glared at him and prodded her friend.

  Yvette picked her head off of her folded arms, her curls flattened on one side of her head. “Quoi?”

  “Come on,” Keeley said. “Let’s get changed.”

  The fashionista let out a short breath and rose groggily to her feet. “Y
ou have no idea how happy that makes me.”

  I was eager to get back to my work. We were so close and I was running out of time.

  “Hey, Synn lad, don’ worry none about it. I’ll continue working on it today.”

  I nodded with a smile. And hopefully it would work this time. “Thanks.”

  “Don’t sweat it none. Now, just get yer arse to class and impress the ladies a bi’, eh?”

  Languages was my first class. I didn’t want to go up to my quarters to change. I was actually used to this and had squirreled away another set of clothes under our bench in the laboratory. Changed, I headed to class.

  Keeley was already there. It didn’t matter how many sleeping times we spent awake at the laboratory, she was always the first one in class. And yes, she’d changed and freshened up. And apparently eaten.

  I reached out and swiped a piece of oatmeal off of her tunic. “Saving some breakfast for later, are we?”

  She blushed and scooted over for me to join her at our table. “I see you didn’t make it to the dining hall this morning.”

  I shook my head and sat down, hopping the chair closer to the table. “When Nix sends Varik after me and I turn her down, she has a nasty tendency to drug my food.”

  She rolled her green eyes and opened our language book.

  We started our lesson. More like, I started teaching her. After all, we were studying my native language, Adalic. It was giving her a minor headache.

  “I could listen to you speak all day, but I still have no idea what you’re sayin’.”

  I chuckled.

  “I don’t even know when one word stops and another begins. They all just blur together.”

  “Well, it’s not so unlike learning any language, really.” I checked her notes with a slight smile. “They all sound foreign at first.”

  “Yes, but yours sounds like water.”

  I snorted. “Yes, because yours is so much better.”

  “Dún do bheal,” she said with a laugh.

  With as much of a hard time as I gave her, the only issue I had with her language was spelling. “Shut your own mouth.”

  “I wanted to talk to you about what you said last night.”

  That sobered me up. “Forget I said anything.”

  “But I can’t.”

  “Yes, you can.”

  “Were you serious?”

  I decided to ignore her, hoping she’d just drop it.

  She put her hand on mine.

  I sighed and met her gaze. “If I was serious, you’d have to report me.”

  “Maybe.” She licked her lips, blinking. “But what if I wanted to get out of here?”

  “Are you serious?” I didn’t want to hope then have her say that she wasn’t. I never intended to make friends in this place. I only intended to get as much information as I could and get out. “Or are you just saying this because you think it’s what I want to hear?”

  “I think—” She ducked her head. “—I’m serious.”

  My eyebrows rose. “Oh.”

  She looked up at me startled. “Did you want me to be?”

  I vigorously nodded. “Yes, yes I did.” I flipped my hand and took hold of her fingers. “I don’t know when we’ll be leaving, but if you really want to go, pack a bag and be ready by end of day today.”

  “You think we could be leaving so soon?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Is someone helping you? Why were you outside for so long?”

  “The less you know the better.”

  She shivered and pulled her hand away, gathering her papers. “You don’t trust me?”

  I pushed her papers away and grabbed her gaze. “I wasn’t raised with you, Keeley. You’re a stranger to me in a strange place, and the only thing I know for certain is that you’re my friend. You’re the only truly nice thing I’ve come across in this place.”

  A small smile lightened her expression, brightening her eyes. “And my brother’s what to you? Chopped liver?”

  I curled my lip and turned my attention back to my papers. “That’s just gross.”

  “Can Joshua come too?”

  I opened my mouth and shrugged deeply. “I really don’t know what the accommodations are. I would love to take you both, but I don’t know.”

  “I can’t just leave him.”

  I took in a calming breath and studied the ceiling for a moment. “I understand. Please know if you guys do come, you’ll have to move quickly and pack light. We will be running. I don’t know if we’ll find a safe place.”

  “Do you think this is a safe place?” Her gaze was lowered, her expression grim. “They made us watch as our Family was buried alive, Synn.”

  I swallowed hard.

  “And they remind us all the time about what could become of us if we fail to follow their rules, if we step out of line. I want to be free. I want to know what it’s like to live outside of this—” Her lips were pursed as she looked around the language arts classroom. “—city.”

  “Okay. So—” We both stood up. “Be ready. I don’t know when we’ll leave, but it will be with short notice.”

  She nodded. “Understood.”

  I followed her out the door, but before I made it into the hallway, my books were slammed out of my hands, falling to floor. My arm was twisted behind my back.

  “The queen requests your presence,” Varik said in my ear. “Now.”

  I clenched my teeth, fighting off the need to pull away as I stumbled before him.

  Students and teachers alike dove for either side of the hallways and sidewalks as I was pushed toward the House of Wands, my arm still twisted painfully behind me. They looked scared and whispered to one another, careful to show no more than what was acceptable.

  Varik pushed me through the doorway to my tower, releasing my arm, and closed the door behind us. “I’m sure you know the way?”

  I clenched my jaw and glared at the staircase.

  “Or do you need prodding?”

  “What am I here for? I have studies. I can’t fall behind.”

  “You know why you’re here.”

  Which infraction had she caught on to?

  Varik’s gaze was stone. “You don’t want to keep her waiting.”

  I closed my eyes and started the long trek up the stairs. The door at the top of the staircase was open.

  Nix gathered me in her arms as I crested the doorway. “I was so worried.”

  My arms rose to comfort her, my expression set in stone. “I apologize for worrying you,” I said carefully, forcing each muscle in my face to relax. “I must admit we got tied up in the laboratory.”

  She pulled away, cupping my face in her long-nailed hands. “You spend entirely too much time in the laboratory.”

  I smiled at her. “But we’re discovering so much.”

  Her lips grew pouty as fire shot from her dark eyes. “I fear you’ve discovered a love for someone other than myself.”

  I opened my mouth, but the truth was, I couldn’t profess to love her. I despised her.

  She spun, her black gown rustling with each pacing step. “I knew it. You’re falling in love with one of those girls, aren’t you? Yvette? I’m sure it is Yvette.”

  I shook my head, my smile back in place. “No.” I walked up to her, stopping her back and forth motion, and took her hands. “I assure you, I’m not. I’m simply enjoying what we’re learning. Did you know that Joshua and I have created a new metal?”

  She tipped her head, her ruby lips open. “You’re gay.”

  I blinked and shook my head. Where had that come from?

  “That’s the reason you’ve not made any advances toward me.”

  My eyebrows rose against my will. “What?”

  “I do not please you.”

  “My queen.” I ran my hands down her arms, the action going against the grain. “You are most pleasing to me, but I don’t think so highly of myself that I could simply take advantage of you.”

  She kept quiet,
her eyes watching my arms.

  “You are a powerful woman, and quite lovely. What man wouldn’t want you?” Besides me?

  Her eyes met mine. She saw something there that made her dark gaze glint.

  Not good. I readjusted my mask, and secured the edges, gaining a tighter control of my every thought.

  She pulled away and motioned to the table. “Come. You didn’t eat breakfast. I worry that you’re not taking proper care of yourself.”

  I sent her a thankful smile, watching her every micro-expression for some sign of what she was up to. “I really shouldn’t be gone long. There’s someone in my magicks class that’s—”

  “Enough talk of your studies,” she snapped.

  My hands flared in surrender. “My apologies. I simply assumed you’d want to hear—”

  “I don’t.” She sank to her cushion. “I want you to eat.”

  I sank to my own pillow and perused the table. There were eggs and salmon with a fresh bowl of fruit.

  She made no move to join me.

  “You’re not eating, my queen?”

  “I didn’t fail to eat my breakfast.” She raised an eyebrow and brought her goblet to her lips.

  Which meant the food was drugged.

  Blood rushed into my ears. I didn’t feel like playing this game. We’d played it several times before. She’d drugged my food and played with my body until I swore I was hers and hers alone. No. I was done playing her games.

  But I needed more time. I needed those weapons, a plan.

  An engine whined just below the window.

  I picked up my chopsticks, my ears trying to decipher what was going on outside my window.

  An eagle screeched through the air.

  My heart leapt.

  I looked at Nix and smiled, allowing my mask to fall away as I rose to my feet. “I’m through playing these games with you. I’ll not be your puppet.”

  A slow smile slithered across her lips as she gracefully stood before me. “Where are you going to go? Where will you hide? There’s no way out of this city unless I allow it.”

  I grinned, backing away toward the balcony. “That’s what you like to think.”

  “There is nowhere you can hide.” Her voice rose as she advanced on me with clenched fists. “And how do you plan to escape the tower? There’s only one way out of here.”