by S. S. Engle
“I’m working on it.”
“Well let me work on it. You need to get ready.”
“But the stairs?”
“I’ll be fine. And one last thing. Harlan left this for you.”
“What is it?”
“I don’t know, I didn’t open it. It wasn’t addressed to me.”
“So what is it?”
“Something you’ll need for tonight. Here, take this, and go put your dress on. We’re already crashing this party, I don’t need to be late doing it.”
“Being fashionably late makes a good impression though.”
“Not tonight it won’t. Now go sweetheart!”
“I’m going, I’m going. It takes you guys twice as long to get ready as I’ll take.”
“I doubt that.”
“There’s so many things guys have to wear to look presentable. All I have to do is slip into a dress and call it a day.”
“I’ll have the men start getting the airship ready for takeoff.”
“I’ll meet you out there in ten minutes.”
“Ten minutes!”
“What, you don’t think I can do it?”
“I’m timing you.”
“Challenge accepted!”
Kassidy ran by Luca with a devilish grin and snatched the box from the desk in front of him. On her way up the stairs she tore it open to reveal a carefully crafted masquerade mask that had made for her by Harlan. Due to the mermaid style of her dress her old friend thought it only fitting if her mask followed a nautical theme. She laughed to herself. She didn’t think Harlan had been paying that much attention to what she would be looking like tonight. The mask was all made out of varying shades of copper. It had shiny tentacles waving all over the place with silver suction cups and a brass
monocle on one side. A golden chain would keep it in place on her head as she wound it around her curled dark red hair. With the dress on in her room she couldn’t help but stare in awe at herself in the mirror. She was unrecognizable if not for the burn on her forearm. She was going to fingerless gloves at home for the night, trying to put on a more upscale and less tactical appearance. The dress from Luca fit her like a glove, every curve just in the right place. It might have even fit her better than her usual dress did. The engagement ring from Blue and the letter she usually kept in her corset were also going to stay behind tonight. She stuck them in a hollowed-out book on her desk and tucked the book away in a drawer. A rapid knock on her door had her realizing she had spent longer than ten minutes getting ready. She quickly skipped over to the door trying to get her thigh sheath in place under her tight-fitting dress. Luca beat her to it, opening the door for himself and standing frozen in the doorway. Seeing him bite his bottom lip had Kassidy biting hers as well.
“So…what do you think Luca?”
“Blue’s such an idiot.”
“What do you mean? Do I look alright?”
“You look…so…different.”
“A good different, or a never do that again different?”
“An attractive different.”
“What?”
“The first one. Definitely the first one. You look…you look amazing sweetheart.”
“Do you think the Ringers are still going to be able to recognize me?”
“They’re all going to be staring at you, but whether or not they’ll pull their eyes away from you long enough to realize who you are is another question.”
“I’m sorry it took me longer than I thought. I guess I can’t get ready in ten minutes.”
“I’m not holding that against you. I’ll gladly wait a few extra minutes if it means I get to look at you looking like this.”
“Stop it. I’m already uncomfortable enough as it is going to the parlour. The last thing I need is…”
“Just breathe. You’re going to do everything you want tonight. There’s too many of us making sure of it.”
“It’s just…”
“I know what it is. And yes, I have the same feeling.”
“I haven’t been inside the Patina Parlour since the night our fathers died.”
“Me either.”
“And now we’re going there to celebrate their deaths.”
“No, the Ringers are going to celebrate their deaths. We’re going to vindicate all their hard work.”
“Do you ever miss him?”
“Who? My dad?”
“Yes.”
“My dad and I had a real love/hate relationship going on. He was your dad’s first mate. He was busy all the time. I’d say I barely knew the man. I knew Wicked Jack better than I did dad.”
“My dad was good at keeping his distance from me too. I don’t think it was intentional. He was just, busy. He had so many men depending on him, and I was just an afterthought, more or less. I know he loved me, I don’t question that, but…”
“He left behind this treasure to make sure you were taken care of. That’s love.”
“I don’t even know if there is a treasure.”
“There’s something. And whatever it is, we’re going to find it. I promise you that.”
“Do you remember your mom at all?”
“No. I don’t even have a picture of her. My dad loved many women. What do you know about your mom?”
“Next to nothing.”
“Well at least you know she was gorgeous.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Look in that mirror right now and tell me otherwise.”
“You’re too nice to me sometimes.”
“If you don’t stop once in a while and notice how great the little things are you get too caught up in how bad everything else is around you. Now I realize where we’re going tonight, and I remember what happened there seventeen years ago. But I’m walking in there in an hour focusing on nothing but the task at hand. What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to go in there and find that next clue.”
“That’s what I was hoping you would say. The airship awaits, are you ready?”
“As ready as I can be.”
Luca and Kassidy were the last to board the Lydia that night, but it was well worth it. After the over the top comments were made on Kassidy’s appearance she was fully blushed out for the evening and Luca took off. The storm from the day before had blown over, but the air was still brisk enough to keep the Dreadcranks wits about them as they docked their ship on the other side of Engia. There was airships and hot air balloons of all shapes and sizes tied off to the perimeter wall of the city. The Lydia wouldn’t even stick out as they had arrived as one of the last groups of people. The live music and party were already well under way. Luca had the Dreadcranks systematically enter the parlour from all sides. He released his men in groups of twenty. Luca and Kassidy would be the final ones to make their presence known since they would be the highest enemy targets in attendance, and the most easily recognized. Once the airship was empty Luca and Kassidy came up to the parlour with measured and heavy steps form the direction of the southern alley. Kassidy took time to count the bricks, finding her unassuming target up next to the roof. It blended in like all the others, but she had an eye for that next clue. Luca felt her becoming jittery beside him, and it wasn’t from the cold either.
To try and keep Kassidy calmed down Luca preoccupied her by getting her to help him with his jacket. To keep his mechanical arm from giving
itself away she wound herself around it like any couple would enter a party. That was their reuse tonight to keep an eye on each other. After Luca took a heavy hand to knock on the door he looked over at Kassidy’s face and saw she had faded to all shades of white, glowing in the residual light from inside the party. He took his free hand and adjusted her mask for her as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. He moved her hand over his heart and held it there while the attendee inside came up to the door to greet and announce them. Luca peered through the front windows and it was like stepping into a nightmare. The room had been completely reconstructed to match
the original, although Luca remembered the room slightly more covered in flames and the ringing of gunshots still pierced his ears through the organ music playing now. The elaborate staircase flashed in his eyes between him jumping through the fire riddle bannister as a child trying to push Kassidy out of the room, and seeing it tonight filled with lavishly dressed know nothing politicians from Engia and the surrounding cities. Kassidy felt Luca’s heart pounding faster and she tucked herself tighter into his side, slowing it back down again as Luca came back to reality. He held Kassidy’s burned forearm in his white gloved hand and squeezed his own eyes shut now trying to make it all go away.
“Luca, are you sure we’re doing the right thing here tonight?”
“I’m sure we’re right where we need to be.”
“They’re going to recognize me as soon as we’re announced.”
“We’re giving them fake names.”
“This is a mistake! We’re going to put the gang in jeopardy! We’re going to…”
“Calm down.”
“How?!”
“Remember you have the easiest job here tonight. We’re going to get you to the roof, you’re going to get whatever it was that was left behind in that brick, we’ll pick up some free food and be on our way back to the palace. Half an hour tops.”
“But everyone is going to be staring at us when we walk in there.”
“Of course they are. Every man with a pair of eyes is going to try and hit on you the second we walk into the room. And every woman is going to try and stick their claws into me.”
“Let them try.”
“There’s the confidence you were missing.”
“If I hear that any woman in there has even gotten close to you I’m going to punch her in the face. And I’m going to have Dreadcrank eyes all over that room.”
“A little much don’t you think?”
“Women love a man with scars who knows how to clean up nice.”
“And men love you, period. We’ve got our work cut out for us tonight.”
“You promise, half an hour tops?”
“Half an hour tops.”
“Greetings, and welcome to the 17th annual celebration of Engia’s freedom from Dreadcrank anarchy. What are your names?”
“Sir Roland Voss of Point Clark, and my wife, Lady Willow Voss.”
5
Kassidy and Luca were ushered into the front doors of the Patina Parlour like they were people who actually mattered. There was a collective gasp as the pair descended the entry stairway into the main room. All the while they were both scouring the place for Ringer lookouts and a clear path to the roof. Escape routes were pointed to directly. Dreadcranks hovered at all of them, mingling seamlessly. Kassidy kept a tight hold on Luca’s arm as they made their way to the buffet table, eyes on them all the way. There were mumblings and Kassidy’s heart was about ready to beat out of her chest but Luca kept leaning over and whispering in her ear that everything was going to be fine. She had to be very careful when she walked as the skirt of the dress trailed on the ground. Coming up the grand staircase to get a better view of their situation Luca noticed the heels Kassidy had chosen to wear. They weren’t her regular boots, and wondered if the choice had been a wise one. But he couldn’t get stuck looking at her shoes for long when she was so drop dead gorgeous in that dress. Up on a balcony inside Kassidy spotted Harlan making his way towards her with a large box wrapped up like a present. She knew it was the Codex, and it was time for her and Luca to split up.
“What could you be so preoccupied with right now?”
“Those are ridiculous shoes that you’re wearing.”
“I had to play the part. Besides, they’re obviously enough to keep you staring.”
“Trust me sweetheart, it’s not the shoes I’m staring at.”
“I think it’s about time we divide and conquer. Harlan’s brought the Codex and he’s downstairs with it right now. I have to get to that brick as soon as I can.”
“The balcony that leads out to it is just off to your right upstairs.”
“But where’s the staircase that leads to the top floor?”
“Probably somewhere in back. I’ll keep my eyes open for it. We’ve already made it past the hard part. We’re in. Just come back to me as soon as you can.”
“Half an hour tops.”
“Hopefully sooner.”
Luca leaned in and kissed Kassidy’s forehead as the pair went their separate ways. Aware they were being watched closely the reuse was that Kassidy needed to go to the bathroom. Harlan watched her come back downstairs and mix into the crowd of well to dos. With the worst timing possible however Natasha was walking right towards Kassidy. Harlan shifted the “gift” under his right arm and decided to intercept the girls before something terrible happened. Kassidy was getting hung up a lot, because everyone in the room wanted to meet her and know who she was. She was playing the part exceedingly well, making small talk and idle prater look like child’s play. Natasha was as curious as the rest of the room, and wanted to know who her competition was. Harlan was flushed by the time he got in front of her, and immediately went into damage control mode. The only thing that Natasha could be side tracked with at this point was talking about herself. Harlan knew she never missed an opportunity to do that.
“What do you want now Harlan?! I’m busy.”
“I was just checking on something.”
“Checking what?”
“I noticed you weren’t wearing a certain piece of jewelry.”
“What do you know about my jewelry? This necklace I’m wearing costs more than you’re worth.”
“I don’t doubt that. But I thought you’d be wearing a ring by now.”
“Oh…that piece of jewelry.”
“I didn’t mean to spoil anything.”
“Spoil? You can’t spoil anything that hasn’t happened. Asa promised me he’d propose if I got Kassidy back for him. And I didn’t. So technically, he’s a man of his word.”
“I did see him back at the mansion getting ready. A certain box was put into his coat. I don’t want to speculate about what it could have been but…”
“He’s going to do it tonight?!”
“With an audience like this, on a night like tonight, it’d be unparalleled.”
“I do deserve an audience. I’ve waited long enough.”
“Frankly I don’t know what’s taken my brother so long. I mean, as much as he loves you…”
“He does love me, doesn’t he?”
“Almost as much as he loves this city.”
“Thank you Harlan! That was the best news anyone could have given me. I better go to the bathroom and make sure I look perfect for when he proposes.”
“Uh you don’t need to do that!”
“Harlan, what are you doing? Let me pass.”
“I just, I mean, I think you already look great.”
“Of course I look great. But great isn’t good enough for a proposal. I need to look flawless.”
“You are!”
“You’re acting weird. Have you been drinking?”
“Just a little.”
“Excuse me Harlan. But I’ve got to get myself ready.”
Natasha pushed herself through Harlan’s meager barricade with ease. He was panicking when he turned around and couldn’t find out where Kassidy had walked off to. But expecting where she might be headed he walked to the back of the parlour where the service staircase was and began climbing up to the top story. On the second story, he heard a group of girls giggling and peeked through the curtains to see Luca surrounded. He had all the single women in the party flocking to him, and lots of angry men down below jealous of him. He was holding two glasses in his hands, constantly explaining he was just waiting for his wife to get out of the bathroom. Harlan wanted to hear Luca slip up, and prove he couldn’t be loyal to Kassidy, but Luca made no such mistake. Harlan scoffed, maybe a little too loud, and was poked in the back from the shadows. He jumped out of cover and Luca
looked over to see Kassidy pulling Harlan back into the dark with her. To keep anyone else form looking in the direction he was he began to crack a joke about how ritzy everything was tonight, and all the girls began laughing at everything he said. He wasn’t even trying to be funny, and remembered how nice it was having Kassidy to be so real with. But Kassidy wasn’t feeling as confident as she had been earlier. Really, it was an ocean of confidence she had tonight, constantly ebbing and flowing like a tide in a hurricane. In hushed whispers, she tried speaking with Harlan about how the night was progressing.
