She’d gotten to her feet, body shaking, and grabbed the first thing she could use as a weapon. The ten minutes following would have been amusing if her head hadn’t been pounding like a music machine. David rambled through an explanation, while Aiko disarmed her, her weapon replaced by a cup of tea and plate of biscuits.
The images from David’s recording device confirmed what they’d said, that Samuel and she had planned the entire event. The stuttering images and choppy voice recording allowed Piper to watch herself speak with another woman’s words before the personality was ripped from her mind and soul. It was fascinating as much as it was unnerving. Piper couldn’t feel the smallest trace of the woman once known as Annie. She was truly gone now.
“Can’t this thing move any faster?” Piper leaned her head out the window, ignoring the sting of her eyes as the wind blew in her face. “I could have walked to the Tower by now.”
David sat in a small chair facing forward. From his post he controlled the horseless carriage with a series of levers and pedals. The glass was blackened, providing protection from the glare of the day’s sun. Not that it kept the inside cool, as the heat from the engine was suffocating.
From the outside, the carriage must have appeared odd, its horseless box propelled forward on large spoke wheels by a steam engine in the boot. Piper had heard of such horseless contraptions, but had never once seen one. It was turning out to be quite the adventure.
“Of course it can. But if I opened up the throttle I’d be sure to run over a large portion of the walking populace. Better to go slower and not be hanged for murder.”
The Japanese woman, Aiko, had chosen to stay behind when David offered to take Piper to the Tower. Piper had assumed it was because the woman had other responsibilities. Now she suspected it was more to do with avoiding this mode of transportation than any sense of duty or work ethic.
Smart woman.
Another burst of steam filled the small cabin, sucking a generous portion of the fresh air from the space. “Are you certain this contraption is safe? I’d hate to have to throttle you for killing me.”
“Quite. I built it specifically for the king. If there is ever another war he will be safe to travel straight to the front of the enemy lines if he so chooses. The French could drop a bomb from the belly of an airship and we would emerge unscathed.”
“Impressive, and a claim I’d rather not test.” The carriage lurched to the side as David took the corner onto Cannon Street at a particularly sharp angle. “How exactly did a clockwerker manage to get a commission to build such a method of transportation for the king?”
David threw her a grin over his shoulder. “A clockwerker with very good friends. The Tower is just ahead.”
“Excellent.” She wasn’t certain her stomach could take much more of this. “I’ll hunt Samuel down once I get there.”
“Are you certain you want to go alone? I would be more than happy to accompany you. It would give me an opportunity to see what my big brother is trying to hide. Rory never lets me go anywhere near the Tower.”
“Perhaps he is trying to hide you from them?” While she might not exactly remember meeting David or their mutual experiences over the past few days, Piper could tell from simple conversation that he was a man of great intelligence who wasn’t exactly who he appeared to be.
“Perhaps it’s just as well. I don’t think the King’s Sentry could handle having another Timmons walking about their halls. I shall deposit you out front and allow you to face your sergeant alone.”
“You are a good man, David.” She leaned in and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I promise Samuel won’t be too angry with you.”
“Are you insane? He’ll be furious with me for even letting you out of bed, let alone bringing you here. My only saving grace is that you will have to face him first. Soothe the beast, as it were.” He clicked his tongue and grinned.
The carriage lurched to a halt before a small crowd. Most of the pedestrians milling about turned and gaped at them, waiting to see who would emerge from such an odd contraption. Now that she was here, Piper wasn’t as certain that her impulsive decision was at all wise. She couldn’t remember exactly why she and Samuel had come to Timmons’ house, despite having seen the recording. There’d been danger, so much so that Samuel had hidden her away from the Archives, Dennison, even his own people.
While Piper had never been one to sit by and let another step in to protect her, she didn’t want to put Samuel into any danger through thoughtless actions. He might have had good reason for wanting her to remain at Timmons’ house. Reasons that had nothing to do with him being patronizing or thinking her incapable of defending herself.
If only she could remember.
“Are you certain you want to do this?” David shoved his goggles high up on his forehead. “I can take you back to the house and no one will be any the wiser.”
Sit back and let Samuel solve the murder of these innocent women, and possibly uncover the rat in the Archives, when she might be able to help? “I’m going. I will send word once we’ve learned something.”
“Good luck!”
The air outside wasn’t any cleaner than inside David’s device, but it was considerably cooler. A bead of sweat rolled down Piper’s back, beneath her corset, to tickle her skin where she couldn’t reach. The weight of the crowd’s stare was enough to set her skin crawling, encouraging her to walk as quickly as she dared.
She wouldn’t run to avoid those stares. She was an archivist, after all. They were the guardians of the dead, not criminals.
No one questioned her arrival at the Tower, nor did they try to stop her entrance. At first she thought it was because she’d been here before, the other guards recognizing her as a friend of Sam’s. It wasn’t until she turned the corner and came face to face with Master Ryerson that she realized it was because she wasn’t the only archivist in attendance.
“Sir!” Piper stepped back, remembering Aiko’s warning about avoiding the guild. “What are you doing here?”
“Miss Smith. I thought you were in the care of a doctor?” He advanced, forcing her to move farther down the hallway to keep her distance.
It was bizarre, the immediate feeling of mistrust toward her mentor. She had a vague recollection of a fight she’d had with him, though none of the details were fixed. Memories of a carriage ride with him and Dennison made her brain itch and her stomach sour. The blackness swallowed up everything after that.
“I was in his care, but I needed to see Samuel.”
“The sergeant has gone off on a wild goose chase.” Master Ryerson tried again to get closer to Piper. “Why don’t you let me look at you? I don’t trust whatever quack that man was able to dredge up to perform some dark wizardry on your precious brain.”
Piper suspected David would be highly amused at being called a wizard. “Both my body and my brain are fine. Now if you’ll excuse me, we have a murder to solve.”
“I’m telling you he’s gone. Now come with me.”
Her anger flared, blotting out what little reason she had remaining in her head. “No.”
Piper slammed her foot on Ryerson’s toes before she drove her knee into his crotch.
Ignoring the Guild Master’s shouts, Piper turned and bolted down the hall, looking for the first person she could find to help her. She eventually found one lad who looked to be several years younger than her and persuaded him to take her to Samuel.
She was surprised when, instead of leading her to Sam’s office, the boy brought her to a wide staircase that led to the lower levels. The smell of damp earth and wet foundation stones grew stronger with every downward step they took. By the time they reached a large staging room, Piper was as chilled as she had been hot in David’s carriage.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
Piper didn’t need to turn around to know the fury she would see on Samuel’s face. Instead, she thanked her guide. “You might want to flee now.” He didn’t wait around to be told
a second time.
“I asked you a bloody question, Pip.”
Taking a breath, Piper faced the man who’d been her obsession as a child. It was as if she were seeing him for the first time. Samuel’s blue eyes were bright, wide, reflecting back his anger. But there was something else, concern tinged with relief. He was happy to see her, despite the situation, though she knew he would never admit it.
“I came because you need my assistance.” She smoothed down the front of her skirts, refusing to give in to his bullying.
Samuel grabbed Piper’s hand and pulled her to his body. The smell of his aftershave and oil filled her senses, forcing her to relax against him. “Did it work? Is she gone?” The words were spoken against her hair, half kisses.
“I don’t remember her.”
“What do you remember?”
Something had happened between them. Even if Aiko hadn’t said anything to her directly, the way he asked the question would have told her as much. Looking up, Piper cupped his cheek and vainly wished things could have been different.
“I’m sorry, I don’t remember anything since before Annie’s death.”
Samuel closed his eyes and eased out a breath before taking a step away. “I see.”
He ran his thumb beside her eye and gently beneath it. Despite David’s technique being fundamentally different from that of the Archives, the residual white ring had widened. It had been the first thing she’d checked once she’d had a moment to herself. Bit by bit her eyes would lose their brown, turning her into one of the zombies the citizens of New London accused the Archivists of being.
“Sam—”
“Piper, you’re not well. We are about to embark on an unpleasant journey to Dover. The Driller isn’t an easy ride when a person is at full health.”
“You fool, Hawkins. Now she’s certain to come.” Piper hadn’t noticed Dennison lounging against the wall until then. “Nice to see you again.”
She nodded at him, noticing his attire. “It appears I need to suit up.”
“Here’s an overcoat, cap, and gloves. I see you have your goggles.” Dennison tossed her the items of gear and Piper quickly put them on. “Anything else she’ll need, Timmons?”
“A strong stomach.”
She followed the two men, ignoring Samuel’s growl. “I promise to be on my best behavior. Mostly.”
“Pip!”
Refusing to give Samuel any opportunity to turn her away, Piper followed Timmons through a large double door and out into a huge underground cavern. The wooden planks beneath her feet creaked as she walked across them toward what looked to be an ordinary steam locomotive. It wasn’t until she got closer that she could see the fundamental difference between this engine and the ones that flew across the land.
Large brass wheels that rose to nearly the midpoint of the car were encased in thick metal spikes. Taller than she by at least half, they looked as if they could propel the mass of the engine through solid rock. In place of a cowcatcher was a massive metal cone, grooved in deep spirals that looked sharp enough to split a hair. Not brass or iron, but Carborundum, hard as adamant. The wicked tip shone in the gloom of the tunnel entrance, pointing into the blackness. It was then she realized there were no tracks on the ground, nothing to guide and direct them through the tunnel. The Driller wouldn’t need them.
“What is this?” Getting close enough to touch, Piper stopped short of letting her fingers caress the rivets that held the brass plating in place. “Are the Guild Masters aware the King’s Sentry possesses such a contraption?”
“What they think this is and what we actually have are two different realities.” Samuel reached up and pushed a button high on the side of the machine, next to the door. A blast of steam rolled out and a set of stairs slowly ground their way down to reach the platform. “I’d tell the two of you that none of what you’re about to see is to be put into any report or even mentioned to the guild. There is nothing to report.”
Piper rolled her eyes. “Of course not.”
“I can’t imagine what they would do with something of this nature, at any rate.” Dennison stepped beside her, his gaze fixed up. “Why does the King’s Sentry have this in their possession? Where did it come from?”
“A gift from the Hudson’s Bay Company.” Timmons moved past them and up the stairs. “I’ll check with William to see if we are ready to go.”
Samuel took Piper by the hand, turning her to face him. He looked so tired, his eyes having lost some of their shine. “This won’t be a pleasant journey. It will be hot and dangerous, and the air will be thin. Dirt will cover every inch of you, and by the time we reach the surface you’ll be begging for daylight.”
He was trying to warn her off. Instead of feeling anger or annoyance, Piper understood his reluctance. She’d just had her mind cleared of all her memories from the past four days. Her body had been strained, and even now she was dizzy and nauseated. Sam wanted her to recover, to be safe.
Which was unfortunate for him.
Stepping onto the bottom rung, Piper was surprised at how easily the rickety looking stairs held her weight. The air coming out from inside the engine room was cool, making her shiver. At least she knew why he’d insisted on the long leather coat, though she was curious given that he’d stated the trip would be hot.
“Where should I sit?” She poked her head around to the side, trying to take in as much of the narrow compartment as she could. “I want to know what’s going on, so don’t try to hide me in the back.” She ignored Dennison’s chuckle, instead fully stepping inside the train.
The walls were little more than sheet metal and thin steel girders. No thought had been given to comfort, no wood or leather to hide the harsh edges. If she were to be thrown against the side, Piper had no doubt her body would be bruised.
“You are the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met.” Samuel had entered the train behind her, filling the entire doorway. “You are going to get yourself killed by pushing too far.”
“Then I’ll at least die on my feet doing what I know must be done.”
She wanted to look away from the impressive display of his body encased in leather. The top of his shirt was pulled open, exposing his muscular neck. It shouldn’t feel this awkward being close to Samuel, but she had to blush at her own thoughts as she looked at him. The sudden compulsion to pull open his shirt and lick his skin called up a chain of physical responses throughout her body.
As she stood staring at him, she knew something had changed. Could tell by the way he was fighting to keep his gaze from dropping below the level of her chin, by the way her body seemed to tingle in spots she had previously thought dormant. Piper wanted to touch him, feel his hands on her body, kiss him until no breath remained in her lungs. She knew, somehow, exactly what he would taste like.
“Are you going to be all right?” His words were soft, concern filled his eyes.
“I will be. But if you don’t mind, I need to test something first.”
He nodded, his hands gripping the sides of the door frame so hard his knuckles went white as she approached. Not giving him an explanation, Piper stepped in, rose up onto her tiptoes, and kissed him softly on the lips.
Samuel didn’t respond right away, but she didn’t relent. She increased the pressure, leaning her body against his until he opened his mouth and began to kiss her back. Clutching the edge of his leather greatcoat, Piper let the kiss go on, enjoying the rightness of the contact, letting it continue until the inevitable conclusion.
With her head spinning, she looked up into his eyes and smiled. “Thank you.”
“Does that satisfy your curiosity?” There was something in his voice, a note of pleasure tinged with desperation, that made her stomach flip.
“For now. We may need to revisit this upon our return, sergeant.” And she winked.
“If the two of you are quite finished, I would like to board now.” Dennison spoke from the platform. “I’d prefer not to be left behind if you do wind up catc
hing this villain.”
“We have to let him in, don’t we?” Samuel dropped his chin to his chest. “Which means I have to move.”
“You can try leaving him, but I suspect he’ll simply find a way to follow. Bad penny that one.” Piper patted Samuel’s chest. “Easier to bring him.”
Dennison glared at the pair of them as he stepped inside. “Miss Smith, I hope you don’t expect to continue this flippant behavior when you return to the Archives. I doubt the Guild Masters will allow it. Now excuse me. I’d like to find a seat in this death contraption.”
Piper felt the cold fingers of dread reach up and squeeze at her heart. “No, I don’t suspect they will be too pleased with me.”
“You can’t think of that now. We will have time to figure out what to do after we catch Jack.” Sam cupped her cheek and placed a kiss on her forehead. “Let’s focus on Doctor Constantine for the time being.”
She stepped away and claimed one of the small seats in the middle of the compartment. Samuel pulled the stairs up and allowed the engineer to close the door with the press of a button. They were essentially trapped inside, bound for a journey Piper could barely believe was about to happen.
It should have caused more panic, but even the prospect of barreling through the earth itself on the Devil’s own steam engine was less terrifying to her than the thought of what the Guild Masters would do to her when she returned.
Chapter Twenty
The noise from the engine was deafening. William the engineer had made everyone put on large ear protectors, which sat uncomfortably over Samuel’s ears. He was thankful for them, though, as the noise from the steam engine echoed in the underground cavern, reverberating through the engine itself.
Gilded Hearts (The Shadow Guild Series) Page 23
