Making a Tinderbox (The Tinderbox Tales Book 1)

by Emma Sterner-Radley

  He paused to put the bags down. “Then I recommend getting on one of their famed trains and heading to Skarhult. It is bigger and a less obvious place to hide than a harbour city. If I recall correctly, it is known for its delectable pastries. Speaking of food, here are some cheese and shroom sandwiches. I picked up a bottle of honeyed winterberry juice too.”

  He held out the paper bag Nessa had spotted in his hand earlier.

  Elise slowly extricated herself from Nessa and got up. Nessa was amused at how her body complained at the loss, her arms almost reaching out to pull Elise back down.

  Yes, we’ll be able to stay busy during the sea voyage. As long as we have a room and some food, we should be happily occupied with talking, cuddling, and… coupling. I wonder if I’ll be able to climax every time or if my issues with that will return. It doesn’t matter. I’m sure Elise won’t mind if we have to try a few extra times.

  Nessa watched Elise stretch languidly.

  Look at that magnificent woman. I want to try for that climax right now. Nessa Clay, stop thinking about that and pay attention!

  Nessa quickly stood up, wiping off the dust from the blanket and the floor. She couldn’t wait for her next long bath. “Thank you again, Hunter. You have been such a good friend to us.”

  “No need to thank me. As I said before, get settled in Storsund and make sure you have a home with an extra bed, and enough coin to buy me a meal, as I have a feeling that I will be visiting you soon.”

  Elise took the paper bag from him. “Really?”

  He sighed. “Yes. My employers no longer seem to believe my lies about my sexual conquests. I was a mere lad when I last sailed to Storsund, but I am willing to wager that they would be more understanding of a man being an ambitious rogue, despite not being a lover. Besides, I am constantly upsetting the rougher denizens of Nightport one way or another. And now, well, sooner or later our Queen is bound to find out that I helped you.”

  “Surely, she will have given up on me long before then,” Elise said.

  Nessa shook her head. “Don't be so sure. As I’ve said, you are simply not easy to give up.”

  Elise gave her smile, one that was strangely shy and demure for Lady Elisandrine Falk. Thinking about the name reminded Nessa. “Oh, we’ll need new names. And if you are to come and find us, Hunter, you'll need to know them.”

  He shrugged. “I would stick with Nessa and Elise if I were you. They are common names and changing your first name can be very confusing — trust me, I’ve tried. I would suggest you both pick the same surname and pose as a married couple. That should confuse things if the Queen does come looking for you. Come up with a surname now and on the ship's manifesto tomorrow it will say Elise and Nessa…”

  “Glass,” Elise replied immediately. She beamed at Nessa.

  She remembers my little speech about my love for glass. Of course she does.

  Nessa took her hand as she nodded her consent to the name.

  Hunter’s shapely eyebrows raised and his lips pursed. “As you wish. That sounds a bit prosaic to me, but then my name is Smith so I cannot comment. I promised Captain Levi of the good ship Fairlight that he would have another cabin filled. Now, I simply need to tell him to make out two common class tickets for Mrs E and Mrs N Glass for the 8.15 departure for Storsund.”

  “Are you certain you do not want payment?” Elise asked.

  “Positive. I went into the closest tavern, and within mere moments, I had two captains telling me they needed passenger numbers to prove to their financiers that their route is needed. They both said they would gladly use this occasion to clear their debt to me. Both were sailing for the beautiful, icy plains of Storsund. The Fairlight left the earliest so she will be your vessel. You should be some of the few people on the ship.”

  He snapped his fingers. “Which reminds me, there are usually people on these ships who have used their last coins to buy the ticket. They need currency for when they reach Charlottenberg. Ask around, searching out people who have several changes of warm clothes with them, then buy what they can spare. I could only pack clean underthings and one shirt for Nessa and one dress for you, Elise. You will arrive cold and smelly unless you buy more clothes from your fellow travellers.”

  Nessa squeezed his arm, the way he had done with her before, assuming it was a form of physical affection he felt comfortable with. “You think of everything. Thank you, Hunter. You’re a far better man than I think anyone sees.”

  “Shh. Not so loud, I have a reputation to maintain. Now that I have the names that will go on the tickets, I shall go fetch them from Captain Levi and return shortly. After we have said our goodbyes, you can get back to your animal activities while I return to the city centre and start spreading the rumour that you left to go back to Ground Hollow. Perhaps muddy the waters by saying that you wanted to travel to the highlands after that.”

  He left without waiting for a response. Nessa wondered if his speed was for his own sake or theirs.

  Elise leaned closer to her. “Not much for goodbyes, is he? Did you see him writhe and grimace when we said goodbye to Cai and Fyhre?”

  “No, I can’t say I did.”

  “Well, he looked awfully uncomfortable. I think we should keep our goodbye short and unemotional. We owe him a lot, and I would hate to make him feel out of sorts.”

  Nessa put her arm around Elise’s waist. “Of course. Very wise, Mrs Glass.”

  Elise rushed her, enveloping her in a kiss which took Nessa’s breath away. As the kiss deepened and she felt their chests connecting, she stopped it.

  “Heartling, don’t. Or we’ll end up being naughty in those blankets again. And we are not to make Hunter uncomfortable, remember?”

  “Right. Yes. Of course, We will merely sit and eat our sandwiches. Platonically,” Elise answered, slightly out of breath.

  Nessa’s eyes were drawn to Elise’s lips and she forced herself to look away. “Eating… sandwiches. Platonically. Yes.”

  Elise brought the bag over to the blankets and sat down while peering into it. She unpacked the sandwiches and the large bottle of juice, which Nessa took a deep swig out of when she sat down next to her.

  Elise surveyed her sandwich. “You know. This is actually one thing I shall not miss about this city. I have not dared to tell anyone, but I genuinely dislike shrooms.”

  Nessa leaned in and replied conspiratorially, “Me too. Far too slimy. And this is my second one tonight. Ick. Still, let’s not tell anyone or we’ll never be welcome back here.”

  They shared a smile before tucking into their sandwiches. Slimy or not, the food was welcome after their eventful day. When the sandwiches were gone, they passed the bottle of juice back and forth, making sure their fingers touched every time they did so.

  After that Nessa began writing her farewell letters. The one for her parents was easy. They tended to be direct, to-the-point people. She wrote that she loved them and missed them. Thanked them for everything and pointed out that she had been lucky to grow up in a safe, sweet village with a mother and a father who were happily married and successful at farming. She explained that, while that was an incredible life, it wasn’t for her. Nightport had shown her that she was built for cities and new experiences. So, she was going to take her friend, Lady Falk, with her and try out a city or two in Storsund. She promised to write them often and to visit when she could. And to stay safe.

  Layden’s letter was trickier. She didn’t know how honest to be. She should probably keep that one short as well. She was too exhausted to tell all. Besides, Hunter would be back soon.

  She sat back against a stack of timber and sighed. Elise was resting on the blanket next to her. Nessa tapped her pen on the paper to the beat of her lover’s breaths. Then she copied the main points from her letter to her parents, thanking him for being a wonderful companion and confidant through their lives. Trying to make it sound less like a ‘goodbye forever’ than it felt. Then she added a few lines stating that she was in love with Elise
. That he had been right about that. And that this time, she was sure she had found the one.

  She needed him to be convinced.

  He’s still going to worry. Because he knows how different I and Elise are. Because he knows we haven’t known each other for long. Because none of my previous relationships have lasted. There’s nothing I can say that will change that.

  She promised him that she’d keep an eye out for apothecaries in Storsund and see what the competition was doing. Hoping this would in some small way make up for losing his best friend to another continent. She signed the letters, folded them, and stuck them in her coat pocket for now. Nessa slumped, staring into space. When would she next see all of them?

  Then that telltale creak of the door was heard again. Nessa’s heart leapt in her chest. She knew it was probably Hunter, but there was a chance that someone had found them. Or that someone was coming in here to use this hideout as a place for a tryst. Perhaps just to sleep off the brandy.

  The sight of cobalt velvet calmed her nerves.

  “Hello ladies,” Hunter said.

  They got up, and Nessa reached out to take the two pieces of card he handed them. They were tickets for the 8.15 departure of the Fairlight, printed in sharp blue ink. At the bottom, handwritten, were their names. ‘Mrs Nessa Glass and Mrs Elise Glass.’ It made Nessa’s breath hitch to see their new names. And to see them written as if they were married.

  Elise was looking over her shoulder. “Elise Glass. I like that. Short and sweet.”

  “Sweet as you, milady,” Hunter said with his charm-offensive grin. “Now, you will be offered three basic meals and drinks a day aboard. Anything additional, you must purchase and pay for in the Noble section. Everything there will be expensive. However, it is the only place on board to get drinks that are stronger than watered-down wine.”

  “I think we have had enough strong drink for a while,” Elise said with a snort.

  Nessa took her hand. “Agreed. We should stick to alcohol-free drinks and drama-free socialising. Mainly just the two of us, I think. We both need time to recover and adjust. Six weeks at sea should do that nicely.”

  Hunter clasped his hands behind his back. “In that case, I shall leave you to start your sober seclusion right away. Get some sleep. At sunlight, which will be in a handful of hours, there will be the sound of an ear-piercing siren. It signals the start of the workday at the docks. I suggest you get up and ready to leave the moment you hear that signal. The workers in these humbler warehouses are always late, knowing they can keep their own hours as long as everything gets loaded and unloaded on time. But you should still hurry, just in case.”

  Nessa tried to pour all her gratitude into her smile. “All right. Thank you for the warning. How will we know where the Fairlight is docked?”

  “What? Oh. Did I forget to tell you about that? Sorry, it has been a long day for all of us. Captain Levi said it is three berths away in the direction we came. The Fairlight is a huge steamship, you cannot miss her.”

  “It seems I keep repeating ‘thank you,’ but I do not know what else to say,” Elise admitted with a smile.

  Hunter inclined his head towards her. “Then simply say goodnight and that you shall see me when I visit the Glass family in Skarhult.”

  “Very well,” Elise replied. “Come see us as soon as you can.”

  She went towards him with outstretched arms, but stopped herself. Instead, she clearly decided to take Nessa’s queue and clapped him on the shoulder, giving it a bit of a squeeze before she let go.

  Nessa went for variety and held her hand out. He shook it sombrely. She smiled and said, “Keep Nightport safe for us, mate. We’ll want to return some day. Speaking of returning to Arclid, here are the letters for my parents and my best friend, Layden. Are you still willing to deliver them?”

  “Absolutely. I shall do it tomorrow when I have finished my shift at the day job.”

  Nessa moved closer to him. “Thank you. Just ask anyone you meet in Ground Hollow, and they’ll tell you where to find the Clays and Layden Amani. Farewell, Hunter.”

  “Farewell, ladies. Be careful with each other. Next time, you shan’t have Fyhre and Cai to help reunite the both of you.”

  With laughter in her voice, Elise promised while Nessa nodded her agreement.

  He walked out, with a little less strutting than usual. Nessa watched him go with a lump in her throat. The door closed behind him. She waited a few heartbeats until she turned to Elise with a naughty grin. “So. What do we do now?”

  Chapter 31

  Under the Watch of the Moon Goddess

  “So, what do we do now?”

  That was what Nessa had asked.

  Elise’s mind came up with only two options. Sleep and lovemaking.

  She tried for a neutral voice. “That depends, heartling. How tired are you?”

  “Exhausted,” Nessa replied on an exhale.

  “Well, then. We should probably sleep.”

  Nessa put her hands in her coat pockets. “Yes. Yes, we should. We need to be rested tomorrow. Ready for a long trip.”

  “And we need to not be too exhausted to be woken by that siren. We have to be out of here before the warehouse workers catch us trespassing,” Elise pointed out.

  Nessa pushed back her shoulders. “Exactly.”

  Elise took a deep breath. Then another. After that, she threw herself at Nessa, tearing her coat off while kissing her. Nessa responded with the same fervour, tugging at Elise’s clothes like an impatient, hungry child craving its dinner. She actually growled when she finally got Elise’s wool coat off.

  Elise felt a strident tug deep inside her belly, shooting down between her legs and turning into liquid heat. Her knees wobbled a little. Sleep was no longer an option. It had never been an option. Too many nights had been spent sleeping in this woman’s arms. Praying for the possibility of a kiss. Of an intimate touch. To hear a moan from those soft lips. To feel the touch of those strong, pretty hands. All over her. All the way into her.

  Now it was hers to have. And a part of her doubted she’d ever be able to go to sleep without trying to get another dose of Nessa. If she would ever stop trying to make up for lost time. For all those moments of longing and need.

  She felt Nessa roughly kiss her neck and nearly sobbed with the pleasure of it.

  They manoeuvred themselves onto the blankets. Elise took what she had needed for so long and felt her heart soar when Nessa so happily gave her everything over and over again. Tonight, Nessa had no struggle climaxing, emotion seemingly driving away all over-thinking. Their cries and moans were hopefully lost in the shrieks of night owls or the distant bustle of Core Street.

  When they finished devouring each other and decided on sleep, it felt like Elise had passed through the state of tiredness and gone straight into a new state of being. Some form of love-drunk sleepwalking. She nestled into Nessa’s body, as close as she could get, and tried to remember who to thank for all of this.

  “Heartling,” she whispered.

  “Yes?” Nessa replied drowsily.

  “What was the name of that moon goddess you favour?”

  Nessa tucked her arm under her head. “Ioene?”

  “Yes. That is the one. You know, it is a full moon tonight.”

  Another sleepy mumble. “Yes, I believe it is.”

  “If I was the type to pray, I would thank Ioene.”

  Nessa softly cleared her throat. “For the moonlight tonight? You can’t even see it.”

  “No. For you. For us. That this worked out. I never dared to believe it would,” Elise said, stricken by the truth of it.

  “It did. And it will continue to,” Nessa said. “I’ll pray to Ioene for the both of us. She’ll watch over us. Keep us safe from enemies and keep our relationship strong and blissful.”

  “She can do whatever she pleases as long as you are watching over us, too,” Elise added.

  “Of course I am, and so are you. My parents taught me that love needs
loyalty, empathy, and honesty. But most of all, it needs the people involved to be willing to work to make it last. Father said that a relationship is easy the first few years, but after that it requires patience and effort. And to take solace in that, the patience and effort will be rewarded a thousand-fold. We’re going to work for this, and be rewarded with decades of love.”

  Relief washed over Elise. “Yes, we are. Goodnight, my cherished.”

  “Goodnight, love of my life.”

  Elise’s senses were filled with Nessa. Nessa’s warm skin, Nessa’s sweet scent, Nessa’s taste on her tongue, Nessa’s gentle breathing, and her beautiful, resting face.

  Elise had never felt so safe or been so satisfied. And sleep had never felt so alluring. She gave in to it, happily.

  Chapter 32

  Does Magic Exist?

  Hunter had been right about the loud siren. Luckily, he had also been right about the warehouse workers not showing up on time. When Nessa and Elise had gotten up, smoothed down rumpled clothes and hair, they grabbed their bags and hurried out, with no one in sight.

  The rest of the docks, however, were swarming with what Nessa assumed were sailors, dock workers, and assorted staff for the ships. Women filling out paperwork boarded and left ships at breakneck speeds. Others, mainly men, carried boxes on while their counterparts offloaded other cargo. The air filled with shouted orders and people wishing each other good morning.

  Nessa and Elise walked past a man eating a sandwich while he carried a crate under one arm. Nessa smelled the fresh bread and had to stop the impulse to ask him for half.

  “Gods, I’m starving,” she whined.