Howls and Hallows: A Steampunk Fairy Tale (Steampunk Red Riding Hood Book 5)

by Melanie Karsak

  “An enchantment was set on this fen to hide it and the settlement from the Romans. The ancient magic users are long gone, but the spell still holds. No one roams these fens at night and leaves unscathed.”

  “Yet here we are,” I said, eyeing her closely with my mooneye.

  I didn’t know who this woman was, but one thing was sure, she wasn’t human. My good eye saw the glow around her, but my mooneye saw more. She wasn’t solid. Her body appeared opalescent, light and color swirling like water in the form of a body. The disparity between the images confused my mind and made my head hurt.

  “I am always here,” she said lightly. “But you should not be. What you seek is not what you think. Return to the ruins tomorrow before dusk. I will help you.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I know what you do not.”

  “And the wolf?”

  “Come tomorrow, Agent Louvel. But go back now before the old whispers overpower that spark within you,” she said then stepped back into the mist.

  A moment later, I heard a strange wooshing sound, and a blast of air moved around me.

  She was gone.

  My hands trembled.

  I looked out across the moor.

  “Hell’s bells,” I whispered, debating what to do.

  With a shake of the head, I turned and headed back toward Cabell Manor.

  The spark within you.

  And just what in the hell is that spark?

  * * *

  I returned to the manor to find Harper in the small library with Lord Cabell. She looked worried, pale, and tired. Lord Cabell rose when I entered.

  “Agent Louvel. Thank goodness.”

  “Clem, are you all right?” Harper asked.

  I nodded. “And you? Lord Cabell, are you okay?”

  “Rattled, but unharmed, thanks to the two of you.”

  “Did you find anything?” Harper asked.

  Yes. Definitely.

  I shook my head. “No. The mist was too dense, and the beast was gone. Tomorrow, Harper and I will return to the ruins.”

  Edison frowned, slugged back a drink, then poured himself another. “If we can’t resolve this matter, I will have to cancel the ball. Charlotte will not be pleased.”

  I looked at Harper who was pushing her fingertips into her temple. Lord Cabell had nearly been mauled by a werewolf, but the ball was the first thing on his mind. Priorities, people!

  “Why don’t you head back to bed,” I suggested. “I believe the worst of the danger has passed.”

  “Did you get a look at the beast, Agent?” Lord Cabell asked. “I’m afraid it happened so quickly that it was just a passing blur for me.”

  “Briefly.”

  “And?”

  “Agent Hunter was right to send us here.”

  “Damn,” Lord Cabell said. “You know, I never quite believed in the family curse. But now…”

  Lord Cabell glanced at Harper. “I say, Agent Harper, are you unwell?”

  “Oh, just a bit of a headache,” she said.

  “All right, let me go up,” Lord Cabell said, slogging back his drink. “I can’t believe Charlotte didn’t wake with all this ruckus.”

  “Mister Frances was here,” Harper told me. “The servants were worried.”

  I nodded. “It should be calm now.”

  Harper raised a questioning eyebrow at me but asked nothing more.

  “I’m headed into the village after breakfast,” Lord Cabell said. “That’s enough excitement for one night. If you think it’s safe now, I’ll turn in.”

  “Yes, I do,” I replied.

  “Very well. Goodnight, Agents,” he said then turned and headed out of the library.

  After he had gone, Harper slowly lifted herself out of the chair.

  “Come on, rummy,” I told her. “Let’s get you to bed.”

  “What did you find out there?”

  “Not the werewolf. He was long gone. But I did wander into an ancient spell set by the druids to confuse the Romans.”

  “Wait, what? The Romans? How do you know that?”

  “Because a woman living in the moor told me so.”

  “A woman?”

  “I’m not entirely sure she was human.”

  “A spirit then?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Maybe? A witch?”

  “Honestly, I really don’t know. But she asked me to return to the ruins at dusk tomorrow night.”

  “She probably wants to sacrifice you on that altar.”

  “Could be. But that’s a very morbid take on the matter, Elaine.”

  “You have no idea what I saw in Egypt.”

  “I’m beginning to get the picture. Now, let’s get you to bed,” I said, taking her by the arm.

  Harper gave me a half-hearted laugh, and we headed upstairs.

  Chapter 16: A Pinch of Practical Magic

  I’d only gotten a few hours of sleep when the sounds of voices rising up from outside the manor woke me. Frances was speaking to the wagon driver. I could just catch their voices on the breeze. Frances told the driver that Lord Cabell wanted to leave within half an hour. Dizzy with tiredness, I forced myself to get dressed.

  I was almost ready when the maid, Emma, appeared. “Oh, Agent. You’re already awake,” she said in a half-whisper so as not to wake Harper. I didn’t bother to tell her that she might need a trumpet to get Harper out of bed.

  “I wanted to catch Lord Cabell before he left for the village. I’d like to ride along with him. Can you ask the driver to wait for me?”

  “I’ll let his Lordship’s valet know right now,” she said then cast a glance at Harper whose mouth was open wide, drool pouring down her cheek.

  The girl chuckled at Harper then slipped back out of the room.

  I checked my weapons, reloading my pistol and slipping my knife on my belt. Pausing before the mirror, I cast a glance at myself. The gloom over Cabell Manor made me look paler than usual, and there were dark rings under my eyes. But I was getting close. The woman on the moor had told me that whatever I was hunting, it wasn’t what I thought. Well, we’d see about that. Because if there was one thing I knew very well, it was werewolves.

  I slipped out of the room and down the stairs to the foyer. There, I found Lady Charlotte and Lord Cabell waiting. They were speaking earnestly with one another. Lady Charlotte looked agitated—though very nicely dressed. Lord Cabell’s countenance was like that of a drowning man.

  “Ah, here is Agent Louvel,” Lord Cabell said when he spotted me on the stairs. The expression on his face suggested I had just saved him from an unpleasant conversation.

  Lady Charlotte frowned off in the distance then turned to me and smiled. “Good morning, Agent. It appears I missed the excitement last night. After working all day on the ball preparations, I’m afraid a hurricane could have passed through here, and I would have missed it entirely.”

  “I’m just glad to see your Ladyship safe and sound,” I said, forcing a smile.

  She gave me half a nod and forced a smile herself.

  Good, at least our dislike of one another was mutual.

  “My valet tells me you’d like to come into the village,” Lord Cabell said.

  “If possible, yes.”

  “Do you think there is a connection with something in the village?”

  “You never know. I just wanted a look around, if it’s all right.”

  “Of course. I was just about to head out if you’re ready.”

  “But Agent Louvel hasn’t had any breakfast,” Lady Charlotte protested, scandalized by the idea.

  “It’s no matter. I’m rarely hungry first thing in the morning,” I lied. My stomach was growling, but she didn’t need to know that.

  “Oh, very well then. Is Agent Harper awake?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Very well, Agent. Edison, I’ll see you when you return,” she said then with a nod she left in the direction of the ballroom.

  Lord Cabell motioned for me to
follow him outside.

  “Sorry about the wagon. I do have a steam-auto, but I need to pick something up in the village, so the wagon makes more sense,” he told me.

  “It’s fine,” I replied.

  Lord Edison nodded to the driver then got in the wagon, turning to offer me a hand up. Once I was settled in, we set off.

  “My sister was rather vexed with me this morning. I warned her we might need to cancel the ball. She wants to wait. Apparently, me nearly getting mauled wasn’t enough to convince her.”

  “I did notice the tension.”

  “I’d be disappointed if you didn’t. My sister loves the ball. You see, Agent, she spends much of her time alone out here on the fen. I travel often, but I always try to come home to attend the event because it means so much to her. This event is her social highlight of the year. I hate to deprive her of it.”

  “I’m sure Harper and I will have the matter settled today.”

  “Really? That’s a bold proclamation.”

  “Boldness is an affliction I suffer from in spades,” I said with a grin.

  Lord Cabell laughed. As he did so, however, his eyes raked my face once more. “Were you… No, I’m sorry. It’s rude to ask.”

  My stomach knotted for a brief moment, but I let the feeling pass. “My eye?”

  He nodded.

  “I was involved in an incident more than a year ago.”

  “And a creature did that?”

  “Yes.”

  “A creature like what I have here?”

  “Yes, but my monster was a scoundrel. Weren’t you, Fenton?” I said, patting the hide on my belt.

  Lord Cabell paled, his mouth hanging open. He leaned in close to me. “It is true what Sir Edwin has told me, that there are beasts among us.”

  “Yes.”

  “And the curse on my family?”

  “There is something in the fen, but I’m not sure that it is related to the curse. The fens are vast and unpopulated. It’s a good place to hide. And your ruins are a great place to take cover. But I was wondering about something. Why did you go to the fen at night? It’s so very dense and confusing out there. Why go?”

  Lord Cabell shifted uncomfortably then said, “As I told you, I was checking the site for a new steam station. But to be honest, the time got away from me, and before I knew it, it was night. I hadn’t intended to be out there after dark. I’ve walked the land for years as a boy, so I knew the way back. But I understand your meaning. The mists can be…confusing. But that night was different. That night, I got something’s attention.”

  “I’m surprised you would consider the ruins a site for development. With the standing stones there, it’s more a place to preserve. Your lands are rich with history.”

  “I came away with the same notion. It’s a special place. It shouldn’t be disturbed. Placing the station there was my sister’s idea. She doesn’t place the same value on the historical significance of the land or, as she called it, sentimental notions. Honestly, I assessed the land to end the discussion between us. I won’t develop that land.”

  I smiled. “I’m glad to hear that.”

  Lord Cabell nodded. “But I would rather not have a monster roaming about all the same.”

  “I’m sure. Harper and I will handle it. Whatever vermin you have out there, it can’t be any worse than he was,” I said, tapping Fenton once more.

  “Indeed. Though your scar has healed well,” Lord Cabell said, eyeing my face again.

  “It has.”

  “Can you—forgive my curiosity—can you see at all?”

  “Yes. Differently, but I can still see. And the claw marks are much less obvious now.”

  Lord Cabell smiled sympathetically then pulled off his glove. He lifted his hand, pointing to the skin beside his pinkie finger where there was a long, dark scar. He flexed and unflexed his fingers, and when he did so, I noticed a strange misalignment in his grip.

  “Your surgeon was better than my butcher, though he was the best money could buy,” he said.

  “What happened?”

  “I was born with six fingers, as was Charlotte—but she’d be scandalized if anyone ever knew. When we were mere babies, the surgeon removed our sixth fingers. The sixth finger is hereditary to the Cabell family. My father once told me it’s because we carry the blood of druids who once walked these lands, a physical symbol of the magic buried inside us,” he said then chuckled. “That’s the strange family story that won me the friendship of Sir Edwin at Eaton. What an odd, wonderful fellow he is,” Lord Cabell said with a chuckle.

  “How very true,” I agreed, my mind momentarily going to thoughts of Edwin. Since I’d gotten here, I’d hardly had a chance to think of him, but the sound of his name warmed my heart. But as much as I wanted to ruminate on the idea of that fine man, the fact that the Cabell family line had the hallmark of six fingers settled heavily on my imagination. At once, I began to twist around theories.

  “Are there any other Cabell family members living in the area, cousins or distant relatives?” I asked.

  Lord Cabell shook his head. “No. Why?”

  “Just considering possibilities.”

  “When she was living, the dowager used to live at Cabell Place, a house in the village. Since she died, we’ve lent it to the village council to use as a school. Otherwise, it’s just Lady Charlotte and me.”

  “I see. So you really are all alone. You mentioned how lonely Charlotte is out here. Why doesn’t she come to London? Isn’t that what most fashionable ladies do?”

  Lord Cabell smiled lightly. “She is lonely, but my sister is also a bit of an eccentric. I think the ball is enough action to fill her for a year at a time.”

  I chuckled, but his comment left me wondering how eccentric she might actually be.

  It wasn’t long before we arrived at the local village. The quaint little town rose out of the flat landscape, a tangle of buildings that were made of pale grey stone. The driver stopped the cart outside of a building that appeared to be some sort of workshop. There was a large sculpture hanging over the door. It depicted a scene of gnomes tinkering away at a mechanical man. The name of the shop, The Clockarium, was made of metal.

  “Where are you headed, Agent?” Lord Cabell asked.

  “Just a couple of errands to run.”

  “Good, good. I’ll be within,” he said, motioning to the workshop. “Let’s say we meet at the pub, The Three Lions, in an hour? Should be lunchtime by then.”

  I hadn’t taken Lord Cabell as one who’d rub shoulders with the locals, but I was glad to hear it. “Very well.”

  I slipped out of the wagon and headed into the village while Lord Cabell went into the workshop. Scanning the signs on the buildings, I hunted the apothecary. The little town was far busier than I expected. There was even an airship tower at the edge of town, but I didn’t notice any airships in port. A bakery, millinery, grocer, post, bank, and other shops lined the street. I worked my way down the row until I spotted a sign boasting a blue mortar and pestle, the apothecary.

  Giving my weapons a passing touch, ensuring all was in order, I headed toward the door, my palms and feet already tingling.

  The sharp, tangy scents of the medicines burned my nose the moment I entered the place. Jars lined the walls. Bunches of dried herbs hung overhead. There was an elderly woman standing at the counter. On the other side, a woman with red hair pulled into a bun was explaining to her how to apply salve to her foot.

  “Thank you, Shannon. Thank you, thank you,” the old woman told the apothecary.

  “Of course, Mrs. Johnson. Come back in a few days and let me know how you are.”

  “Thank you, my dear,” the old woman said then slipped a jar into her basket and turned to leave.

  When she spotted me, she gasped softly.

  I stepped aside, allowing the woman to pass by. The bell above the door rang as the woman headed out. Through the window, I saw her pass a suspicious glance back at the door.

  “
Funny how she doesn’t mind the witch, but the werewolf hunter spooked her,” the woman at the counter said.

  I looked at the apothecary. She was leaning against a post, her hands in the pockets of her apron. She gave me a wry smile.

  “Never know what will spook them,” I said.

  So, she already knew who I was, and she wasn’t hiding what she was. That was a good way to start.

  “I suppose seeing you is enough to raise the red flag of warning, Agent Louvel.”

  “Well, I don’t mean to alarm anyone. So, it appears you know who I am.”

  “I do. My daughter, Kerry, told me you were at the manor. I’m Shannon Millhouse. Apothecary.”

  “And witch.”

  “Yes, that too. But I’m a hearth witch, Agent. No black magic practiced here. Now, if you need a good foot ointment…” she said, motioning around the shop.

  Most of the witches I encountered in London practiced black magic, dark witchcraft. I seldom came across a white witch, though I knew of them and their earthy, healing magic. In many ways, they were akin to druids, but I didn’t know enough about either to be able to differentiate.

  “I see.”

  “So, Agent Louvel, what can I do for you?”

  “Since you don’t need smiting, do you have anything for a headache?”

  She raised an eyebrow at me. “Are you ill?”

  I shook my head. “For a friend. Partook in too much wine, I’m afraid.”

  She chuckled, turned back to her shelves, and got to work opening jars and mixing ingredients. “So, you are here to save the Cabell family from the curse.”

  “I believe I am here to save the All Hallows Ball from being canceled and prevent Lady Charlotte from feeling disappointed.”

  At that, she laughed out loud. “May the Mother Goddess forbid. I see Lady Charlotte makes the same impression upon people everywhere she goes.”

  “How does your daughter like working at the manor? I’m surprised you don’t have her apprenticing with you,” I asked leadingly.

  “She wasn’t interested. She has magic in her hands, but her interest is in food. I sent her to the big house to learn about service and cooking because it was her wish.”

  “You don’t mind her working for a family cursed by witches?”