by Lexi Ostrow
“Silas!” His name was a shriek in the night, sounding louder than the rest of the surrounding scene.
Whipping around, he watched as Terrance drew a guard’s gun from his hands and turned it on the female, shooting her in the mask. Looking to Terrance’s feet, he saw Jermaine, his throat sliced open and eyes staring at the moon.
He looked around and saw three more – Mercia, Roger, and Elise – had fallen and did not stand engaged with a guard. Silas pondered the wreckage, noting how few bodies moved so fast after the attack had begun.
Guns were a menace.
“Grab what you can, and we leave!” Silas shouted mere seconds before a bullet slammed betwixt his shoulder blades. Pain, unlike any he could remember, threatened to slow him down. A guard had hidden above, taking a shot now as they fled.
“My Lord!”
“Go!” he hissed, furious not at the pain, but at the knowledge, he was losing precious blood.
Terrance was with him, wrapping an arm around him and still firing the blasted gun as he helped carry him to the now lowered castle gate.
“That was the end, Silas. All but one fell, and we lost five. I am going to carry your arse home – the others will share duty carrying guards so we can take what blood there is before they perish.”
Silas said nothing but allowed his eyes to slip closed as he put his weight on his second in command. He was appalled he’d been injured. Furious he would not see the benefits of their first attack. Yet, he could express nothing as the blackness of blood loss stole him away.
Chapter Twelve
“You have said very little.” Christopher quirked a fair brow as he looked at her. “Are you determining my sanity?” He fidgeted, a clear indication the subject was uncomfortable for him.
Barely resisting her urge to smile, she cleared her throat so he would not see her amusement at his distress. Instead, she reached for her goggles as she saw the looming shadow of the Steam Guild approaching in the distance. “I assure you, I believe what I saw with my own eyes. I was uncertain if I had allowed myself to find comfort with a man who needed help prior to meeting your . . . mages. I was in the chamber, and I saw the magic from start to finish. I am a believer.”
“Then you are still upset that I kept it from you.”
When they had first arrived at her abode the day prior, she’d flown off the handle, railing at him. Once her amazement had worn off, bitterness had set in. Slightly more than a week had passed in his company, and his reluctance to share with her hand meant he had not found her trustworthy. She’s shouted at him for all of five minutes before stomping off, leaving him standing in the center of her parlor.
Three hours later, she’d been surprised to see him sitting on the tawny-colored setae in the room. There had been no apology from either of them. There had a been a quiet understanding that had followed them through the day as she’d shown him her home, until the moment he’d touched her shoulder, and they’d fallen together into her bed. Then, the quiet had returned when night had fallen, but he had not left her bed.
“I do not know if I am upset or not. I understand you likely held your tongue because if I did not know and we did not come to some understanding, you wanted your guild’s secret to remain.” She took a deep breath as the steam car rolled to a stop. “I barged in and asked for peace. It should not surprise me you held some details. We jested about guild secrets. I should have trusted there was truth in it.”
Placing her hand on the handle, she nodded at him. “Oh, oh.” He fumbled with the goggles next to him on the velvet seat, finally securing it over his eyes a moment before her valet pulled open the door himself.
She stepped out, taking in as shallow as a breath as she could manage while enjoying being outside. Raven could remember being a young girl and running outside all while taking in deep lungfuls of air. Now, the best she could do was shallow puffs to ensure the ventilator in her mask could diffuse the toxins out.
Raven felt more than saw him as Christopher stepped up beside her. You enjoy him standing beside you, even now. She wanted to tell herself to stifle her thoughts, but arguing with oneself seemed imprudent.
“Then why were you silent throughout morning meal, and then insistent we journey to the Steam Guild today?”
With her hand on the button, she didn’t bother to turn to him as the cogs spun, and the door slid open. “Because of those secrets. I’d like to show you my guild, as a sign of good faith.” She stepped inside and waited until he joined her before pressing the inner button.
“Your system is a touch less . . . sophisticated.” Christopher pointed at the analog clock that ticked away as the chambers were cleansed. The chime was similar to the buzz of Electric Guild, but not alike enough.
“Yes, well, we did come about first,” she hadn’t meant for the petty bite in her tone, but it was there and could not be taken back. “Your guild had an unfair advantage.”
One your family very well may have turned down. Could they have? Could her forefathers have been so prideful they would have turned away a chance to save people?
As it had the eve prior, the thought made her stomach churn. So much so she swore the chamber spun versus the door that opened outward.
“I can see why you were so underwhelmed with the entry of my guild.” Christopher let out a low whistle, a portion of which was muffled as he removed his mask. “Whereas the Electric Guild is focused on functionality, yours appears to be a living museum.” He looked around and gently shook the mask as if he were trying to clean it somehow. “You do not even have sections to place these.”
Raven smiled. She had spent enough time in his guild to appreciate the majesty of the Steam Guild. “We do not receive many guests, so all masks are taken to one’s work chambers.” Removing her own, she smiled at the portrait of her grandfather that hung on the far wall of the entry space. She always enjoyed entering the guild and being reminded of her family’s impact on the workers and the city. “You can set yours there, on that marble tabletop.”
Not wishing to hold hers while she showed him her life, she walked to the white French table and set hers down, but tucked her goggles in the pocket of her coat. “Take your eyewear, as it is imperative to protect your eyes on the street, it is likely we will need to for anything I show you in here as well.
Talking two steps further into the guild, she motioned for Christopher to follow her.
“Where are we going? What secret were you hiding?” His tone was playful, despite how agitated they’d both been moments ago.
“I want to show you my history. You’ve told me a small bit of our shared history, but here is my world, laid out in small shadow boxes, and hung on a wall.” She continued to walk right, heading toward their lift, which was quite a bit slower than Christopher would be used too. They weren’t going to ride it, and they were going to look upon the walls. “This is the very first steam component the world ever saw.”
She pointed at the largest shadow box. A somewhat clunky contraption showed a match being held under a crystal vat, which would have kept water, and the connecting gears.
“We did that without magic,” she smirked, some good humor finding its way in. She was proud of her heritage, even if there were questions she wished she could ask her father.
“I’ve seen this previously.” He smiled genuinely at her and pointed at a photo. “I have the duplicate of this. At my home, I’m surprised you said nothing.”
“I did not think it surprising you had the only photo taken of our previous guild leaders engaged in a friendly drinking match.”
“No, but it is interesting, don’t you think? That the trinket has remained for both of us, despite the past.”
“I think it is strange you personally kept a memento. But this,” Raven waved her hand down the hall. “This is my legacy. My family’s legacy truly. All I am is a mere portrait at the very end.”
She wanted to hang an invention beside her photo, not merely the photo of whoever lead after her. “I w
ant to place my wondrous invention there one day. My contribution to society and to this affliction.”
“How do you propose you will do that?”
Propose. “That’s brilliant!” Raven flung herself at him, her arms draping casually around his neck as if they simply belonged there.
His face creased into the adorable expression she’d learned represented his confusion. His nose drew up, almost like a rabbit nose, and his eyebrows became drawn in. It wasn’t the typical indication of bewilderment, but Christopher Abbot had proven to be anything but ordinary.
“Not that I can disagree with your assertion, but whatever have I said that gave way to a brilliant thought on your part? A second time might I add.”
“Propose.” Dropping a quick kiss on his lips, she ignored the small feeling of bliss that happened anytime they touched. Looping her hand through his arm, she gave a slight tug.
He followed suit, matching her furious pace to reach the lift. “This is less than an answer, Raven.”
“Be patient. We need a bit of privacy for this to play out.” Pulling the lever, she was pleased the lift was down on the main level as the doors swung open without delay. “It’s a touch different, but I assure you, it’s safe.”
Practically hopping in, she waited until he cleared the doors before tugging down the inner lever and swinging the doors inward to a close. Jamming her index finger into the red “stop” button, she turned to face him.
Her stomach was in knots because her thought pattern was erratic and irrational, to say the least.
“Raven, are you all right? Your eyes look, well, glassy.” Christopher reached his hand out, gently running it down the side of her face.
“Nervous is all. Christopher Abbott, I know this is not the traditional way of things, but I think our world has done away with traditions.” She blew out a breath and forced the strange lump in her throat to vanish. What she did she did for country and king, not personal motivation.
“Christopher Abbott, would you ask me for my hand in marriage?”
He choked on his saliva, sputtered, and finally recovered to find Raven staring at him, sincerity across her visage.
She had to have misspoken. Surely I am not that promising in matters of bed play.
“Raven, are you well?”
With a scoff, she rolled her eyes. “I understand it sounded a far bit loony, Christopher. But I assure you, I am feeling fine. You’ve just shown me the most viable solution to our troubles.”
Christopher. She’s proposing marriage to a man named Christopher. A man who you are most certainly not. Again, his inner voice sounded an awful like his deceased cousin chiding him. “Raven, that’s not an activity I believe I can engage you in.”
The frown that marred her face was like a punch to his abdomen. Her nose twitched sideways, the way it did when he realized she was thinking, and then her hands landed squarely on her hips, the swell of her skirt nearly swallowing her dainty hands.
“Christopher, you didn’t even hear me out. This is not me asking you to propose to me because I’ve fallen madly in love with you. This is me remembering what our world, our customs, were before chaos reigned. Propose marriage to me. Unite our guilds in a way that the past will make no difference. Show the mages our guilds were stronger as a pair.”
Christopher. He’d nearly stopped listening after she utilized his cousin’s name again. Raven Nightingale, the official leader of the Steam Guild, was proposing a union with Christopher Abbott, head of the Electric Guild. A man you are not. It would be easy enough to sink into your cousin’s life if you had been granted authority – and if Stella were not alive. He grimaced at his final thought. The charade had gone on far too long if he were wishing his sister dead or never born.
He had to make things right. Christopher Abbott needed to rest soundly in his grave. Aside from name and parentage, he had done nothing to behave as his cousin. His mind and actions were his own. Meaning perhaps, that she might not be too furious.
“Christopher, please, say something.”
Benjamin looked at her and forced himself to breathe. The most beautiful, intelligent, and powerful woman he had ever engaged in any discourse with was asking to stand by his side in life. Even if it were not out of her fondness for him, he had no doubt their passion would lead them down the proper path. It would start as a marriage of convenience, but he had no doubt they would find love together. He would gladly withstand her ire if it meant she would remain in his presence long enough for him to win her over.
You are a sap.
“Why?” It hadn’t been his intended response, but if he were to risk losing her, he needed to be sure she was serious about their union. Rage he could persuade her to forget if she was genuinely asking for the sake of their guilds alone.
“I’ve already said why.” She spat as she shifted her hands from her hips to across her chest.
He took her hands, unable to ignore the way touching her made him smile and rubbed his thumbs in small circles over the tops of her hands. “Explain to me why it will work. How does us entering a courtship do anything? It does not speak to our skills as workers or the skills of our apprentices, acolytes, and leaders.”
“Politics.” She smirked at him as if she’d figured out the secret to the universe. “If Kings and Queens could force entire countries to align, surely a wedded union could do the same for the two greatest guilds in the world.”
Her enthusiasm was earnest, but he was not positive it was enough to withstand his truth. “That was an idealized world. Not one ravaged by illness and monsters. I am not saying your plan is not brilliant, and I simply do not believe it is the key.”
Raven said nothing as she took his hands in hers, intertwining her fingers with his as if it were the most natural occurrence in the world. “Then we make it about so much more. We give them what people need to see now, love. Hope.” Her lips pressed lightly against his for the briefest of moments. “I am not a fool, nor do I rush headlong into situations. In truth, it is why I was not traveling to France with my family the day the vampiric creatures took them from me. I think things through, I plan, and sometimes, I take too long to make decisions.”
“Where are you going with this?”
Her finger slipped over his lips, silencing him. “I am trying to tell you that I feel great affection you, Christopher Abbott. Affection that could one day grow into something more. My parents’ marriage was arranged, but I promise you, they loved one another after time. My father, he was never the same, after we had to slay my mother when she became infected.”
“I had no idea,” his lips practically caressed her index finger as she had not yet moved it. The act felt oddly sensual, despite the sorrow washing over him. He’d never heard if her mother was alive or dead at that moment. He had merely assumed she hadn’t wanted the mantle of leader in her husband’s wake and left it to Raven.
“So, we show them all that we have become in such a short time. We let them see that this unity has brought us together. We give them hope and a love to believe in, one I believe we can find ourselves. I know little about your people, but I know it is impossible for them to not long for the basic decencies we have lost in this life. Giving them something to believe in may not work within a fortnight, but I believe it will work.” She took his hands in hers and did not look anywhere but into his eyes.
Staring down into her eyes, Benjamin felt his heart crack. It was as if someone had placed him beneath a hammer and had let it fall on his chest. His nose burned with pain, and he swallowed. He’d spent a week pretending to be another man. Benjamin had justified it as for a worthy cause, but now he saw it for the truth.
It had only been because he hadn’t wanted to lose Raven.
“Can I think on it, even if just for a few moments?” The words squeaked out, and his head spun.
With a gentle squeeze, she let go of his hands. “What I ask if no small matter. Courtship takes an entire season, and here I have reduced it to a week. Please, let
us go to my chambers, and you can think while I show you more of the guild.”
He watched, forcing himself to suck air in and out, as she pushed a button and then another before the lift lurched, and then began to rise upward.
Benjamin hadn’t stopped looking at her, and though she’d released his hands, she had not removed her attention from him either. Raven Nightingale was a rare beauty for hers stretched inside and out. Benjamin believed she might be the first person to crave helping the city as much as he did. Think of what could be invented if you managed something in just one day.
The lift stopped, and when the door swung outward, he was surprised to see he was immediately inside a chamber that rivaled Christopher’s. The walls were a sleek dark wood, and the floor was covered near its entirety in an oriental rug. As Raven had mentioned, the far wall was not a wall, only a pane of glass. Where Christopher’s space had a large wooden desk in the center for a group to gather around, Raven merely had an imposing mahogany structure along the window.
“You have a private lift.” It wasn’t a question.
“Yes, well, I did mention we enjoy showing off our prestige here. Guild Master simply allows me one extra.”
She has a flaw, and she’s as shallow as the rest of the ton...as were you in your youth.
“Raven?” he stepped out of the lift and walked straight to the window and cast his eyes downward. The city appeared fine if one looked past the masks that adorned every person as they walked in the light of day. Turning away, he looked at her, trying to ascertain the situation in its entirety. “Of what age are you?”
“Would that matter?”
His lips lifted into a small smile, he did know the answer from the news, but he wanted to make certain. “It does not. I was pondering how different I’ve become since the world shifted and was curious how much of before you can remember. I’ve never been one for politics, but I imagine you are not yet three and ten.”