by Lucy Saxon
‘And I suppose I’m stuck with you as a big brother, then.’ Her expression was brighter now, and she left his room looking a little less like the world was ending. Aleks’s good cheer lasted only until she’d left the room, however; her words had reminded him of his blood siblings, his own big brothers. He may never see them again, may never meet Torell’s daughter. But going back would only lead to his eventual capture, and then his life would be so much worse. If he could successfully make it back from the Stormlands, Luka could get his record wiped, and he’d be a free man. He had little to lose, and so much to gain.
25
Aleks decided to spend one of his last free days alone, wandering the city. He was careful to avoid the courtyard, not wanting to come across Saria, but instead took a lazy stroll through some of his favourite places in Syvana.
He didn’t notice when someone started to follow him until he started back towards the Compass via a series of random roads and turnings, as was becoming the norm for him. He heard footsteps, too closely matching his own to be a coincidence. Aleks turned down a street that led away from the Compass, towards the shipyard, cursing under his breath when the footsteps continued. Three more unnecessary turns proved that the stranger was definitely trailing him.
Too tired to bother trying to lose his tail before he got to the Compass, Aleks turned on the spot, startling the stranger – who wasn’t much of a stranger at all. Shulga had a nasty smirk on his face, and Aleks’s heart sank. ‘What now?’ He’d expected the man to stay in the shadows until Aleks slipped up and gave away the location of the journal, now stowed safely in his room on the ship. Did he want to threaten Aleks some more, or had he finally given up waiting and just wanted to kill him?
‘Trouble in paradise, brat?’ Shulga asked, folding his arms across his chest. Aleks’s brow furrowed in confusion. ‘Your little girlfriend isn’t as stupid as I thought. She at least has morals.’ The sinking feeling grew.
‘What have you done to Saria?’ His voice was low but Shulga merely grinned.
‘I’ve done nothing. It’s what she’s done to you that you should be worrying about.’ The lieutenant reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a whistle, blowing two sharp blasts. Out of nowhere a pair of guards emerged, flanking Shulga. Aleks instinctively took a step back. What was going on? ‘Your bitch turned you in, boy,’ Shulga declared smugly. ‘Clearly decided she’d had enough of your criminal self. Imagine my surprise when I received a message from the Syvana kingsguard commander, telling me a young lady had come in with information on where to find my missing cadet, and I had best make my way over. Of course, under the circumstances, I’d been keeping my search for you somewhat quiet until I found what I was looking for; I didn’t want to get banned from the entire city, after all. But I can work this in my favour.’ Shulga smirked wider at the horrified look on Aleks’s face.
‘She told us all about where you’ve been working. Only thing she wouldn’t tell was who’d been hiding you through all this. But that’s no matter, we’ll find that out in due time. And then I’ll find what I’ve been looking for.’
‘Aleksandr Vasin, you’re under arrest for desertion and theft of military property,’ the guard on the left declared. A quick glance at his shoulder stripes confirmed he was low-ranking, as was his partner.
‘Theft of military property?’ Aleks yelped, eyes wide. What had Saria told them? ‘I didn’t steal anything belonging to the military!’
‘That’s not what we’ve been told,’ the guard on the right snarled, his bushy black eyebrows so close together they were practically one straight line. Aleks glanced at Shulga. Surely, if Shulga had told the entire truth, he would also be in trouble for having the journal? Either way, he had to get out; if he could escape them, he could get to Luka’s and leave tonight, go to the one place Shulga could never follow him.
As the monobrowed guard reached out to grab him, Aleks ducked away, turning on his heel and sprinting in the direction of the shipyard. Even at this late hour, there would still be plenty of chaos going on. Enough for him to lose the guards, he hoped.
The three soldiers raced after him, but Aleks was faster and knew the paths better, bobbing and weaving through people and down small alleyways. Finally, he burst into the shipyard through a side street, the lights and noise assaulting him. He pushed on. He could still hear his aggressors, their heavy military boots pounding the concrete, but they were slowed behind a group of crewmen carrying large crates.
Aleks made a beeline for the flight school, praying to any god that might listen that Drazan was on shift. The pilot kept all sorts of odd hours, and could usually be found there when not with Zhora. Startled yells followed Aleks as he ran, and a glance over his shoulder showed that Shulga and his two henchmen were pushing people out of the way and barging through the crowd.
Using the back entrance to the flight school instead of the main front one, Aleks managed a half-wave to the secretary and headed for Drazan’s office. The door was open and the light was on. ‘Thank you, Goddess,’ Aleks breathed, skidding to a halt in the doorway.
Drazan looked up, eyebrows rising at Aleks’s panicked state. ‘Storms, man, what’s the matter with you?’
‘They’ve come for me,’ Aleks breathed, keeping his ears alert for any sound that might be Shulga entering the flight school. ‘The guards, Saria turned me in, it’s a long story, no time to explain. But they’re coming to arrest me, and I can’t evade them this time. I don’t have two days, we need to leave tonight.’
As he spoke, Drazan stood, expression serious. He tidied away the papers he was grading, tucking them in a desk drawer. ‘Gods. Right. OK. Gods.’ He ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head. ‘Good thing Zhora and I are mostly packed up, anyway. Are they following you now?’ At Aleks’s nod, he cursed softly. ‘OK. I’ll get Zhora, grab the last of our things and head over to Luka’s. We’ll meet you at the warehouse, just get there whenever you can, all right?’ Drazan crossed the room in three long strides, placing a hand on Aleks’s shoulder. ‘Stay safe, man. See you in a few hours. Gods be with you.’
‘Thanks, I’ll need them,’ Aleks replied with a grim smile. He left through the front door, eyes darting around the shipyard, and the barest grin slipped across his lips at the sight of Shulga interrogating a burly crewman about fifteen feet away. Creeping away in the opposite direction, Aleks breathed a sigh of relief and hared off towards the Compass. All he had to do was grab his bag and say his good-byes, then get to the warehouse without being caught. Drazan would take care of the rest.
Heart racing, it didn’t take long for Aleks to get to the Compass, slowing just enough not to break the door as he burst through.
Raina’s dark eyes were concerned as he made his way over to the bar. ‘What’s the matter?’ she asked quietly. Aleks shook his head, gesturing towards the kitchen.
‘Not here,’ he murmured, slipping behind the bar and leading the way through. Ksenia was in there washing dishes, and her cheerful expression fell at Aleks’s demeanour. ‘I need to leave tonight,’ he declared bluntly, and Ksenia dropped the bowl she was holding into the sink with a clatter.
‘What? But you said you had two more days!’ Raina protested.
‘I did, but things have changed. Saria turned me in to the guards – they’re on the hunt for me as we speak. I need to leave tonight, or they’ll catch up with me and put all of you in danger.’
‘We can take them.’ Bodan’s voice made Aleks jump, and he spun round to see the bearded man standing in the doorway. ‘We’ll keep you hidden.’
‘I appreciate the sentiment, but it’s no use. If I go now, you’ll be safe. I won’t put you at risk. I’m sorry. It’s only two days earlier, anyway. I just need to pack my bag, then I’ll be off.’ Raina let out a small noise, rushing forward to hug him.
‘Be careful. Don’t do anything stupid. And . . . enjoy yourself.’
She pulled back with a tearful smile. Ksenia and Bodan had both come closer, and Ksenia bun
dled him in a suffocatingly tight hug, which he returned tenfold.
‘Don’t tempt fate,’ she instructed firmly. ‘Stay on the Goddess’s good side and she’ll keep you safe, even past her reach. Be a good lad, and come home soon.’
‘I will,’ he assured her, kissing her cheek. ‘Look after yourself. I’ll see you soon.’ Her lips pursed at that, but she didn’t say anything more, letting him go.
‘You know what you’re doing?’ Bodan asked, and Aleks nodded. ‘You trust these two men you’re flying with?’ Again, Aleks nodded, and Bodan smiled, reaching out to grab him by the shoulder and pull him into a rough hug. ‘Then best of luck to you, lad. May the winds blow your way and the ice stay off your sails.’
‘And may your hearth and heart stay warm, and the Goddess bless your home,’ Aleks returned, choking up a little as he spoke.
‘Stay safe, Aleks,’ Ksenia urged, her husband’s arm coming around her waist as his other hand rested on Raina’s shoulder. Aleks nodded, hand resting on the door handle.
‘I’ll stay as safe as I can,’ he swore, knowing he couldn’t promise much more. Reluctantly tearing his gaze from them, he glanced to the doorway out to the bar. ‘I’ll go and grab my things. You should all get back to work – don’t want anything looking suspicious.’ Aleks made for the staircase, jogging up to his room. It didn’t take long to shove the last of his belongings in a bag, and he forced himself to leave the room again, satchel slung over his shoulder. He wished he could say goodbye to Saria, see her one last time, but clearly she wanted nothing to do with him now. The betrayal hurt, and he forced his thoughts away from her, focusing on the task at hand.
When he got back downstairs, it was to find the trio working as normal, though Ksenia’s smile was more strained than usual. They looked up from behind the bar, and Bodan nodded to him; they’d said their goodbyes.
Before he knew it he was walking away from the Compass, scarf pulled up over his face and coat hood low over his eyes. It was snowing, but only lightly; good enough weather for take-off. Not the best, but it would do, under the circumstances.
The tram was almost empty when he boarded, taking a seat in the corner and leaning against the carriage wall. There were two men in suits who were absorbed in whispered discussion, and another man who looked like he might possibly have spent the night there. When they stopped about halfway through the journey, a smartly dressed woman boarded and sat a few seats down from Aleks, immediately pulling a book from her handbag and opening it. Aleks’s knee bounced the entire journey, his pulse jumping every time the doors opened, half expecting Shulga to step in.
He arrived to find the warehouse unlocked, and he nudged the door open, blinking at the bright lights.
‘Oh, good, you made it!’ Drazan called, peering out over the railing on deck. ‘We’re just about ready if you are – get on up here!’ Aleks wasted no time, hitching his satchel further up his shoulder and scrambling on deck. ‘Zhora and Luka are in the engine room, making last-minute flight checks. Supplies are loaded, everything’s bolted down, we are clear to fly.’
‘Brilliant,’ Aleks breathed, pulse beginning to return to normal. As soon as they were airborne he’d be safe.
The pair went below deck, parting ways as Aleks made for his tiny room. He set his satchel down on the bed, flipping it open and letting the contents spill out on to the narrow mattress. Hurriedly folding the last of his clothes to put in the trunk, he placed his notebook and pen carefully in the desk drawer, trying to ignore the shiny gun sitting beside them in the compartment. There was a lamp bolted to the desk, and a smaller box inside the trunk containing all the audio and video recorders. Those were the only mechanical items Aleks had in his room; the rest were down in storage.
Making sure everything was either locked away or bolted down, he made his way to the engine room where the other three were gathered, Luka and Zhora just closing up a panel. ‘We all set?’ Aleks asked, and Zhora nodded.
‘Good to go. I hear you’ve had an eventful afternoon,’ he replied. Aleks grimaced, shaking his head.
‘Don’t worry about it. The sooner we leave, the better,’ he insisted. Zhora’s lips pursed, but he didn’t say anything, and Luka moved to stand by Aleks as the two brothers started conversing in low tones. The old mechanic turned to him, eyes concerned.
‘You ready for this, lad?’
‘As I’ll ever be. Sure you don’t want to come with us?’ Aleks asked with a grin that he knew didn’t reach his eyes. Luka shook his head.
‘No, no, I’ll leave the adventures to you crazy brats,’ he teased lightly. ‘Besides, someone needs to stay here to keep an eye on things. I’ll watch out for that lieutenant of yours, lad – make sure he stays away from the Compass. They’re fine folk there, they don’t need your trouble at their door.’ Aleks shot Luka a grateful look. The man might be old and frail-looking, but Aleks knew what he was capable of, and trusted him to keep his word.
‘Much appreciated. We’ll try and make it back quickly. There’s only a month’s worth of rations, anyway.’ The implication lingered heavily between them; if they didn’t return in a month, they weren’t likely to be returning at all.
‘You’ll be fine, lad. But I swear to the gods, if my ship has the slightest scratch on her when you get back, I’ll have all three of your hides.’ Aleks couldn’t help but laugh, wrapping his arms tightly around the white-haired man before he could protest at the embrace.
‘She’ll be good as new, I promise,’ he assured Luka with a grin. Luka scowled, struggling away from him.
‘She’d better be,’ he muttered, face softening as he clapped Aleks on the shoulder. ‘Good luck, lad. I have every bit of faith that you’ll be home within the month.’ The four of them got to work moving the ship out on to the landing deck. Aleks’s heart was once again beating frantically in his chest, his blood racing and a grin tugging at his lips as he got the ship ready for take-off. This was something he was good at; this was something he could do. And he was going to do something that no one in the world had ever done before.
‘Wait!’ Drazan said abruptly, startling them. Aleks’s gaze immediately flicked to the door; had he been followed? ‘She doesn’t have a name. We can’t fly a ship without a name, it’s bad luck.’
‘A load of superstitious bull! She doesn’t need a name, she’s unique enough as it is,’ Luka insisted.
‘No, he’s right,’ Zhora said. ‘She has to have a name. We’re chancing the gods enough as it is. We don’t want to risk it any more with bad luck, superstitious bull or not.’
Aleks hummed thoughtfully. ‘What to call her, though? Special girl like her deserves an equally special name.’ And the clock was ticking faster than he’d like.
‘Thunderbug!’ Zhora declared, breaking the silence that had fallen. ‘Because she’s tiny and fast, a little light in the storm.’ There had been a lot of the tiny insects around recently; they only came out after a hard rainstorm, lighting up the evenings with their luminescent bodies and rumbling quietly like thunder as they called to their fellows. Aleks liked to watch them dart around the stable block from his bedroom window.
Drazan turned to Aleks, grinning, and the pair looked at Luka. It was his baby, after all.
‘It fits,’ the old man agreed, patting the ship on the side. ‘Thunderbug it is. Now get going, you’re wasting daylight!’
Following the two older members of his crew – his crew, he was captain of a skyship – up the ladder, Aleks went straight to the control room with Drazan, while Zhora headed for the engine room. It was the first time the three of them had been on board without Luka, and the eccentric man’s absence was more tangible than Aleks had expected it to be. As he and Drazan worked on the take-off preparations he half expected to hear Luka’s fondly scathing remarks through the speakers about how long they were taking. Still, Drazan did his best to fill the silence with aimless nattering, though it stopped when Aleks tilted the wings, sending them shooting up into the air.
F
or once, Aleks didn’t mess about with drifting turns and slaloms through powerful updraughts. They had a destination, and a fuel limit, and the more light in the sky by the time they got to the Stormlands, the better. ‘This is it, then,’ Drazan murmured, leaning on the back of Aleks’s seat. ‘No turning back now.’
‘This is it,’ Aleks agreed, his tone a mix of excitement and apprehension. ‘Aren’t you supposed to be asleep?’ They’d worked out a schedule, allowing them to take turns resting. They would always need one person in the control room and one in the engine room keeping an eye on things. It was, Luka had told them, one of the downsides of such an intricately designed ship. In contrast to a regular skyship, where the engine room could be left to its own devices for hours at a time if the weather was steady, the engines and mechanics of their ship needed near constant monitoring.
‘You think I can sleep now? Nah, I’m fine. Besides, we’ve got plenty of coffee in the galley.’ Aleks wondered if giving Drazan coffee was a smart idea; he was perky enough without it. Sometimes it was hard to believe the man was two and a half years older than he was.
‘If you’re sure.’ Aleks relaxed in the seat, knowing it would take several hours of flying before they hit the dangerous part of the Stormlands. ‘How’s everything down your end, Zhora?’
‘Running smoothly, no problems here,’ Zhora responded. ‘Bloody boring down here without the old man for company. I’m wishing I’d brought a book.’
‘Hopefully once we get a little further in, you won’t want that book,’ Aleks pointed out, swerving them around a particularly fierce-looking swirl of wind and rain. The wall of black cloud up ahead was drawing ever nearer, though was still far away enough for them not to worry about it yet. Trying to imagine spending hours among the terrifying storms was impossible.
When it got to the point that Drazan was playing noughts and crosses with himself in the condensation on the viewscreen, Aleks sent him to make dinner. He wasn’t completely sure what time it was, not wanting to take either of his hands off the controls to check, and wished they’d thought of bolting down a timepiece somewhere in the control room.