Quicksilver Soul

by Christine d'Abo

  She moaned again, her lips moving as she tried to speak. Emmet placed his ear above her mouth, trying to catch the words. But the only thing he managed to make out was a single name.

  Thomas.

  Emmet pushed away from the cot, ignoring the way his head spun from the sudden movement. Of course, he knew very little about her, or her life back in Canada. Why he hadn’t considered the thought that she had a lover, a man who was important in her life, he wasn’t certain. Still, hearing another man’s name on her lips was the splash of cold water he needed to break him out of his youthful obsession.

  “We shall get you back to your Thomas soon enough, Miss Tesla. But first I must conquer this door.”

  Emmet’s feet were numb, causing him to stumble as he moved. From his new vantage point, he was able to see partway down the hallway. There appeared to be a room from which the noises were coming. He could make out two distinct voices, one of whom sounded like that of a child. It was quite likely they’d been taken by one of New London’s many street gangs, perhaps with the hopes of offering them up for ransom. The archivists weren’t likely to pay for Emmet’s release, but there was a chance that the Company would. He couldn’t rely on that happening, though, and turned his thoughts to escape.

  “Emmet?” He turned to see Nicola struggling to sit up. “Where are we?”

  “A cell, in what looks to be a warehouse of some sort. I’m not certain.”

  “Are there guards?”

  “Not that I can see, but we’re not alone.”

  A loud clang followed by a chuckle was quickly chased by the sound of approaching footsteps. Emmet shifted so he was standing fully in the doorway, blocking Nicola from outside eyes. She wouldn’t be strong enough to help him at any rate; best to keep her as safe as possible. The brute who stopped in front of him looked to be an escapee from the bowels of the Tower. A tattooed dagger was prominent on the side of his neck, adding a further degree of menace. No doubt if Emmet were to ask Samuel, the sergeant would have been able to identify the man and which crime organization he belonged to.

  Keeping his gaze even, Emmet smirked. “Fine day, it is.”

  The brute grunted. “Yer awake.”

  “Stating the obvious. An indication of your level of intelligence and your status in this kidnapping. Let me speak to your boss.”

  “Fuck off.”

  “I’d be more than happy to do just that, but I appear to be locked away.” Emmet kicked the bottom of the bars. “Unless you’d like to open up for me. Then we could have a proper chat.”

  “Our guests are awake?” A new voice, American from the sound of the accent, reached him.

  Emmet waited until the approaching footsteps revealed a middle-aged man, well dressed and of good health. He looked Emmet up and down before waving the brute away. “You’re an archivist.”

  “I am.” Emmet waited, knowing this man wouldn’t be easily goaded into revealing information.

  The man’s gaze returned to his eyes and Emmet had no doubt what he was looking for. “An unproven one. I guess that explains why they had you minding your guest rather than out on the streets doing real work.”

  The barb was intended to wound, but Emmet’s skin was far thicker than that. “We all have our ways of serving the guild.”

  “I’m sure you do.” He stepped closer to the bars. “Do you know who I am?”

  “Not specifically. But you work for the Illuminating Company.”

  “Work for?” The man smirked. “A shame that my reputation doesn’t have as far a reach as I’d assumed. It’s a blow to the ego, don’t you think, Nicola?”

  Her hand touched Emmet’s arm, encouraging him to move to the side. “I’m certain your ego can withstand it.”

  “Care to give the introductions, my dear?” There was something in the man’s voice, not quite hate, but certainly close enough that Emmet immediately went on the defensive.

  If Nicola was scared, she certainly gave no indication. “Emmet Dennison, archivist, please meet Thomas Edison, founder of the Illuminating Company and idea thief.”

  “Now, now, my dear. We’ve been over that before. You were in my employ and therefore those inventions rightfully belonged to me.”

  “You’re a lying bastard who’s forced to steal what others create because you are too damned stupid to invent the things yourself.” Her body shook as she spoke, her hands balled at her side. “I shall never forgive you for that.”

  “I don’t need your forgiveness.” His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “But I do need your brain.”

  Nicola snorted. “As though I’d ever help you again.”

  “You don’t have a choice.” Edison turned his back on them. “Bring them water and food. Only enough for one though. I wouldn’t want to waste all our resources.”

  Emmet refused to move until he knew for certain that they were gone. Once the footsteps disappeared, he rounded on Nicola and took her by the shoulders.

  “What the hell does he want?”

  “How am I supposed to know?” Yet, she couldn’t quite look him in the eye.

  “Because I’ve come to realize that you know a hell of a lot more than what you let on. So I’ll ask you again, what does the bastard want?”

  Nicola walked unsteadily over to the cot to sit none too gracefully on it. “I believe he wants me.”

  “I gathered as much. It was the reason I was assigned to stay with you.” Her head snapped up in surprise, but he ignored her. “Why does he want you specifically? What is it that you have that he needs? If we know that, then there is an opportunity we can use it as leverage to get us out of this place.”

  Nicola didn’t respond, and instead picked at the material of her trousers. He couldn’t be certain what she was thinking, and he was almost to the point of not caring. Clearly, she was holding back information that he needed if they were to have any opportunity of getting out of this in one piece.

  “Miss Tesla?”

  “Nicola. My name is Nicola.” She patted her thighs softly before looking up. “Thomas wants me because of what I did to him. See, I was in his employ for a time. I was young and the opportunity was quite exciting. What I didn’t understand was that he took my ideas for his own. Got rich off them.”

  “This is about money?” Having never wanted for anything in his life, Emmet often found it difficult to relate to such matters. “Surely the Company can pay for any damages done.”

  “If only it were that simple.” For the first time since their acquaintance, Nicola lost her cockiness. “I didn’t exactly leave the Illuminating Company on the best of terms.”

  “Oh?”

  “I might have, perhaps, blown up his warehouse on my way out the door.” Nicola finally met his gaze and smiled. “He’s had a price on my head ever since.”

  Chapter Seven

  The cold from the stone wall had long seeped into her back, causing the skin to go numb. Emmet hadn’t said much to her after her confession about her relationship with Thomas. Not that she expected him to fully appreciate her point of view in matters, but a bit of sympathy wouldn’t have gone amiss.

  Once their meager meal had been delivered, Thomas had left them surprisingly alone. Nicola had no doubt he was plotting out the best way to turn this situation around to his advantage, perhaps spending time to build an adequate torture machine to shove her into. Being faced with that would have been far more comforting than being forced to sit in this cell left to ponder her fate. She hated inactivity, hated not being able to get her hands dirty and keep her mind in motion, but there was nothing for her to do here.

  Thomas clearly knew how best to drive her mad.

  Emmet was still inspecting the hinges that held their cell door in place. He was convinced they were the means to their escape. She could offer to help him, put her nervous energy to good use, but she got the impression her presence wouldn’t be welcomed.

  To hell with it. “Unless you have something hiding in your pockets that can cut through iro
n, I don’t see how you plan to work those hinges free.”

  “I’m simply learning everything I can about our environment.”

  “Well, if you ask me—”

  “I didn’t.” His voice was muted somewhat by the wall, though his annoyance came through clearly.

  “Why are you so annoyed with me? I didn’t deliberately put you in danger. I only learned of Thomas’ presence in New London a short time ago.” A part of her wasn’t sorry in the least that they’d been captured by her former employer. It saved Nicola having to wander the streets of a strange city trying to locate him. “It’s not my fault he’s out to get me.”

  “Except that it is.” Emmet pressed his head against the door for a moment before throwing a glace her way. “You blew up his bloody life’s work.”

  “After he stole mine.” She crossed her arms and narrowed her gaze. “It was only fair.”

  “I’m sure he doesn’t see it that way.”

  No, Nicola knew Thomas wouldn’t feel anything but anger and betrayal regarding her actions. His work was everything to him, meaning nearly as much as his precious reputation. She’d watched him push aside his family, his wife and children, to capture as much money, power, and glory as he could muster. Nicola had always felt bad for his wife, Mary. They’d worked side by side for a time in Thomas’ shop, until Mary had caught Thomas’ eye. They’d married quickly, and Mary, once Nicola’s compatriot, became the mistress of the Illuminating Company.

  But Mary had lost the spark of personality after the marriage. Every time Nicola would see her at the warehouse, she noticed that she’d grown quiet, withdrawn. The last time she’d seen her before Mary flew to America, Nicola had begged her to seek a doctor’s aid for her headaches. She’d often wondered what had become of her friend. Though the idea of asking Thomas how she fared was less than wise.

  With her departure, Thomas grew more driven, and the bulk of his attentions had fallen onto Nicola.

  “Let me see that bloody door.” She crossed the distance, shoving Emmet aside. “You’re an archivist, not an engineer.”

  “I’m also not an idiot.” But he gave her the space she needed.

  The hinges were steadfast, though she could see there were a few stressed locations that, given the right equipment, would give way under duress. The problem being, she didn’t have access to anything that would inflict the proper damage.

  As she began to inspect the iron beam that held the hinges, she heard a small cough and the stumbling step of someone approaching. Emmet put his hand on her shoulder, pulling her away from the door, but not so far that she wouldn’t be able to see the approaching person.

  What she didn’t expect was the thin waif of a boy to poke his head around the corner. There was an odd distant look in his eyes, as though he wasn’t able to focus on them. The boy gave his head a shake, before offering them a small smile.

  “Hullo.”

  “Hi there.” Nicola waved. “What’s your name?”

  He cocked his head and frowned. “It’s Keegan.”

  “Keegan. That’s a good name. Solid name.” Nicola stepped closer to the bars, ignoring Emmet’s soft hiss. “I’m Nicola and this is Emmet. He’s a bit of a grump though, so I mostly ignore him.”

  Keegan smiled and inched closer to the cell. “Why are you two in there? Did Mr. Edison offer you a job, too?”

  Interesting. “I used to work for Mr. Edison, years ago in the Paris location. Are you one of his clever lads? He always seemed to find the smartest people to work for him. And I can say that because I was one of them.”

  “I help make the metal dance.” Without any further comment, he turned and went into a cell of his own.

  The door was open, and it was apparent that no one was forcing the boy to stay here to work. Still, there was something odd in his behavior, something that didn’t sit right with her. “What do you mean you make the metal dance, Keegan? Is that something you can show me?”

  “I’m tired, miss. Maybe later. After I’ve eaten my sweets.”

  If Keegan had any food, he made no move to eat it. Instead he curled up on his cot and closed his eyes. It had been years since she’d seen that level of exhaustion in another person. She’d only experienced it herself a few times, and never since she’d begun her tenure at the Company.

  “Poor mite is worn out.”

  Nicola barely managed to suppress a gasp at Emmet’s unexpected words against her ear. He’d moved up behind her while her attention had been focused on Keegan, and now his body was so close she could have swayed little more than an inch and they would be in complete contact. Her traitorous body reacted to his proximity in a way she wouldn’t have assumed herself capable of before now. Her nipples were hard, and a warmth she’d never felt as the result of being with another person consumed the sensitive spot between her legs.

  This was a rather inconvenient time to develop a physical attraction to a man.

  Doing her best to keep her body as still as possible, Nicola nodded. “I’ve only seen that state a few times before. I suspect he’ll have a difficult time sleeping, even if that’s the one thing he wants most in the world.”

  “What do you think Edison wants him for? Surely, a boy of that age would have little to offer to an engineer.”

  “Sometimes age doesn’t inform ability.” Did he know what he was doing to her by standing this close? She wanted nothing more than to turn around and slap him for eliciting this reaction from her. “Would you mind stepping back?”

  His hot breath tickled the side of her neck as he chuckled. “It’s easier for me to speak quietly if we are close. What are you afraid of, Miss Tesla?”

  Without touching him, she turned so they were now face to face. “I’m afraid of nothing.”

  It was odd looking into Emmet’s eyes. He bore the same level of callous indifference that most of the archivists wore, though he didn’t bear the physical scar of having performed an extraction. But every so often, she’d catch a glimpse of something else, lurking. Was this behavior simply a shield for him, a means to keep himself on an even footing with the others of his guild? Or was he hiding the true man beneath the surface, waiting to explode out into the daylight?

  “Miss Tesla—”

  “Nicola.”

  He closed his eyes for a beat. “We need to get out of here. I believe our best way of doing that is to discover exactly what it is Edison is planning and put a stop to it.”

  She’d never wanted to kiss a man before. Not with any real feeling behind it. Not with any intention of taking things further. So why she was tempted to close the small distance between them, press her lips against his and quell her curiosity of what he would taste like, was as much of a mystery as what the hell Thomas was doing in New London.

  “The Administrators suspected the French are looking to gain a foothold in New London. I was told that the person who was out to capture you was working with them.”

  The mention of politics was a surefire way to kill any amorous feelings she was beginning to have. Stepping away to grant herself a chance to clear her head, she sat down on the cot. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Thomas was working with them, but that wouldn’t be his only goal. More of a means to an end. He doesn’t have political aspirations beyond gaining influence to assist his own interests.”

  “A rather dangerous means from my perspective.”

  “If Thomas came all this way, he has a reason. One that will be far more dangerous than an alliance with the French. Or at the very least more specific.”

  Emmet chose that moment to pull his cravat off, leaving him in only his waistcoat and shirtsleeves. It was a look she’d seen on countless men over her years of working with the Company, and yet somehow on Emmet it gave him the appearance of something dangerous. And appealing in a sexual manner.

  “I’m surprised they left us in here together.” He patted down his pockets. “Though they seem to have relieved us of anything useful.”

  “This place doesn’t look as
though it’s in the best condition. They probably don’t have another cell available.”

  “Let’s hope it stays that way. With the two of us being here, we’ll at least have a chance to plan an escape.”

  Nicola looked past Emmet across the hall. “What about…?”

  “We’ll take him if we can. If for no other reason than he’s been here longer and might have a clearer picture of what’s going on.”

  “Fair enough.”

  With nothing left to do or say, the nervous impatience threatened to rise up inside her once more. “I hate waiting.”

  “Try to rest. We don’t know when we’ll need to move. I’ll wake you if anything happens.”

  Rolling onto her side, facing the wall, she sighed. There was nothing for it but to try to rest. Even if her sleep would be filled with images of her feeble attempts to seduce Emmet.

  * * *

  He’d lost track of how much time had passed since he’d gained consciousness. Instead of taking his own rest, Emmet kept watch, cataloguing every sound that reached him. He’d detected at least four different voices, all except for Edison bearing local accents. That would make it easier to track the ruffians down upon his escape.

  The distance from where the men were was significant enough that Emmet was unable to make out their conversation, no matter how much he concentrated. Add to that the loud, uneven breathing from the boy across the hallway, and Emmet knew his vigil was a pointless endeavor.

  When he finally heard someone approaching, his agitation had grown to a state where he was fit to punch through stone. The sight of the three brutes they’d encountered in the alley now standing outside their cell did little to reassure him that the next few hours would be pleasant.

  “Shall I don my coat? I would hate to appear less than presentable if I’m meeting guests.”

  “Don’t be a smartarse,” the middle one snapped. “Get them both out here.”

  “Miss Tesla, I believe we are about to find out why our presence has been requested.” He didn’t need to look to know she’d also heard their approach and had gotten up from the cot.