The Lantern's Ember

by Colleen Houck

  “Magical metal. Witch-infused,” Ember added softly. “Dev told me the man we’re going to see was once the head metallurgist in the Otherworld.”

  Jack looked at her, then at Frank, who sat working his controls in an unhurried, desultory manner. Jack asked him, “Are we visiting the man who did this to the fish?”

  Frank stood and turned his body stiffly, his short, booted leg stomping while his longer one dragged behind. He squinted out the dome to see what Jack was referring to. “Oh, yeah. If you’re meaning the enhanced specimens, that is.”

  “And you…trust such a man?”

  “Have to, don’t I? Dr. Farragut’s the one that put me back together. Gave me a new heart. He’s a smart one. Promised to give me a tune-up on my next visit. Getting a bit out of sorts in my amidships area, and my ticker’s getting a bit slow.”

  Ember didn’t know what a ticker or an amidships area was and didn’t want to know, but she did give Frank a long look and then turned to the friendly creature swimming alongside them.

  Jack worked his jaw and said, “I see.”

  Just then, the ship rocked. Frank turned to the crewman with wires attached to his ears. “What do ya hear, man? Did we strike a ridge?”

  “I’m not sure,” the man called out. “Whatever it is, it’s moving.”

  “Turn up the witchlight. Give it a full blast.”

  Another crewman spun a crank until the red bar on his panel rose to the top. “Ready, sir.”

  “Incoming!” the other man shouted.

  The crash shook the ship wildly, and they listed to one side sharply before straightening again. Jack caught Ember before she hit her head on the corner of a console and held her tightly.

  Steam hissed up from the floor and the glass cracked; then something huge, so large they couldn’t even see what it was, passed the viewing window. Ember screamed. Frank’s eyes widened at the sight. A moment later, a crewman shouted, “The witchlight is having no effect!”

  Gauges whirled and hit the maximum limit. The entire craft shook as a man cried, “It’s crushing the ship!”

  Thoughts of the giant kraken Dev had mentioned filled Ember’s mind. She grabbed Jack tightly, burying her head in his chest, just as Frank gave the command, “Emergency blow!”

  Jack grabbed a handle as the ship wrenched upward. Ember still clung to him, but her arms trembled. He wrapped his other arm around her and told Finney to hold on to something. The boy took hold of his pumpkin. Jack was about to tell him to find something attached to the ship instead, but thought better of it. His pumpkin had its own ability to right itself and would likely keep the boy safer than anything else.

  A gaping maw swam toward them from the depths, far too quickly for Jack to determine what it was. The mouth locked on to the viewing dome of the rising ship and followed it upward. All Jack could see was the flash of metal and a large tongue pressed against the glass. It pulsed and moved over the surface like a suction tube.

  Then the submersible breached the water, and they were airborne for just a few seconds. Ember’s skirts shifted around her legs, weightless, but when they reached the zenith, the creature gripping them fell away. The sun pierced the window, bathing them all in its warm light before they dropped.

  They got a good view of the beast’s face now that they were above water. Its long snout was filled with sharp teeth, but its neck was long and snakelike. The skin, as far as she could see, was a mottled green and gray. She marveled at the view since she could now see half above and half beneath the water.

  She’d originally thought that the beast was a giant sea snake, but now she saw that its torso was not narrow and small at all. It was thick and broad, with four flippers that propelled it quickly through the water. The tail, short in comparison to the neck, acted as a sort of rudder.

  What she’d believed were coils was actually the animal’s long neck, which stretched out farther than its entire body, tail included. It darted through the water with the ease of a fish, which was an incredible feat when she considered its size.

  The body and tail banged against the side of the ship, and she heard a low moan and a hiss as a flipper splashed water over the viewing bubble, obscuring her view. A thought occurred to her: “It doesn’t seem to be angry as much as it appears to be trying to get our attention, does it?”

  Jack looked outside as the beast swam by again. Its head came close, and the dark eye peered at them briefly before it drew back, blowing a giant air bubble that popped when it hit the glass. Now that they were floating on the surface of the sea, the creature seemed to be content to swim around them and simply nudge them from time to time.

  “Perhaps you’re right,” Jack said. He loosened his grip on Ember, though it pained him somewhat to do so. He rather liked the way she clung to him.

  “Look,” she said, drawing close to the window. The creature had turned on its side, flashing them its belly. Ember saw veins of blue light flicker on the beast’s underside. “I think…I think it’s courting us.” Her statement was followed by another burst of bubbles and a series of clicks that pinged against the ship and echoed back.

  Finney, who had been scribbling notes like mad since they’d stabilized, paused to look up. “I concur, Ember,” he said. “I believe it’s—oh, what’s the fish term? Ah, yes. Flashing. Though now that I look closer, I believe it is more reptilian in nature, since I see no sign of gills. I’d want to see another of the species before I’d deign to make any sort of conclusion one way or another.” Finney tugged on a lock of his red hair, wet the tip of his pencil on his tongue, and continued scribbling. When Ember peeked at his notebook, she saw a crude drawing of the creature. On the next pass, they got a good view of its back and vestigial tail. They saw the same metallic plates running down its spine that they’d seen on the other fish.

  Just then, Del and Dev crashed into the command center.

  “Status report!” Delia shouted as Frank gave up the controls.

  “We’ve done an emergency blow,” Frank said. “Seems a wee beastie has become smitten with our ship.”

  Delia peered out the viewing bubble. When she saw the creature, the concern on her face melted away. “Oh, it’s just Nestor. And yes”—she tapped the crack on the screen—“it looks like he’s been lonely for a bit too long. Dev? Do you think we should be worried?”

  Dev rubbed his jaw and glanced at Ember, who was standing much too close to Jack for his liking. “No. Nestor’s usually friendly and gentle; I think showing his belly means that he knows he’s been a bit too aggressive with us. If he wants our amorous attention, he’s going to have to earn it. I say we dim the lights, move slowly, and dive again. He’s likely to follow along behind like a slightly too-exuberant lemming.”

  “Agreed,” Del said. “Helm, take us back down. Slowly.”

  Evanescent bubbles hissed around the viewing window and they were soon swallowed in the cerulean waters once again. Ember nervously stepped closer to Jack. Their fingers brushed, and Jack wrapped his hand around hers. Ember glanced up but saw that Jack was still staring out at the sea, his eyes gleaming. If he had looked back at her then, he might have noticed the ebullient lights dancing around her heart.

  As for Dev, he stood there watching the two of them, jealousy running through his veins. She was so at ease with Jack. Though their locked hands were hidden behind her skirts, his blue vampire eyes easily caught their reflection in the glass.

  On the surface, Dev was a halcyon sea, as smooth as glass. But beneath the skin, a monster roared and demanded he stake his claim. The untapped power roiling in his blood and the pangs in his heart demanded he find someone to share his life with. Ember. Over the last few days, his mind had teased him with dreams of walking through a park, his fetching witch on his arm, as they greeted passersby. On long autumn nights, they’d relax together near an inglenook as she practiced a spell or brewed a potion. She would dote on her vampire husband, for he wou
ld make her his bride, if for no other reason than to signify to all others that she belonged exclusively to him. He would pet her and spoil her and give her everything her heart wished for.

  For a vampire who was much too sinful for heaven and much too good for hell, a man doomed to live far too many years as a lonely wanderer, a life with a witch he could love seemed like a rare blessing indeed. As rare as finding a will-o’-the-wisp. And Dev had no intention of allowing a mere Jack o’ the Lantern, a poor, doomed pastiche with one foot bound to each world and no possible hope of a future, to steal his dream away.

  But Jack wasn’t Dev’s main concern. His real enemies were all those who would invariably try to take away his little witch by force. He knew that stifling her powers wasn’t a long-term solution, which was why he wanted to go to Dr. Farragut’s island. If anyone in the Otherworld could help him hide his witch, or at least help him figure out a way to prevent those in power from accessing hers, it was the good doctor.

  Outside the Phantom Airbus, Nestor swam next to the ship, his body brushing against protruding rocks that stained his scales with chalky efflorescence. The sea monster moved almost languorously through the sea, turning his long neck from time to time to check on them, making sure they still followed. The beast probably thought it was escorting the submersible home to nest.

  If only women were that easy, Nestor, Dev thought with a twitch of his lips. Then he paused, worrying about what it meant to watch the giant sea beast trying to woo the ship as a mate as he thought about his prospects with Ember. Was he as doomed as Nestor?

  They finally reached the landmass at the coordinates Delia had given to her helmsman. “There!” she called, pointing at a shadow hidden among the coral, waving grasses, and starfish. “Behind that penumbra of seaweed. Take us in gently.”

  One of the crewmen turned on the outside lights, and they could clearly see a dark passageway, a tunnel into the island.

  “Are you certain, Del? What if we get stuck?”

  “That’s Captain, Dev. And who do you think gave Frank the specs to build the submersible in the first place?” she asked. “Of course we’ll fit.”

  As the nose of the ship disappeared into the black cavern, their protruding rear was thumped by Nestor. They all heard his disappointed groan and series of clicks. But then there was a whoosh of water propelling them forward, as if the massive sea creature had moved away.

  Del said, “He’ll probably be waiting for us up top. Not sure the doc anticipated his favorite pet’s reaction to the submersible.”

  They continued, Delia giving minute-by-minute directions, and then finally the cavern opened up and light shone down on them through the water.

  “Want to take a look?” Delia asked with a smile as they breached the surface.

  “Could we?” Ember replied.

  Delia nodded and guided them to an opening in the top of the submersible. She climbed the stairs, took hold of the wheel, and cranked it until the seal cracked and she could throw back the hatch.

  Ember, Jack, Finney, Dev, and Delia stepped out onto the surface of what remained of the old Phantom Airbus and looked around. They appeared to be in a lagoon in the middle of a mountain.

  Dev took the liberty of placing his arm around Ember’s shoulder and pointed upward. “It used to be a volcano,” he said. “The doctor discovered and claimed this island demesne. There’s actually a chain of them. Most Otherworlders consider them uninhabitable, but the doctor has made quite a home for himself.

  “When he set up his laboratory, he discovered that there is a peculiar aetheric energy here. Whatever it is not only enhances witch power, but also lures ghosts to certain pockets. The ghosts served as a natural airspace barrier, preventing all but the boldest from crossing into his territory.”

  They drew closer to the small beach and the dock, where a boat was moored. “Is that a steamboat?” Ember asked. “I’ve heard of those at home, but I’ve never seen one!”

  “Close,” Dev said. “Instead of steam or witch power, the doctor’s modified it to run on aether fumes. His hopes are that the Otherworld might be able to tap into this aether and solve the energy shortages, making witch power completely unnecessary as a fuel.”

  Delia went below to orchestrate the docking procedure for their submersible, and Dev took the opportunity to elbow Jack aside, asking Ember if she’d like to gather her belongings.

  Ember said yes and asked, “Will you be joining us, Jack?”

  The lantern gave her a long look and a small smile. “You two go ahead,” he said. “I’d like to get my bearings.”

  With that, Jack’s pumpkin rose high above them and began slowly circling the lagoon, the light from its eyes and open mouth chasing away every shadow it touched. Jack’s own eyes took on their familiar sheen, and Ember knew he was seeing something very different from what she saw.

  Ember headed down with Finney and Dev. When she got to her stateroom, she found the observation glass lit by an unusual plethora of fish, moving in a strange synchronization. Not only were they covered with metal, but their fleshy parts glowed like the belly of the sea monster, casting an eerie light as they moved past the window.

  As she began to step away, she noticed that the moving shadows and lights created by the fish made a haunting, devilish image on the rug, like a skull with hollow eyes. It might have been a trick of her imagination, but she thought the shadowed eyes were watching her.

  Dev took her bag, and she followed him and Finney back to the top of the ship. It was nearing the dock, and now that they were closer, Ember could see the large home carved into the mountain. It sat like a castle made of sand, complete with minarets, sparkling windows, and balconies. A series of steps, also carved into the stone of the mountain, led from the dock up to the gate.

  Jack was the first to jump off. Jump was probably the wrong word, since the lantern turned to fog and skimmed over the surface of the water, taking human form on the dock. His pumpkin must have been high overhead, so distant that Ember couldn’t make it out, even when she shaded her eyes.

  Ember took Dev’s hand, and he lifted her off the ship and set her down on the dock. The moment her feet touched ground, she swooned, nearly fainting.

  “What is it, my dear?” Dev asked, concerned.

  “I…I don’t know.” She truly didn’t. Now that she was on the island, it was almost as if that thing that called to her stilled. It curled up in a contented ball inside her and purred. Ember wasn’t sure if that was a good or a bad thing, but something, or someone, wanted her here—and had, since long before she began this journey.

  The group gathered on the dock, and Delia sent a crewman ahead to make their presence known while they waited for Dr. Farragut. They had been expected to arrive on the mountain peak via the skyship, not on the dock by submersible, and they knew better than to assume they were welcome.

  The doctor was something of a recluse and strictly prohibited guests from entering his home without his consent, preferring to handle his business at the skyship dock. Frank had seen the inside of only the laboratory and the surgical and recovery wings. Though Delia and Dev were considered friendly associates, they’d never imposed on the doctor without invitation or strayed beyond the skyship dock.

  Delia deliberately turned her back when Graydon was brought out. He was still chained and looked as haggard as she felt. He’d been given only water, and she doubted he’d slept at all, considering he’d spent the night shackled next to the reactor.

  Truthfully, Delia felt about as hollowed-out as Jack’s pumpkin. She didn’t know how to process Graydon’s sudden return, but she knew she couldn’t get back to normal with him nearby. Her plan was to turn him over to the doctor and wash her hands of him, hopefully not looking back as she left him far, far behind.

  Her crewman returned with one of the doctor’s servants. Despite the heat, he wore thick gloves, boots, and a hooded black cloak that kept his face in sh
adow. All they could see was his wide jaw, covered with white powder, and a pair of fangs that hung down almost to his chin. Delia frowned. She’d never seen a vampire or a werewolf with such prominent fangs.

  The servant spoke, his voice emollient and unexpected, with a strange lilt. “Was the submersible gas-tight?”

  “It was,” Delia replied.

  “Wonderful. The master will be so pleased.”

  The servant raised a hand in greeting, gesturing to the group. “You are all, of course, welcome. The master is delighted to have such a fine assortment of guests ready to regale him with wondrous tales of their adventures.”

  “Speaking of adventures,” Delia said. “I believe Nestor is rather enamored of our ship. He’s been quite, er, persistent since he spotted us.”

  “Ah.”

  Ember saw the servant’s jaw working, and his thick, stained tongue licked his bulbous lower lip.

  “Nestor has been rather fugacious as of late, but never fear: adjustments can be made.” “Adjustments” seemed an odd word to Ember.

  “How delightful to see you are functioning well,” the servant said to Frank.

  “I’m doing all right,” the green-skinned man replied. “Could use a bit of a tune-up, though.”

  “Indeed? I’m sure the doctor would love to tinker around in that chest of yours.” He clapped Frank stiffly on the arm, his gloved fingers unbending, and then turned back to the group. “My name is Yegor. I will serve as your contact should you need to speak with the master. I have been asked to give you a short, somewhat limited tour of our island home and set you up in our most comfortable accommodations.”

  “Thank you, Yegor,” Delia said. “That is most appreciated. I’m afraid much of our witchlight has been exhausted in battle.” She nodded toward Graydon without making eye contact. “In addition, I wanted to make you aware that we have a prisoner. I should—”

  Yegor cut her off. “Yes. We are aware of your prisoner. I can assure you we will house him in a manner befitting his crimes.”