Lady Can Never Be Too Curious

by Mary Wine

  But he’d give his life for her, that much he was sure of.

  He prayed it would be enough.

  ***

  “How magnificent.” Janette leaned over the railing of the lower deck to see the islands below them. Sometime during the night, they had left the crisp air of Britain behind them. Now it was balmy, even as high up as they still were.

  “Don’t fall out.”

  Janette turned a sour look on Darius. “I am not a child, as you well know, Mr. Lawley.”

  His lips rose, his oh-so-complete control eluding him for just a moment as she witnessed a flicker of awareness in his dark eyes.

  “Kindly spare the rest of us who regrettably spent the night alone,” Lykos interjected.

  Heat teased her cheek, so Janette returned to looking out over the railing. Below her was some of the bluest water she had ever seen. It made the coast of England look drab by comparison. It sparkled like a million diamonds as the sun shone down on it. Ahead of them, a huge caldera from an extinct volcano marked the edge of one of the Hawaiian Islands. Green tropical plants grew up to the edge of the sand beaches. That sand was purest white, too, like something in a children’s nighttime tale.

  “King Kamehameha the Third has recently been restored to his throne. We British aren’t the most popular at the moment, since it was a British officer who deposed the king briefly,” Darius muttered.

  “The king finds the Illuminist mind-set more to his liking than the British high society,” Marshal Agapitos informed her, his voice edged with enough pride for her to accuse him of arrogance.

  Again.

  The airship was steadily making its way toward the island. They crossed over the breaking waves and over the beaches. A station came into view with two other airships docked there. These airships didn’t have escalators loading passengers onto them; instead, ramps were attached to them, and large crates were being loaded.

  “Captain Kyros has dispatched me to escort you to the secured escalator for disembarkation.”

  The First Officer was just as official this morning as he had been yesterday. His jacket buttons gleamed from recent polish.

  Darius reached for her arm but stopped before closing his grip around it. She could see him battling to stop before handling her. Instead, he offered her his hand, palm up.

  She was already placing her hand into his before she finished enjoying the rush of delight spreading through her. She smiled, unable to stop herself from displaying her emotions to everyone around them.

  But she was pleased, and for a moment, she could see that Darius was happy with her response. It shimmered in his dark eyes, touching her deeply before he masked it and carried her hand to his arm.

  Marshal Agapitos frowned at her when she turned and caught sight of him. Darius didn’t give her the chance to remark upon it, though. He swept her past the Marshal, following the First Officer as Lykos and Decima neatly slid in behind them to keep Grainger and Agapitos from being directly behind her.

  Bion led them past a security checkpoint; the men guarding it cradled long guns as they scrutinized her with narrowed eyes. She stared at the guns, trying to identify them, but they didn’t look like any of the ones her father owned.

  “It will be warm outside,” Darius said. “You’ll be glad Decima brought you linen to wear.”

  Her wool traveling suit was sitting inside a small traveling trunk that had arrived to the cabin at daybreak. Decima had also declined to wear her practical English wool in favor of some of the finest linen Janette had ever seen made up into clothing. Or at least outerwear. She had chemises that were soft and lightweight, but her new single skirt and jacket were also made of the flimsy fabric. It was sort of like wearing a nightgown and wrapper. She’d felt awkward stepping into the hallway, but now, with the tropical air warming her cheeks, she was glad she’d packed her wool away.

  Darius and Lykos still had overcoats on. She recalled the chest harness Darius had worn all night and the small pistol he’d kept handy. There were other men who had discarded their overcoats and wore only vests over their shirts, but they also appeared more at ease than her companions.

  A prickle of apprehension tingled up her nape.

  Two large doors were open ahead, and the air blew in to tease the hair her hasty morning preparation hadn’t captured. They moved closer to an escalator, the edge of the thing looking as though it simply dropped off into nothingness. Bion never stopped but stepped onto the moving contraption, and Darius took her along behind him. Once out of the airship, she looked back up at the marvel that had taken her halfway around the globe in a single day.

  Navigator…dimension gate…

  Questions flooded her mind, but instead of feeling frustrated, she was filled with a sense of adventure. So many more things to learn; she looked forward to a lifetime of being able to always discover new things.

  As the escalator lowered them, the air grew warmer. By the time they stepped off and onto the loading dock, she was itching to remove her gloves. The dock had a large roof like a patio, but even standing beneath it, she was still uncomfortable.

  A group of Guardians moved toward them with all the welcome of a firing squad. The Marshal inclined his head when they all offered him a stiff bow.

  “Please escort Guardian Lawley and Guardian Claxton to the Solitary Chamber.”

  “I will be staying with my fiancée.”

  All cordialness evaporated. Darius gripped her wrist and twisted it just the right way to see her moving behind him without a single protest. It wouldn’t have mattered if she had thought to endure the pain because Lykos gripped her arms and helped pull her behind the back of his friend.

  “You are allowed to accompany her, but not to the Crystal Fields,” Agapitos declared gleefully.

  “I am a head Guardian and, as such, have the necessary clearance to travel to the Crystal Fields.”

  “I have all the necessary men in place, Guardian Lawley. You may wait, as would any other intended spouse, for your fiancé to complete her duties.”

  “Like hell I will.”

  A light of enjoyment appeared in Agapitos’s eyes. It reminded Janette all too much of the way Dr. Nerval had peered at her once his orderlies had secured her into the chair.

  “Are you questioning my orders, Guardian Lawley?” Agapitos stepped up to Darius with a smirk on his lips. “Give me a reason to have charges brought against you. Nothing would give me greater satisfaction.”

  “Why?” Janette demanded. “Why is it so important for you to separate me from everyone I know?”

  “A very interesting question.”

  The new voice was heavily accented. Janette turned to see who was interrupting because she couldn’t identify the unfamiliar voice.

  “Family is more important than ambition. This is a truth.”

  The man was dark-skinned, but not as dark as an African. He wore a pair of trousers and a shirt like Darius, and a vest but no overcoat. Instead, a blue sash with gold fringe crossed his chest. A large bone hoop dangled from one earlobe, and his hands had what appeared to be ink marks in patterns along the fingers. The blending of primitiveness with modern clothing was amazing. He carried himself with an arrogance that suggested they were the ones falling under his authority. With the heat and the palm trees swaying in the distance, maybe they were. The civilization of Britain was very far away.

  “His Majesty Kamehameha the Third has sent me to welcome you to the kingdom of Hawaii,” he offered while staring at Janette.

  Dark-skinned women wearing the simplest of smock dresses came forward. Their dark hair was free and flowing down their backs, and they held necklaces of fresh flowers.

  With words of welcome spoken in a language she didn’t understand, the women draped the flowers around her neck but ignored the others with her.

  “Your presence is requested at the palace for supper with His Majesty.”

  “That is quite impossible,” Marshal Agapitos insisted.

  The Herald looke
d formal enough, but there was something very savage in his eyes. He smiled slowly, revealing teeth that appeared gleaming white against his dark skin. He lifted his hand, and twelve soldiers moved forward to surround them. They marched in time, their final steps echoing like a gunshot. Each man lowered his rifle without flinching.

  “His Majesty finds himself short on trust when it comes to citizens of the British Commonwealth. This is the Kingdom of Hawaii, and his request shall be honored, or your Order will no longer enjoy the benefits of trade with us. The king will decide if your Pure Spirit will be allowed to hunt on our land. You will not take anything from his kingdom without permission.”

  “It seems there is yet another orphan eyeing me,” Janette whispered. She didn’t expect Darius to turn or to see amusement flickering in his eyes.

  “One I invited to the table,” he murmured, the hand on her lower back gently soothing her for a moment. It was a tender touch, one that warmed her heart.

  She wanted to know how he’d managed it but merely returned his smile. The man truly was worthy of the title Guardian. For the moment, she trusted in him as she never had before, and she very much feared that she was falling in love with him.

  ***

  “Hale Ali’i is a modern palace, worthy of any dignitary visiting our land.”

  The Herald had never introduced himself but continued to speak on behalf of the king as they climbed into carriages. The vehicles were open-topped, allowing the warm air to blow Janette’s hair about. Once the airship station was left behind, the jungle surrounded them. Islanders walked along the sides of the road, some of them carrying rolled mats or baskets on top of their heads. She bit her lip to keep from gaping at the women wearing nothing but long skirts. Their breasts were tanned from the sun, and their nipples, dark. Yet they smiled, waving to her as the carriage went by them. They pulled up to a gatehouse where more of the king’s guards stood. It took only a moment for them to recognize the king’s herald and open the gates.

  “You will be very secure here and safe from all harm.” The herald offered her an explanation as they passed through the gates.

  The palace was no larger than her father’s country estate, but it was also the only stone-walled building on the compound. It was a single story set with glass windows and large, ornately carved doors. Guards snapped to attention when they exited the carriage. There was a wide stone fence running in a huge perimeter around the grounds and numerous huts built several hundred feet away from the palace itself. Large trees with huge flat leaves offered shade.

  “His Majesty has made arrangements for your comfort during the afternoon heat and will welcome you at sunset.”

  The herald clapped his hands, and the six women who had fallen into step with them the moment they left the carriage moved to flank Janette and Decima.

  “The women will take you to the women’s hut.”

  “It is our custom to accompany our women,” Marshal Agapitos argued.

  The herald offered him another challenging grin. “Any warrior who shares a hut with a woman is weak. This is a truth we hold scared. “

  “That is not our way.”

  “Then you should have remained on your own land,” the herald answered, his guards turning their weapons on the Marshal. “Besides, she is not your woman.”

  “She is my responsibility,” Agapitos insisted.

  The herald stepped up close to the Marshal, until they were nearly jaw to jaw. “Now she is mine. My king has sent for her to ensure your kind do not attempt to claim his land once more. You will not bring any Pure Spirit here without the permission of His Majesty, nor will you search for Deep Earth Crystals without permission.”

  He clapped his hands, and the women began to pull her and Decima away. Part of her was happy to leave the Marshal and Grainger, but she turned to look back, drawn by an overwhelming need to see Darius. The look on his face surprised her. He looked relieved.

  Pain punched her budding tender emotions. It didn’t make any sense, but she wasn’t thinking, only feeling. The man was always too happy to be done with her. She shouldn’t care. No, not a bit.

  Yet you do…

  ***

  “A risky gamble you took, my friend.”

  “I’m well aware of that,” Darius answered as Lykos emerged from the lengthening afternoon shadows. Both men stared at the palace and the dinner that the king was hosting to welcome Janette. A meal neither Lykos nor Darius had been invited to share. Instead, one of the island women had brought them supper before departing to return to the women’s side of the compound.

  “My options weren’t plentiful with the way Agapitos arrived. Kallias might have gray hair, but she is still as sharp as ever. I knew she’d understand what I meant when I told her to send a message,” Darius stated.

  The older Illuminist from the library had been a mentor for years.

  “Odd that Grainger dismissed her so easily when she stood up to his men.”

  Darius nodded. “Another oddity. I’m becoming very curious about those charges against Janette’s mother and just who lodged them.”

  “As am I,” Lykos agreed. “Of course, we now have to survive and pry Janette away from a king. Considering we weren’t invited to dinner, I get the feeling Kamehameha is planning on making that a difficult task.”

  The house was lit with the use of Deep Earth Crystals, and Darius could see the crystal sparkling on the table. There was all manner of finery inside the palace, forming a sharp contrast with the huts surrounding the stone building. The moonlight shone down on the palms used to cover the roofs, while only a few lights shimmered from inside their walls.

  “Kamehameha might decide to keep her.” Darius voiced what they were both thinking. “But I prefer him to Agapitos at the moment. Negotiations with him will be far more straightforward.”

  “At least his mistrust of Janette’s arrival will provide us with time,” Lykos remarked, but the Hawaiian guards watching the gate so silently drew his attention.

  “Which means naught if we can’t get a message out of this compound. Still, I’ll rest easier tonight.”

  Lykos chuckled softly. “So would I, if I had such a delight to enjoy when the lights were extinguished.”

  Darius lifted the drink in his hand to his lips but didn’t take a sip. He wasn’t interested in brandy. No, what he wanted interfering in his clear thinking sat inside the palace. Through the window, he could see Janette was doing a fine job of charming the king. Darius smiled because Decima was digging her fingernails into her skirt beneath the table. Not Janette. She was poised and full of confidence as she batted her eyelashes.

  He hoped she realized just how important her performance was. But for the moment, he was going to have to trust in her ability. It frustrated him, was threatening to drive him mad, but beneath both emotions was something else.

  Appreciation.

  He admired her, in spite of the dire circumstances. Damned if she wasn’t holding it together. Locked beneath the delicate exterior was a spirit he was growing too attached to.

  Lykos slapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t look so horrified, my friend. Love isn’t a fate worse than death.”

  “I didn’t say I was in love with her.”

  His friend shook his head. “No, but your eyes do.”

  “We don’t have time for nonsense.”

  Lykos sighed and drew a long sip from his brandy. “So Decima persists in telling me. But for once, I believe I am the only member of this group being honest.” He offered Darius a toast before finishing his drink.

  “Care to join me in an escape later tonight?” Darius asked. He was changing the subject, but his tender feelings wouldn’t matter if the king maintained control of Janette. The man could easily have every Illuminist put off his compound, just as he was keeping them in the dark while Janette sat at his dining table.

  Lykos grinned, but it was a savage sort of expression. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  “Bion is still clinging to Aga
pitos’s heels.”

  Another interesting fact. Darius took one last look at Janette. She was as secure as possible, but she wouldn’t be staying safe if he didn’t get to the Illuminists in the area.

  But it still tore at him to leave her.

  ***

  “Come, lady…come.”

  The native women had no concept of personal space. They reached for her hands and all the way up her arms in their attempts to lead her. Four of them clustered around her the moment the king left the table. Decima wasn’t faring any better.

  “Come away now…”

  Their voices were musical, the words coming out in a rhythm. Janette followed, eager to escape the king. Kamehameha was no fool. The man knew more about Illuminist matters than he admitted. It was clear enough in the way he’d watched her throughout the meal—like she was a commodity worth stealing—that he enjoyed a healthy knowledge of the power of Deep Earth Crystals, she was sure of it.

  The women took her through the hallways of the palace and out the door into the yard. The night was alive with the sounds of birds and insects. Somewhere in the distance, thunder rumbled. She could smell the rain, but the air was hot and sticky.

  “This hut is good.”

  The girls pulled her through a low doorway.

  “Are there no bedrooms?” The moonlight was filtering through the places in the walls where the palm leaves were laced together. She felt exposed, which wasn’t quite logical, considering the solid wall running around the palace grounds. But inside the hut, the walls were anything but solid.

  “Too hot inside stone walls,” one girl muttered as she and her companions began to pull at the lacing of the dress Janette had worn to dinner. The lace-edged silk would have pleased her father with its fan-pleated front and small bell sleeves. Her gloves were gone in a moment, and she couldn’t help but sigh with relief. Perspiration was trickling down her legs.