by Gwynn White
I raised an eyebrow, tilting my head in apology, then ripped the shirt. Carefully, I bandaged his shoulder. As I worked, the scene replayed over and over again in my head. What had happened? How had everything gone so wrong? I didn’t know anything about the man save he was, in fact, a banker. He was a banker who had papers Jabberwocky needed. Just who was Anastasia Otranto anyway?
“Alice?” William said finally.
“I just,” I said then sat down in the chair near him. “William, I…”
“I know,” he whispered. I realized then that he was sweating profusely and his skin had turned milk white. “Alice,” he whispered weakly.
“You’ve lost too much blood. I need to put you to bed,” I said.
Lifting him gently, putting his good arm around my shoulder, I helped him to bed.
For as much time as William and I spent together, I had never stepped more than two feet into his living quarters before. They were sparse but neatly kept. He had a stack of books sitting at the end of his bed. And tied to the banister on his bed was a dried rose. I remembered then that it was a rose I’d given to him just that past summer. I smiled when I saw it.
“I need to send a messenger,” I said. “I need to let Jabberwocky know we got the documents, but there were complications. And I need to send a note to Bess, to let her know she shouldn’t expect me until tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
“I can’t leave you alone. I’ll need to watch you in case you need a surgeon.”
William looked carefully at me but didn’t comment. “Second-floor flat, west end. There is a boy there.”
I grabbed some paper off William’s table and quickly composed two notes then headed out. In the flat on the second floor, I found a room full of children and one exasperated looking mother. She made a half-hearted attempt to smooth her hair and straightened her apron when she saw me.
“William needs a messenger,” I told the woman. “He told me—”
“Charles,” the woman called toward the rowdy gaggle.
One of the older boys came forward. He nodded to me. “William needs these messages delivered. Two addresses,” I said, handing the boy the papers.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said. The boy took the notes, pulled on his coat, and headed out. I watched him go. When I looked back, I noticed the mother was standing with her hand outstretched.
I set a pile of coins in her palm then went back upstairs.
When I arrived, William was mostly asleep. I set my hand on his forehead. No fever. In fact, he felt chilled. I pulled another blanket over him.
“Alice,” he whispered.
“Don’t worry, I won’t leave you alone.”
“It hurts. I have powder by the sink. In a green bottle. A spoonful in a glass of water.”
I rose and went to make the concoction. I found the bottle with the sharp-smelling herbal powder. I mixed it with some water then took it back to him.
“Where did you get this?” I asked.
“A witch,” he said with a laugh as he struggled to sit up.
“Of course,” I replied, smirking.
“I’m serious,” he said with a grin. Taking a drink, he handed the cup back to me. I helped him settle back into bed. I sat down beside him, brushing the hair away from his eyes.
“I’m sorry, Alice,” he whispered. “You’re too good for this life, too smart. Definitely too good for me.”
“You’re sorry? You’re the one who got shot. Jabberwocky is the one who should be sorry. And I’m no one special. I’m not better than you. I’m nothing more than a guttersnipe, just like you.”
“A smart one, and a beautiful one,” he replied, taking my hand into his. “And you’re my someone special.”
“William,” I whispered, warmed by his words. But even so, the image of the dead man flashed through my mind once more. My stomach shook.
William looked closely at me. “I know. I know you. Things will be different now. Your soul cannot abide it,” he whispered.
Moving carefully, I lay down beside him, setting my head on his chest. I pulled the White Queen out of my belt and let her drop to the floor. She rolled out of reach.
“I love you, Alice,” William whispered into my ear.
I closed my eyes and listened to the beating of his heart. “I love you too.”
A few hours later, there was a knock on the door.
I rose quietly and went to the door. The boy I’d sent with the messages was standing there.
“Sorry I took so long, miss. Ran into some…problems,” he said, pointing to his red and puffy eye.
“On no! Are you all right?”
“Oh, sure. The other boy ran home crying to his mother,” the kid said with a laugh, but then he turned serious. “Something odd going on, miss. There was no one at The Mushroom. Not even the guards. And at the house, well, there was a pretty lady there with curly blonde hair. The woman you sent the other message to. She said you and Master William need to come right away. She looked like she’d been crying.”
My heart froze.
Bess.
“William?” I called back.
“I heard. I’m getting up.”
“Thank you. And sorry about the eye.”
The boy grinned, nodded, then ran off.
“Help me dress?” William called after I shut the door.
“Let me check the bandage first.” I gently looked over the wound. “It’s not bleeding anymore, but we’ll need to change this wrapping soon.”
“After,” he said.
I nodded then pulled a fresh shirt from his wardrobe.
My emotions tumbled over themselves. Something was wrong. Bess was crying. A man was dead. And I’d spent the past hours lying in William’s bed. I didn’t think it was possible for a person to feel fear, rage, despair, anxiety, and deep love all in one moment. It was a dreadful sensation.
I grabbed the parcel with the stolen papers, slipped it inside my jacket, then helped William button his coat.
“We won’t say anything,” William said, motioning to his shoulder, “until we see what’s going on.”
I nodded. If something had gone wrong with the job, if Jabberwocky had been arrested, William’s wound would give him away.
We headed back outside. It was very early morning. The sun was just about to tip over the horizon. The sky had an odd haze of light yellow and gray. Anxiety racked my stomach. Something was terribly wrong. The feeling, married to my despair over what I had done, made my heart hurt.
“I’ll never forgive myself,” William said as we walked. I could tell by the look on his face that he was about to attempt to lighten the mood. I took the bait.
“Why not?”
“Because I lay beside you half the night and didn’t even try for a kiss.”
“You don’t have to try,” I said, leaning in to give him a peck on the cheek.
William grinned. “Well, it wasn’t exactly a kiss that came to mind,” he said. His eyes met mine. William and I had been friends since we were children. Somewhere along the way, we’d fallen in love. But the transition had been smooth. As of yet, we’d never quite crossed the line into a more physical relationship. It wasn’t that I didn’t want him. It was just that the timing had never felt quite right.
“Well, the next time you get shot, make sure you take a chance,” I said, leaning in to kiss him on the lips. I lingered there for several moments, kissing him gently, tasting his sweet lips. The lingering taste of the tart herbal concoction spiced his kiss.
After the moment passed, William took my hand. “Next time. For certain,” he whispered, kissing the top of my head. He took my hand and we made our way back. When we exited the alley that led to the big house, we were surprised to see a number of carriages parked outside. Two of Jabberwocky’s guards stood outside the door.
We approached cautiously.
I cast a glance at the windows. Guards milled around everywhere, but in the third-floor window, I spotted Bess.
She
must have raced downstairs because, by the time we reached the front door, she was there. She flung the door wide open.
“Oh, thank goodness,” she exclaimed.
The guards nodded to William and me as we passed.
Once the door was closed, I set my hands on Bess’s arms and looked into her eyes. “What’s happened?”
Tears streamed down her cheeks. “Jabberwocky is dead.”
“Dead?” William whispered. “How? Who?”
“No one. Well, doesn’t look suspicious. Late last night I noticed his lamp was still lit. You know I usually check on him. I thought maybe he’d fallen asleep with it on. I found him on the floor. Oh, Alice, he’s dead,” she wailed then wrapped her arms around my neck, burying her face in my neck. She wept softly. “We’re finally free,” she whispered so only I could hear.
“Alice,” a voice called from behind me then.
I turned to see Jack exit the parlor, closing the wooden doors behind him. For just a moment, I spotted several other people collected inside. All were heavy hitters in Jabberwocky’s establishment.
“We were waiting for you and William,” Jack said.
I looked deep into William’s eyes. I shook my head.
William stared at me.
“Alice…” Jack said, reading between the lines. “The others were waiting for you, in particular.”
As Jabberwocky had wanted, they would turn to me next.
No.
I couldn’t.
I wouldn’t.
“Give us a minute,” I told Jack. He nodded and went back inside.
“Alice?” Bess whispered.
I turned to William. “I can’t, especially not after tonight.”
“That was Jabberwocky’s mistake. It won’t be like that going forward. You’ll make new and better choices.”
“Yes,” I said, then took Bess’s hand. “I’m choosing to not go through that door.”
“Alice,” William whispered. “Don’t do anything rash.”
“I’m not. And you shouldn’t either. Bess and I have money saved. I know you do too. We could strike out on our own, the three of us. We’re all free now. All three of us. We owe no one anything. Jabberwocky saved all three of us, taught us, protected us, and turned us into his creatures. But we don’t have to live this life anymore,” I said, turning toward my sister who was looking at me with hope in her eyes.
“Alice, are you mad?” William whispered. “You stand to inherit everything. His house. His wealth—“
“His problems.”
“We’ll turn the business around. Make something different out of it.”
“And how will that go with those gathered in there, those with an investment in what Jabberwocky created? There will be even greater bloodshed. Now is the time. Now we must decide. If we walk through that door, more lives will be in our hands, more souls like Anna. Have you forgotten?”
“I haven’t. You’re right. It will take some time to change things, but we can change things. It doesn’t have to be forever. Just for a time until we fashion our affairs the way we want them.”
I turned at looked at Bess. While Jabberwocky had been good to us, we’d both lived in a sort of lull, a strange indentured servitude. And now, we could be free.
“Have they taken his body away yet?” I asked Bess.
She shook her head. “No, but they’ll be here soon.”
I turned back to William. I pulled the packet of papers from inside my coat and handed it to him. “I won’t go in there.”
“Alice, you aren’t leaving me any choice,” William replied.
I shook my head. “I’m giving you every choice. Come upstairs with us and say goodbye, then we begin anew.”
“And do what?”
I shrugged. “Craft watches? Start a school? Go into shipping? Anything but that,” I said, pointing toward the door.
I could see the struggle on William’s face. “Right, you’re right,” he finally said with a nod. “Jabberwocky was like a father to me, but you’re right. I just…I can’t let his affairs end in disarray. I’ll set things to right, and then we’ll do just as you suggest. We’ll create a new world. A new life,” he said, smiling brightly.
And in that moment, his eyes were so full of love and life that I believed every word he said.
Until it turned out to be a lie.
I looked into my empty mug of ginger ale.
“Miss?” a man said then, shaking my shoulder. “Miss? Terribly sorry, but the exhibition is closing for the day.” I looked up to see one of the security guards standing there.
I cast a glance up at the clock. It was already seven o’clock. He hadn’t come. Just another lie.
“Oh my! I guess I lost track of time,” I said with a smile. “Is it too late to see the Koh-i-Noor?” I asked, rising.
The guard looked toward the exhibit. “Afraid they’re tucking her in for the night.”
I followed his glance, then watched as a guard worked a heavy lever that lowered the closed steel box, in which I presumed the diamond resided, into the display case.
“Alas, I waited all day for the line to go down. I can’t stand so long on account of my health,” I lied. “Don’t tell, but I’m afraid I dozed off,” I said with a whisper, trying to look as delicate as I could possibly muster, but mostly I was trying to bide my time.
Once the steel case was lowered into safe, a heavy metal lid slid over it. I could hear the sound of locks rolling into place. Once the diamond was secure, the guard dropped a heavy velvet drape over the display cage.
“Lunch time. Everyone scatters for something to eat. Try then,” the man advised.
I nodded. “Thank you. Again, my apologies. Terribly embarrassing,” I said then turned and headed toward the exit.
There was no sign of William anywhere.
It was then that I made up my mind. I’d have nothing more to do with stealing Victoria’s gem until I had some answers. And since William wasn’t talking, I’d have to find them myself.
12
Beware of Airship Pirates
I slid into a seat in the corner of Rose’s Hopper, a popular spot for airship jockeys, and waited. It had only cost me a few of the coins William had given me for an expensive lunch to buy the nod I needed from the barmaid when the crew of the Siren entered. They looked like just another motley crew of pirates. But their attire—cavalry boots and cowboy hats—bespoke their origin even before they opened their mouths. The captain was American. Some of his crew had accents common to the southern states. They were a rough crew, all of them wearing fresh bruises. They drank quickly and talked loud. Typical Yanks. I rolled my eyes, dropped a coin on the table, and exited. I went to one of the benches below the airship platforms and sat amongst the crowd of travelers gathered there. And then, I waited.
It was just after dark when the Siren’s crew exited the pub and headed toward the tower lift. The captain was still inside drinking. I kept one eye on the tavern and another on the ships overhead. Not half an hour later, the burner on the Siren, a mermaid ensign on her balloon, came to life. The airship’s balloon filled with orange light.
I rose and headed slowly toward the lift, spinning my parasol as I walked.
A few minutes later, the airship captain exited the tavern and headed toward the platform. I matched my step so I’d be able to ride up with him.
As he neared the lift, the tower guards eyed him warily and said nothing. They usually conducted passengers upward. This one, however, they let pass by.
“Miss. Next lift. We’ll take you up,” one of the guards called when they saw me.
I ignored him and walked forward.
“Miss,” the guard called again. It was clear that he was watching out for the welfare of a poor lady about to trap herself in the lift with an airship pirate.
I gave the man a quick, knowing glance then inclined my head.
Understanding, he turned away. I entered the lift behind the inebriated pirate.
“H
ey, where did you come from?” he asked, scowling at me.
“Sussex,” I replied, pulling the lift door closed behind us.
Confused, he looked at me like I was mad.
“Well, are you going to take us up or not?” I asked.
“English girls,” he said with a laugh then worked the levers.
The large gears overhead turned. We headed upward.
“English girls. What about us?”
The man turned and looked at me. He had dark hair that stuck to his forehead. He reeked of alcohol and sweat. His white shirt was stained at the armpits. His cowboy hat sat low on his forehead. He grinned at me. “Nice parasol.”
“Do you like it? It has a special feature. Shall I show you?”
He rolled his eyes.
Moving quickly, I pulled the White Queen from the parasol’s handle and set it on his throat.
“Nice, isn’t it? I’m not sure all English girls have a parasol like this one, but you might want to be careful in the future, just in case. Now, be a good lad, and stop the lift.”
He looked at me side-eyed. His expression was low and mean.
“I know you’re considering tossing me off the lift. Reasonable idea but a bit extreme. You’ve nothing to fear from this English girl. I just have a couple of questions then I’ll be on my way.”
“And why should I tell you anything?” he growled, but he slowed the lift to a stop anyway.
“Well, there is the dagger. And mainly because it won’t cost you anything to answer.”
“Who sent you?” he asked through gritted teeth.
“No one. I sent myself.”
“Why?”
“I already told you. Just have a quick question then we’ll part ways.”
“I saw you in the tavern. If you wanted to talk, why didn’t you just buy me a drink?” he asked with a smirk.
“Too crowded, and I’m not much of a drinker.”
“Well, now you’ve piqued my interest. Lower the dagger. I won’t toss you over today,” he replied. I could tell from the look in his eyes that he was telling the truth.