Nightmare in Steam (Alliance of Silver and Steam Book 1)

by Lexi Ostrow

The hot fury she’d been feeling was simmering now, fear intermixing with it. She thought about what Felicia had said minutes before. If Lucius turned himself in it would be the end. But if she could get him to run, to leave London, perhaps he would get to keep the freedom he had just earned.

  She looked around and room and saw the communicator sitting on the chair across from the bed. She wanted to be mad that Lucius had stolen from her, but she couldn’t bring herself to be. He’d done it to get help seeking revenge. While she didn’t like the idea of adding more faults to his shaky character, the idea that he’d done it for her, for love, made it a little better. But she couldn’t let him turn himself in. She needed to see him one last time though, tell him she wasn’t angry for his choice and say goodbye. She wouldn’t be able to stand it if he just vanished and she wasn’t interested in some dream dalliance. She wanted a flesh and blood interaction.

  Eliza didn’t notice time’s passing as she thought over her choices, her possible actions and their outcomes. A dinner tray had been brought and left, but she had yet to eat it. Her mind was torn. Lucius had essentially spelled out that he loved her, but not enough to choose her. That would never stop hurting, but she couldn’t hate him for it. She’d contemplated leaving the guild, leaving the Alliance and running away with him. Not to tell secrets, simply to live. But that idea hadn’t appealed to her either. This was her home and more importantly she was doing what she needed to be doing, inventing and helping take threats off the street. She couldn’t trade that in, her work was too important to her. After a lengthy debate with herself the only thing she did know was that she was tired of lying in the tiny bed and that she was going to meet with him.

  The issue was getting the communicator; it was like it was purposefully left where she couldn’t reach it. Carefully she tugged the wired up needle out of her arm and let it dangle. If she was up and moving with no real pain she wouldn’t need any blood anyway. Her legs shook as she put weight onto them to cross the floor, but she kept going. It felt like minutes later when she finally put her hand onto the leather strap. Suddenly, she was sidetracked. What if she could make Lucius one prior to his leaving. Would they work no matter how far he went? She knew certain locations had to communicate through paper mail, but maybe if he didn’t go too far, just someplace remote, it could work. Hope drove her as she activated the knob for Felicia’s own communicator and she held her breath as she waited.

  “Yes? Is this an emergency? My soon to be husband and I are having a rather fitful row over the flower colors for the wedding.”

  She wanted to laugh but somehow didn’t. “It’s Eliza. I just need a minute.”

  “All right but I recommend hurrying so I can get back to informing this ridiculous dominant man of mine that pink roses would not make him seem less of an Incubus Demon - especially since half of the guests will not know he’s a blasted demon in the first place.”

  “I want to see Lucius. I want you to come and get me to him. He can’t come back here and I have a way he can remain safe for however long he lives.”

  The voice on the other end took her breath away. He was there.

  “Eliza, I’m not running away. I need to face my sins and be someone who might be worthy of you when I come out the other side, still a demon, but one with morals and a heart because of you.”

  Chapter 18

  “You can’t Lucius. You just can’t.”

  He flinched at the pain in Eliza’s voice. Felicia looked away and then patted him on the shoulder before leaving the dining room. The pair of them had certainly come a long way from the last two interactions regarding Eliza when she’d tried to kill him. His heart broke at the pain he heard, pain that he’d once more caused.

  “Eliza, I have to do this. You made a valid point, I don’t have to be a murderer anymore, not of the innocent. I still have to kill, it’s the only way I’ll survive. But I can continue on as I was doing, and if I’m executed for my crimes, well, then at least I know I would have made you proud.” He meant every word. He’d been out for himself his entire life. Even when he struck the bargain with Seraphina to infiltrate the guild, he’d been thinking about his own freedom more than being left alone with Eliza. He was always going to be a demon, but Greyston Westham was not the only demon fighting for the side of humanity. Angels were, and he was far from a Pure Angel, but he’d bet there were others out there as well among the lesser demons who’d taken a stand.

  “No you don’t!”

  Her voice rose considerably and Fido whimpered in the corner of the room. Poor metal dog probably thought the shout was at it since it wasn’t intelligent like Jessabelle.

  “Lucius, listen to yourself. They may not kill you if you come in, but they’re certainly going to strip your freedom.”

  Keeping his tone calm was almost impossible, he wanted to shout to the skies that his mate still clearly wanted him safe despite everything. But keeping himself calm was the only way to comfort Eliza. “It’ll be all right, love. I’ve lived a very long time and I’ve never taken responsibility for my actions. Revenge was not enough this time. I’m going to do what’s needed to atone for what happened to my mate. You all believe demons to be vile, evil creatures and for the most part we are. We’re selfish and thrive on things like murder and sex and blood. But lessor demons are also human in a way. We look human and we have to pass for human each and every day of our lives if we want to survive. Let me have this chance at pretending I’m human.”

  There was a pause on the other end. He wasn’t certain what she was thinking but he’d bet they didn’t have much longer to discuss the matter.

  “Lucius, I need to see you. I need to feel you touching me again, especially if you’re going to turn yourself in.”

  Inside he was screaming with joy and sighing with relief. To her he only said, “Yes, I’d like that, Eliza.”

  “I’ll have Felicia get me. I can’t let you try and come inside. Every crystal would sound, even if Greyston walked in right beside you, it would be impossible to ignore your eyes, Lucius. I don’t know how they ever marked you as anything else, but your eyes are so very demon sometimes.”

  “How is your stomach?”

  “That’s your response? Are you sincere, Lucius?” Her voice raised and he hoped she wasn’t near listening ears.

  “If you’re going to come to me I’m not going to let you leave untouched, Eliza. I need to know your body is healing before I do that. Don’t argue with me. It’s important.”

  “I’ve been given blood. My head doesn’t appear to be in any pain and I have been very adequately stitched up. If Felicia wasn’t exaggerating I have been asleep for two days. My body is still weak, but it is not fully broken, it’s had a little time to heal and the stitches are sound. I’ve moved plenty and yes it’s hurt but nothing has torn apart.”

  He nodded, forgetting he couldn’t see her. His body surged with lust and he almost forgot to say anything at all. “Then let me tell Felicia. I do not want to wait any longer.”

  Nothing else was said and when he looked down the glow of the crystal had stopped, he’d exceeded whatever power source kept the communication going once more. His heart was pounding. Did he really stand a chance to fix things with Eliza? It had sounded like it, but demons didn’t have cause for hope and he wouldn’t allow his emotions to get the best of him. Cool and detached had worked for so many years, until it landed him in Seraphina’s employ at least. He stood up and walked out of the dining room, the swinging door almost clipping his arse when he didn’t move fast enough.

  The parlor was empty, save for Steven who gave him a dirty look and pointed up the stairs. Sooner or later he was going to have to get that Incubus Demon laid because the man was a thorn in his side. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs, not wanting to interrupt anything. “Felicia, Felicia I need you to come down please.” No response came after several seconds so he walked to the top of the stairs. To the left would take him to the offices, both Royal and Alliance. To the right he’d s
tumble onto the bedrooms and potentially something more. He turned toward the offices first. He’d learned over the past two days that when Felicia and Greyston were occupied he could hear his friends bellowed commands or Felicia’s moans. Something that had him dumping a glass of ice water into his trousers. He had no idea how Steven could live here full time with them, especially as an Incubus himself.

  He rapped on the first door, the Royal office door, and heard nothing from within. He heard a muted voice from behind the door that held the secrets of the Alliance, and Greyston's initial work against the demons. “We’re in here. The alarm went off and Greyston didn’t want to miss anything.” He walked into the room and Felicia leaned in and whispered, “Which is code for he doesn’t want to deal with any more wedding details. He’s long since lost the ability to order me around anywhere but the bedroom. Be grateful you haven’t heard us fight yet. That is one demon who doesn’t like to be told no.”

  They both laughed and Greyston picked his finger up off the map of the city he used in his own makeshift tracking system. “If the two of you are done laughing, this demon is about two seconds away from throwing you both out. I’m Captain of the bloody Guard, of course I need to have my orders followed.”

  Felicia stopped laughing, but Lucius could tell that any fear the orders of her future husband used to hold was long since gone because she knew he would never harm her. He on the other hand shut right up.

  “Sorry to interrupt, but I need you to bring Eliza to me.” He’d expected a chorus of reasons why that was a bad idea from them both. But he got none.

  “Getting her out is going to be rough if the Guildmaster is around. He knows we know something,” Felicia admitted.

  “The Guildmaster, this is the same man that runs the Alliance or no?”

  “He is, not all the masters at the guild have a spot in the Alliance, but this one does. He raised me after the attack took my parents’ lives and because of that I’m watched heavily when I’m there. I promise I’ll get her to you though.” She put a hand on his shoulder and actually smiled at him.

  A low growl from Greyston had her pull it off. “Felicia, I realize the power I had over you has lessened in the past months, but if you continue to touch that man, friend or not, I’m going to throw you over my shoulder and take you to a private room and have you begging to come so badly your whole body will be trembling before I allow it.”

  Felicia squeaked at the comment and Lucius cursed as his prick roused to life a little at the idea of doing the same thing to Eliza when she got here.

  “We have a mission to run first and then I’m going to hold you to that. In fact, if we go near the Thames I have a very good idea of where you can take me.” She winked at Greyston and he adjusted his pants and muttered something about women. Lucius was amazed to see how his friend really had changed thanks to this tiny little woman. It was amusing but if he looked in the mirror he had a feeling he wouldn’t recognize the demon he had become. He was ready to turn himself over rather than look out for his own arse. A new concept and one that he wasn’t entirely convinced he liked, but knew he had to do.

  “Do you think it could be this evening? I don’t want to drag things out. I will lose my nerve and now that she knows I want to try and be a good demon for her, the last thing I want is to change my mind and run for the hills. At least this way I go down with the love and respect of my mate. Funny, I never wanted one and I got one who is appalled by my means of survival and yet, loves me and not just for the mating mark.” He shook his head, honestly amazed at everything. Everything had been strange and awkward, from how the mark appeared to the last time he saw her. But there was no way to deny the love he felt for her and how grateful he was for the ability to have a mate – the highest demons, the angels, didn’t have that option and it made it all the more special. The one thing a lesser demon was granted that those more powerful, more respected among their kind, could not have.

  “I don’t think there would be any other chance.” She walked over to Greyston and showed Lucius the marked paper indicating demons. Little black dots lined the southern side of the city. “It looks like it’s going to be a busy night at the guild. Who knows, maybe some regular guild workers will get the thrill of their life and learn about the demons.” Felicia took the paper back from his hands and headed out of the room.

  He turned to Greyston. “How on Earth do the workers of the guild not understand what they are covering up for?” The idea was preposterous, there was technology all over those halls that couldn’t be seen anywhere else, surely they noticed.

  “They believe it’s all new work. That what’s being done downstairs is the promotion of a lifetime that awaits them if their clock working skills are top notch. Poor sods.” Greyston tucked the paper in his pocket. “Well then, we’d best be off and get your mate. Why don’t you grab some of the wine from the cellar behind the house, she may need a glass to dull the pain from transport. Plus Steven is going to come out with us, it’s time he learned more than just pissing me off.”

  He had a feeling Steven had pissed Greyston off earlier, but that it was to give him some time alone with Eliza. There was a lot to smooth over and after witnessing the Incubus scent in the air, his cock might have trouble waiting for the talking to be done. He shifted his pants again and headed to the back to see about a bottle of wine.

  * * *

  Her hands wrung together in her lap. It had taken almost an hour for Felicia to get Eliza out of the guild. An attack near the lower Thames left the Alliance scrambling to send hunter teams out. They hadn’t been able to get a read on the creature, but there had been so many points of contact coming in, Master Agardawes had essentially dispatched everyone - all using the new and improved weapon Kellan had. Felicia wasn’t even with her because of it. Her friend had been grabbed almost the second she’d stepped over the threshold onto the marble floor. So the silence of the carriage car was unnerving. She could hear her eye lashes softly tapping against her cheeks, her breath and the small tapping her foot was making on the carriage floor.

  Everything had seemed quite simple earlier. She was going to go to Lucius and beg him not to turn himself in. Then she’d explain exactly how a communicator worked and pray that it worked whenever he surfaced again. She would never fully forgive him for his actions and decisions. But it wouldn’t ever stop her from loving him. And she was fine with that. She would figure out a way for her life to continue without him.

  The carriage stopped and she took a deep breath. For all the waiting to arrive she was not certain what would happen when she finally did. He’d made a promise to her over the communicator and it had set her body on fire for the better part of the night. She’d done nothing but think of his powerful body above hers, driving into her as their mouths danced together and her own body thrust to meet his. Or of his cock sliding in and out of her mouth, her tongue trailing across it as her lips sucked him deep. She’d worked herself into fervor of desire, one touch from him may be enough to send her screaming over the edge. But would he still feel that way when she arrived? Her heart pounded as she stepped out of the carriage and thanked the footman, telling him he would not need to stay and wait for her. She only hoped sending him away wasn’t presumptuous. A small piece of parchment with horrid penmanship was sticking out of the door. Carefully, she freed it from the door crease and squinted her eyes, trying to decipher the writing that was so difficult to read it may as well have been in code.

  Eliza,

  Parkes will be on the hunt with us, please let yourself in. The key is in the bushes to your left.

  - Greyston

  She thought it strange they hadn’t told her that in the guild, but maybe they’d been concerned someone might overhear that she was stepping out. She looked to the left and saw the two perfectly trimmed bushes in the grey porcelain pots. She couldn’t bend at the waist because of the injury so she bent her knees and stuck her hand down into the pot, blindly feeling around until she felt metal. She pulled
out a loop with two keys; one golden and one silver, and suspected the locks to use them in were colored similarly. She slipped the silver one into the top lock and smiled as she felt the disengagement of the lock as she turned the key. She did the same with the second key and then pushed the door open.

  Her face fell when it didn’t immediately open and reveal Lucius standing on the other side. But this wasn’t a silly fantasy, this was reality; no matter how fucked up it was with demons. She stepped inside and tugged the door shut behind her. The smell of pheasant cooking touched her nose and she salivated a little. It had been so long since she could remember eating, dinner the night her parents were murdered. She inhaled the scent and sighed, it was delicious and she detected pepper and oregano too. Someone had set out to cook, or perhaps she was simply smelling the meal Felicia and Greyston had eaten. She continued to walk toward the kitchen area anyway.

  “Lucius. Lucius, are you still here. Tell me that you’re still here.” She couldn’t help but smile as a memory of Felicia’s came to her. Almost seven months ago Felicia had been chasing Greyston down after thinking she couldn’t be mated to a demon. “Well this situation is a little different now isn’t it?” she muttered under her breath.

  “Different than what?” Lucius’s voice startled her as he walked from the kitchen, a towel around his hands.

  Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of him. His hair was almost all cut off now, hardly acceptable for society, but perhaps perfectly so for a demon on the run. His eyes almost sparkled, gone was the coldness she saw so often in them. Her eyes traveled down his bare chest to the pants that hung on his hips. His body was scarred on the shoulders and she couldn’t help but wonder if he obtained them when he got vengeance for her family. The idea of him being hurt for her didn’t seem proper. His feet were bare and his toes wiggled in the fine carpet beneath him when he realized where she was looking.