“Deimos tried to come between them, was attacked and lost his eye, but there was nothing he could do to help either of them. Phobos completely lost his mind, and was taken to an institution for the criminally insane, while Deimos inherited his father’s position as Baron of Dewthorne. He’s been doing a fine job. I would have never suspected him of something like this…” Noah shook his head. “But it still makes no sense. How did he escape from the institution? Phobos shouldn’t be able to form so much as a coherent sentence.” The king looked troubled as he pulled a small coin-shaped object from his pocket. “Miss Deveaux, you seem to be privy to all of this…I wonder if I could have a few more words with you in private regarding some of these matters? I’d like to verify some of these claims and ask about the backgrounds of your associates, that sort of thing,” he requested and Annette rose without missing a beat.
“Of course, Your Majesty,” she agreed and they left the room together. Almost two hours later they returned, Annette looking ready to collapse with exhaustion.
“Well, now I’ve got the full story, I suppose that’s that. Thank you all for being so cooperative. I’ll have some trusted men sent to protect you, Miss Deveaux. I suppose the only thing we can do now is to send a goodwill messenger to Hulver and speak with the King Yulghrat. That way we can get some information about the Goblin Nation’s possible involvement,” Noah said, half-speaking to himself.
Annette sprang back to her feet, and Noah looked at her in confusion. She was speechless for a moment, and then beamed. “Send us? That’s a wonderful idea, Penny speaks Gobblish perfectly!” she cried.
Penny did a double-take, wondering if the exhaustion was starting to get to Annette’s head. Noah’s brow furrowed, his face showing complete befuddlement. Annette’s chest was rising and falling with exhilaration, but her gaze remained steady.
“E-excuse me?” Noah asked.
“You…you just said you’d like to send us all to Hulver as your messengers, seeing as how these three are brilliant at speaking foreign languages—and since I’ll need a clever place to hide anyway, it’s a great plan,” Annette said, her voice vibrating with her mystical power.
Noah’s eyes glazed over as her words worked their power over him. For what seemed like several very long minutes, the only sound in the room was Annette’s aggravated breathing. Penny caught Annette’s eye and Annette shook her head, as if to stop Penny from doing anything that might get in the way.
Noah touched the side of his head, still looking lost. “Why―I suppose I did, didn’t I?”
“Yes, of course you did! You said you trusted us and felt we would be able to do the job best. You were feeling very confident about it, don’t you remember? It only happened a moment ago,” Annette coaxed, still forcing her power upon the king. Simon’s eyes grew very wide and Gavin was trying to hide his look of horror. Noah seemed to be trying to dislodge the haziness in his head as he shook it from side to side, his golden hair fluttering like a lion’s mane.
“Yes, I remember, now. That is a good idea,” Noah said, now brimming with certainty. Penny exhaled in relief and Annette smiled, still stunning despite her harried look of fatigue. “Excellent, I’ll send word down to the airstation to prepare the Royal Dirigible for five passengers.”
“Oh, only four. Gavin will need to stay at home to take care of some important matters, after all,” Annette said, holding up a finger. Gavin’s jaw dropped, but Annette ignored him, still staring at Noah with her most charming smile.
Noah nodded. “I’ll send word at once. Will you be able to leave by the day after tomorrow?”
Annette nodded, looking pleased.
“Well, this has been most enlightening. I’ll see you again before you depart. Goodbye until then.” Noah bowed and exited the room. Once the door was closed and he was out of earshot, chaos broke loose.
“Nettie! How could you leave me out of this? I can’t be sitting at home, not knowing if you’re alive or dead or―”
“Miss Annette, that was astonishing! You truly have mastered the art of―”
“You can’t be serious, Annette! What if you—”
They all shouted at Annette simultaneously, but she simply ignored them and sat back down, looking as if she was about to follow Hector’s example and pass out. After a minute of everyone shouting at her she held up her hand, looking stern.
“Listen! I’m going with you whether you like it or not! I kept my promise, didn’t I? I got you all a way to travel to Hulver, but I never said that I wouldn’t come along with you. Valentine isn’t going to stop trying to get to me, and the first place she’ll look is my house. I’ll be putting you, Auntie, and Millie in danger if I stay. I won’t allow that. The last place they’re going to look for me is on Ciellios,” Annette said with confidence.
SAFE BEHIND THE doors of Annette’s manor that night, Penny dreamed of home. She felt her feet hitting each step as she bounded upstairs, calling out for her mother. She rushed down the hallway, checking her mother’s bedroom first, then the bathroom.
Opening the door to her own room, she was struck with deep fear. Her entire room was covered in filth and cobwebs with dark, black mud splattered on the floor. Gatherings of dead insects and dried leaves lay in piles all around her room, covering her desk and staining the sheets of her unmade bed. She wanted to scream, knowing what was coming―she could feel it. It hung in the grime that befouled her most comforting sanctum, singing to her in a chiding voice.
Come die, Penny. It’s so much easier than you think. Come die, right here. After all―
Penny jerked awake, sweat clinging to her forehead. Bright light blinded her eyes as Millie opened the curtains.
Life is but a dream, Penny thought, falling back onto her pillow with a relieved sigh.
Penny was shooed into the kitchen where a worried Wendy waited with a breakfast so large it could have fed three people. She did her best to eat at least half of it, and learned from Wendy that Gavin had announced he was no longer speaking to Annette.
Penny observed Gavin as he made several calls regarding Annette’s upcoming absence using a miniature type of Sophotri Stone. It was interesting to watch the faces and voices of strange and unfamiliar people speaking through the clouded prism.
A palace official arrived with their royal messenger badges, directions, and dirigible tickets. Their new marks of identification reflected the fabricated backgrounds Annette had told Noah the prior evening. Penny had to applaud her quick thinking.
When both Annette and Hector’s condition hadn’t improved by evening, Millie put in a call via the small Sophotri Stone to the Grand Cathedral for a priestess to come visit, requesting Armonie on Penny’s behalf.
An hour later a knock came at the door and Penny rushed to answer it before Millie could get there. Opening the door, Penny was tackled by a storm of fluffy hair and robes as the jingling of bells filled the air.
“Ack, Armonie! I can’t breathe!” Penny choked out, smiling.
Armonie let go, tears swimming in her sea-green eyes. She grasped Penny’s hands and smiled back at her. “Oh, big sister. I missed you so much, I truly did. The Cardinal was there last night and she told Madam Priestess about what happened―when I heard what danger you were in I nearly fainted on the spot. I was overjoyed when I heard that you had called upon me―and to be able to treat Miss Deveaux! You have honored me greatly,” Armonie beamed, and Penny led her inside to where Annette was resting in the drawing room.
Armonie lugged her portable alchemy case into the drawing room and set it on the table before introducing herself to Annette. The young priestess seemed rather star-struck at first, but after being exposed to Annette’s lighthearted nature, she grew more comfortable and examined Annette for any injuries. Seeing nothing, she rummaged around in her alchemy kit and pulled out a vial of ruby red liquid.
“You’re probably just exhausted after all of that stress. Get a good night’s rest and drink this in the morning, you should feel completely refreshed!�
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Penny took Armonie to see Hector next. They crept into his room, turned up the magical lantern to a dim glow, and found him still sleeping. Armonie woke him and Hector smiled at the sight of her.
“Armonie…what a surprise…” he croaked, shutting his eyes again.
Armonie asked him a few questions and conducted another quick examination. Many of the flying glass shards he had used to seal the wraith had given him an assortment of small cuts and gashes, and she administered a strong-smelling gel to the wounds. Before she put the gel away, Armonie applied a daub to the horizontal slash on Penny’s throat. The medicine stung, but Penny felt immediate relief. Armonie left them with two more vials of the ruby liquid, with instructions to take it in the morning.
“You all were very fortunate to get out with only scrapes and bruises. So, I suppose you’ll be taking it easy from now on?” Armonie asked Penny as they walked downstairs.
“Actually,” Penny faltered, “We’re flying to Hulver tomorrow.”
Armonie stopped, shaking her head. “May Lord Nestor protect you. My sister, you seem to be a magnet for trouble. I’ll be praying for your safety.” They reached the foyer, and she pulled out a little purse, calculating something. “The medicine costs one emerald Yuebell.”
Penny’s pockets were empty, so she called for Gavin. He arrived in a fluster, thin-lipped and huffing, but came to a quick halt when he saw them. He looked alarmed as Armonie spoke to him, so much so he dropped a few Yuebells from his wallet while trying to hand her the correct amount. Armonie seemed curious about his clothing, but she kept quiet as she accepted the payment.
“Goodbye, my sister,” she said to Penny, smiling and grasping her hands once more. “Please let me know when you’ve returned, it will ease my mind to know you’re safe.” The priestess gave a timid nod to Gavin. “G-goodbye, sir.”
Gavin lifted his hand, trying to smile.
As she went to sleep that night, Penny’s thoughts drifted to whether she would return to Annette’s house, or even to Iverton. Della was supposed to have all the answers for them and would know how to send Penny and Simon home.
Penny came to the glum realization that she was going to miss Elydria when it came time to leave. She was going to miss all the exotic foods, the beauty of the world’s antique aesthetic, Humphrey, and most of all the friends she had made while staying here. Her thoughts drifted back to the smoky campfire in the woods almost three months ago when she had asked Hector about his plans after returning. He had said that he would not go home to Nelvirna, even if he could, and Penny doubted he would want to return to Earth. She could not imagine him trying to make a new life somewhere else with a new name, trying to pass the days in another old, drafty house, rattling around in it alone like a coin inside a tin cup.
The idea made Penny feel sick and she crawled under the covers, forcing herself to think of other things. She fell asleep without much effort, but dark dreams came to her nonetheless. Her dream was an uncanny repeat of the one from the previous night, though this time there was no feeling of joy at returning home. She wheeled up the stairs and found her room in a state of horrific disarray again. This time, however, there were bones, blanched and dry, lying in the corner. She took several steps forward, leaning toward her bed and feeling painfully tired. To lie down would be so nice. The sheets were stained and soiled with mud, sand, and tar. The last thing she remembered seeing was her ruined sheets before the humming started, and the song echoed inside her skull long after dawn broke.
IVERTON’S PARTING GIFT seemed to be one last glorious sunny day. Arriving at the airstation, the group flashed the badges that had been delivered to them and were led inside, where they found Noah and Damari waiting. Noah greeted them each with a broad smile and a firm handshake, while Damari nodded a hello.
A faery in purple uniform collected their tickets and checked their badges once more, and the group was led to the runway. Penny stumbled at the sight of the gargantuan zeppelin. It loomed over the other airships, making them look like mere toys in comparison. The body was a rich plum color and lined with the finest gold trimmings; even the propeller and wings sticking out from the massive balloon were shining gold in the glaring sunlight. Below the body was a compartment for housing passengers the width of a cottage, but almost three times as long. Another staircase led from the compartment down onto the runway.
“It’s—it’s glorious!” Annette cried as she jumped up and clapped her hands, beholding the behemoth airship.
Noah stepped to Penny’s side. “It’s made by the finest mechanists and crafters Iverton has ever seen,” he boasted with a smile. Caught off guard, Penny had to look away from his expectant gray eyes.
“It’s unbelievable. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life,” she said, lacing her fingers together behind her back.
“I’m very pleased to hear that. I went to some lengths yesterday to see that you’d be comfortable,” Noah explained, putting strange emphasis on the word you. Penny avoided his gaze.
Next to the golden stairs Penny saw a man leaning lazily against the railing. His mess of coffee brown hair was pushed back by a pair of aviator goggles. He groaned as they all approached, gesturing for them to hurry.
“Ah, Noah. Wasting my time as usual, I see?” The man stepped up to Noah and clapped him hard on the shoulder. “And just when I was hoping you weren’t going to show up at all.” He laughed hoarsely and looked around at everyone. He had a thin face, dark olive skin, a burly frame and a huge, thick mustache that bristled out in all directions. Penny noticed with some interest that several gold, tarnished teeth flickered in his smile.
Noah gestured toward the man. “This is Zayne, the captain of the dirigible and the main reason why it flies so fast,” he said, a little edge to his voice. “A word of advice: don’t leave loose articles lying about around him.”
Zayne let out another wheezy laugh and climbed up the stairs into the dirigible. Noah frowned after him but went back to addressing Penny and the others. “Well, you’ve been given your instructions. Just deliver the sealed message to King Yulghrat and speak to the ambassadors about receiving his reply.”
Penny felt a twinge of guilt at the confidence in the king’s voice, wondering if this plan was for the best. She stared with uncertainty at Noah’s trusting smile, anxiety bubbling within her chest. She was already regretting manipulating the king.
Simon waved a short goodbye to Gavin and Noah as he went up into the body of the airship. Noah shook hands with Hector.
“I commend your bravery, Mr. Arlington. You saved many lives at the ball. Thank you for everything―and if it’s all right with you, I should very much like to talk with you at length upon your return, since we were unable to before. Would this be at all possible?” Noah questioned, and Hector nodded.
“Certainly, Your Majesty. I shall do my very best to answer your every query,” Hector obliged, then bowed and followed Simon up the stairs.
Annette smiled at Noah and batted her long eyelashes. “Goodbye, Your Majesty. Until we meet again,” she said, and he bent down to kiss her wrist.
For the longest while it looked as if Gavin was not going to say goodbye to Annette, but as she stared at him with her most lugubrious gaze, he broke down and pulled her into a tight embrace. They said their final goodbye and Annette climbed up, sniffling and shooting long glances back. Penny turned to Gavin, her arm extended, but he pulled her into his arms.
“Please take care of Nettie for me―and don’t you dare get hurt yourself. I’m already missing you, little Penny. Be careful out there,” he whispered into her ear, then let go, his eyes ringed red with tears. Penny could do little else but nod and offer a reassuring smile. Noah stepped closer to her after she broke away from Gavin and took her hand in his.
“Penny, do take caution, won’t you?” He studied her face, and Penny felt her heart flutter. She fought the urge to frown—something about him made her feel vulnerable. “I know―well, we hardly know one other, but I
somehow feel as if I’ve met you before. Something is drawing me to you. I can’t explain it.”
Gavin seemed to notice the tense atmosphere and stepped away, trying to look aloof.
Noah leaned toward Penny, unfazed by her shyness. “After you get back, I would be…thrilled at the chance to become better acquainted with you. Say you feel this way, as well,” he said with impassioned zeal.
Penny cleared her throat of an incredulous laugh, wondering how she could’ve possibly inspired the interest of a man like Noah. “Um, sure. Yeah, we could…hang out or something.” The words sounded ridiculous even as she said them and Penny flushed.
Noah beamed at her regardless, leaning over once again to give her cheek a rough kiss. “Then I shall eagerly await your return,” he proclaimed, stepping back to let Penny climb the stairs. “Good luck!”
Penny waved back at him as she began to ascend, her heart already climbing lofty heights without the need of any airship.
The airship captain peered down at the group as they stood in a chamber lined with churning gears and hissing pipes, a haughty smile spreading across his face.
“All right, ladies,” he said, pulling the goggles down over his eyes. “This will not be a pleasure cruise, so I expect you to stay out of my way. First rule here is for you three―” he pointed at Simon, Penny and Hector, “don’t bother me or any of the crew down below. If any of us screws up, we all die.” His eyes fell on Annette and his mustache twitched upward. “You, however, can bother me all you like, sweetness.”
Annette was visibly affronted.
“Rule number two: if it’s not in the cabin area, don’t even think about touchin’ it. Ever. Don’t forget that, slick,” he added, looking at Simon, who was already studying the twirling gears and steam-spitting pipes. “I’m sure there’s something I’m forgetting, now…Ah, consarn it. Just go by ‘If you’re not sure, don’t friggin’ do it.’” He snorted and led them through the archway at the end of the hall, up a spiral staircase and then out a door with golden words emblazoned onto the front. Penny had to get her pince-nez glasses out to see it read Cabin.
The Angel of Elydria (The Dawn Mirror Chronicles Book 1) Page 25