Steam Guardians 01 - A Lady Can Never Be Too Curious

by Mary Wine

  “What’s this?” Professor Yulric came around the corner, his thoughts spilling from his lips in the same moment his mind formed them. “Have you convinced the girl to train for the exam already? Excellent.” He beamed at them, rubbing his hands together excitedly.

  “No, I haven’t even broached the subject, and you both know she must ask. It’s a rare young woman who is willing to take such a drastic step in changing her life.”

  The professor’s hands stopped, and he stared at Darius like a child being denied a favorite toy. “But we simply cannot allow such a unique discovery to slip away. Need I remind you that the number of Pure Spirits has been greatly reduced due to the nefarious habits of the Helikeians? If she is discovered and refuses to participate in their evil, she will be killed.”

  “I am well aware of the Helikeians’ thirst for Pure Spirits, Professor. That does not in any way grant us the right to act as they do and keep Miss Aston simply because we are aware of her secret origins.”

  “But can we allow her to return to the outside world when her secret is undeniably exposed now?” Lykos asked. “All it will take is one undetected spy among those at the lecture, and the Helikeians will take her the moment we allow her to leave. You admitted as much this morning.”

  Darius didn’t care for the hard truth in Lykos’s words. In fact, there was very little about the day he did like. Miss Aston was in more trouble than she might ever suspect. But there was something about the way she had stood up to him that made him want to resist dismissing the situation as something beyond his control.

  That was the true reason he needed her to leave his world. His emotions were boiling dangerously, and his duty required complete control.

  “Yes, I agree with Mr. Claxton,” the professor said. “It is simply too great a risk to allow the girl to return to her father’s home.” The professor began rubbing his hands again. “I cannot wait to begin instructing her.”

  “You mean to say…you eagerly anticipate being able to use her abilities for your work,” Darius said.

  Yulric’s eyes widened. “Well, yes.”

  “That makes you no better than a Helikeian.”

  The professor frowned. “Now, see here—”

  “Professor, the girl has a family, and unless you would like the duty of strong-arming her into a room for the night, legally I have no grounds to keep her here, nor do I have a personal desire to imprison her. She has not asked to challenge the exam, and she is not the offspring of an Illuminist, even a disgraced one, so you both know none of us can put the question to her.”

  “Damned law,” Lykos replied. “I don’t suppose the lot of you would care to look the other way while I break that legal noose Parliament insisted on passing to keep us from growing in numbers?”

  “The one you need to worry about is her,” Darius answered while studying Janette. “It would be unwise for us to assume she’s willing to walk away from her family and shield us from reprimand. That little dove will no doubt sing loud and clear if we break the law, landing us all in prison.”

  “Unless she is motivated by the need to keep her afternoon adventures secret from her family,” Lykos countered.

  Darius shifted his attention to his friend. “However passionate we both are, neglecting honor has never been a failing either of us have been guilty of. We’ve both sworn to uphold the law. We break our Oaths of Allegiance if we put the question to her.”

  “True,” Lykos admitted. “Frustratingly so.”

  Darius discovered himself staring at Janette again, his jaw aching as he ground his teeth. He was tempted, but honor was not optional. If it were possible to will another person into doing something, Janette would have turned toward them and voiced the demand to challenge the exam. Instead, she continued to investigate his desk, blissfully ignorant of the law that bound his hands. Parliament wanted the knowledge the Illuminist community had, but they also wanted their high British society untainted. Recruiting was strictly prohibited, and even now, when Janette had walked through the doors of her own will, he couldn’t ask her if she wanted to join.

  Part of him was happy about it—pleased that he wouldn’t be faced with dealing with her. She had too much raw magnetism, and she was also in possession of an uncanny sense of perception. In short, she could see past his hardened exterior too well. That was something he couldn’t tolerate.

  The professor’s shoulders slumped. “That is terribly disappointing. Very tragic…and such a loss…”

  The man walked away, still babbling. Lykos suddenly started chuckling. Darius turned to see his comrade watching their subject again. Janette had returned to his desk and placed her hands firmly on the surface.

  “She’s a curious one.” Lykos cut him a sidelong glance. “About a lot of things.” His words were coated with suggestion. “If she were my sister, I’d have to hit you for how much of a knave you were with her.”

  “So hit me,” Darius remarked. “I enjoyed it, so did she,” he added with a wolfish grin.

  Lykos smothered a bark of laughter. “It’s about time a member of the fairer sex made a hole in your rough exterior.”

  “Don’t start, Lykos,” Darius said. “She’s a lady, and the last thing I need is another lady anywhere near me. One look at my true nature and she’ll have nightmares.”

  “Or heated fantasies.” His friend became serious. “Let Miss Aston go if you must, but don’t fail to admit to yourself that you’re interested—besides, maybe you should court her. That’s the only other way around the law.”

  “Neither of us would make it past the butler, much less into the parlor.”

  It irritated him to discover he admired her tenacity enough to toy with her. To what end? She would return to her father’s house, where an Illuminist like himself wasn’t welcome. No matter how bright the blush staining her cheeks, she’d turn her nose up when her family pressed her to choose him or her standing in society.

  He was an Illuminist, and he’d never leave the order. The last thing he needed was another lady of society looking down her nose at him. Better to be done with it quickly, no matter the fact that she was a Pure Spirit. At least she’d be blissfully ignorant of her loss. He wouldn’t be so fortunate.

  He’d know what she could have been, and for the first time in a very long time, he was going to lament not being able to get to know a lady better.

  ***

  She couldn’t see the crystals, but she could hear them.

  Janette moved around the desk and bent over to look beneath it. The top was a good inch thick, like a baking pan, with room beneath the frosted glass. Once she stood in front of it, symbols appeared on the top. They were vaguely familiar, and she leaned closer to study them.

  “Did you open the drawers of your friend’s wardrobe to discover that ensemble you’re wearing while she was fetching the tea service?”

  The door had opened, and she’d been too absorbed to notice. Janette quickly removed her hands from the desktop, the hair on the back of her neck rising with apprehension. Just the sound of his voice and her thoughts shifted back to her fascination with Darius Lawley. She forced herself to draw a deep breath before facing him, but it didn’t steady her as much as she’d hoped.

  “No, I did not. Sophia knows very well that I am wearing her creations.” At least her voice came out steady. “When are you going to stop insinuating that I’m some sort of criminal?”

  Darius closed the space between them. Beneath her corset, her nipples contracted in response. Her mouth went dry, the pure wickedness of the response stunning her.

  “What would that leave for us to discuss except improper topics?” His voice was low and suggestive, but his eyes were guarded again, almost as though he didn’t consider her worthy of his attentions.

  “Somehow, I’d always thought of an Illuminist as someone more interested in
spending their time on facts instead of useless gossip.”

  He drew in a stiff breath, all hints of playfulness gone. “Your friend will no doubt be looking for you, Miss Aston. However, it is my duty to warn you not to be so foolish as to believe no one else shares your curiosity about what is inside this chamber.” He walked toward her. “Has it occurred to you that someone might be willing to harm you to learn what you now know about Deep Earth Crystals?”

  He half turned and extended his arm toward the door. At the same time he touched the device covering his ear, and the door opened.

  “My doorman will not make the same mistake twice, Miss Aston. Do the wise thing and stay where you belong. Only members are allowed inside our walls.”

  “But…would it be possible…to attend a lecture…”

  He tapped the gold lapel pin on his vest. “We share our knowledge only with those willing to announce their loyalty to us.”

  But there was a flicker of something in his eyes; it looked like hope. The man appeared to be waiting for her to jump at his offer. He tapped his lapel pin several more times, and she ended up staring at it.

  Did she dare?

  “It is not your intelligence I question, Janette, but your ability to sever emotional ties. Something society will require of you if you join our order. Think about that before you take any action.” His tone was harder than any he’d used before, setting off a desire to understand him.

  “Do you regret becoming an Illuminist?” She was being intrusive but couldn’t seem to feel ashamed. Something flickered in his eyes that betrayed a deep pain, and she discovered herself battling the urge to console him.

  “Not enough to regret my choice. I am proud to be an Illuminist and a guardian of our order.”

  Now that she was looking closer at the pin, she could see a pair of crossed swords on the top and a crystal set into it.

  “Guardian…So you are a constable?”

  “Closer to a Knight of the Garter. My duty doesn’t end at shift change. To become a guardian is a lifelong commitment.”

  She could see there was dedication in him and even something she might describe as nobility. For certain, she had heard the word honor used by the men of her father’s acquaintance, but Darius was the first man she’d met who seemed to embody the quality.

  “As a guardian, it is my duty to escort you off our property.”

  He reached out and secured her upper arm in his firm grip while pressing on the ear device. They passed through the door and into the hallway.

  “You had to leave someone behind who you cared about, didn’t you? It was a lady. That’s why you were taking such delight in needling me.”

  Surprise registered on his face, shining through the stern expression of duty, but it vanished almost as soon as it appeared.

  “Don’t meddle in my personal affairs, Janette. Unless you plan to become an Illuminist, we will remain strangers.” He was warning her now, but it was a personal one—and yet the man was dangling a temptation in front of her nose too. It felt like he was daring her to try living as an Illuminist.

  To try living near him…

  “Perhaps I will,” she countered. “But I must say, you handle me far too much for someone who continues to insist we shall never cross paths again.”

  He froze, his dark eyes glittering. The grip on her arm tightened, just a fraction, betraying a reaction from him.

  “My world is more concerned with facts. We do not spend our time worrying about propriety, since it changes so often.”

  Just for a moment, his expression transformed into something she might honestly label roguish. The hard, judgmental security man had been vanquished, and in his place was a man who sent heat surging up into her cheeks once more. She looked away, without really thinking. It was pure response, an instinctive need to shield her innermost thoughts from him. The reason was simple; he was far more capable than any young swain she’d tried flirting with.

  “Yet apparently you lack the courage to see your course through,” he accused softly. “You appear quite maidenly with your eyes cast down.”

  She snapped her head back around. “I did not lack the confidence to walk past your doorman.”

  “Yet you lack the nerve to witness what your barbed words kindle.”

  His face hadn’t returned to the cold expression, but there was definitely judgment reflecting from his eyes. “I believe I understand you very well, Janette. You long for something you know comes with consequences. Reaching for it will cost you the security of the position you currently occupy.” He retreated behind a carefully controlled expression once more. “A facet of reality we all encounter at some point in our lives. The difference between us is how we both meet the moment of decision.”

  “I stand before you, proving I am not some timid mouse, sir.” Boldness sent her chin up in defiance. “I am not afraid to seek out what I desire.”

  One dark eyebrow rose, and the challenge returned to his eyes. “But do you have any idea what it is you desire, Miss Aston?”

  “Yes, I believe I do—”

  He tugged on her arm, and she ended up against the man. For one moment, their bodies were firmly pressed together. She was sure her heart stopped for several beats.

  “As you already noticed, I am not a gentleman.” His hand smoothed down her back in a long stroke that sent enjoyment through her. “Tease me, and I will be happy to respond. Pretense is not practiced here, and I’m interesting in doing more than kissing the back of your gloved hand.”

  She hoped so…

  She shocked herself with how quickly such an impulse took control of her. It just erupted inside her mind, destroying all other principles instantly. She needed to regain her composure immediately.

  “I was not teasing you. I was making my point.” She pressed her hands against his chest, but the man was immovable.

  He chuckled. Amusement sparkled in his eyes, but so did passion. She stared at the raw emotion, fascinated by the thing that had been only whispered rumors until that moment. Understanding dawned with a ripple of awareness that threatened to buckle her knees. Instinctively, she knew exactly what she was looking at, and her body responded with need so sharp she gasped.

  “You were testing me, Janette?”

  She had been. The knowledge stung, but it also tore away the veil of innocence blinding her. She’d risen to his bait because she wanted to be closer to him. She’d wanted him to reach for her. The knowledge was scalding, and yet she enjoyed the sting. Sensation was rippling across her skin, awaking nerve endings she hadn’t noticed before. It was dark and inviting—like his eyes.

  “I didn’t realize…” she murmured.

  His gaze focused on her mouth, and the delicate skin of her lips tingled. She wanted to know what his kiss felt like, tasted like. Wanted it so bad she began rising up onto her toes…

  She mustn’t…

  “But I do now.” She forced the words out and moved back, startled by the level of sensation coursing down her body. It was wild and intoxicating, making her both dizzy and keenly aware of every tiny detail. Part of her wanted to move back into his embrace, and that had her moving toward the door because the urge was so contrary to everything she had ever been taught.

  Ladies did not seek the kisses of gentlemen.

  Darius was no gentleman…

  The fact that he offered no words of apology for their embrace confirmed it. A gentleman always took responsibility for improper situations—at least in her world. He was trying to frighten her, she was sure of it, but the knowledge only made her want to rise to meet his challenge.

  If she tasted his kiss, she would never forget it. Somehow, she was sure of that fact, and it sent her back a few more paces. Hunger glittered in his eyes, and she allowed herself only a moment longer to study it.

  “Goo
d-bye, Mr. Lawley. I have enjoyed the afternoon.”

  Surprise appeared in his eyes, pleasing her. She took one last look at him before stepping out into the sunlight. Impulses should always be tempered with reason. Even when thinking was the last thing she was interested in doing—along with behaving like a lady.

  Two

  “You followed her home,” Lykos stated.

  Darius stiffened as his friend emerged from the shadows. The alleyway had plenty of doorways for hiding in, and a few shadowy figures chose to move on when it was clear Lykos was his friend. Together, they were far more trouble than the possible gain to be had from robbing them.

  “You’re making an assumption. I might well be returning from a number of different errands.”

  Lykos fell into step beside him. “True, but you are avoiding answering, which means I’m correct. You followed her home. How noble.”

  “It was the right thing to do. She doesn’t know she’s a lamb crossing woods filled with wolves.”

  “Maybe. Perhaps calculating is the better word, because I believe you did it to gather information that just might be employed to assist you in seeing the fair damsel again.”

  Lykos offered him a grin Darius recognized too well. “Don’t let the fact that I sometimes consider you a friend allow you to forget I do not like being teased about the topic of the fairer sex.”

  “I wasn’t teasing when I said you need to move on from the fair lady in your past.”

  Darius refused to rise to the bait. “What makes you think I haven’t? I believe you observed me flirting with Miss Aston just this afternoon. No better evidence of my having moved on.”

  “Point taken. Which makes me wonder if it isn’t time for you to emerge from your self-imposed mourning. Seems rather fitting, considering the pair of you were never married,” Lykos continued.

  “I have no interest in signing dance cards at some overcrowded event where the matrons can point at me and condemn me for being an Illuminist. Neither do you, so stop trying to annoy me.” And tempt him with the promise of seeing Janette again. The tie needed to be severed before he went too far and found out what her lips tasted like. Before she encountered his darker side. Ladies never suffered a man like him well—he had the scars to prove it.