by Mary Wine
Grainger lifted his hand, signaling the barkeep for another glass. Bion pulled the cork out of the brandy bottle sitting in front of him and filled the glass. Grainger took a healthy swig of the dark brown liquid before sitting back in his chair.
“You aren’t drinking, First Officer?”
Bion folded his arms over his chest. “Never while this vessel is under way. I might be called to the bridge at any time.”
Grainger looked at the brandy suspiciously. Bion offered him a dry laugh.
“The staff is dedicated to their duty of making sure anyone who sits here is well supplied, but they forget I am still in uniform.”
Grainger nodded. “It’s that dedication that I wish to inquire about.”
“How so?” Bion asked softly.
Grainger tilted his head slightly while studying him. Silence stretched out between them for a long moment.
“Pure Spirits are very rare.”
Bion nodded but denied Grainger any further comment.
“Keeping her focused is in the interest of the Order.”
Bion slowly grinned. “If you are asking me if I believe emotional entanglements to be distracting, the answer is yes.”
Grainger smiled, a cold, satisfied twisting of his lips. “Excellent. I see my information is correct. You are a man to be trusted in difficult circumstances.”
Bion nodded. Grainger tossed back the rest of his brandy before standing. He offered the First Officer a stiff bow before walking away.
But Bion watched. He kept his attention sharp because without a doubt, someone was keeping sights on him.
***
She was tired but uncomfortable. Even in slumber she twisted, trying to relieve the pinching disturbing her. Her pillow moved in response to her restlessness.
“We’ll likely find the bed more comfortable now that we’re both more relaxed.”
Her eyes opened wide as Darius sat up and took her with him. He sat her on the bed, but she stood. She picked up her peplum jacket and hung it on a wall hook. Her skirt followed, along with her shoes and stockings, which she placed neatly on the floor beneath the hook.
“Decima brought some more practical clothing along for you, since you weren’t given any time to procure your own.”
“How do you mean? My clothing is already far more practical than any I’ve ever owned.”
Darius hung up his jacket and vest too, but he kept his leather pistol harness in place. The sight of the polished handle of a weapon resting in the holster chased the last of sleep from her mind.
“If the situation weren’t so questionable, I’d encourage you to try sleeping as the Islanders do.” He propped the pillows up where the wall and bed met. “In your skin.”
He didn’t really lie down but reclined against the pillows and propped himself up against the wall. He’d even left his shoes on.
“For the moment, I believe you’ve got the right idea to leave that corset on, even if it will be uncomfortable to sleep in.”
He patted the surface of the bed, raising an eyebrow when she smiled with amusement.
“Don’t you know, Darius?” She settled herself next to him with her back toward him; in the narrow bunk, being on her side was more comfortable. “Young ladies always sleep in their foundation garments.”
He ran his hand along her side. “Sleeping in a steel-boned cage—it’s bloody ridiculous .”
“It makes as much sense as this journey.” She should have kept her mouth shut, but the memory of the pistol resting so near to her head refused to allow her any peace.
“Oh, it makes sense, Janette. I only wish it didn’t.”
His voice had gone hard. She raised her head, but he pulled her close and gently pressed her face back onto the sheet.
“Rest. I fear you’re going to need it when we reach the Crystal Fields tomorrow.”
“So soon?”
“The Navigator will take us through a dimension gate in another hour.”
He smoothed his hand over her hair, almost as though he was trying to savor the moment. Her heart wanted to believe it was so, and her mind only helped out by pointing out that he’d had her flesh, so the only reason to remain was for tender feelings.
“Why didn’t you ask me what a Navigator is, or a dimension gate?” His words were guarded, almost like he dreaded her answer, which only added more fuel to her growing emotions. Darius Lawley had always been so untouchable, at least when it came to his opinion of her.
“Why does it matter that I didn’t?” She turned her head to look at him. “Why does it bother you so much to discover I have integrity and won’t demand you compromise your honor simply because we are lovers?”
She reached up and captured his hand. Oh, he let her do it, but she gave it a squeeze before releasing it. “There are some things high society and Illuminists have in common. My father taught me what honor was. I recognize it in you. The law book made it clear there are many levels to the Illuminist Order. Since I refused to take the Oath, I have no right to ask too many questions.”
He drew in a stiff breath and pressed his thumb over her lips to keep her silent while he contemplated her.
“You’re unique, siren. Very, very unique.”
She turned away. “So everyone insists on telling me.”
“That was a very personal compliment, Janette, one that has nothing to do with your blood.” He dimmed the light, and she closed her eyes.
“In that case, thank you.” Maybe it was foolish, but she wanted to enjoy the moment. Life had been too unpredictable lately, things she had depended on crumbling instead of remaining solid. Darius was the constant in her life. What she found endearing at that moment was more than tender feelings; it was the respect she’d heard in his voice.
***
She was under his skin.
His temper should have stirred. Instead, Darius felt his emotions heating in a very different part of his body. Her breathing slowed and deepened, granting him a measure of relief he was surprised he appreciated as much as he did. It had been a long time since he’d felt his control slipping. Tonight, it was shattered.
He studied Janette’s face, the delicate pink of her lips, and ran his fingers gently along the surface of her cheek. From the moment he’d set eyes upon her, he’d known she was dangerous, in a purely personal way. At the moment, he wasn’t agitated by that fact. Instead, he smiled as her scent drifted up and indulged in pulling her close enough to feel her heart beating. Life was a fleeting thing, too often snuffed out by those trying to master the world around them. Becoming a Guardian had been his only way to interfere in that struggle. He just wished he wasn’t so sure an epic battle was about to engage over the delicate creature lying in his embrace.
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 t
ropical 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 looked 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 wa
s 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.