Steam Guardians 01 - A Lady Can Never Be Too Curious

by Mary Wine

  “Now, return to your clinic,” Heron said softly. “I will hope to hear from you again soon.”

  The lower member followed him from the chamber after a flick from Heron’s hand.

  “That was too generous.” Peyton argued.

  “The gesture was not for him, but for those members watching him and how we respond to those who bring us what we want.” Heron cast a doubtful look at Peyton. “You seem to fail to grasp the long-term effects of our work here. That bothers me immensely.”

  Peyton stood, offering the expected bow as his senior compatriot left the chamber, but he was fighting to maintain his composure. His temper flared, his pride suffering from the memory of seeing the sash bestowed on Dr. Nerval.

  Janette Aston should have been his daughter.

  Damn Mary and her mother for being crafty enough to escape his so brilliantly executed plan. Even twenty-five years hadn’t been long enough for the sting of Mary’s rejection to dim.

  Peyton would be damned if some doctor was going to enjoy any benefit from the work he had done. The glory of producing a new Pure Spirit was his alone. Janette was his creation, even if she was not his daughter. In time, she’d bear his grandchildren, and they would be raised as Helikeians.

  Compatriot Peyton left the nondescript building where the Helikeian council met and resumed his position as Marshal Photios. The sun had set, but his driver waited at the arranged spot. As a Marshal, no one questioned him. Not now—or twenty-five years ago when he’d overlooked the lack of evidence against Mary Aston.

  He sat back in the dim interior of the carriage as the sound of steam filled it. The driver took them toward the outskirts of town with an expert hand.

  Mary, or Zenais as he’d known her, was still able to impress him. Her intelligence had drawn him to her just as surely as her bloodline. They would have been magnificent together.

  Bitterness filled him. Zenais had escaped him so very completely, but there was a satisfaction in knowing her daughter was her undoing. Photios grinned as the carriage swayed. Yes, Zenais had clearly raised her daughter with the same educational goals she had been raised with. That was her undoing in the end. Instilling a love in her daughter for the one place she had been banished from. Dr. Nerval was only a lucky man. Janette Aston had always been destined to seek out the Illuminists. The doctor had had nothing to do with it. All of it was the culmination of the plan Photios had put into motion twenty-five years before.

  So the glory was going to be his too.

  “Wait here.”

  Photios received only a nod from his driver. The man didn’t look at him or which direction he went—such was the posting of a driver to a Marshal. He had complete authority, and his comings and goings were not subject to question.

  Blind, trusting Illuminists. He was going to enjoy watching their kind fall. Soon, their Solitary Chambers would belong to the Helikeians, and it would be a glorious day indeed. With enough Deep Earth Crystals, they would arm their men with weapons the Illuminists refused to create in their noble determination to use their knowledge for the benefit of all mankind.

  Photios snorted on his way through the back streets. They were narrow and used by supply carts and delivery boys. The well-worn paths used by the servants stood out clearly with the help of the moon. His cloak covered his suit, making him shapeless in the night. Once he reached the back door of the doctor’s house, he lifted his walking cane and rapped on the door with the solid brass ball on the cane’s end. The door was opened by a scullery maid, who hurried away when she saw the pin on his lapel.

  Photios smiled. It was a smug expression, he knew, but merited because there were no servants in the doctor’s house who did not serve the Helikeians.

  The cook appeared before him. A rotund woman, she didn’t say a word but waited for his instruction.

  “Put this in your master’s drink. Tonight.” He extended his hand, a small glass vial in it. She took it without comment. “Do it yourself, and present yourself at this address tomorrow for a new position. Bring the girl who answered the door.”

  The cook slipped the vial into her pocket. Photios turned in a swirl of black wool. He heard the door shut behind him. Let Dr. Nerval enjoy his new honor.

  It would be his last triumph.

  ***

  “Uncomfortable night?”

  Janette jumped. The net swung with the sudden motion, and she spilled onto the dirt floor of the hut. Sophia jerked awake and ended up sprawled next to her.

  Grainger watched from the doorway. “Another few hours without hats and you’ll both blister.”

  Janette stood. “Whatever sort of satisfaction you’re hoping for, I doubt you’ll get it from either of us.”

  His lips twisted into a smile, but it wasn’t a kind expression. Instead, it nauseated her, because along with it, his eyes narrowed and his gaze swept down from her face to settle on her breasts.

  “As soon as I have confirmation that you aren’t carrying your lover’s bastard, I plan to satisfy myself as often as I please between your thighs.” The tip of his tongue swept over his lower lip.

  “What a blessing that I haven’t had breakfast,” she muttered. “I’m sure I would have lost it in response.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “In that case, you can get back to work with your belly empty.”

  Grainger moved out of the doorway. “Find something if you want water.” He snickered at them. “You won’t live very long without it, and I won’t be bringing it to you without a very good reason.”

  “Pay him no attention, Janette.” Sophia swept her past the man, using her body as a shield.

  “I have to. We will die out there without water.”

  For the moment, they had only each other, but Janette felt strangely strong. Maybe it was the training she’d had in the few months since passing the exam or just the comfort of having her friend near. Maybe it was the way Sophia faced their dilemma without tears shimmering in her eyes. Whatever the reason, Janette looked out toward the lava with her chin held steady.

  They would find a way to survive. She would.

  It looked as if the hand of Satan had reached up from the bowels of the Earth to claw at the peaceful perfection. The dark red rock rested in long fingers among the lush tropical foliage where it had flowed before cooling. Steam rose from it in little wisps, and the scent of sulfur was strong.

  “Shouldn’t we stay close to them?” the orderly asked.

  “I can shoot them from here.” Grainger lifted his rifle and looked down the barrel at Sophia. “There is nowhere for them to hide. So I don’t need to roast out on that damned rock.”

  “Come away, Janette. Let us improve our view,” Sophia muttered with enough sweetness to please even the sourest spinster. Grainger scowled at them, but Janette followed her friend.

  “Have a lovely morning, ladies,” he called after them.

  Janette concentrated on finding good footing. The lava still steamed in places, and it was like molten ocean waves had frozen. There was nothing even about it. They had to pick their way across it, their shoes slipping on bits of gravel and threatening to send them tumbling. At least they had hats today. Made of braided palm leaves, the wide brims at least made the sun bearable.

  The humming began when Janette was shaking off a twist in an ankle. The pain gave way to the rhythmic sounds pulsing in time with her heartbeat. Steady and strong, they grew louder with only a single step.

  “You hear one, don’t you?”

  Janette nodded, biting her lip. “I’m going to have to get better at hiding my feelings.”

  She stopped and looked at her friend. “How did you know—”

  “Because that man never stopped talking from the moment his ruffians kidnapped me,” Sophia explained. “Mind you, I’m sure it’s due to the fact that they expect to kill me a
t some point, but still, you’d think members of some secret order like theirs would be a little less talkative around a nonmember. No one is perfect, after all. One or two captives are sure to escape having their throats slit from time to time. It’s simply a matter of averages.”

  Janette wanted to be horrified; instead, she discovered herself grateful for her friend’s humor. “You never do take anything seriously.”

  Sophia widened her eyes innocently. “That isn’t true, and you know it. Why, I take the threat of being sent to the Highlands very seriously, Janette. You know I detest the rain.”

  “Cold rain, anyway.” Janette looked at the clouds around the peak. Yesterday, they’d grown until they covered the lava flow and dumped warm rain on them. It had been a welcome relief.

  But she couldn’t count on there being rain today. Grainger’s threat hung over her like a stone, ready to crush her.

  Janette walked closer to the crystal, fighting off the urge to sway in time with the humming. It filled her head, leaving little room for any sort of thinking.

  Sophia hooked her arm and pulled her forward. “I do believe it is a good thing I am here. You need a steady hand for this crystal hunting.”

  They climbed over a large finger of lava, and on the other side, water rushed by. It was like heaven and hell were side by side. On one side, nothing but endless dark brown lava rock with the scent of sulfur, while on the other, the lush jungle with its plants all green and sprouting flowers. Through it ran a river. The water rushed down from the top of the mountain where the lava had erupted. It was a torrent now because up near the peak, clouds had gathered and were dropping the rain that fed the stream. The water was moving fast enough to fill it with tiny bubbles, which gave it a white appearance.

  “Water.”

  They both climbed down, eager for a taste. Neither one gave any mind to their hems but waded right into the water to scoop handfuls of it up.

  “I never thought water could taste so sweet,” Sophia muttered.

  Janette agreed, but she was distracted by the humming. Once her thirst was sated, she turned practically hypnotized by the rhythmic sounds.

  “You hear one?” Grainger appeared on the top of the lava flow with Bion close on his heels. “Don’t you?”

  Janette stumbled, instinctively moving away from Grainger.

  “She did until you interrupted,” Sophia scolded him.

  “Shut your mouth—” Grainger ended up following his own orders when Janette looked away from the rock to glare at him. He was furious but gestured with his hand for her to seek out the crystal.

  Part of her wanted to refuse on principle, but there was another part of her that refused to give up on life. Grainger had a long rifle propped against his shoulder. The barrel was pointing at the sky, but that could change so quickly.

  “Let Sophia go.” She wasn’t sure where she got the idea to bargain with him, only that it erupted from her and there was no controlling it.

  “You’re mad if you think I am going to get rid of the single hold I have over you.” Grainger reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a small pistol. It was tiny, likely a lady’s muff weapon. His lips twisted slightly before he aimed the barrel at Sophia.

  “Don’t be an idiot!” Bion lunged at him, but it was too late.

  There was a puff of black smoke and a squeal from Sophia as the bullet tore into her leg. She fell into a heap, clutching at her calf while Janette dragged her out of the water before the current pulled her downriver. Janette shoved her petticoat aside to stare at the groove left in her friend’s flesh from the bullet.

  “That wasn’t necessary,” Bion said.

  Grainger’s eyes narrowed. “I disagree. If you’re too soft to witness the methods necessary to keep this Pure Spirit in line, I suggest you leave. I’ve never had much taste for traitors myself.”

  “I don’t find enjoyment in tormenting females.” Bion pulled his arm back and sent a solid blow toward Grainger’s jaw. It connected with a harsh sound of flesh hitting flesh. Grainger stumbled backward, and the back of his head collided with the lava rock.

  “You…bastard…” He mumbled but collapsed in a heap as he rubbed at the back of his head. He still held on to the pistol, though, even as he seemed to lose track of what was happening.

  “Damned idiot,” Bion muttered before dropping to one knee beside Sophia.

  “We don’t need your assistance,” she snapped, but the First Officer paid her no mind. He pulled her leg out so he could look at it, without a care for how forward his actions were. Not that either of them should have been shocked, considering the circumstances, but Sophia sucked in a deep breath and her eyes bulged. She likely blushed, but with the sunburn, it was impossible to tell.

  “It’s only a flesh wound. You’re lucky.” Bion grabbed her skirt and tore another length of fabric off the already-mangled hem. He wound it around the wound before tying it securely. “But it’s going to hurt like hell.”

  “Good,” Grainger snapped.

  Janette turned to see the muzzle of the pistol aimed at Sophia again. Grainger’s eyes were glittering with rage. Blood trickled down his chin, and more had soaked into his collar from the back of his head. Fear tingled through her because he looked far more dangerous wounded than he had ever looked before. There was desperation in his eyes now.

  “Get that crystal, or I will put the next bullet closer to her heart.”

  Bion moved, but Grainger followed him with the rifle. “Stay right there! I’ll shoot you too. Actually, first, because it would please me greatly to be rid of you…traitor.”

  Bion froze, but his gaze was on Grainger, judging the distance between them.

  “I’ll get off a shot, Bion, and that’s a promise.” He stood, using the lava rock to support his body. “Now get me that crystal. I know you hear one. Dig it up, or enjoy having your hands stained with blood.”

  “Don’t do it, Janette,” Sophia muttered.

  Bion reached out and covered her mouth with his hand. “He’s not in his right mind.”

  “I am indeed in my right mind!” Grainger insisted. “Get me the crystal!”

  His finger moved on the trigger, his eyes glowing with some insane light.

  “I’m going,” Janette announced. “Look…I’m going now…just be patient.”

  “I am the one giving orders here!” Grainger yelled.

  “I can’t hear it,” she shouted back at him. Her heart was racing, sending blood pumping through her ears. “I just need to listen—and everyone needs to stop shouting, so I can hear it.”

  Grainger ground his teeth. His nostrils flared; he looked like he was losing control.

  “Do it now,” he told her in a low growl.

  Panic threatened to grip her, but she fended it off. Sophia shook her head, but Bion pulled her against his body to keep her still. The sound of the crystal rose above the water, drawing her to the edge of the lava, where the river rushed around it.

  “Yes…yes…crystals need water to grow…” Grainger mumbled.

  Janette waded into the water. The current pulled at her skirts, but she bent down and dug into the black sand beneath the surface. Pieces of lava stone bit into her fingers as she pulled up handfuls of mud until she felt the tingle of power traveling through her body.

  “Yes!” Grainger shouted with glee. “Bring it to me!”

  “It’s stuck,” Janette insisted. “I can’t free it.”

  He glared at Sophia. “Give her your gloves, Bion, and do so slowly.”

  “They won’t have the strength to harvest it,” Bion argued.

  “They’d better.” Grainger refused to budge. “Give her your gloves now, or she can take them after I shoot you.”

  Bion’s expression tightened. A muscle along the side of his jaw twitched. “I believe I’
m going to enjoy killing you.”

  “Not while I have the gun.” Grainger snickered. “Give her the gloves.”

  “I believe I am going to enjoy watching the pair of you fight over that damned crystal,” Sophia remarked as she took the gloves Bion held out for her.

  “I agree,” Janette added. She was beginning to shake, the water stealing every last bit of warmth from her legs. It felt like the blood running back up to her heart was cold too.

  “Shut your mouths. Women never know when to be silent.”

  Sophia rolled her eyes when she reached Janette. She limped and stood at an odd angle to favor her injured leg once she was next to her friend. They reached beneath the water, Sophia feeling about until she had her hands on the crystal. Sophia jerked but didn’t let it go. They pulled, combining their strength until it came free. They both lost their footing and sprawled into the middle of the rushing water.

  “Hold it right there!”

  Janette jerked her head around, sure she was hallucinating because she heard Darius’s voice loud and clear in spite of the rush of the water and the crystal humming inside her head. She quickly righted herself. She had it in her hands—it was an inch wide and four inches long.

  “Don’t move, Grainger. Not an inch, or I’ll put a bullet between your eyes.”

  It was Darius.

  She turned her head and found him standing on the other side of the river. He was waist-deep in the water with a pistol leveled at Grainger.

  “I’ll kill her,” Grainger threatened, the muzzle of his rifle aimed at Sophia.

  Bion launched himself at Grainger while everyone was looking at Sophia. The gun went off, but the bullet only hit the water as Bion tackled Grainger to the ground.

  The current was much stronger than Janette had realized; it was pulling at her. She struggled to stay on her feet while holding the crystal.

  “Janette…give me your hand…” Sophia lunged toward her, grabbing her hands and pulling the crystal closer to the water.

  The moment the crystal hit the water, there was a sizzle and an explosion. Whatever had been in her hands vaporized like it was scalding-hot and the water had cooled it. The white steam rose into Sophia’s face, while the force of it sent Janette back into the strongest part of the river. The current swept her off her feet, tumbling her like a stick. It sucked her down, filling her mouth and nose, encasing her in a swirling white environment. She couldn’t tell which way was up or down. She felt the water suck her down, pulling her body away from the light. Her lungs began to burn, and she fought, but to no avail. Darkness began to crush her in its grasp, but she fought against it, struggling to escape the hold of the current. Where her mind was willing, her body couldn’t maintain the battle without air. Her muscles refused to obey her as her mind began to succumb to the darkness.