A Tale of Two Airships (Take to the Skies Book 2) (22 page)

Pulling away, I surveyed the ship. We’d left our girl for a brief stint, but having her snatched from under my grasp left me mighty possessive. Across deck, Isabella made her way to Nathaniel and Abigail, gesturing to her voluminous skirts. Mordecai engaged Sabine in discussion to my relief, and Jack wandered his way over to join in. The wolfish way he scanned her down didn’t spell kindness per se, but he showered her in plenty of attention. Edwin tinkered away below, same as some of the others, but even still, the missing made their absence known.

When I turned to the empty helm, I kept expecting to see Spade where I’d always known him to be, and memories of my old captain lingered every time I had to start doling out the orders. Little Adelle had made her mark, a quiet sweet presence. She’d opened up the longer she’d been on board, though she’d never be one of the mouthier ones—to much of the crew’s relief, I believed. And Seth, he was our ship’s guardian. His absence spread like a stain, feeding into my fears.

Taking initiative, I stepped to the forefront. No one paid me any mind at first—of course not, I was just their captain. Placing my hands on my hips, I tried on my best bellow for size.

“What are you lot mucking about for? Don’t we have a big battle on the horizon?” I called, leveling the deck with my sass. Isabella rolled her eyes though the grin on her face encouraged me. A grim silence settled over the board at my words, but we couldn’t be having any of that. Not when we were all about to put our lives on the line.

A laugh ripped from my throat. “You gloomy bastards, do you think so low of me? We’ll set sail at dawn, but tonight? Tonight we’re going to drink.” Jack whooped in response, followed by another couple of cheers. I lifted a brow. “Does no one want to tap into the cask down below?” Louder hollers followed, and a couple of grins circled around the crowd. The last thing we needed after all of this chaos was to go into a fight grim and depressed. We’d head into battle with the fight fierce in our hearts and a smile on our faces.

Chapter Twenty Three

Moments after I made the announcement, Sabine didn’t bother meandering and instead made a beeline for me. “Captain, what would you have me do?”

“Relax, that’s what. Nothing we can do until morning, anyway.” Her enthusiasm entertained me, so when she continued, I paid attention.

“I meant…I…don’t know how to fight. And I’m not quite sure these skirts are made for a brawl either.” Her chin jutted out as she spoke, attempting to hide her discomfort at the admission.

“You’re right. Ditch the skirts. I might have some clothes you can slip into. As for fighting, darling I’m letting my crew relax tonight. My best suggestion in the battle tomorrow is to grab something blunt and knock out anyone who tries to board our girl. You’ll be staying with some of the others to guard the Desire.”

Her mouth twitched. “Captain, if you let me try…” she started.

An amused smile curled my lips. “While I appreciate your determination, this isn’t up for discussion. You’re a green recruit, so you won’t be taking the offensive until you’ve proved you can handle it. Hell, Jackie-boy here’s been on the ship for an age, and only in the past couple of years has he become a recon man. Take the orders, and tonight celebrate your freedom.”

Edwin appeared above deck as if summoned by the mention of beer. “What was the cheering hubbub I heard earlier?” he asked, adjusting his glasses on his nose.

“It was you volunteering to help me lug a cask up from below deck.” I gave him a sweet as sugar smile.

“Ah.” He scanned around the deck before frowning. “You’re not sure someone else would be more adequate for the task?”

A laugh slipped past my lips, and I waved over to Jack. “Hey boy-o, let’s put those muscles to some use.” Giving Edwin a raised brow, I continued, “You’ve escaped, for now.”

He nodded, though based on the small quirk of his mouth he’d known I joked around all along. The cask might snap the man in half, and we’d need him to patch our crew in whatever aftermath occurred once we brought the fight to the gypsies.

“Of course, you pick up a real lady the one time I’m not out on mission with you guys,” Jack complained as we made our way down the steps.

I placed a hand over my chest. “Are you insinuating your Captain’s not a real woman? Because I’ve been told I’ve got the parts.” I waggled my brows at him.

He snorted, and a blush broke out on his cheeks. “You know what I mean. You’re Bea—the captain.”

“Yes, yes, you’ve reduced my name to a genderless pronoun. See if you’ll be getting any beer with that attitude.” The smile played across my face.

Jack rolled his eyes as we made our way to the depths where the cask hid. The steps creaked under our boots, and the musty smell of below drifted up. I latched onto one end of the heavy load, and once Jack got the other, we both lifted at the same time.

As we made our way up the steps, I continued harassing him. “The fabric of my shirt’s irritating my breasts right now. My nipples could cut glass,” I said loudly. Jack didn’t respond, but the furious blush on his cheeks provided entertainment enough. “I should probably take it off and go topless like some of the other guys on board, right?”

“Fine, fine, Captain. You win. You’re a real woman,” Jack grumbled, reddening to the tips of his ears. We hoisted the cask up the steps to the deck, and I reveled in my unparalleled ability to make my crew uncomfortable. The second we emerged with the ale in hand, Nathaniel and Mordecai appeared over to help us out, and between the four of us, we made record time in getting it set up. Edwin meanwhile arrived with a box of our mugs—the man appeared a little too eager, which meant he must be getting a little stir crazy in the infirmary.

In all of our back and forth, the sun descended, leaving us with the gentle purple hues of early night. However, my crew hadn’t been idle, and lanterns flickered on, casting their hazy beams across the deck. The slight sway of being docked in the ocean and the cadence of the waves cast a rhythmic lullaby. I breathed in the salt breeze before grabbing one of my mugs and scoring myself some ale. If I left it unattended with these vultures, I’d miss out in moments. Grabbing another mug, I filled it for Geoff too.

“Captain, you better get your ass over here,” Isabella called me over. Though the woman could sling her fair share of ale, she’d brought some dark rum up from her quarters and played a round of pass the bottle with us old heads. A snort passed my lips as I carried the drinks to where she and Geoff leaned by the railing. Since when had I become the seasoned member on board this ship? Edwin, Isabella, and Geoff all gathered around though, and I couldn’t imagine better people to share a drink with.

Geoff accepted his mug, passing me a peck on the cheek. He was constant with his affections and how I’d missed out on this bliss for all the years we’d shared on board blew my mind. What could I say? I was an idiot sometimes.

Isabella tilted the bottle of rum in my direction, giving me a whiff of the dark sugar scent. I grabbed the neck and tilted back, letting the sweet syrup coat my tongue. Having taken my share, I passed it to Edwin next. The scientist might spend his days cloistered away and tinkering on the sorts of horrors I expected from the depths of the sea, but he could drink with the best of us.

He let out a splutter. “Are you sure there’s not diesel fluid in this?” he asked, narrowing his eyes.

“You big baby.” I slapped him on the back. “That rum is so sweet I got a toothache.”

“Well, I never learned dentistry, so you’ll have to soldier through,” he sniffed the air, which brought a smile to Isabella and Geoff’s lips.

“So darling, you ready to raid your hometown tomorrow?” I asked, cutting to the meat of the situation. She’d known from the beginning it’d come to this, but knowing didn’t always mean she was prepared.

She heaved a sigh and snagged the bottle from Edwin. “With a little more of this, I hope to be. I pray like hell the necklace might give us sway—that Julian wasn’t full of shit.”

“What
did
you see in him anyway?” I asked, a grin sneaking to my face. “The man’s so domineering I wanted to deck him the second he spoke.”

“Pretty face and knew how to steer a ship, if you get my drift.” She let out a wistful sigh. “Shallow, yes. But I allow myself the indulgences once in awhile.”

Not like she had in some time. Jensen had been her on and off again lay for the longest time, but once he betrayed our ship and ended up dropping into the Pacific, she’d steered clear of most of her indulgences.

“I happen to be a sucker for the same things,” I said, leaning over to pat Geoff on the head.

Edwin near choked on the mug of ale he’d snagged. “That must be added to the list of things I’d prefer my captain to keep to herself.”

“You’ve started a list?” I asked, my interest piqued.

“Yes.” He fixed me with the authoritative stare he’d patented so long ago. “And you’ll never be seeing it, because they’d give you more incentive to repeat said things.”

I snorted and took a deep drink of the aged ale. We’d had the keg sitting below for awhile, and I had to admit, I’d been worried the gypsies cracked into it. Having enough money to not fret about where our next cask of ale came from would be nice, but I didn’t foresee boatloads of credits in our future any time soon. The bottle of rum circuited around to me again, and I took another sip, mingling the flavors on my tongue. Already, a pleasant warmth filled my insides, replacing the hollow scoop of fear for what the future held.

Edwin cast a hesitant glance my way. “What chance do we stand tomorrow, Bea?” he asked. Based on the tremor in his voice, he’d been running our projections ever since I’d made the call. Bullshit the man and he’d know it.

“Grim as hell,” I admitted. “We’re walking into a gypsy clan’s territory, and though Isabella knew the place once upon a time, it’s liable to have changed. Plus, we don’t have a clue as to motive behind any of this. But what I will say is this crew has braved more than a little danger to protect our own before and come out on the other side. If anyone can make this work, Edwin, it’d be our ragtag group of crazies.”

Understanding thickened our shared silence. Unlike so many other times when we’d ended up on the tail end of some bad luck, we chose this danger. I stared at the full moon, a perfect orb so far out of reach and heaved a sigh. With every breath, I tasted the sweet rum that kissed my lips. As with the most important decisions though, the ones that tested our fiber, they came down to our choices. And I’d never make the choice to abandon my crew, not if I had a chance to save them.

“Luckily I never signed on board this ship in hopes of a retirement by the beach,” Edwin mumbled into his mug. “Though I suppose I’d find retirement rather boring, and there’d be a distinct lack of bodies for me to fix.” I stifled a grin. Ah, our good old mad scientist to the rescue, bringing things from sentimental to plain creepy.

“Retirement? What’s that?” Geoff laughed. “I sentenced myself the day I bunked up with this woman.”

I shrugged. “You chose it, boy-o. You’ll get no sympathy from me—you had a seven year opportunity to run.”

“And miss out on these life threatening experiences?” Geoff placed a hand over his chest. “Never.” Isabella and Edwin chimed in on the laughter, the lot of us indulging in some sore-needed banter.

I polished off my ale and placed my mug onto the ground. Leaning against the rail, I surveyed my ship.

Even when docked, the Desire stood out as a beauty, and as of late the deckhands had been doing an exceptional job of keeping her polished. Even deflated, the massive metal frame for the balloon cut an imposing figure where it suspended overhead. Long shadows crawled in the corners, not with the chill of dangerous alleys but the comfort of a hearth. Of home. The sound of the waves lapping to the edges of the dock and the murmur of our crew as they let loose created a unique sort of melody threading through the air.

The warmth surged to my heart and inspired the words I knew by heart.

“Though I’ve traveled land and sea,

I never found them free,” I started, the words soft and rough. Isabella’s eyes twinkled as she joined in with me. Never let a gypsy miss out on a chance at song.

“No matter how far and wide I’ve wandered,” Mordecai sang from feet away.

“Bound to toil and strife in

This lousy old life,” I continued, as Geoff and more of the crew began to sing as well, our rough voices melding together.

“Til that bonnie beast above

Sings a promise to my aching heart.

And lads, I can’t resist.

For I’d rather be dead or

Nailed to the helm

Than grounded once again.”

The words burned deep in my core and as we reached the refrain, more and more of the crew joined in. My heart swelled with pride for the beautiful men and women by my side—fierce, unrelenting, and determined to fight for their freedom as the chorus branded my soul. Our voices joined in unison while we sang for this life, united and as we would be in this moment, forever.

“So I’ll take to the skies, me boys, I’ll take to the skies…”

Chapter Twenty Four

I’d begun pacing across the deck an hour before dawn when the pearl grey of the early morning sky greeted me. Barely anyone else had woken up—Edwin took overnight watch since our resident doctor would be sitting out on whatever fight ensued. His work would arrive later. So he watched me in silence as I wore a steady tread into the floorboards of my ship.

Geoff stumbled onto deck, still groggy. I’d left him sleeping in my bed when I woke up, too jittery to return to sleep. Strands of his hair stuck up, and he rubbed at his eyes to jar himself awake.

“Time to set sail?” he mumbled, slinging an arm across my shoulders.

“That’s right, boy-o, and I need my best pilot on the job. Think you’re up to it?”

“Born ready.” He gave me a lopsided grin. I leaned in and kissed him on the cheek as we replaced Edwin at the navigator’s helm. The doc struggled to keep both eyes open, and he kept readjusting his glasses to jar himself awake. He took his reprieve with immediacy, dashing away like we’d lit him on fire. Based on the coordinates Isabella gave us, we’d arrive in two hours, which left us little time to simmer in our nerves.

I pressed on the thrusters as Geoff placed his hands on the wheel. The engine kicked in, although still with a stutter from the broken aether column. We’d have to replace the part sooner rather than later, but for the time being, my makeshift repair tided us over. With a grinding squeal, the balloon frame drifted forward, pulled by the impetus from the ship as the words Desire grew clearer the more it inflated. In a matter of seconds, we’d pulled away from the port and began skimming out to the sea.

The Desire skipped over sections of water after the balloon inflated in full, and with the help from the thrusters, we took off. Wind breezed past us, and the first tendrils of dawn pierced through the gray morass along the horizon. Light cast the shadows crawling along the deck away as we drifted higher and higher in the air. Seth and Adelle had to hold on a little longer, because we were coming for them.

As the sun rose in the sky, cold and white on this bleak day, several more crewmates filtered out onto the deck. Isabella must have been awake for just as long, because unlike Geoff’s bleary stumble, she arrived sharp eyed, holsters laden with daggers and a pistol at her side. Mordecai appeared on deck mere minutes later with the top of his trenchcoat buttoned shut while the sides billowed out, allowing room for his blade maneuvers. Of course the man stayed armed.

Once we floated along in the sky at a steady pace, I let Geoff work his magic at the helm. Apart from lift-off and any storms that cropped up, helming the ship turned into a one-man job on most days. Instead, I made my way to Jack who arrived topside along with a couple of the other recruits, all of them trudging forward with a less than infectious enthusiasm.

“Where the hell are your weapons, soldiers?” I bellowed, snapping them out of their sleepy haze. Abigail jumped and Nathaniel straightened up, but Jack turned around and pointed to the rifle on his back, one of the remnants from the Pandora’s boxes we’d found on the good ship Fireswamp. “Yes, yes, Jack. You can show off what a big weapon you have.”

With a frown, he straightened up and stopped strutting around, holding himself with a more serious countenance. Abigail patted her sides, but after not producing any weaponry, she turned around, presumably to grab a pistol of her own.

“Abby,” I grabbed her shoulder to stop her. “You’re going to be guarding the ship.”

Her brows furrowed, and she opened her mouth to argue, but we both stared at the bandage swathed around her waist. She’d skated too close to the edge to fight today.

“And what are you planning on fighting them with, Nathaniel? A tea cup?” I questioned. Matilda weighed down my side, and she wasn’t the only thing joining me in battle—I’d included a boot knife, a couple throwing daggers in the hem of my waistband, and a couple clockwork surprises—timed flashbang grenades in case we needed a fast distraction. The rest of my crew would march in well-armed. I’d make sure of that.

Not like we’d go in guns blazing. When we landed into their ports, I planned on scouting our first to see what sort of mess we stumbled into at the gypsy camps. After all, we’d been fumbling blind so far, and any clarity could mean life or death. Gray clouds puffed past me, and I sucked in the chilled breath of morning to steady my nerves. Since when did I get anxious before a job?

Deep in my gut, I knew what tensed me like a knife’s edge. We’d already buried one too many friends and couldn’t afford to lose any more. If we didn’t get Seth and Adelle back, our ship would be as dark a void as the sea at night.

Isabella approached as silent as a cat. “You do realize you’re taking me along when we go to scope out the area.” She didn’t bother asking the question, throwing down demands. Given her loyalty and length of time on the ship, if anyone had the right to stake their place, she did.

“Who else is going to give me the juicy gossip on all the different clanmates?” I offered her a wider than average grin. She pursed her lips, unable to hide her smile.

“And I hope you won’t be leaving me behind either,” Mordecai joined us.

I shot them both glares. “Are we planning a full field trip while tramping through the gypsy territories? Come, hop aboard our magical airship, and we’ll discover all the seedy underbellies you’ve ever dreamed of.”

“Well, that sort of phrasing sells the item.” A smirk christened her lips. Though she blustered through with bravado, the way her fingers flipped one of her daggers back and forth at a constant and rapid pace hinted plenty she was more than a little nervous for the upcoming fight. As the Desire picked up steam, soaring through the sky, those same jitters raced through my veins, mingling with the normal thrill of sailing.

My fingers slid over Matilda protectively as I stared out at the open horizon. The gray day spanning in front of us promised bleak, and I wouldn’t deny it. Today we’d solve our gypsy problem once and for all.

***

The moment the port appeared below, the chatter aboard deck simmered to a low murmur. Lithuania’s shores shone emerald green, and the water glittered under the cool sunlight. The territory of Isabella’s clan shifted month to month, but from hearsay and her own contacts, their current caravan set up their tents in this area, which left them open to exploration. If they embraced the spirit of the gypsies of old, they’d be living on board their airships, since the sky was the best frontier for those blessed with wanderlust.

From our overhead view, the yellow tents of the caravans stood out in bright circles against the beaten dirt area like a carnival ground. Though some of the gypsies lived in the residential section of the town, most of the clan set up camps around the homes they stayed in so others in the family would be nearby or whatever clan happened to be visiting had a place to reside.

Red circular roofs marked the tops of towers, and the buildings had an old world feel unlike the American ports. Geoff angled our girl down, and I helped him decelerate as we slowed our way onto skimming across the ocean. The balloon frame clicked into place as we slid into yet another port, part of the constant rotation in our way of life. This one’s clean deck had a bit more class than the usual rotting wood planks we stomped along, and the stone walls created a picturesque contrast against the pale blue sea.

“Crew, we’re counting on you to snipe anyone suspicious,” I called out as we pulled into dock with a tremble that reverberated through the ship. Turning to Jack, I clapped him on the shoulder. “Jackie-boy, you’re in charge. I’m taking Mordecai, Geoff, and Isabella with me to scout.”

He frowned as if he didn’t know how to take the news. Of course he’d want to tag along with the big kids, but right now I needed stealth and folks who could communicate on a single glance with me. To his credit, he didn’t argue and instead nodded in acquiescence. “Will do, Captain.”

I raised my brows. “I’m counting on you to make sure this ship isn’t snatched. Make me proud.”

Mordecai and Isabella already lowered the rope and rappelled down, not waiting for Geoff and me. He patted the helm down, checking knobs and settings with his insane brand of attention to detail before separating.

“Sorry for interrupting the romantic moment.” I jabbed him in the side with my elbow.

“You should be. I never get any alone time with her anymore.” He smirked as he wove past me to launch himself over the side of the railing.

Casting one last look at my crew, I gripped the ledge and followed suit. My boots slammed against the planks, sending reverberating pain up my right leg, and I scampered ahead to take point as we wandered along the port. From what we’d been able to gauge in the skies, the caravan site would be a ten minute walk or so, but this port wouldn’t be safe from their kind. After all, who knew if they’d paid off the harbormaster or what men they’d left stationed to guard for intruders? Isabella and Mordecai’s prowess alone gave enough reason to be wary.

“We’ll want to slip around the side of the harbormaster’s office,” Isabella murmured in my ear as if reading my mind. One by one, we lightened our tread and made quick time sliding to the far wall and keeping to the shadows as we progressed. My heart thrummed in my ears, and my senses reeled in overdrive as I scanned for any bastards marked with their clan’s tattoo or anyone who might be watching from a distance. If I’d been more alert at the last dock, maybe Spade wouldn’t be drifting at the bottom of the sea.

On the streets before us, families strolled around with children scampering ahead of them to try and lick the cobblestones. Older men hobbled by, guys with neat lapels in twill suits who weren’t from around these parts based on the stop and stare they pulled every two seconds. Most folks walked with the casual tread of those enjoying a peaceful day. However, as I wasn’t sure how far our reputation had spread or how recognizable we’d become to the gypsies, I opted for caution as we stepped onto those roads.

The scent of roasting meat filtered out from an alley down the road, and seconds later, a group of middle-aged men wandered out from it, a couple of them tearing into haunches of dripping, juicy chicken. My stomach grumbled in response, but I ignored it. As the first guy swung his arm forward with his regular gait, I froze.

An all too familiar tattoo marked his arm, those tendrils ones I’d seen on a dozen or more men by now, most of them bloody and dead by my hand.

I slammed a hand back to stop Geoff from moving past me. Isabella froze by my side, and Mordecai already started veering in the opposite direction.

“Don’t make eye contact,” he murmured as he led us down the road, merging with a larger group of elderly women who puttered along. Storefronts littered the streets on either side, like Gears Emporium with shiny new shingles and a brassy sign that glowed in the light put to shame others. Ma’s Bakery, for example, had more than a dozen large chips in the cornflower exterior and a doorknob that needed replacing since the slightest breeze blew the entrance wide open. We only had the element of surprise in our favor, because we’d be more than outnumbered here. Sweat pricked on the nape of my neck as I tried to train my gaze forward and not stare at the exact group we prepared to hunt down.

Isabella leaned in towards me. “They’ve passed,” she whispered.

My shoulders relaxed but only a fraction. After all, if any gypsy were to catch sight of us, our hand was played. With that knowledge, a thick silence descended upon us, even though we’d all run jobs long enough to keep our motions casual and our faces placid. The streets transitioned from paved asphalt to tumbled dirt the further along we traveled in the direction Isabella intimated. At this point, words couldn’t be trusted as we weren’t sure who might listen in, so instead, we’d tilt our heads here and scratch the side of our face there. I chose my two closest and the master of subtlety in this recon for a reason.

Apart from Sal’s Autocart parts a couple yards back, the storefronts grew more and more infrequent, and big oaks cropped up in their stead. Ahead, the path traveled out into a forest full of those towering trees. And at this point, I didn’t know what made me more uneasy, a crowded street full of folks or the isolation of the forest where those tricky bastards could hide and keep watch. The shadows cooled the drops of sweat on my skin, though I wasn’t sure whether I’d gotten the sweats from the sun beaming or nerves.

“Of course your kind would be deep in the forest,” I murmured to Isabella. “Are we hunting down some gnomes and pixies as well?” When all else failed, my ever unflappable mouth kept running.

She gave me the side eye. “Really? We could always venture to the jungles to find the rest of your primate family.”

“Or we could pay attention to the road ahead of us,” Mordecai joined in, shooting a withering glance our way.

“Spoilsport,” I muttered, though a grin curled my lips. “You ruin all my fun.”

“Doll, your definition of fun is wildly different from everyone else’s,” Geoff chimed in. The forest melded around us, a flush of tall trees with thick overhead canopy and brittle brown bark along thickened trunks. We dodged around more than a couple trees interfering with the path by way of venturing roots, and I kept an eye out for movement. After all, the height of these trees made excellent vantage points for a well-placed shot.

In the distance, the crowding oaks dissipated, and though the long dirt road hadn’t grown any more paved or straight and narrow, the flat brown expanse beyond hinted we headed in the right direction. Based on the hollowing in my gut, at the end of this forest lay the campground, which meant walking in through the obvious way would get us killed.