Charmed Vengeance (21 page)

Queen Tiana? How and why would she do
that?
“What are you?”

It wasn’t difficult to guess—the pointed ears, the beautiful body, the not-so-bright-but-chipper occupant.

“I’m a sprite, of course.” She giggled again.

Things started to make a sense. But only a little.

“Will you take me to the Otherworld? It’s so boring here.” She batted her eyelashes.

“I don’t think Stiofán would like that very much.” He kept his voice guarded.

“Why?” She cocked her head, eyes widening. “He broke the stone. It hurt. The other Noli’s no fun because she hurts so much.”

“Wait, Stiofán broke her stone?” His jaw dropped as his heart did a dance of joy. If Stiofán had broken it off with Magnolia that meant he still had a chance.

She nodded. “The other Noli thinks someone made him.”

That
sounded like his little blossom. Poor girl.

“You said the other Noli is sleeping? Could you wake her for me? Please?” He gave her his most charming smile.

“No. If I wake her up she won’t let me have the body back.” Her lower lip jutted out. “I
never
get a turn.”

“Please. I
really
need to speak with her. I’ll tell her that you should have more turns.”

“You will?” Her whole being brightened with such intensity he winced. Not being mortal anymore, she no longer had the Spark, but she certainly possessed
something
.

“Of course.” He added another smile for good measure. The sprite wouldn’t have the answers he sought, and well, that wasn’t his Magnolia. Magnolia and a sprite in the same body—a very attractive Fae body—who could imagine?

“I suppose I could.” She sighed a little, as if it were a huge imposition. “Let me see if I can wake her.”

For a moment she was …
gone
, eyes blank, body still. It was nearly as strange as the other girl speaking out of Magnolia’s pink lips.

The eyes blinked and widened. “Kevighn, what are you doing here? Do you know how much trouble you’ll get in if the catch you?” she hissed.

Now
that
was his Magnolia.

“Noli, why aren’t you mortal anymore?” he blurted.

She looked away, face darkening. “I don’t want to talk about it—and I never gave you permission to call me
Noli
.”

True. However, everyone on the ship did, as did her friends—and that whelp of a prince.

His fingertips brushed her shoulder in a
very
familiar gesture, the white cloth of her ruffled nightdress soft under his fingertips. “Please? It … it involves the queen, doesn’t it?”

“Never bargain with the high queen.” Her voice a whisper, she clutched the doll to her chest like a shield, expression contorting into one of pain.

Kevighn’s hand stayed on her shoulder, since she didn’t glare at it or brush it away. “Why would you bargain with her?”

“I had to get home somehow.” Her voice cracked with pain.

“Oh, right.” He’d been to one to inform her that eating faery food bound her to the Otherworld—and the high queen possessed the power to send her home.

Eyes brimming with pain looked up at him. “It’s so difficult. It wears me out trying to keep her in check.” She straightened with resolve. “But we’ll fix it and I’ll be me again.”

“Of course.” He still didn’t understand what happened, but there wasn’t any way he knew of to get her humanity back. Getting rid of the sprite, well, that seemed more feasible. Maybe.

Then again, Magnolia Braddock was the most determined girl he’d ever met, even more than his sister.

“Why are you on this ship?” Her eyes met his in her old, refreshingly direct manner.

“I was looking for a job. You?” Kevighn leaning against the door again, since she hadn’t invited him to sit—not that there was a place other than a little bench and her hammock. If she invited him to her hammock he’d want to do more than sit and talk.

“It’s better than Boston.” She hugged the doll to her chest. “I miss V.”

Who was off questing—if Igan and his crew hadn’t accidently killed him. He prayed to the Bright Lady they had.

“I’m here.” He gave her a reassuring smile, but didn’t touch her. Yes, that was the right card to play. Slow and steady. “When you’re ready to talk, I’m here.” Kevighn’s smile grew lopsided. “If your brother hasn’t tossed me off the ship while it’s moving.”

Magnolia laughed
her
laugh, like bubbles popping in a glass of champagne. “I won’t let him torture you
too
much.” Her laughter stopped abruptly. “If he knew you were involved with my disappearance … ”

“I won’t tell…will you?” He gave her a searching glance.

She swallowed and shook her head as she chewed on her lower lip. “No. I won’t tell.”

Taking her hand, the one not holding the doll, he looked into her eyes. “I’ll help you in any way I can.” Kevighn kissed her hand. “Good night.”

“Good night, Kevighn.” Her big eyes stared up at him, a mixture of too many emotions to read. He most definitely had her off balance. Good.

He left, closing the door behind him, praying he didn’t run into Winky.

Magnolia wasn’t mortal. Stiofán had left her. Things just got better and better, and he gave his thanks to the Bright Lady.

Then again, Kevighn was a huntsman and he always got what he wanted in the end.

“I can’t believe we missed them again.” Steven wanted to bang his head on the wooden table of the dingy air terminal bar in Denver. “That is the most problematic tracking spell I’ve ever seen.” It made tracking with a sigil seem simplistic.

“At least I know one,” James huffed, signaling a serving girl and they placed their order.

He gave his brother a smile, trying to keep his own frustrations at bay. “I … I’m glad you do. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Really?” James brightened.

“Really.” For every problem James had instigated, he’d also offered solutions. Certainly, this quest had been more interesting, albeit frustrating, with his younger brother in attendance. At the same time he was grateful for the company and assistance.

He
could
do without the sulkiness and odd moods.

The serving girl brought their food and left, but not without giving them both winsome smiles. Many a girl in bars like this also made … personal visits.

“How
are
we going to find the ship?” Steven raked a hand through his hair. This time the tracking spell had been inconclusive.

James rolled his eyes and chewed his overly large bite of meat pie. “Um,
ask
if anyone knows where Barrel of Monkeys is headed? What sort of ship name is that, anyhow?”

“The name isn’t important. Finding them
is
.” Days had been wasted chasing this blasted vessel across the country. But if they found little Rahel and returned her to Dr. Heinz, it would be worth it. If they failed … well, he didn’t have the luxury of even entertaining the notion.

“What do you know of the Barrel of Monkeys?” a female voice demanded, a click of a pistol punctuating the question. Two blonde women, most likely sisters, stood in front of them, the taller of the two holding a pistol. No one in the bar even looked up from their conversations.

“Please, don’t shoot.” Steven put his hands in the air. “We’re trying to find it.”

“Why?” The woman with the pistol didn’t lower her weapon or gaze. Both women wore
trousers
. Trousers!

James shrugged. “They have something we want.”

“What?” she snapped. Her hair was longer and in one braid pinned up.

“An acquaintance has contracted us to retrieve his child,” Steven stammered, hoping these were friends, not foes. At least they were mortal.

Her pistol lowered. “Oh. We’re on the same side, then. I’m Hattie Hayden and this is my sister Hittie. We happen to know where those sons of dogs are.”

Steven perked. “You do?”

“You part of the children’s liberation front or just for hire?” Hittie’s eyes narrowed. Her hair was cut nearly as short as a man’s.

“We’re just the hired help,” James gave her a disarming smile.

Hattie shrugged. “Everyone’s got to make a living. Anyway, our friends are hopefully boarding that ship and stealing their cargo right now. We’re meeting up with them.”

“Wait—they’re boarding the ship of air pirates and stealing their cargo?” Steven blinked. Who in their right mind would rob an air pirate?

Hittie bristled, broad shoulders squaring. “It’s for the greater good. Children shouldn’t be stolen and forced into slavery.”

“True. But what do they do with the children afterwards?”

“We take them to a safehouse and try to return them to their families,” Hattie replied. “Here’s the deal. We just lost a crewmember. You help us and when we meet up with our friends, we’ll make sure you get your girl. If the safehouse contacts her parents first you won’t get paid.”

True. The last thing he wanted to do was waste more time.

“How can we help you?” James took a casual drink of beer as if discussing the weather or something equally inane.

“You do what we tell you,” Hittie snapped, taking a step toward them. “We’re an all-female crew and we don’t tolerate no disrespect. We don’t usually take on men.”

James’ face brightened. “Wait—you’re Hayden’s Follies, I’ve heard of you.”

“Good things, I hope,” Hattie preened.

An all-female band of, well, he had a feeling they were air pirates.

Steven rubbed his chin, taking this all in. “If women can’t legally fly airships, how can you operate?”

Hittie wrinkled her turned-up nose in distain. “Do you think we care?”

“No, of course not.” Well, that was one way to look at the law.

Hattie checked her pocket watch and tapped the toe of her manly boots. “Are you in?”

Steven and James exchanged glances. It beat their other options.

Standing, he offered his hand. “We’re in.”

Hattie shook his hand, grip stronger than he expected and jerked her pointed chin toward the door of the bar. “Good, let’s go rescue some little girls.”

“Hope you’re rested because the next twenty hours are going to be
hell
,” Hittie sneered as she showed them around the microscopic ship.

“Why?” Steven took an instant dislike to Hittie, the younger sister. Truly, a sparrow-class ship held three people comfortably. Hattie was the pilot and captain, Hittie the engineer. They’d lost their gunner, which James had been assigned to. The ladies had deemed him useless and told him to stay out of the way.

Useless? Him? Then again, he never felt the need to learn to shoot.

“Because your own strength is unequal to the task, do not assume that it is beyond the powers of man … ” he quoted under his breath.

“As soon as we meet up with Vix, we’re going to be flying decoy. Fastest way to San Fran is through Deseret Territory—MoBatt country.” Hittie looked to James. “Which is why we need a good gunner.”

None of this meant anything to Steven and he didn’t want to sound stupid or anger her by asking. All he knew from Noli was that sparrow-class ships were fairly useless except for the fact that they could go
very
fast.

“Wait—Vix, as in Captain Vix?” James asked.

Hittie’s blond eyebrows rose. “You know her?”

“I met her a few months ago. I know her first mate.” James turned to Steven, eyes alight. “This is good—really good.”

Steven’s brows knitted. “Sorry, I’m not following.”

“The Vixen’s Revenge is Jeff’s ship. They’ll be far more likely to hand Rahel over to us.” James’ forehead wrinkled. “Well, you better let me do the asking. He probably still wants to kick the stuffing out of you.”

It took a moment for this to sink in. “Jeff’s ship. As in Noli’s Jeff?” He made a face trying to assimilate this information. The Bright Lady played tricks, surely. “Is the air pirate community
truly
that small?”

“Pretty much–which is why we’re the one’s stealing the children,” Hittie retorted. “The men don’t have the gall to break the rules and the government doesn’t give a gear.” Her lips formed a smirk. “Why does Jeff want to beat the stuffing out of you?”

“Um,” Steven’s cheeks warmed. “I want to marry his sister.” James’ eyebrows rose. “What?” he retorted. “I will find some way to be with her, no matter what people say.”

He had to. Not just because he’d promised, but because Noli made his life better, him better, in so many ways.

“Good. I like Noli. She keeps you from being insufferable.” James shoved his hands into his pockets. “You should still let me do talking, just in case.”

Hittie held up her stubby and rough hands. “Enough chatter, we should be meeting up with the ship any moment. Then it’s time to hold on.”

The sound of another airship’s engines woke Noli. Sparrow-class by the sound of it.

“Noli?” Jeff whispered from outside her door.

“Come in.” She sat up and yawned. “Trouble?”

“Our decoy in case we encounter MoBatts. Not only are we limping, we’re about to limp through Deseret.” Jeff shook his head as he stood in the doorway. “Crazy, I tell you, but the sooner we get these kids to San Fran the better. When we get to there I want you to meet them.” Circles hung under his eyes. Dark shadows colored his chin. Shaving didn’t seem to be a priority. Neither did sleep.

“Air pirates worthy of my acquaintance?” She laughed, remembering his reluctance to introduce her to his friend back in Los Angeles. How long ago that seemed.

Jeff grinned and leaned against the door frame. “An all-female crew. They’re part of Vix’s women’s equality movement and the children’s liberation front—female air pirates who try to stop human trafficking. It’s their engineer I think you’d like.”

“I’d like to meet a female engineer.” She’d never met another girl who liked to fix things.

“The reason why I’m here is that we need you to be on hand. Also, being chased by MoBatts is … interesting. We need the girls to stay with you up here in case they become scared. We can’t risk having you away from the engines.”

Noli crossed her arms over her chest. “I should have had time to do repairs. How
are
we flying with holes in our hull?”

“We’ve patched them the best we can—believe me,” he replied. “This is a
very
risky venture.”