Chasing the Star Garden: The Airship Racing Chronicles (Volume 1) (23 page)

Chapter 30

“
W
ell, Miss Stargazer, what are you doing so far from home?” an Englishman in a dark suit asked me from the deck of the
Hephaestus
as they moored to the side of the
Bacchus
. Inconspicuously, I pulled my gun from my satchel and stuck it into the back of Sal’s pants. Anger made my hands shake. While I felt rage toward the Dilettanti, I was angrier with myself. This was my fault.

“I suggest you don’t come closer,” Sal said, aiming his handgun toward the Englishman.

“Signor Colonna, we are after your sculpture, not your woman. Miss Stargazer just needs to tell us the location of the sculpture, and we’ll let you limp to port,” the man said.

They did not know we had the Aphrodite.

“What sculpture?” I asked. While my head was still a mess, I forced myself to focus.

“Come now, Miss Stargazer. We know what you are up to,” he replied.

“Perhaps she needs more motivation,” one of the henchmen said, and before we could react, he pulled his sidearm and fired, shooting Roni’s balloonman in the shoulder with startling accuracy. The man screamed and clenched his wound.

“Do watch the burners. I’d hate for the ship to explode before Miss Stargazer gives us the information we need… oh yes and the kaleidoscope,” the man said. “Now, where is the courtesan?”

We did not reply.

The ringleader sighed. “We’ll be boarding your ship now, Lily. Do mind your manners. Signor Colonna, I suggest you lower your weapon. The five of us,” he said, motioning to his crew, “are all armed, and we’d hate to see you meet with an accident.”

The five men boarded the
Bacchus
.

“I’ll take that,” one of the men said, wrenching the gun from Sal’s hand.

“Go below. Bring the galleyman up and find the courtesan,” their leader said. “Someone get the wounded bird out of the nest and tie him up,” he added, looking up at the burner basket.

“Stay close,” Sal whispered to me.

“Now, Lily, why don’t you be a good girl and pass me the kaleidoscope,” the ringleader said.

I scanned the deck of the
Bacchus
. Celeste’s satchel had slid toward a storage hold.

“All right. Let me get it for you.”

“No games,” the man holding a weapon on Sal said, pushing his revolver into Sal’s ribs.

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” I replied.

I grabbed Celeste’s satchel and pulled out the kaleidoscope. I handed it to their leader. “I guess we’ll be parting ways now,” I said.

“Ahh, but something tells me you might have information to share. Do you know where the sculpture is, Lily?”

I heard Celeste grunting as the henchman yanked her and the galleyman, both with hands bound behind their backs, onto the deck. Celeste’s lip was bleeding. The galleyman came along quietly. I saw him scan the deck. He saw his crewmate, bleeding from the shoulder, sitting bound against the bulwark. He lowered his eyes and cooperated.

“Ah, the lovely Celeste. How are you, dear?”

“Go to hell,” she replied.

“Mr. Holloway,” one of the henchmen said. “You should come below deck, Sir. There is something down there.”

“Something? Be more specific.”

“A crate, Sir.”

“A crate?”

“Large enough to hold a statue.”

Holloway smiled at me. “Well done, Miss Stargazer. You’ve made it easy for me.” He and two of the Dilettanti henchman headed toward the galley. One guard kept a gun on Sal and me, another man guarded Celeste and Roni’s crewmen.

“I’ve had enough of this,” Sal whispered.

“I agree.”

“Now.”

Moving fast, Sal grabbed the gunman closest to us and knocked the weapon from his hand. I grabbed a wrench lying on the deck, and moving quickly, came up behind the henchman holding the gun on Celeste and slammed him in the back the head with the wrench. He went down with a screech. The others turned back and soon we were in a fray.

Sal pulled the gun from the back of his pants, but before he could get off a shot, two men jumped him. They pushed him down on the deck. I reached out to help him but instead took a blow to the right cheek; my mouth filled with blood. I spat out a tooth. Celeste came up from behind. She tried to use her shoulders to push the man they called Holloway off the ship. He tossed her onto the deck like a ragdoll. I heard her head hit the deck of the
Bacchus
hard. I kicked one of the men pummeling Sal in the ribs, and he toppled over, clutching his side.

“Someone knock that bitch out,” Holloway yelled.

I turned in time to get clocked in the face. I heard my nose bone snap. I staggered backward. Blood sprayed from my nose.

“Throw the Italian overboard,” Holloway commanded.

“No!” I screamed and ran toward Sal. One of the henchmen grabbed me.

“Sir? Sir! What is that!” one of the henchmen shouted urgently.

“What are you talking about? Get some rope and tie Stargazer up.”

One of them grabbed my arms, and I felt the burn of rope around my wrists.

“That! Sir! Port!”

“Sal!” I wailed as they began hauling Sal toward the side of the ship. I struggled against the man who held me, and then, in a desperate move, I shot my leg backward, kicking the henchman between the legs. He groaned and went down.

I ran toward one of the men dragging Sal toward the rail. I slammed into the henchman, knocking him onto the deck.

“Sir! Sir! Port!” the henchman screamed again.

This time we all looked. An enormous dark shape dropped from the clouds. It was like the hand of a god was descending upon us.

“Oh my god,” one of the henchmen whispered.

Everyone stared in wonderment as an enormous warship came out of the clouds and headed directly toward us. Its cannons gleamed in the dimming twilight. At once, I recognized the double-propelled war machine dubbed
Hercules
. And at its prow, I saw a poet.

Chapter 31

“
G
eorge! George!” I screamed, fearful Byron would not recognize me or the ship.

Hoping to silence me, Holloway hit me hard. I fell onto the deck of the ship.

“Lily!” Sal called, reaching for me.

A split second later, I heard a gunshot. Holloway fell onto the deck beside me; blood poured from a bullet hole between his eyes. His men scattered.

I closed my eyes and sent out a silent prayer of thanks.

“Lily! Lily? Are you all right?” I heard Byron call from the
Hercules
.

I was now.

“Here, let me help you up,” Sal whispered. His face was a bloody mess. He lifted me and helped me to the rail.

“I’m okay,” I called to Byron.

“Stay there. We’re coming. My crew has your new friends in their optics. I suggest no one moves.”

The four remaining henchmen stood frozen as the
Hercules
came up alongside us.

Byron signaled to his crewmates. They extended a plank between us and the
Hercules
. Byron was the first to cross over. Four young men, by their appearance I guessed them to be Greek, followed him. Byron took in the scene and directed his crew to watch the remaining henchmen.

Byron took me by the chin, smoothing the hair away from my face, and looked me over. “My Lily,” he whispered.

Beside me, Sal stiffened and took a step away from Byron and me.

Reaching into his pocket, Byron pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the blood from my face. I caught his intoxicating orange blossom and patchouli scent in the soft material. “What have they done to you?” he asked and pulled me close to him. Part of me wanted to fall into the crush of his chest, but then I opened my eyes and saw Sal. I pulled back.

“Can you cut me loose?” I asked.

He let me go. I turned my back to Byron so he could snip the ropes. I looked at Sal who looked straight ahead and not at me.

“Who are they?” Byron asked.

“The Dilettanti. They have been tracking Lily since she left London. They were after the kaleidoscope,” Sal answered.

“Colonna, isn’t it?” Byron asked.

“Yes, my Lord.”

Byron laughed. “No need for formality. I am a fan of your inventions, tinker” he said, clapping Sal on the shoulder. “But your face is a mess.”

“That is their handiwork,” I said, motioning toward the henchmen who stood silently on the other side of the ship. I rubbed my wrists where the rope had burned them.

“Who do you work for?” Byron asked them. His voice was dark and serious.

They all looked at the ground.

I saw a sparkle in Byron’s eyes, the glimmer of madness which I had seen before on only a few occasions. I knew it to be dangerous.

“Let me ask you again,” he said, and I noticed his cheeks had begun to flush red as he crossed the deck toward the men. As if the look in his eyes was not telling enough, Byron’s limp became pronounced. Always self-conscious about his condition, Byron usually took great care to hide the birth defect. When he was distracted, however, that was another matter. “No one wants to talk?” he asked them.

None of the men spoke.

“You work for Knight, don’t you?” I said.

One of the men looked up.

“Richard Payne Knight?” Byron asked me.

I nodded. “He paid me a little visit in Venice. He was looking for the kaleidoscope.”

Byron turned back to the men. “The lady asked you a question,” he told them.

No one spoke.

“Well, this is boring,” he said then turned to his crew and gave orders.

In a heartbeat, the soldiers turned and shot three of the henchmen. They then unmoored the
Hephaestus
and tossed lit lanterns onto its deck. Oil spilled across the gondola. With a great boom, the ship caught fire. As the vessel floated from us back into the clouds, it became engulfed in flame, and soon the burning wreck fell toward the sea.

The remaining Dilettanti henchman watched the ship burn. “She’s right. We work for Knight,” the man said.

“Thank you for confirming,” Byron replied and motioned for his crew to throw the man overboard. The henchmen fell screaming from the
Bacchus
.

Lady Caroline Lamb was the one who had called Byron “mad, bad, and dangerous to know.” And in that moment, I suspected this was the side of him to which she was referring. But this was the Byron who had saved us.

Byron looked around the ship. Spotting Celeste, he knelt down and helped her up.

“Celeste? Whatever are you doing here?” he asked.

I felt my eyebrows furrow but tried to hide my reaction. Apparently the instinct I’d had in Venice was right.

“Lord Byron,” she whispered.

“Looks like you’ve had quite the adventure, Lily,” he said with a smile. His blue eyes twinkled.

“That is an understatement. But we do have an injured man here,” I said, motioning to the balloonman who was nursing his shoulder. “Is Dr. Thomas traveling with you?” I asked.

“He is. Let’s get you and your crew aboard the
Hercules
. I’ll tow your ship to Athens.”

I half expected Celeste to protest against leaving the Aphrodite aboard the Bacchus, but she made her way onto the
Hercules
without complaint. Perhaps she was feeling just as I did: safe.

Roni’s crewmen went with Byron’s physician while Byron led Sal, Celeste, and me to his Captain’s quarters. The space was small but voluptuously decorated. Windows looked out onto the deck on three sides, and the wood paneling gleamed. He had a small meeting space outfitted with expensive chairs that had blue velvet upholstery. Behind them was a large captain’s desk upon which he’d spread several maps. In the back of the quarters was a curtained space where, no doubt, one could find his sleeping area.

Byron’s servants cleaned us up. My nose throbbed. And it never felt good to lose a tooth. I eyed Sal over. He had a black eye and a bruised cheek. He flinched as he settled into his seat.

“Is your rib broken?” I asked him.

Sal’s eyes met mine. There was a strange expression on his face. Was he angry? Had I done something wrong? “I’ll be all right,” he said and sat back.

Byron also looked a little rougher than I was used to seeing him. His hair did not curl as primly as usual, and his clothing looked less than freshly pressed.

“You were lucky. I just broke the ship in. We are returning from a campaign,” Bryon explained as he poured us all a drink.

I polished mine off and held the glass out for a refill. Byron smiled at me and filled the glass to the rim.

“There are no words to express our gratitude,” Celeste said.

“Well, words were never your strong suit, my dear,” he told her then turned to me. “Now… someone tell me… what exactly is going on? Lily?”

I looked from Sal, who would not meet my gaze, to Celeste, who begged me with her eyes to keep quiet. Again, Byron’s reputation had preceded him. In that moment, I realized that I was the only one in the room who really understood Byron. And that realization struck me with a terrible sense of confusion. I was in love with Sal. Of that there was no longer any doubt. And Sal was in love with me. But somewhere along the way, I had forgotten to really process what I had with Byron. We were lovers, that much was true, but Byron trusted me the way he trusted few others, and I would not betray his faith for the world. After all, I trusted Byron the way I trusted few others. In that moment, I realized I would never break his faith, but I might have to break his heart. Then, I worried that they might be the same thing.

I looked at Sal again. His long hair hung all around his face. He had closed his eyes and pressed his glass against his forehead. I understood what plagued his mind: me.

“The kaleidoscope led to the lost sculpture Aphrodite of Knidos. We recovered the sculpture, and it is stowed in the galley of the
Bacchus
. Celeste needs to take the sculpture to Lesvos where it can be safely hidden by the secret sect of Aphrodite to which she belongs.”

Celeste’s mouth hung open.

Sal opened his eyes and looked at me.

Byron lifted his drink to his lips, took a long sip, and smiled at me with his eyes.

“All right, Lily. Let’s get the ships back to Athens, and I’ll have a private vessel, someone I trust, take Celeste and the statue to Lesvos. Where are you and Mr. Colonna headed?”

“Back to Venice,” I answered for both of us. I looked at Sal. He seemed perplexed.

Byron sighed and slumped down into his chair. He tossed back his drink and set the glass down on the table. He smiled at me. “Care for an aperitif?” he asked, motioning toward his opium pipe sitting on the table beside him. I had noticed it as soon as I’d entered the room. The sweet scent of opium still perfumed the air. Apparently he’d just used it himself.

“I’ll pass tonight. I’ve had enough stimulation for one day.”

Byron laughed. “Is there such a thing? I’ve never known you to find its limits before.”

I turned and looked at Sal. It was clear from his expression that this entire situation was making him uncomfortable.

“Things change,” I said with a smile.

“Too much change is unhealthy. You know, I was thinking it was rather lucky that the four of us are together,” Byron said slyly. “Mr. Colonna, I have to tell you how much I admired the bodice you made for Lily. That was your work, wasn’t it? Your hands are rather genius. I can only imagine what they must be able to do. It was a rather tedious campaign. I’d like to suggest we all have another drink and move our conversation to my sleeping quarters.”

“All of us?” Celeste asked. I could tell from the expression on her face that she had not really meant to say it aloud.

Byron shrugged and poured himself another drink. “I didn’t think it was outside your repertoire.”

I wanted to bury my face in my hands.

“I’m afraid that is not my style, Lord Byron. But I do appreciate the compliment,” Sal said and then rose, again nursing his broken rib. “If you will excuse me, I’ll be on deck.”

I feared then how Byron would respond. To my great relief, Byron laughed out loud. “How disappointing! But, it’s no wonder Lily likes you. As you wish,” Byron said then tipped his glass at Sal.

Sal nodded to him, gave me a long look, then left the Captain’s quarters. My fingers itched to follow him, to nurse his wounds, to whisper in his ear and do away with any worries that plagued his mind. He knew how much I loved him, didn’t he?

“Celeste?” Byron asked, turning to her.

“I, too, must pass, Lord Byron. I hit my head rather hard and need rest.”

“As you like it. I’m beginning to think I’m losing my charm, Lily,” Byron said and rose. He went to the door of the Captain’s quarters and called to a crewman. He motioned to Celeste. “He will take you to a private room,” Byron told her. After she left, he came and sat very close to me. He took my hand. “Are you all right?”

I nodded.

“It seems like your adventure was rather… revealing,” he said carefully.

“Revealing?”

“How many years have we been together?” he asked me, stroking the nape of my neck.

“More than four,” I said thoughtfully.

Byron nodded. “More than four years. Do you know what I’ve always liked about you?”

I smiled slyly at him. “I think there are many things.”

He laughed. “That is true… no one understands me as you do. But what I love most about you is that you are honest, in your words and in your heart. I know you love me. And, in truth, I love you. But I can never love you the way that man who just left loves you.”

I looked at Byron. “What should I do?”

“It depends. What do you want? You can come to my bed, or you can go after him. The choice is yours.”

I looked at Byron. “I want you to see the Aphrodite.”

He raised an eyebrow at me. “Now?”

I nodded.

He took another drink and considered. “Lead the way.”