The Angel of Elydria (The Dawn Mirror Chronicles Book 1) (38 page)

IVERTON’S PARTING GIFT seemed to be one last glorious sunny day. Arriving at the airstation, the group flashed the badges that had been delivered to them and were led inside, where they found Noah and Damari waiting. Noah greeted them each with a broad smile and a firm handshake, while Damari nodded a hello.

A faery in purple uniform collected their tickets and checked their badges once more, and the group was led to the runway. Penny stumbled at the sight of the gargantuan zeppelin. It loomed over the other airships, making them look like mere toys in comparison. The body was a rich plum color and lined with the finest gold trimmings; even the propeller and wings sticking out from the massive balloon were shining gold in the glaring sunlight. Below the body was a compartment for housing passengers the width of a cottage, but almost three times as long. Another staircase led from the compartment down onto the runway.

“It’s—it’s glorious!” Annette cried as she jumped up and clapped her hands, beholding the behemoth airship.

Noah stepped to Penny’s side. “It’s made by the finest mechanists and crafters Iverton has ever seen,” he boasted with a smile. Caught off guard, Penny had to look away from his expectant gray eyes.

“It’s unbelievable. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life,” she said, lacing her fingers together behind her back.

“I’m very pleased to hear that. I went to some lengths yesterday to see that you’d be comfortable,” Noah explained, putting strange emphasis on the word
you.
Penny avoided his gaze.

Next to the golden stairs Penny saw a man leaning lazily against the railing. His mess of coffee brown hair was pushed back by a pair of aviator goggles. He groaned as they all approached, gesturing for them to hurry.

“Ah, Noah. Wasting my time as usual, I see?” The man stepped up to Noah and clapped him hard on the shoulder. “And just when I was hoping you weren’t going to show up at all.” He laughed hoarsely and looked around at everyone. He had a thin face, dark olive skin, a burly frame and a huge, thick mustache that bristled out in all directions. Penny noticed with some interest that several gold, tarnished teeth flickered in his smile.

Noah gestured toward the man. “This is Zayne, the captain of the dirigible and the main reason why it flies so fast,” he said, a little edge to his voice. “A word of advice: don’t leave loose articles lying about around him.”

Zayne let out another wheezy laugh and climbed up the stairs into the dirigible. Noah frowned after him but went back to addressing Penny and the others. “Well, you’ve been given your instructions. Just deliver the sealed message to King Yulghrat and speak to the ambassadors about receiving his reply.”

Penny felt a twinge of guilt at the confidence in the king’s voice, wondering if this plan was for the best. She stared with uncertainty at Noah’s trusting smile, anxiety bubbling within her chest. She was already regretting manipulating the king.

Simon waved a short goodbye to Gavin and Noah as he went up into the body of the airship. Noah shook hands with Hector.

“I commend your bravery, Mr. Arlington. You saved many lives at the ball. Thank you for everything―and if it’s all right with you, I should very much like to talk with you at length upon your return, since we were unable to before. Would this be at all possible?” Noah questioned, and Hector nodded.

“Certainly, Your Majesty. I shall do my very best to answer your every query,” Hector obliged, then bowed and followed Simon up the stairs.

Annette smiled at Noah and batted her long eyelashes. “Goodbye, Your Majesty. Until we meet again,” she said, and he bent down to kiss her wrist.

For the longest while it looked as if Gavin was not going to say goodbye to Annette, but as she stared at him with her most lugubrious gaze, he broke down and pulled her into a tight embrace. They said their final goodbye and Annette climbed up, sniffling and shooting long glances back. Penny turned to Gavin, her arm extended, but he pulled her into his arms.

“Please take care of Nettie for me―and don’t you dare get hurt yourself. I’m already missing you, little Penny. Be careful out there,” he whispered into her ear, then let go, his eyes ringed red with tears. Penny could do little else but nod and offer a reassuring smile. Noah stepped closer to her after she broke away from Gavin and took her hand in his.

“Penny, do take caution, won’t you?” He studied her face, and Penny felt her heart flutter. She fought the urge to frown—something about him made her feel vulnerable. “I know―well, we hardly know one other, but I somehow feel as if I’ve met you before. Something is drawing me to you. I can’t explain it.”

Gavin seemed to notice the tense atmosphere and stepped away, trying to look aloof.

Noah leaned toward Penny, unfazed by her shyness. “After you get back, I would be…thrilled at the chance to become better acquainted with you. Say you feel this way, as well,” he said with impassioned zeal.

Penny cleared her throat of an incredulous laugh, wondering how she could’ve possibly inspired the interest of a man like Noah. “Um, sure. Yeah, we could…hang out or something.” The words sounded ridiculous even as she said them and Penny flushed.

Noah beamed at her regardless, leaning over once again to give her cheek a rough kiss. “Then I shall eagerly await your return,” he proclaimed, stepping back to let Penny climb the stairs. “Good luck!”

Penny waved back at him as she began to ascend, her heart already climbing lofty heights without the need of any airship.

T
he airship captain peered down at the group as they stood in a chamber lined with churning gears and hissing pipes, a haughty smile spreading across his face.

“All right, ladies,” he said, pulling the goggles down over his eyes. “This will not be a pleasure cruise, so I expect you to stay out of my way. First rule here is for you three―” he pointed at Simon, Penny and Hector, “don’t bother me or any of the crew down below. If any of us screws up, we all die.” His eyes fell on Annette and his mustache twitched upward. “You, however, can bother me all you like, sweetness.”

Annette was visibly affronted.

“Rule number two: if it’s not in the cabin area, don’t even think about touchin’ it. Ever. Don’t forget that, slick,” he added, looking at Simon, who was already studying the twirling gears and steam-spitting pipes. “I’m sure there’s something I’m forgetting, now…Ah, consarn it. Just go by ‘If you’re not sure, don’t friggin’ do it.’” He snorted and led them through the archway at the end of the hall, up a spiral staircase and then out a door with golden words emblazoned onto the front. Penny had to get her
pince-nez
glasses out to see it read
Cabin
.

“Excuse me, but how will we be able to contact our maids and cooks?” Annette questioned.

Zayne’s face turned purple and he let out another roaring laugh while Annette cringed. “You are somethun’ else, princess,” he choked out, his eyes watering underneath his goggles. “Get in there, all of you. We’ll get to the goblin dung heap in about three days, so I’ll see you then…toodle-oo, sugar lips.”

Annette charged into the cabin, shaking with anger. “In all my years I have
never
―” she hissed, her face bright red. Simon sidled up beside her and attempted to place a comforting arm around her shoulders, but Annette stalked away.

They entered into a room with a table, chairs, a few sofas, and a compact bar. The floors were made of fine dark wood and the walls lined with brass and gold. Penny noted with interest that all the furniture was bolted to the floor. The eastern wall was lined with large windows, each one draped in luxurious curtains. Leading out from the sitting room was a door with an ornate porthole.

Her heart pounding, Penny pressed her face against the window. The engines and their mechanics clanked to life beneath them, and she laughed with delight as the mammoth airship lurched forward and the propellers whirred faster, until they reached their maximum velocity. The ship picked up speed and the airship thundered toward the end of the runway. Penny almost lost her balance, and was thankful that Hector and Simon caught her by the arms as the nose of the dirigible made a dangerously sharp lift upward and shot straight into the cloudless Iverton sky.

Penny tried to catch her breath as the roads and steeples of the city shrunk away, hanging onto Hector and Simon’s hands as she gaped at the view. From such a lofty height, the palace looked like a mere toy model and the traffic in the streets became miniscule dots, zooming along like busy insects. Penny could see the diamond-spotted Lake Olveria reflecting the sun and the coliseum where they had first seen Annette perform.

“Amazing! This is…
amazing!
” Penny cried, breaking away from Hector and Simon as she ran out onto the balcony to get a last look at the city as it rolled out of view. They joined her, looking a shade nervous as she leaned over the railing. Hector stepped up behind her, careful to keep his back pressed up against the wall, and attempted to catch Penny by the shoulders.

“That’s enough, now. Let’s go in before you go plummeting to your death, hmm?” he suggested, looking anywhere but over the railing.

“I’ll be careful,” Penny said, waving him off.

Hector sighed and went back inside. Penny watched the leafy gardens, ivory sands, and tall pillars of the city fade over the horizon, breathless as joyous exhilaration swelled in her chest. A few small towns lay nestled between the grassy hills outside Iverton, but soon gave way to nothing but wild, untamed land that seemed to stretch on forever.

THE SUN SET over the hinterlands, smoldering orange and yellow clouds burning against the dusky purple of the evening sky. Soon, the golds and pinks of the sunset faded into the shade of night. The lanterns that lined the sides of the dirigible waxed into a dim glow as the stars began blinking in the distance.

Penny climbed into bed beside a sleeping Annette. There was something comforting about the mechanical creaks and groans the ship produced. Penny thought of both the homes she’d left behind and huddled closer to Annette. The twin moons gleamed in the gloomy sky like a pair of cat’s eyes, casting a pale light into the room. Sleep took its time in coming, and as she was carried from one side of consciousness to the other, Penny knew where she was going and what she was going to see.

Her legs were covered with sharp flares of pain. For the longest time she could not see anything through the overwhelming darkness, but when her eyes opened, she realized she had made it back home. She was sitting in her bed with the covers pulled up around her neck. The unrelenting pain that gnawed at her legs was too strong; it was as if someone was pinching her with sharp, long fingernails. She threw off the covers and her stomach clenched. Her bed was crawling with insects. She watched with deepening sickness, frozen as skittering spiders, crawling flies, and black beetles gnawed at her legs, which were now covered in angry red bite-marks.

Penny looked to her bedroom window.

If I jump it’ll be all over, it’ll end. It will be easy.

A piercing scream cut through the night, tearing Penny from her nightmare. She sat up, her body convulsing as she looked around for the source. A deathly pale Annette sat up beside her, clutching her chest as she tried to catch her breath.

“What’s the matter?” Penny gasped, looking around for the source of Annette’s fear while still shivering off the effects of her dream. Annette could not seem to speak, and a pounding knock at their door made both of them jump.