City of Air (Lost Cities Saga 1)

As far as escape plans went, this one was the least thought out. Leona knew no one in the city, had no idea how she was going to get back home and was still very weak from the summoning. But Kara had promised that they had allies in the city, for John Opal had not gone to the Caribbees directly after leaving Albion, that she would guide Leona to them once they were clear of Lord Aries and his associates and so Leona had jumped.

The valkyrie caught her before she could hit the ground and swept her up into the air above the street and oncoming traffic and onto the sidewalk. She had been hidden in the folds of Leona's dress all night, waiting for this moment. And as soon as Leona was on her feet, she said, "We need to head west, this way!"

Then she turned and led them up the street. Leona raced after her as quickly as she could manage in her dress and soft shoes, the soles clearly not made for running. Thankfully there was no one else about so they could quickly make their escape. Unfortunately, as there was no one else about they were very easy to spot.

The dragon that appeared before them set fire to everything between them from one side of the street to the other, forcing moving cars to an abrupt, catastrophic halt. Leona reared back and turned to run, only to be met by Cedric and Lord Aries.

"Ah, ah, ah," said Lord Aries. "I see that we've had a stowaway. Who are you?"

Kara said nothing, but instead drew her claymore and put herself between Leona and the other two magicians. Lord Aries smiled, locked gazes with Leona briefly and then turned to Cedric. For a moment nothing happened, and then Cedric gasped and grasped at his left shoulder, squeezing. Leona had seen a man do that before, in the fields back at home. In minutes that man had died. But that man had been old, fifty-three her father had told her later, and had had a hard life. Cedric Miller was still a boy. Lord Aries was killing him. Horrified, Leona cried, "No! Stop it!"

"What did I tell you, Miss Ruby? Didn't I warn you that this would happen if you tried to defy me?" asked Lord Aries. He might have been telling her about the music at the ball, so casually did he speak.

Cedric dropped to his knees, his face white with pain, his eyes locked on Leona's. She could feel the energy leaving him, see the terror flooding his body as he realised that he was going to die, hear his frantic breathing as he fought against his own death. It was not a fight he was going to win.

"Stop it!" Leona screamed, rushing past the valkyrie and pushing back against Lord Aries' energy, which she could feel pressing down on Cedric as if to smother him. "Don't kill him! No!"

Lord Aries did not relent, still smiling at her. He was not going to stop. Leona dropped to her knees before Cedric and wrapped her arms around him. He collapsed onto her and she swayed under his weight, still imagining her energy as a wall holding back the tide of Lord Aries'. Then she screamed, "Kara! Help me!"

The valkyrie lunged for Lord Aries, only to be stopped mid-flight by the djinniyeh wielding a pair of crescent blades. Still, the attack achieved the effect of distraction that Leona had been hoping for and the pressure lifted. Cedric gasped again against her ear, taking in mouthfuls of air at a time. She could feel his heartbeat racing in his chest and the way his entire body trembled. Then she caught a whiff of urine and tightened her grip, and closing her eyes, whispered in his ear, "It's okay, you're alive. It's okay, you're alive, It's okay…."

Then Lord Aries said above her, "If this happens again, both he and your brother will die. Do you understand?"

Leona opened her eyes to glare up at him but he ignored her to dismiss the dragon and say, "You may keep the valkyrie. She is no match for Noor and may actually speed up our journey."

As if to prove him right, a blur of motion later, Kara lay flat on the ground on her back, claymore out of her reach, one of the djinniyeh's crescent blades at her throat. Leona exhaled heavily and Lord Aries said, "Now, come along."

He looked back down at Leona, who was still glaring at him, and waited for her to comply. When she did not, he seized her by the arm and dragged her to her feet, pulling her away from Cedric. The boy slumped unto the dirty sidewalk immediately. Leona made to go to his aid again but Lord Aries yanked her back and said, "Noor, take care of the boy." At Leona's stricken expression he said, "She's not going to kill him." Then he turned Leona around and marched her back to the waiting steamcar.

For the rest of the journey back to the airship, no one said a word. Lord Aries made Leona sit beside him and put the djinniyeh, Kara and Cedric opposite them. The boy still looked deathly pale, his face wet with sweat and he shivered and shook all the way but he held his tongue. He also never took his eyes off of Leona.

Mr Diamond was awaiting them at the loading dock to the Slyphide and when he got a good look at them all, he barked out a laugh and asked, "What did she do? And who's this?"

He jerked his head towards Kara and Lord Aries replied, "We had a disagreement. It's been settled. We depart for the West in the morning. Miss Ruby gave a memorable performance."

"I'll bet, the boy looks about ready to drop," said Mr Diamond, still laughing.

Cedric was shakily making his way towards the dock but halfway there, dashed off to the side and vomited. Leona shook off Lord Aries' hands to go to help him, but the moment the younger magician realised that she was there he put his hand back and pushed her away. She insisted and this time he forced himself to snap, still retching, "Stay away from me, you little witch! Stay away!"

Leona dropped her hands but did not move from his side until he was done and down on all fours, gasping for air. Lord Aries and Mr Diamond continued their conversation, walking into the ship but the djinniyeh and Kara remained. It was chilly out and Leona wanted to go into the warmth of the ship but she could not bring herself to just leave Cedric, not after what had happened. And then he said, "If you expect me to thank you, I won't."

"I don't care," said Leona. "It was my fault."

At this he turned his head to look up at her and said, "Damn right, it's your fault. What the hell are you? What kind of power allows you to summon the souls of the dead? We had the right idea back in the Caribbees, hang all of you high the minute you start showing power."

Leona felt her hackles rising but she bit back her anger to reply, "What would you say if I told you that Lord Aries has that power too? That the reason that he took me from John Opal was because he saw that I had that power and didn't care who he killed to get me?" Cedric just stared at her. She continued anyway, squeezing her hands into fists, "Do you think that you're here because of your power or talent? No, Mr Miller, the only person being pitied here is you and he nearly killed you because I tried to run away from him."

Cedric surged to his feet and rushed at her, forcing her to take a step back to avoid being hit, shouting, "Do you expect me to believe that!"

Leona glared up at him, unbowed, and said, "I don't care if you believe it or not. All that matters is that he doesn't kill my brother. You should have never brought him on this ship. You should have left him at home where he belongs."

Cedric turned his back on her and began to stagger away. Leona forced herself to remain where she stood, to let him go on his own stead, and took a few calming deep breaths. Then Kara said, "You should have let him die. We would have escaped."

Leona did not look back at her but replied, "The djinniyeh stopped you in less than two breaths. We would not have gotten anywhere and he would be dead and it would be my fault...We, I was not prepared for it. Not yet." Then she followed Cedric into the ship without another word.

The next morning, it was not the djinniyeh or Mr Diamond who came to fetch her for breakfast, but Cedric.

Leona could not tell who was more surprised of the two of them when she opened her door. For a moment he just stared at her, and then he blinked and said, "I don't want cold tea."

Taking the hint for what it was and not in the mood to torment him—in the daylight now he still looked wan and ill—Leona hastened to get dressed. When she returned to her bedroom there was a yet another dress on the bed, dark yellow plaid this time with a black trim and a sturdy-looking pair of black lace-up shoes. She glared at them, furious that they had not been available the night before, and then pulled them on. Then with a few minutes worth of vigorous brushing, twisting and tying up of her hair, she deemed herself presentable and went to the door again to meet Cedric.

He had not moved from his post but at the sight of her turned and started leading the way to the dining room without a word. Leona could not blame him for not having anything to say to her. She did not know what more she could say to him. Still, she cleared her throat and said, "Um…"

He gave no sign that he had heard her, did not even slow. She took a deep breath, released it and asked, "Are you okay?"

This time he stumbled, nearly tripping over his feet before he caught himself against the wall. Leona stopped walking as well, waiting for him to recover and then had to take a quick step back when he did. He did not stand up so much as he lunged for her, forcing her back into the opposite wall and her head hit it with a crack that made her vision go black. Then he snarled at her, "Don't you dare ask me how I'm doing!"

Leona surprised herself by not screaming, but instead grasped at the hands that he had wrapped around her neck. He was breathing hard, nostrils flaring, and his gaze was wild. He meant to kill her, Leona realised, even as his grip tightened and her vision began to blacken. She gagged, struggling to breathe, to break his hold. He needed to stop before she hurt him. He was not the first person to attack her like this and it had not ended well for that person. He of all people should know that it was not a good idea to attack a magician.

"What are you doing?" asked someone, and then there was an audible click.

Cedric froze immediately, his grip loosening though he did not remove his hands from Leona's neck.

Leona gulped in great breaths of air, gasping, relief flowing through her. Her rescuer repeated his question, "I asked what you think you are doing?"

This time Cedric let his hands drop away from Leona and lifted them in the air, palms up. Alphonse stepped into Leona's line of sight then and nudged Cedric away with the barrel of his gun. Cedric clenched his jaw but did as commanded. Alphonse did not look at him but asked Leona, "Are you alright?"

She nodded, massaging her throat. He glared at Cedric and said, "If she dies you die, you know this, yes?"

Cedric scoffed, straightened his spine and said, "Who do you think you're talking to?"

Alphonse lifted an eyebrow at him and replied, "Have you forgotten whose ship you're on? How much do you think it would trouble me to toss you from the deck?"

Cedric's expression darkened further, and for a moment it looked as if he was tempted to find out but then he took a breath, straightened his clothes and turned around and walked away. Leona watched him go from where she stood pressed against the wall and only when he had disappeared around a corner, turned to Alphonse and said, "Thank you."

Her voice was hoarse and it hurt her throat to speak. Alphonse smiled back at her and once again Leona could not help but notice how handsome he was. His skin was smooth and dark, his eyes bright and clear and when he smiled deep dimples formed in his cheeks. She thought her heart gave an answering flutter and dropped her gaze to suppress it. He was one of her captors and would not hesitate to carry out Lord Aries' bidding if she tried to escape him. He had just said as much to Cedric anyway.

"Do you think you can manage?" he asked.

Leona looked back up at him, momentarily confused. He indicated her throat and replied, "Do you think that you will be able to eat?"

She massaged her throat again and nodded. "Good," he said. "Let's go before Mr Tolliver comes looking." And then he extended his arm for her.

Leona's eyes went wide, but at his encouraging smile, she slipped her hand into his and let him lead her to the dining car. They separated at the door when Alphonse opened it, announcing cheerily as he did so, "Apologies for the delay, Your Lordship, we took a wrong turn and wound up on the other side of the ship. Can't believe I got lost on my own home."

Lord Aries was seated in his usual place, back to the window, looking up at them. His expression was sceptical, one eyebrow slightly raised, lips pursed, and for a moment Leona thought his eyes had narrowed at her throat. She clenched her hands into fists to stop herself from reaching for her neck, but Lord Aries flashed a look at Cedric anyway, which he ignored. Her brother turned around in his seat and greeted, "Good morning, Leelee. His Lordship told me that the Garnets are interested in my skills! Isn't that great? Mr Garnet built half of New Amsterdam. I've seen some of his books on the library cart at home!"

No one else said a word, not even Mr Diamond. Her brother was grinning from ear to ear though, apparently oblivious to the tension in the room. Then after a moment, Lord Aries said, "Thank you, Mr Marcel. Miss Ruby, your breakfast is getting cold and we have much to do today."

Leona hesitated only a moment before going to the table and taking a seat between her brother and Cedric. Her attacker did not look up, and shifted his body away from her. She squeezed her fists a moment, grounding herself, and then looked up at Lord Aries and asked, "What are we doing today?"

"I should have praised you last night, Miss Ruby," Lord Aries replied. Leona gave him a sharp look, the memory of his slaps warming her cheeks, but he was not looking at her. He continued, "Because of the success of your performance last night, we have received a formal invitation to accompany the Garnets to Aerie. This is wonderful news. We are now one step closer to the West City."

"Aerie?" asked Leona.

"It is the site of the Garnets' attempt to reclaim the glory of the lost West City. The key to the city and everything we hope to achieve is there," said Lord Aries.

Leona considered this for a moment and then said, "The sisters said that all members of the Order knew where the cities were."

Lord Aries looked up at her, "Indeed. If you want to find the West City, Miss Ruby, you go west."

"Where exactly?" asked Leona, meeting his gaze.

He smiled at her and replied, "We're going to the Union State of Colorado. Aerie is there."

Leona looked away from him, to Cedric and asked, "Couldn't you have done all this without me…without Mr Opal?"

For a time there was silence on the other side of the table and then Lord Aries said, "I told you before, Miss Ruby. You and I have a shared destiny; we are bound by our gifts. Your time with Mr Opal was stifling you, and would only have ended in frustration and tragedy. I spared you that fate."

Leona lost her appetite immediately. She sat back from her plate and said, "Mr Tyne was going to take me away from there, you know. Mr Opal had said himself that he was not the best teacher and had given us his blessing. I was to go to Albion with Vincent and Mr Tyne at the end of the summer. You…you did not have to do what you did."

Lord Aries took a sip of his tea and said, "Sebastian? That boy would have done you no favours, Miss Ruby. He seeks the same thing I do but if you think it is for some noble reason you are mistaken. Sebastian wants that power for glory, to curry favour among friends in high society, whereas I intend to share it. Tell me, Miss Ruby, you have spent enough time in their company as Mr Opal's assistant, what do you think some golden son of inherited privilege would do with that power when he got his hands on it? You think that just because he was kind to you that he would not have brought you, nay, the entire world to heel with it? Forget that boy and that life you left behind. We are meant for greater things."

Leona, tired of having this same conversation in different forms, exhaled heavily. She had actually not been thinking of Sebastian at all until his name left her lips but now that Lord Aries mentioned him, she wondered. What had happened to him and Vincent after Lord Aries snatched her away? They should have buried Master Opal by now and cleared up the rubble of the house. Ma De Four would have to find another job. And her parents, had they been told what happened to their two youngest children? Would she ever see them again?

She started when someone asked, "Miss Ruby, are you alright?"

She looked up to the speaker to find that it was Alphonse. He glanced down at her plate. She looked down at it too, then back up at him and then over to Lord Aries. He stared back at her, gaze steady. She picked up her spoon and replied, "I'm just fine."

She would see her family again, she and Generous. She would never stand with Lord Aries, no matter what.

They were taking the Sylphide to Colorado and so after breakfast, the Garnets arrived with their luggage and staff. The sisters barely waited for their steamcar to stop before they had opened the door and were hurrying up the gangplank to greet Leona. Cedric and Generous both went wide-eyed at the sight of the trio, which Mr Diamond noticed and chuckled at while Alphonse suppressed a yawn.

"Leona! Dear Leona!" cried Rose as she barrelled into her, nearly knocking both of them to the floor.

"Miss Garnet," said Leona, blinking away her surprise. "Good morning. It is good to see you again."

Rose released her, still grinning, and said, "Oh no, you can call me 'Rose' or 'Rosie', everyone does. I can barely stand this wait to get to Aerie. It is so exciting!"

Leona glanced at Lord Aries, who had been looking carefully at their greeting, and then nodded at Rose. Rose's grin widened and then she turned to her sisters, who had been standing quietly behind them the whole time, and said, "Oh, finally. You two are so slow!"

Lavender and Orchid said nothing to this and Leona greeted them as she had their sister. Lavender smiled at her, but Orchid nodded and then looked around until her gaze fell on Cedric and she said, "Ah, there you are. Good morning, Mr Miller."

Cedric's eyes went wide, his surprise at being addressed clear. Still, he stammered out, "Miss Garnet, Miss Garnet and Miss Garnet, good morning." And then he bowed.

The girls are giggled, and Leona suppressed the urge to roll her eyes with extreme prejudice. How fortunate they were not to know his true nature. Then someone whispered behind her, "If he bowed any lower he would have toppled over. What a ponce."

Leona bit her lip in a vain attempt to stop herself from smiling. Alphonse had not lowered his voice that much but it did not appear that either Cedric or the sisters had heard him. And then the sisters' attention was back on her and Rose grasped Leona's hand and said, "Come, come, take us to our room. I must show you what we brought. Oh, we've gotten you the loveliest outfit. You're going to be our assistant!"

She did not wait for Leona or Lord Aries' response, but simply dragged the girl along with her into the ship, Lavender and Orchid trailing behind. Leona had a feeling that they were the more restrained of the two and then wished that they would do some of that holding back on their sister. Rose led them through the airship as if she owned it, chattering all the way about the preparations they had been making for the trip (a lot) and what Leona would find when they got to Aerie (a mansion on the side of a cliff that shone like a star and seemed to float over the edge into nothingness) and the first thing she planned to do when they got to the West City (have a gander at its massive clockwork heart and see if she could replicate and improve on it.)

There was no sign of their father, though Leona suspected that he and Lord Aries were off somewhere talking while the sisters kept Leona occupied. It was surprising, to say the least, that after last night that Lord Aries was willing to trust her not to expose them. Then again, she suspected that he could not care less about the authorities in the Empire, to say nothing of those in the Union. He acted like a man who knew he had nothing to fear from anyone, and that included her, the one he had declared was destined to stand with him, regardless of whether she wanted to or not.

Finally they came to a stop before a door on the same level that Leona's bedroom was. Leona recognised it only because her bedroom door had been left open and she could just see Kara sitting on her bed, looking rather morose. She was still grieving her failure and smarting from Leona's scold. Her eyes, when she looked up at the girl were red and then she vanished in a whirl.

If Rose or her sisters noticed this, they ignored it and continued to the door beside Leona's room. It was opened from within and a construct, more humanoid in shape than Leona was used to, stepped out. It bowed at the four girls and then extended its hand to the room. Rose dragged Leona in before she could say a word but then promptly released her to run to the first bed and throw herself atop it. "Ah, how Spartan!" she cried, smiling. "Now it feels like we're on an adventure."

The room was only a little longer than Leona's and contained three beds instead of one. Their luggage, many great trunks and bags, were stacked to the ceiling, and there were two other humanoid constructs standing by the beds, awaiting instructions. Rose caught Leona's gaze and said, "Our assistants: Rota, Sigrun and the one that opened the door is mine, Mist. We must get you one."

Leona thought of Kara in her room and said, "No, thank you. My element is water."

"Ah! That's right!" said Rose, rolling over onto her stomach so she could look at Leona who was still standing awkwardly in the doorway. "His Lordship told us that you had a warrior. One of the Carib. Was he a cannibal?"

Leona thought back to Tamosi, forceful and proud, and replied, "He was a warrior. But…well, there is no need."

Rose waved away her protest and said, "No, no, we shall get you a construct, you can fit whatever you like in it. And you would need an air elemental anyway. No magician is allowed in the West City without one." Then, giving Leona a critical onceover, she added, "Our ancestors saw to it that we knew our history. It is a pity that the same could not happen for yourself and your family."

Leona bit back her scoff, thinking of her parents and older siblings and poor Generous imprisoned on this ship with her, and said, "Yes. It is."

"Well that's why you have us now," said Rose. "To teach you and you have so much to learn, and so much to share. You must tell us about life in the Caribbees. Magical practice is not so greatly respected in the Union. Here they prefer that a man make his way with his own two hands, and that women sit quietly and help him. Of course you cannot help a magician using his talents when it would be advantageous to do so."

"No, I don't suppose you can," said Leona, thinking instead of how her performance had done wonders for the sisters' interest in her. It did not appear that that interest had extended to the fate of John Opal.

"But we three have always believed that as women with power we must use it, for if magic was a practice for men alone no women would be born with the ability. And here is an opportunity for us to bring glory to all women, including yourself Miss Ruby," said Rose, smiling again. "How do you feel about getting your name into the history books?"

"That would be nice," said Leona, because it was expected.

"Well then," said Lavender, from her place at the window. "We're going on an adventure."