Revenge of the Mad Scientist (Book One: Airship Adventure Chronicles) (17 page)

Belle blinked and her heart fluttered. She hadn’t expected this.

“But I will not have my sons with a slave or a woman who does not return my regard. However I am not willing to release you in any event. So you have a choice. You can stay with me as my guest and accept my courtship. After a suitable time, I will make you one of my wives and you will bear me sons.”

“Or?” Belle watched the flicker of firelight in his serious dark eyes.

“Or you can be a concubine with no sons, and as you say, no freedom. Either way I will have you. But I believe an intelligent woman like you can see the advantages my first offer bears.”

“Why would you make such an offer?”

He smiled and ran a hand behind her neck, stroking the soft skin there. “I seek the advantages of having you come willingly to my bed. I am no fool. Your acceptance of the situation would make life very pleasant for both of us. Think about it. I am a handsome man, no? You could do much worse.”

“But I don’t love you.”

“You could come to love me in time I am sure. I am not without knowledge of how to please a woman.” He moved closer and their lips were inches apart. His breath blew warm on her face and his fingers continued to massage the contours of her neck. He whispered, “Say, yes, and the world will be at your feet.”

He leaned closer and pressed his lips to hers and then surprisingly, he slid from the hassock to the floor, unconscious. Belle looked up, dazed to find Armani smiling at her, a wooden statue raised over her head.

Belle’s eyes went wide and then she grinned. “Good job.”

She quickly put on her clothes, thankful she hadn’t had to jab the skewer into the pasha who was rather likeable in his own barbaric sort of way. The warmth of his kiss lingered on her lips. She brushed the back of her hand across her mouth and handed the cloak to Armani, then hurried over to the window.

“What do we do now?” Armani whispered. “If they find out we attacked the pasha they will kill us.”

There were thick glass panels in the windows. Damn it, they were locked. She cursed a lot more under her breath and used the skewer to try and pick the lock. Fortunately it wasn’t very intricate and after only a little jabbing, it popped undone. She pushed the panel out and found it opened on a path that led to a garden behind the house. First, she helped Armani and then swung her legs over the sill and slid down to the ground.

Outside, the cold hit them in a chilling blast and Armani wrapped the pasha’s cloak tightly around her scantily clad form. Belle almost went back for some furs but decided they needed to get as far away from the house as possible before the pasha regained consciousness.

They pushed through a line of shrubbery and ran down the dirt road on the other side. Far to their right loomed another large dwelling, but just ahead Belle saw activity that meant they were probably nearing the city. Her heart pounded in her chest as she frantically tried to think of what they should do. How in the world were they going to get out of here? She had to get back to Harruca, to
Gambit
and her friends. But that seemed an impossible task in the midst of this danger.

“We need a place to hide,” Belle said, unable to stop the sinking dizziness of despair that grew in her head as realization of their isolation overwhelmed her.

“There,” Armani said pointing down the road to a large building that appeared to be a livery stable.

Belle shook off her anguish and they ran to the side of the building. In front, people with horses came and went. The clang of a blacksmith’s hammer on an anvil rang repeatedly in the air.

She motioned with one hand and they crept around the back of the building. There a huge pile of loose hay mounded beside a large stack of hay bales. Above their heads, a rope and pulley dangled from a wide door on the second floor, no doubt used to lift bales up to the loft for storage.

Loud shouting erupted from the direction of the house they had escaped and Armani grabbed her arm. “We have to hide.”

“We can burrow in the hay and after they stop hunting us we can climb that rope into the barn. At least it will be warmer in there.” Belle plunged her hands in the loose hay and began to dig. “Hurry.”

Armani joined her and soon they had two spaces they could fit into. They raked the hay in behind them just as the sound of galloping hooves approached. Men shouted words she couldn’t make out, but Belle knew they were searching for them. Armani shivered beside her, likely from fear as well as cold. She put an arm around the girl and pulled her close.

Shouting and the clanking of weapons passed by along with the clop of horses’ hooves. The hay itched every part of Belle’s body and made her want to sneeze but she suppressed those impulses out of sheer terror. She was horrified they would be discovered and didn’t dare speak or move even though she wanted to comfort the shaking girl. So she repeated words in her head as a talisman.
We’re going to be okay, we’re going to be okay.

They sat in their hay nest for what seemed like hours, afraid to move even though the sounds of pursuit had long passed. It appeared to be darker although they couldn’t really see out from inside the mound of hay.

“Belle,” Armani whispered, teeth chattering. “I’m freezing.”

They had to make a move sooner or later, and with night coming it would only become colder. “Okay, I’m going to see if anyone is close by.”

She slowly pushed a hand through the hay until she had a hole big enough to see out. Nothing appeared immediately across from them so she widened the hole. Cold air rushed in making Armani shiver more, but the street appeared to be empty.

“Let’s try it. We have to move. Okay?”

“Okay.” Armani pushed out with her hands along with Belle and they made a large enough opening to see up and down the street.

Belle started to poke her head out when footsteps approached along with men’s voices. She drew back and tried to pull some hay down.

“I’m certain the house is along this road. It’s big and white, we can’t miss it,” a familiar voice said.

Belle frowned and then a burst of joy surged through her. “Rett?”

“What?” his puzzled voice answered.

She poked her head out just as Rett and Sam strode past the mound. They spun around when they heard her voice. “Psst. Rett. Sam.”

“Belle?”

“Rett, what are you doing here?” She struggled to push the hay away from her. Gray shadows played across the ground in the gathering dusk and the busy sounds of the stable had ceased while they waited.

“Damn it, Belle,” Rett said marching toward the mound. He grabbed her arm and yanked her out of the hay. “I knew you were going to cause me a lot of trouble. I told you to stick with us in that market.”

“It’s not like I planned to to be kidnapped,” Belle snapped as she jerked her arm from his grasp and brushed away the wisps of hay sticking to her clothes and in her hair. “Someone hit me over the head. But I don’t understand how you found me.”

“Trust me, it’s a long story. How did you get away from the slave trader?”

“I had help. This is Armani,” she said assisting the younger woman out of the hay. “If it wasn’t for her we’d still be captives.”

“Another one of your strays, Belle?” Rett gave the young woman a cursory glance. “I suppose she’s coming with us?”

“Yes, and we’d better get out of here before they discover where we hid. Where’s Benji and Jasper?”

“They’re back at
Gambit
.” He jabbed a thumb behind him.

“We landed behind some hills over there,” Sam said. “Glad you’re safe, My Lady.”

“We don’t have time for pleasantries. Let’s get out of here,” Rett said, pushing Belle into motion.

She grabbed Armani’s hand and pulled her along, following Rett and Sam on a winding path through gardens, alleys and dirt paths they skirted the city until they came to the outer edge of development. They crouched down behind a stone wall at the end of a street where cottages were scattered amid small plots of tilled land. Anytime a villager appeared, they hid until the way was clear.

“We were able to avoid the main part of the city using this path,” Rett said. “But now we’ll be out in the open until we make it over that hill.”

Belle scanned the distance. A rocky terrain stretched out before them with only short scraggly bushes here and there. She looked down at Armani’s feet. She only had the thin slippers she was given at Rafi Tarris’ house.

“You’ll have to help Armani,” she said to Rett.

“Who is she by the way?” he asked, eyeing the girl with skepticism.

“She’s the niece of the Gandiss Ambassador, the one I met at the ball. She was kidnapped from her home.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“No, it’s true.”

Rett shook his head in disbelief. “Okay, let’s go.” He took Armani’s hand and they ran for the hill.

As the ground grew rockier, he finally stopped and picked her up. Belle stumbled on the loose gravel and Sam put out a hand to keep her from falling. She gave him a quick smile of thanks and then hurried on until they crested the hill and were out of sight from any followers.

Belle panted and lowered herself to a large rock. Rett released Armani and wiped the sweat from his brow.

“Okay,
Gambit
is just along this little valley. Come on. The sooner we’re in the air, the better.” Rett motioned them forward. “I doubt they’ve given up the search completely.”

The valley he mentioned looked to be an old stream bed, mostly sand. Armani held on to Belle’s hand and they continued on for several minutes until the bed widened into a broad area barren of vegetation.
Gambit
nestled in among the surrounding hills. Belle let out a deep breath of relief.

As they approached, Benji and Jasper ran down the gangplank toward them. Benji threw himself into Belle’s arms.

“B, Belle, you’re safe,” he exclaimed hugging her to him.

“Yes, dear. Quite safe.” She had to smile and tears stung her eyes.

“So happy you are back with us, My Lady,” Jasper said with a catch in his voice, then surprisingly broke protocol and enveloped her in a crushing hug.

When she felt him suppressing his sobs of relief, her tears spilled over and she patted his back, murmuring soothing words. Then he backed away, quickly wiping off any trace of tears and drew himself up in his normal imperious manner.

“You gave us quite a fright, My Lady,” he said.

“I know. I’m sorry.” She put a hand on his arm and his gaze softened.

She gestured behind her. “This is Armani. She’s coming with us. Benji, can you take her to a room in the gondola and show her around? Give her my fur cloak until I can find more clothes for her.”

Benji nodded. “Of course, this way m, m, miss.”

“Stoke her up, Sam,” Rett said as Belle followed Benji and Armani up the plank. “We need to get this bird in the air fast.”

He and Sam released the ground lines and he ran to the pilot station while Sam hurried down to the engine room. Puffs of steam soon rose from the twin pipes that exited at the back of the ship. Belle and Jasper hauled in the tether lines and coiled them on the deck

“Let ‘er fly,” Rett yelled and stomped the deck.
Gambit
swung lazily side to side, then picked up speed as Sam released more gas into the inflatable. Rett pushed the lever for the fans and they lurched into the air neatly missing the top of the hill that had concealed them.

Benji and Armani emerged from the cabin and joined Belle and Jasper at the rail. Armani no longer shivered, wrapped in Belle’s heavy fur lined cloak.

As they gained altitude, Belle could make out the details of Faldoral she had been unable to see cooped up in the train. By the light of the rising moon, the dark sapphire blue lake glistened with lights from the elaborate estates that circled it. Behind them were the rugged grey peaks of the mountain range with their snowy tops.

She had to admit it was a beautiful place. What would it have been like if she had accepted the pasha’s offer? He was a handsome man for certain. That fleeting kiss stirred some excitement in her that she had not felt in a long time. She smiled and shook her head at such foolish thoughts. She wouldn’t be content for long without her freedom, unable to choose how to live her life and who to marry. That wouldn’t do for her. But at least she didn’t feel he was the type of man who would mistreat the girls they left behind—a small consolation.

The airship rose faster now and Rett steered them around to avoid the city and head south. The figures of people on the ground became smaller. Armani touched her arm and pointed back toward the city. A large group of soldiers were moving through the streets, the moon glinting off their helmets and spear tips. Behind them a lone figure in burgundy robes rode on a grey stallion issuing orders they could not hear. He looked up in their direction but Belle could not make out his expression in the evening shadows.

She squeezed Armani’s hand. “That was quick thinking back there. You saved us.”

“I just imagined what you would do in that situation.” Armani grinned.

“Come on, we’ll find some warmer clothes for you.” She took the girl’s arm and led her down to her cabin.

###

Sam climbed out of the engine room and stood beside Rett. “We’re all stoked up. But we’ve got a problem.”

“Yeah? Let me guess. We don’t have enough fuel to make it to Jandaharra.” Rett grimaced.

“We can get by on coal, but we’ll run out of water.”

Rett eyed the horizon. He hadn’t thought past rescuing Belle. It had all happened a lot faster than he imagined it would. He and Sam were on their way to reconnoiter the house when they ran into Belle and Armani escaping. He wasn’t going to bemoan the easy getaway however. But now they had to find a place to stop between here and Jandaharra that would be safe and provide an ample supply of fresh water.

“How long until we have to stop?” he asked.

“Two or three hours at best.”

“That should at least put us over the border into Gandiss.”

“Aye, but there aren’t any towns along that way.”

“We’ve roughed it before. We’ll look for a small lake or river with a place big enough to land.” Rett rubbed his eyes. “In fact, it would be good if we can spend a night on the ground. I haven’t slept in two days.”