An Airship Named Desire (Take to the Skies Book 1) (28 page)

Epilogue

I stood from the granite headstone before me. ‘Captain Robert Morris’ it read, ‘Your fearful trip is done.’ We buried Byron, Jasper, Hiram, and Cole, the deckhands who we lost in that battle alongside him with similar markers. The Baltic tides swelled in the distance, and for a moment, I thought I could smell the cigar smoke staining my Captain’s khaki duster. I placed a hand on the chilled tombstone, and tears pricked my eyes with the true realization he was gone. But standing by the beaches of my Captain’s old Germany, his presence lingered right alongside me.  

“O Captain, my Captain…” I trailed off. A warm hand clamped on my shoulder.

Geoff stood behind me with one hell of a sad smile on his lips. “All over a box.” 

“So much tragedy and for nothing. Old Germany will never get the retribution it deserved.” I ran a hand over Matilda in my holster. The girl had been sorely missed when the Morlocks overtook our ship. With Edwin’s neat bandaging job and his new elixir with the vague scent of elderberries, my wounds were closing up fast too.

“Maybe that’s okay,” Geoff spoke up. “The world’s been without it for two decades, it could’ve just sparked a powder keg. If what happened to us was any indication, that box was bad news from the start.” The tides crashed in the distance, and the salty brine of the ocean laced through the air. I took in a deep breath.

“I get that, but I don’t like all the unknowns. Whatever happened to our former employer?”

Geoff shrugged. “Let’s just hope we never hear or see from him again.”

“Like we’d be that lucky.” I kicked the dirt, knocking a couple pebbles astray. “He’s not the only one full of mysteries. How did you survive after being thrown overboard anyway?” 

“Skill,” he said with a wink. “I managed to grab a hold onto the side of our girl. They knocked me over right near the climbing rope they used to board our ship, so I latched onto that. The deck already broke out in skirmishes at that point, so no one noticed as I climbed up to the Morlock ship. I took out the helmsman, and that’s how I ended up there.”

“You’re a genius, boy-o.” I passed him a rueful grin.

“Where to next?” Geoff asked. “We have an open sky ahead of us.”

“Beijing maybe?” I shrugged. “I heard they’re more straightforward there. What I wouldn’t give for a little old smuggling job. We need whatever coin we can scrape together.”

“You may as well just let Isabella loose in the casinos,” Geoff said. “When are you going to let the Brits off?”

“When my ship’s clean.” I grinned and bared my teeth. The sun glinted off the lacquer on Morris’ grave, and I glanced back one last time before we returned to the ship. Geoff’s rough fingers intertwined with mine, and I squeezed them tight. Desire emerged into view the moment we neared port, and her dark worn wooden hull stood out against the sparkling ocean. But she held her own beauty, a sleek and strong sort unparalleled by anything else in the skies. The word ‘Desire’ emblazoned the pearl white balloon, and by the Gods, she was ours.

Sneak Peek into Tale of Two Airships

There’s a sacred rite all Captains go through, whether of sea or sky, that turns any fledgling into the thick-blooded, heartless bastard they need to be. Every Captain, at some point in their career will reach that same precipice.

The day when you want to murder every last member aboard your ship. For me? I’d reached the precipice and was ready to dive to the depths.

Voices rose from the end of the hallway. The splintered floorboards creaked under my heavy boots as I made my way down. Most of the crew had congregated in the mess hall, because instead of eating their damn breakfast, they’d rather run their mouths. The door was wide open, and the scents of Adele’s biscuits and gravy caused my stomach to rumble. I cracked my knuckles upon approach, trying to rein in my temper. To be fair, the week long stretch in the air, combined with low paying shitty jobs were partially culprit.

However, the main reason everyone took to shouting like the end of days was coming had to do with a certain letter delivered by sparrow and addressed to our favorite ex-gypsy, Isabella.

One thing you don’t do is threaten one of ours. I learned that from a wise old wardog, once upon a time. And ever since the letter had arrived, Isabella had taken to pacing around below decks, keeping out of sight, or leaning on railings lost in troubled thought. For the woman who’s never ruffled to get as neurotic as Edwin? The letter was one hundred percent to blame.

About the Author

A modern day Renaissance-woman, Katherine McIntyre has learned soapmaking, beer brewing, tea blending, and most recently roasting coffee. Most of which make sure she’s hydrated and bathed while she spends the rest of her time writing. With a desire to travel and more imagination than she knows what to do with, all the stories jumping around in her head led to the logical route of jotting them down on paper. Not only can her poetry and prose be found in different magazines, but she’s had an array of novels and novellas published through Decadent Publishing, Boroughs Publishing, Hazardous Press, and Jupiter Gardens Press. For more casual content, she’s a regular contributor on CaffeineCrew.com, a geek news website.

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