Charmed Vengeance

Kevighn skulked into yet another bar near the Denver Air Terminal. Hopefully this time the Bright Lady would smile upon him and he’d find someone who was hiring—or going toward San Francisco. He sat at a table with a good view of the bar and ordered a glass of rum from the buxom serving woman.

“Anything else?” She gave him a saucy wink as she set his drink in front of him.

“You wouldn’t by chance know if Snowball’s Chance or Ardentia Nare is in port?” He added an extra coin to her palm along with the cost of the rum. Roderick had introduced him to some very bad gamblers back in Chicago.

She shot him a sly smile, pocketing the coins. “Perhaps.”

Groaning inwardly, he handed her another.

“You looking for work or got a job for them?” Her breasts waggled in his face.

“Work.”

Nodding, she cast a glance around the bar. “Snowball’s Chance is here—Captain’s over in the corner.” She jerked her head to indicate a larger, balding man with a hat who could have stepped right out of a penny dreadful. “Also, you may ask over at the Vixen’s Revenge. I hear they’re looking for someone.”

“Doing what?” Not that it mattered at this point.

“Not sure. But I think they’re having engineering issues.” She giggled, breasts jiggling as she laughed.

Would he have enough coin to find a harbor to drop his anchor in?

“They’ve been here a couple of days, and the captain’s getting testy. Though that captain’s always testy,” she chuckled. “The first mate and some of the crew are at that table over there.” She jerked her head toward a table near the window with two very large men, one of them dark. The third man, one with a mop of chestnut curls, threw back his head and laughed, revealing big, steel-colored eyes. Kevighn studied the man a little more …could it be? These eyes were bluer. Still, there was quite the resemblance, and her brother was an air pirate.

Did he dare? It might be nice to have a connection to Magnolia, if this was, in fact, the right person.

“The one with the curly hair, is his name Jeff?” he asked.

She nodded vigorously. “He’s first mate. Mighty fine pilot.”

Yes, the Bright Lady smiled upon him indeed.

Kevighn handed her another coin. “Buy him another glass of whatever he’s drinking, with my compliments.” She hustled off. He drank his weak rum and sighed, praying everything worked out for the better. He peered at his fellow patrons—this bar wasn’t the dingiest or dirtiest he’d been to since he was exiled.

Magnolia. By the Bright Lady he missed her. Who would have thought a slip of a mortal girl would have gotten under his skin the way she had.

Awhile later, Jeff wandered by. “I hear you’re looking for a job.”

Kevighn nodded, gesturing to the free stool at the small table. “The name’s Kevighn, Kevighn Silver. I’m a fair gunner, have experience with fieldwork and safekeeping, and can pilot a bit. I even know a small amount about engines. Hear you’re having engineering issues?”

Jeff’s eyes flashed in a way that reminded Kevighn of his fair blossom.

“We’re fine,” Jeff replied, with a hint of tension. “You know engineers. I need to do a diagnostic is code for I want to do things to the engines that you won’t approve of and may not actually work.”

Kevighn laughed at his summation. “True.”

Jeff visibly relaxed and took a seat. “The name’s Jeff, Jeff Braddox, first mate of the Vixen’s Revenge.”

Braddox? Then again, he could be trying to protect his family’s good name.

“Got any references?” Jeff looked him over in a way that was, again, reminiscent of Noli. As if he was trying to weigh his soul and read his mind in a single glance.

Kevighn rattled off the fake references Roderick had given him in Chicago.

Jeff rubbed his chin, nodding. “We’ll try it out, and if it doesn’t work we’ll leave you in a large port, one where you can find other work. However … you don’t have any issues working with women—and I mean women crew members, not soiled doves or any such thing, do you?”

“No, not at all.” The promise of being left in a port where he could find work if it didn’t work out smacked of an honorable respectability he didn’t usually encounter among air pirates.

Then again, he knew Magnolia was wellborn.

“Good, Captain’s a woman.” Jeff looked around then motioned to someone.

A very tall boy strode over. It took Kevighn a moment to realize it was actually a woman in boy’s clothing. A lock of blue hair hung in her dark eyes.

“Captain Vix, I think I found our new crew member, his name’s Kevighn Silver,” Jeff told her. “He’s quite qualified and has excellent references.”

Her eyes narrowed as she took him in. “I don’t welcome trouble makers.” She had an accent better suited to a joy-girl than a captain. “You don’t bother my crew, you don’t cause problems on ship, you don’t cause problems in port, and you don’t cause problems when we’re on a job. You follow orders—my orders. Everyone pitches in onboard, including cooking. You get food, a place to sleep, and a percentage of the take. Understood?”

Cooking? Well, Magnolia never had complained about his cooking. “Sounds good, Captain.”

A woman captain. Why not?

She and Jeff exchanged looks, then she extended her hand. “We agree to a trial, then?”

“Agreed.” They shook.

“Welcome to the Vixen’s Revenge. Be onboard by sundown tonight. Oh,” her eyes met his, so intense they burned into him. “Stay out of the engine room. That’s an order.” How strange. Perhaps they hid cargo in there. “Yes, sir.

Good.” She left. Jeff followed, throwing Kevighn a friendly smile over his shoulder as they walked out of the bar. Magnolia’s smile.

Sundown tonight. He had more than half the day. Now … how to spend it?

Hmmm. Noli cocked her head, a wayward strand of hair falling in her eyes. Wiping it back, she added some pink. Yes, that was it. Now for more yellow, such a cheerful color. Oh, and green—the very best color of them all.

“What are you doing?” Jeff’s voice started her.

Noli jumped. She stood in front of the center engine, a paintbrush and palette in her hand. Tiny flowers decorated festooned the gleaming brass, and she was surrounded by the parts she’d taken out of the engine and should be putting back in. Pain shot through her head and she rubbed her temples with one paint-covered hand.

Wait. Paint-covered?

Her heart skipped a beat. The paintbrush fell to the floor as panic rippled through her.

“Shhh, it’s all right, Noli, it’s all right. It’s me.” He came up behind her, voice soft.

“I … ” The sprite had taken over and she hadn’t even noticed. Her knees buckled.

Jeff’s hand brushed her face, cupping it. “Vix is on her way down. Put on your gloves and goggles and make like you’re getting the engines back together. I’ll put this away. Tell her that you’re almost finished and then we’ll get you out of here.”

She nodded, gulping. Her throat stayed swelled shut and she gulped again, body shaking. Closing her eyes, she tried to remember what had happened. Nothing. By the number of flowers decorating the engine she’d been at this for awhile.

Jeff picked up the paintbrush and took the palette out of her hand. “You can’t let her see you like this. She won’t understand.”

No, she wouldn’t. Gloves. Where were they?

The work gloves lay discarded on the floor. She tugged them over her paint-spattered hands, flipping her leather apron to the side without paint. Footsteps echoed in the background. The heat in the engine room was stifling, so she’d worn one of her sleeveless work gowns that she’d brought from the Otherworld. Pink paint streaked her right arm. Hopefully Vix wouldn’t notice. Her heart raced like a naughty child scrambling to hide her actions before her mother came in the room. Noli grabbed her magnifying goggles and flung herself of the floor of