Charmed Vengeance

There was no way that Vix would allow him accompany Jeff and Noli on the drop—and he wasn’t about to reveal he was Fae. Not yet. When Jeff and Noli went to meet him Kevighn would follow—if nothing else than to make good on Roderick’s message to find Ciaran.

Sixteen The Drop

Noli hunched over the watch chain as she wove, the project nearing completion. Still trapped in her room like a disobedient child, she had to do something to keep from going mad. Rahel seemed to be the only one allowed to come and go freely and they’d played “dolly tea party” more times than she cared to count. The sprite liked dolly tea party. Noli wasn’t actually sure where the little girl had currently gone off to.

Maybe Thad was guarding her door. If she asked, he’d probably show her more knife fighting or help her practice what he’d been teaching her bit-by-bit on the sly.

“Noli?” Jeff rapped on the closed door.

“Come in.” Noli held her spot in the elaborate weave with a cog … almost done.

Jeff popped his head in. “We’re going to be arriving in San Francisco soon.”

“May I go with Vix to deliver the girls?” She returned to her weaving, anxious to finish. “I’ll miss Rahel.”

His eyebrows rose. “They haven’t been onboard that long.”

“I’ll still miss her.” She kept weaving. Just a few rows to go.

Jeff sat on her hammock. “You do understand that what you did was wrong?”

“Yes, Jeff.” Her voice went bland as she completed another row. She’d replayed the scenario in her head. Every time she’d chosen the same way. Constantly being protected and coddled was tiresome. She wasn’t some vapid pile of mush.

“Mr. Silver won’t be coming with us when we leave port, it’s not working out.” Jeff looked as if he were truly fascinated by the needlework pillow on the hammock.

Noli finished the final row of the section. “What you mean is that Vix blames him for me disobeying orders.”

Jeff’s jaw gritted. “Mr. Silver isn’t suited for this ship.”

“And I am?” It wasn’t Kevighn’s fault. The sprite had saved them all. But it wasn’t like she could tell anyone that. Noli finished off the section and added it to the others. Using her little knife, she trimmed all the ends neatly. Now to assemble the five pieces into a chain.

His hand lay on her shoulder. “You’re still learning. Besides, I need your help.”

“Did you burn the food?” She scrunched her nose at the thought. Cooking would get her out of this miniscule space.

“Actually, I need you to help me with something even more important. I need you to accompany me on a drop.”

“A drop?” Noli made a face as she attached the silver clasps and joined the sections into a single chain. “What’s that?”

“We’ve been collecting items for a client,” he explained. “Now it’s time to make the exchange, the artifacts for the money.”

“You want me to accompany you?” Noli’s fingers traced the complex design of the watch chain as she pondered his words. The little beads and clips she’d bought to accent it sparked in the dim light.

Jeff nodded. “This client is quite refined and doesn’t like Vix much. We always do drops in pairs and you’re far less suspicious than Asa or Thad. Why don’t you get ready? Wear something pretty.”

“What sort of pretty?” Her mouth clamped shut. She sounded like such a nit-wit.

“Like something you might wear when visiting someone in the morning?” Jeff’s face contorted in puzzlement.

“I’m sure I have something,” she replied. He wanted her to go with him on his air pirate business? And Vix allowed it?

Wait. Findlay House was in San Francisco. A chill enveloped her entire body.

Jeff frowned as he stood. “What’s wrong?”

“Please, don’t send me back to Findlay.” Tears pricked her eyes at the thought of that dreadful place, the watch chain falling through her fingers onto the worktable. “Send me to Boston, but not Findlay.”

His arms enveloped her. “I’m not sending you anywhere. You, with your fine manners and pretty dresses, are going to help me deliver some artifacts to a very genteel man who appreciates such things. Then we’ll go have tea, how does that sound?”

Tea sounded quite nice, actually.

And cake, the sprite added. Could that be my prize?

Yes, that sounds perfect.

“All right, then. But I want cake.” She looked up at him and he wiped a tear off her cheek with his thumb. “Will you send in Rahel?”

Jeff smiled as he smoothed her hair. “Of course.”

“Which one?” Noli held up two hats, the bonnet which matched the cape and the blue derby with a little bird on it.

Rahel looked from one to the other and back again. “The bird one.”

Noli put the derby on, making sure her hair covered the points of her ears. “This always has been my favorite.”

“I may keep Charlotte? Forevers?” Rahel clutched the doll to her chest.

“Yes. Forevers. Just promise me you’ll take good care of her.” Noli stowed the bonnet and donned her cape. She’d decided to wear her blue dress with the slightly shorter skirt and the bell sleeves. One probably needed freedom of movement when on a drop, and ever her mother had deemed it perfectly proper for daywear.

“Oh, I will. I promise.” Rahel looked up at her with large, solemn eyes. “Will I ever see you again?”

Noli sniffed, she’s already grown so fond of the little girl. “You are going to be reunited with your papa. That’s the most important thing of all.”

Jeff stood at the door, looking ever the dapper gentleman, a black attache case in one hand. He held out his arm to her. “Shall we?”

She grabbed her parasol and planted a kiss on Rahel’s blonde head. “Be good.”

Rahel gave her a wave, sniffing into her sleeve. “Bye, bye.”

Noli dabbed her eyes with her handkerchief as they walked up the stairs. Thankfully, Jeff didn’t say anything, he just patted her shoulder.

He led her through the bustling San Francisco Air Terminal. They caught a motorcab to a very posh part of town filled will elegant buildings and homes—all newly built after the earthquake nearly seven years before and truly modern with plenty of brass and glass.

How could Jeff move so easily through the city that had stolen their father? Unbeknownst to most, the earthquake had opened up rifts to the Otherworld. Some simply let aether—magic—escape into their realm, but others were large enough for people to fall through.

Kevighn insisted her father was long gone, but Noli held fast to the idea that he still might be alive someplace in the Otherworld.

“Who are we calling on?” Noli asked as they walked through streets crowded with people, streetcars, and autos. A few flying cars and hoverboards swooped overhead. She pulled her cape closer to ward off the chill. At least no snow lay on the ground.

“We are meeting a gentleman named Kyran. He asked us to … collect … some artifacts,” Jeff replied, holding the attache case tightly.

Collect? He meant steal. This man paid the crew to steal things. She nodded