“Is the airship you’re on even cleared for diplomatic use?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
The harshness of his words had Blaine closing his eyes. “I don’t want to put our country at risk any more than I already have.”
“You weren’t the one who harmed Siv or shot me. I’ve little concern for Ashionen or Daijalan laws after what we’ve uncovered.” Honovi’s voice softened some, but Blaine could still hear the burr of pain in it. “I won’t leave you behind. Not again.”
Blaine swallowed tightly. “Keep the engines running, then. I’ll get us there as soon as I can.”
He ended the call, tucking the televox away in the small case secured to his belt. The door to the parlor opened, admitting a red-eyed Caris, followed by Lore, who had exchanged her dress for nondescript trousers and a day jacket, a veil wrapped around her face.
“We’re ready. We’ll take one of the motor carriages in the garage,” Lore said.
“I rang my mother. She and my father are waiting at the Bureau of Patents,” Caris said.
Blaine nodded. “Then let’s be off.”
They left the parlor, heading for the stairs, and Blaine wasn’t at all surprised to see Meleri waiting for them at the landing. The duchess stood tall beneath the weight of everything she’d carried over the decades. Whatever she and Caris had spoken about in private, they didn’t reiterate the argument.
Meleri still reached for her. Caris stiffened beneath her touch but didn’t jerk away. “I only ever wanted to keep you safe.”
“I don’t want your excuses. Find Nathaniel and get him back. That’s all I want from you right now,” Caris said.
She stepped forward, forcing Meleri’s hand to drop away. Lore pulled her mother into a quick hug, whispering something into her ear that Blaine couldn’t hear. Then she started down the stairs after Caris, leaving Blaine and Meleri on the landing.
“Caris will be queen if she lives,” Meleri whispered into the silence between them. “Make sure she lives.”
“I know my duty,” Blaine said.
He bowed to the duchess, then started down the stairs, leaving her behind to mend the Clockwork Brigade’s broken cogs and chains.
Nine
CARIS
Caris slammed her foot on the brake, lurching forward against the lap belt as the motor carriage came to an abrupt stop. She narrowly missed hitting the group of protestors who’d darted in front of her vehicle. One shouted rudely at her before smacking the hood of the motor carriage with their wooden sign.
“Hey now!” Caris shouted back.
“I don’t think we’ll be able to get through this crowd,” Lore said from the back seat.
Caris tightened her grip on the steering wheel and drove the motor carriage forward. She didn’t get very far. “We’re three blocks from the Bureau of Patents. I’m not leaving without my parents.”
She’d already lost Nathaniel today. She absolutely refused to lose her parents. Any other day she’d be right there in the thick of the protest, but today she wished it were happening anywhere else but here.
“We could get out and make a run for it,” Blaine said.
“How do you expect us to make it to the airfield if we leave the vehicle behind?”
“I think between you and I we could hot-wire a motor carriage.”
Caris drummed her fingers against the steering wheel, contemplating that option. Lore leaned forward to hiss in her ear. “That will bring attention you don’t want. The press is everywhere around here. Look.”
Caris followed where she pointed, squinting through the windshield at the reporter set up on the corner and taking photographs of the protesting crowd. Behind him was a cluster of peacekeepers. They had their batons out and gripped in both hands as they marched alongside the protestors, most likely to meet up with their fellow peacekeepers down the street.
“Oh, hell.” Caris yanked up the emergency brake and shifted the motor carriage into park. “Let’s go. It’ll take us hours to get through this crowd if we stay.”
Lore swore under her breath but didn’t try to change Caris’ mind. Caris undid her lap belt and shoved open the door. The summer heat was a heavy weight in the air, what breeze blowing through the air slow and almost stagnant. The leaves on the trees lining the sidewalks barely moved.
