PETRA WOKE TO someone hammering on a door. It was late, hours past midnight according to the clock above the wardrobe. She could only guess who would arrive at Norris’s house at such a late hour.
“All right. All right,” said Norris from the living room. The couch creaked, and Petra heard him shuffle across the floor. He slid the dead bolt back and opened the door. “Who the bloody hell are you, then?”
“Where is she?”
Petra’s heart nearly jumped out of her chest as she recognized the voice. Emmerich. She hastily flattened her hair and crawled out of bed, pulling one of Norris’s robes over her nightshift as she headed toward the bedroom door.
“I don’t know who you’re talking about mate,” said Norris. “No one here but me.”
“I’m not your mate,” said Emmerich.
“Aye, you’re not.”
“Are you Norris Holland?”
“I am.”
“Well, she left me a message, said to send word here. Now tell me where she is.”
“As I keep telling you, mate, I don’t know who you’re going on about.”
Petra curled her fingers around the door handle and pushed through into the living room. The hinges creaked, but neither of them noticed. Norris stood in front of the door with his arms crossed over his chest, barring Emmerich from entering the house, while Emmerich glared at him from the doorway.
“Emmerich,” she called, wrapping the robe tightly around her chest. “I’m here.”
“Petra,” he breathed. He shoved past Norris and strode toward her, gathering her up into his arms. He nuzzled her hair. “You’re safe.”
“Thanks to you.” She pressed her face into his chest and basked in the feel of his arms around her, holding her close, his breath warm against her skin.
“I wish I could have told you what was going on, but there wasn’t time,” he said, hugging her more tightly. “I know how angry you must have been, after what I said.”
“I thought you betrayed me,” she said quietly. “I thought—”
“I would never do that,” he said, breaking their embrace. “You mean everything to me.” He lifted his hands to her face and kissed her, drawing her into him with a slow gentleness that pulled the very breath from her lungs. Her heartbeat quickened and she reveled in the touch of his lips against hers, an ache filling her bones as she stood in his grasp, all the feelings she felt for him welling up inside her, yearning to burst free.
“Well, this is bloody perfect,” said Norris. “This isn’t a brothel, you know.”
Petra drew away from Emmerich with a frown. “You seem to use it like one,” she snapped, feeling a flush creep into her cheeks. She’d forgotten he was even there.
“Well, if you’d like your privacy, I’ll be in my bedroom.” He disappeared through the door and shut it behind him, leaving the two of them in the living area.
An awkward silence followed, seeming to amplify the distance between them, though they stood only inches apart. Her joy at seeing Emmerich again, of having his arms around her, dissipated as the events of the trial came to the forefront of her mind—the accusations, the lies, the imprisonment, and the danger she was now in because of him. With a tired sigh, she sat down in the overstuffed chair near the fireplace and kneaded her forehead.
Emmerich joined her on the armrest.
“You should have sent Kristiane,” she said wearily, looking up into his blazing eyes, wanting nothing more than to fold herself into his arms and kiss him again, to forget all that had happened since the moment of their first kiss. “You could have been followed. The Guild knows I escaped. They could be watching you.”
“No one followed me, Petra.” He stroked her cheek, speaking softly. “Don’t worry. Everything is going to be fine. I’ll figure this out and—”
“Fine?” she scoffed and gently pushed him away. She needed room to breathe, to think. “Emmerich, you accused me of treason and then busted me out of prison. We are as far from fine as we could possibly be.”
He cupped her face in his hands, his expression serious. “Petra, I need you to trust me.”
She wanted to. Looking into those eyes, she wanted to trust him, to believe that he could figure things out and make everything right. “Then tell me what’s going on. Why did you lie to the Guild council? Why did you let them believe I was a traitor and a spy?”
A frown weighed on his brow, and he stepped away, running his hand through his hair as he stared at nothing for a moment, a grim expression on his lips, his eyes hard. Inhaling a deep breath, he sat down in the armchair opposite Petra, rubbing his forehead with his fingers. When he finally spoke, his voice was soft. “After you were captured—after we were both captured—I was taken before Vice-Chancellor Lyndon and my father. My father insisted that you were a spy, that you had been trading Guild secrets to the anti-imperialists and that I had been a fool to trust you. But I knew you were no spy.”
“Then why blame me? If you knew it wasn’t me—”
“If I refused to give you up, then my loyalty to the Guild would have been in question, and I might have been imprisoned as well. Instead, Vice-Chancellor Lyndon proposed a deal: if I testified against you at the tribunal, they would let me go unpunished by the law.”
“So you sold me out.”
“I agreed to the terms, yes. It was a measured decision, Petra. I said those things so that we might both come out alive. What good would I have been to you if they imprisoned me as well? It was the only option I had, the only way I could be sure of your safety. Lyndon assured me that you would be under Guild protection until an investigation proved your guilt—or innocence—and I knew it would buy me time to prove that you were not who they claimed, but there wasn’t enough time before the trial to gather the evidence I needed to clear your name.” He clenched his jaw, his eyes darkening. “In truth, I found the opposite.”
“What do you mean?”
“Petra, there is evidence against you, hard proof of your involvement with anti-imperialists, of selling documents to enemies of the crown.”
“But—” She felt her heart seize in her chest. “That’s a lie.”
“I know that, but true or not, it is there. To the council’s eyes, you are guilty beyond question.”
“That’s why you helped me escape.”
He nodded. “After the trial, I feared that the council would turn you over to British authority, and I couldn’t—” His voice broke and he cleared his throat. “I knew that because of what I said, because of what Lyndon told me to say, you would hang, regardless of your innocence, and I couldn’t let that happen.”
Petra stared at the ashes in the fireplace, trying to make sense of what Emmerich was saying. “I don’t understand. Why go to the trouble of fabricating an anti-imperialist plot?”
Emmerich clenched his jaw, his eyes smoldering beneath his drawn brows. “It’s not a fabrication.”
“What?”
“The anti-imperialist plot is real. There is a spy within the Guild. We don’t know who, but there is evidence of someone selling schematics and build-plans to anti-imperialists across Europe, including designs for the automaton, which very few people beyond the council had access to.”
“You think the spy is someone on the council?”
“It is a possibility. The extent of the cover-up suggests someone of a high position within the Guild, someone with knowledge of secret projects such as the automaton and the ability to falsify evidence.” He narrowed his eyes, resting his hand on his chin. “If I were to guess, I would say it was either my father or Lyndon—or someone working directly for them.”
“The vice-chancellor? Your own father?”
“My father was most insistent about your involvement with the anti-imperialists, and both he and Lyndon pushed for my testimony against you.”
“But why would they betray the Guild—the crown?”
He pressed his lips together and sighed. “Petra . . . there’s more.”
“More?”
“I know the reason the automaton was converted into a war machine. The completion of the automaton was only the beginning. We destroyed it, but too late. The Guild has the designs, the instructions for its assembly—everything. They know it works; they’ve seen what it can do. Petra, they’re going to build an army.”
“For what purpose?”
“War.”
Petra blinked. “But we aren’t at war.”
“We will be. When we destroyed the automaton, it raised suspicion of enemies within the Guild, especially in light of the recent Luddite attack. My testimony against you was a final catalyst, something to drive the rest of the council to action. Most of the council is loyal to the British Empire, and if there was a threat of war, a threat of attack from the anti-imperialists, they would not hesitate to stand to arms and defend the Empire, if not outright retaliate against British enemies. By asking me to accuse you of being an anti-imperialist spy, both Lyndon and my father have driven the council to thoughts of retribution, born out of fear and mistrust for those who could dismantle everything they stake their lives upon. If the British Empire mobilizes, the other countries will react. They will have cause to attack.”
The grandfather clock next to the fireplace struck three o’clock in the morning, a deep gong ringing through the silence following Emmerich’s words.
“Petra, we have to stop them.”
She looked up at him, a determined blaze in his copper eyes. “How?”
“We already wrecked the automaton. If we destroy all traces of the design, halt manufacture at the source, perhaps we can delay production of the automaton army, buy ourselves time to discover the true traitor within the Guild, expose this conspiracy to start a war, and not least of all, clear your name. If we can reveal the truth, perhaps we can stop it.”
Petra stared at him, her heart rising up her throat. “Emmerich, what you’re suggesting . . . We can’t go up against the Guild council, against the orders of Parliament and the crown. We’re only two people. How could we begin to hope to succeed?”
“We cannot sit by and do nothing.” Emmerich stood and faced her. “Petra, this automaton is our responsibility. We created it. We must be the ones to make certain that the world never knows its menace.”
“I did not ask to build a war machine!” she said, jumping to her feet. “You can’t lay this responsibility on my shoulders, Emmerich.”
“I understand if you’re scared, but—”
“I am not scared,” she said, glaring at him with a fierce determination to hide the lie. She was deathly afraid—afraid of being caught, afraid of dying, afraid of losing Emmerich. “Just for the sake of argument, say we succeed. Say we destroy all traces of the automaton. What will happen then? If the Guild wants war, they’ll have war. Someone else will build another automaton, a greater, more devastating war machine, and then what? Will we be responsible for those too?” She stepped toward him, gently laying her hand on his arm. “Emmerich, be realistic. What can we possibly hope to accomplish?”
He narrowed his eyes and stared into the empty fireplace, his gaze calculating—the same look he got when he was in deep concentration, trying to figure out some mathematical hurdle in a design. “You’re right,” he said finally, glancing up at her. “If we want to end this—truly end it—we have to do more than destroy the automaton and its designs. We have to strike at the heart of the operation. We have to bring down the Guild.”
Petra laughed—a cold, hollow laugh. “Because that will be easier.”
He stared at her seriously. “Of course it won’t be easy. Nothing worth doing ever is.”
“You’re mad.”
Emmerich shrugged. “Maybe I am, but Petra . . .” He grabbed her by the shoulders and stared deep into her eyes, his own eyes afire with a feverish ambition. “If we succeed, if we root out the corruption within the Guild, we could rebuild. You could take your rightful place as chancellor of the University and the Guild, claim your name, your mother’s legacy, the legacy of her father and grandfather—the legacy of your family. Don’t you understand? You could change everything, Petra. You could change the world.”
Petra blinked at him, her heart racing. “You truly believe that?”
“I do,” he said more softly, lifting his hands to her face. “More than anything.”
“But if we failed . . .”
“Then we fail. But if we succeed, we could make a difference, Petra. We could prevent a war. We could build a new city—together.”
She searched his eyes, the sincerity of his voice ringing through every word. “You really think we could do it? You think we could stop a war, stop the Guild, just the two of us?”
He clasped her hands in his. “It’s worth trying, isn’t it?”
What was the worst that could happen? They would fail. Nothing would change. But if they succeeded, maybe they could make a difference. Maybe they could prevent a war. If Emmerich thought they could take down the Guild, then maybe it was possible; he didn’t believe in impossible things.
She felt a smile lift the corners of her mouth. “All right,” she said. “What do you want me to do?”
He squeezed her hands. “Wait here.”
“But—”
“Petra, it’s too dangerous for you to be out. If you left here again, if you were caught—”
“I can’t just stay holed up in this house, waiting for you to come back. If you want me to help you overthrow the Guild, then let me come with you.”
Emmerich shook his head. “The entire police force—blue coats and coppers alike—are out scouring the city, looking for you. I won’t risk you getting caught again. I won’t risk them shipping you off to London for high treason. Stay,” he said gently, cupping her face in his hands. “Give me time to arrange something, a way for us to be together. Trust me, Petra. I don’t want to be apart any more than you do.” He pressed his forehead against hers. “Please.”
She closed her eyes, breathing him in. “All right,” she whispered.
Emmerich pulled her into a kiss, leaving a fire dancing on her lips as he wrapped his arms around her and held her close to his chest. She felt his heart beat against her cheek, a steady rhythm of life. She didn’t want to let go. She curled her fingers into his hair, breathing in his rich, metallic scent, trying not to cry.
“It’s going to be all right,” he whispered, smoothing her hair. He kissed her forehead and rested his lips there, his breath tickling her hair. When finally he stepped back, he caressed the line of her jaw with his fingers, his eyes soft. “Everything will turn out fine. I promise.”
Petra raised her hand to his and pressed it against her cheek. “I trust you.”
He focused on the curvature of her mouth as his thumb traced the edge of her lips. “Be safe, Petra Wade.” His hand dropped away from her face and he stepped back toward the door, his gaze lingering on her as if he feared he would never see her again. Too soon he reached the front door, stepped outside, and was gone.
PETRA SLEPT FITFULLY, thoughts of conspiracies and nooses circling through her dreams. She woke in the late morning, more exhausted than when she went to sleep. Someone knocked loudly on the door.
She heard Norris pad to the door and open it. “You?” he said.
Petra had nearly forgotten—Emmerich was supposed to meet her. She combed her hair and quickly braided it over her shoulder, but when she walked into the living room, she didn’t see Emmerich at the door. Instead, a tall gangly man stood outside, wearing shabby clothes and sporting a short, dirty beard—her mysterious stalker.
Norris leaned against the doorway. “Are you sure?”
“Aye. I’d say you got five minutes, maybe ten.” The man tipped his hat. “Best be off.”
Norris cursed and eased the door shut, running both hands through his pale blond hair as he turned around. He spotted Petra standing in the doorway to the bedroom and dropped his hands to his sides, a pained look on his face.
She stepped forward. “Norris, what’s going on?”
He clenched his jaw and exhaled a sharp breath. “Tolly snitched on us. The coppers know where you are.” He grabbed his coat. “Get dressed. We need to leave. Now.”
NORRIS PEERED OUT of the alleyway and waved Petra forward. “It’s clear. No bobbies, love.”
Yet.
She would give almost anything to have rain. The clouds above the city were murky, gray, and swirling, but not a drop of rain fell from the sky, not even a light sprinkle. She looked up and down the street and then turned to Norris. “Who was that man that came to the door?”
He shrugged. “Don’t know for sure. No one knows his name or where he’s from. He just appears and disappears, knows everything going on at any given time. Eyes and ears of the fourth quadrant, he likes to say.”
“Is he a friend of yours?” she asked.
“I wouldn’t say that,” he said, checking around the next corner. “But if he was going to betray us, he already would have, if that’s what you mean.”
They crept toward Medlock, sticking to the alleys and side streets, eventually coming to the alley just opposite the pawnshop. It was hard to see beyond the front glass, but the shop appeared to be empty, no bobbies or coppers lurking about. She and Norris stole across the street and slipped into the back alley behind the shop, trying to stay out of sight. She felt like a regular criminal, sneaking about, hiding from the law and passersby.
When she came to the back door, she found it locked.
Norris slipped up to the door. “Move over, love,” he said, pulling two pins out of his sleeve cuffs. He quickly dispatched the lock, and Petra turned the handle and crept inside.
Before Norris could follow, she held her hand out to stop him. “I need you to go to 119 Farringdon Crescent. Speak with Emmerich Goss—or Kristiane, the housekeeper. Let one of them know that I’m here at the shop.”
Norris arched an eyebrow. “Is he that ‘friend’ of yours?”
“Yes,” she said. “Do this for me, please.”
He sighed. “All right. But you owe me. Remember that.” He tipped his hat with a charismatic grin and turned down the alley. “See you in a bit, love.”