___

H

ara turned to her gear, which she had left on her bed when she had entered. She strapped it on. Hermia shifted from foot to foot nervously.

Eventually, Hermia asked, “As simple as that?”

Hara looked up from buckling on her tool belt. “Hardly. Let’s go and wake the others and hope we don’t run into any soldiers.”

Thinking about the chances of running into soldiers, she palmed some of her net balls which could trap any soldiers they encountered and motioned to the girl to follow her. The others’ rooms were across the hall. Hara knocked on the first door.

Murphy answered.

“We have the girl,” Hara said simply. She motioned with her head over her shoulder. Murphy blinked and went onto his toes to look over Hara’s shoulder. Hermia was hiding behind Hara.

Murphy gave the girl a grin. “What is the plan, Captain?”

“Grab the others and get the ship ready. Gideon is going to distract the men on the walls in about twenty minutes and I want everyone on board by then. Oh, and try to avoid killing anyone. The others aren’t keen on it.”

Murphy gave her a mock salute and wandered off in the direction of the other rooms.

Hermia asked, “Aren’t we staying with them?”

Hara shook her head. “They will be the secondary distraction as Murphy can’t sneak. Don’t worry, they are good at making a noise. We will head along the wall to the ship. They will go through the courtyard.”

Hara took her around a corner and they almost stumbled over a guard. Hara flicked the net ball and pulled Hermia back behind the corner of the wall. The soldier shot off a crossbow and then yelled.

Hara quickly looked around the corner. The man had dropped his crossbow when he had gone down. He was now swearing and trying to free himself from the fine net which had emerged from the small metal ball. Hara ran up to him and kicked him in his head. He went down then and didn’t move.

Hara picked up his crossbow and nocked an arrow. Hermia stumbled behind her as she was watching the soldier.

Hara gave a concerned glance back at the girl, who muttered, “Why didn’t I think of that?”

Hara raised an eyebrow at the comment that was obviously directed to herself. They didn’t have time for a discussion though so Hara guided Hermia to the stairs which would lead them both up onto the walls.

Hara waited at the door at the top. There was a tremendous crash and then running feet and people yelling. Hara kicked open the door and shot at the startled soldier who had been about to open the door. He dived and stumbled over the edge of the wall, falling into the courtyard.

Hara looked over the wall he had fallen over. He had landed on a shed three storeys below. He groaned but didn’t move. She doubted he would be trouble.

Hara took in the rest of the soldiers on the wall. They were all running towards Gideon, who was sitting on the west tower in all his dragon glory. He was sending flames above the heads of the soldiers and growling at them. Hara thought he might swipe at them like a cat next. It was clear he was only playing with them.

The Blazing Blunderbuss was moored to the tower on the other side of the castle. And there were only a few soldiers, and all their attention was on Gideon.

Hermia stumbled. “Is that the Dragon?”

Hara raised an eyebrow because it was obviously a dumb question. Gideon was in his full dragon-ness, his wings clamped to his back so he looked like a lizard that had been hit by a growth serum. His gold scales gleamed in the firelight of the watchtowers.

That strange feeling that wanted her to yell that he was hers made Hara grumble. Instead, Hara motioned for the girl, Hermia, to follow. They were almost below the airship when the soldiers realised they were there. Hara wasn’t concerned. She had rolled a couple of net balls while they had still been watching Gideon and by the time they turned; the ball was shooting out a fine net over them.

The net was made from silk and surprisingly strong when made into a rope. A rope ladder dropped when they were finally under the ship.

Alice looked over the edge. “You better hurry.” Alice waved towards Gideon to explain her concern.

Gideon was in the air now and Hara knew he was about to fly off. Hara swore when she saw two large automata climbing the walls of the castle. No wonder he was deciding to retreat.

Hara caught Hermia’s shoulder and snapped urgently, “Climb!”

Hara looked up at Alice. “Are the others back?”

Alice shook her head. “Demetrius is missing.”

Hara swore. But he was a nobleman and the Duke couldn’t afford to have the boy killed quite yet, especially now that they had Hermia. Hara climbed up after Hermia. Angry that she had lost the boy.

Once on board, Hara said to Alice, “Take us away from the castle. We can’t afford to be a target.”

Alice hesitated. Alice hadn’t gotten along with the young nobleman but it wasn’t like Hara to leave someone behind.

Hermia said, “Demetrius is here? Why would he do that?”

Alice pursed her lips and left to follow Hara’s orders while Hara answered Hermia. Hara knew that Alice would have a few choice words for her later, but Hara would take them as she deserved it. Hermia was the important one. Without her, the Duke’s plans would have to be slowed. Maybe hindered enough that they could get Demetrius back intact.

Hara caught Hermia’s arm and guided her further into the ship. “When Demetrius heard we were coming for you, he insisted on tagging along. He wanted you to get to know him before you returned to your family.”

Hermia frowned. “I don’t want to go home.”

“Well, that is good because we aren’t going anywhere until we rescue Demetrius. And we have a passenger to drop off.”

Liam skidded into the hallway. “Murphy has been hurt.”

Hara swore softly to herself.  “How bad?”

“He’ll live. But he needs some stitches. I know you taught me how to do them but he wriggles a lot. I mean, like a lot.”

Hara would have done it herself but she had to give more instructions to Alice. They couldn’t just leave without Demetrius and they couldn’t stick around either.

Hermia said, “I have a fine hand at needlework. If you can get him to be still, I’ll do the sewing.”

Liam looked at Hara to see if it was all right to make a noblewoman stitch up someone. Hara nodded. If anyone could make fine stitches, it would be a noble woman and said to Liam, “Give him something to bite on. That way, he is less likely to swear like a bloody sailor.”

Liam’s concern disappeared under the brief grin he gave Hara.

“Come this way, my ladyship. Murphy is mostly harmless,” he said reassuringly.

Hara went onto the bridge. The sky was clear, so the automata were ground only. But they hadn’t heard that Duke had automata from the Emperor or Harlen so the Duke clearly had secrets and might have other things hidden away.

The whole ship dipped, signalling that Gideon must have landed. He must be in a bad way if he was not changing just as he came to the ship as he liked to make a game of it.

Hara said, “Put us behind that mountain there. They won’t be able to see us from the castle but we will remain close enough to get Demetrius back.”

Alice looked relieved as she followed Hara’s orders. Alice said, “I know he is a nuisance but you aren’t one to leave anyone behind.”

Gideon came in, playing with the torn edges of his shirt. “I liked this shirt, you know. I really should shift naked. It will have less of an impact on my clothing.”

He looked up at Hara and then quickly made up the distance between them. He frowned at Hara and she realised she must not have concealed her concern for Demetrius very well.

It was easier to allow her emotions out and stepped into Gideon’s embrace. He tightened his arms around her but he had hesitated. Probably surprised that she had accepted his comfort.

Hara mumbled, “I lost Demetrius.”

“Dead lost or just lost like a puppy lost?” he asked softly.

Hara couldn’t help but smile against Gideon’s chest. “Puppy lost.”

“Ah,” Gideon said sagely. He pressed his nose to her hair. “You are just like a dragon. We will get him back.”

Liam came running onto the bridge. He had his hands clasped around something. Hara pulled away from Gideon to see what Liam had brought them. When Liam opened his hands, he had a small clockwork creature.

It looked like a hummingbird and was about the same size. In its beak was a rolled up note. Liam kept the clockwork bird trapped in his hands as Hara pulled out the wedged note. She unrolled it and frowned at the words.

Gideon asked, “What does it say? Who is the bird from?”

“The Duke says he has Demetrius and unless we give back Hermia, he will kill the boy.”

Liam added, “Also, there was an airship and it left from the castle. It is heading out of the Empire.”

“We are heading that way next to drop off our passenger. Do you think Demetrius is on that airship?”

Gideon asked, “Do you want me to go find out?”

“No, they will be expecting a dragon. They might have something to combat you.” And she had already lost one person she didn’t want to lose another.