City of Light & Steam Read online

  “As promised, we will entertain all creations.”

  Wincing, he looked at his boots. “It is not yet created, and it cannot be created without your assistance, I fear.”

  “Benjamin,” the mage’s voice was weary with warning.

  “Please, if you can hear me out, I believe you will find it most doable.”

  He turned, shadows dancing in his eyes. “When I arrived, I promised to lend my magic and my life to destroy what has overrun our world. I apologize if it seems I have other motives.”

  Benjamin sincerely had no idea what to say to the eldest mage. He understood he was asking them to literally give their life, and perhaps he had been too insensitive. “I apologize, Samuel. Your gifts are all that may allow us a chance at a normal life once again. I am merely anxious to begin such an endeavor – more so now that I’ve been given hope for a life outside this guild.”

  The mage nodded nobly. “Come then. Please tell me.”

  Sucking in a deep breath, he closed his eyes and slowly blew it out, running through his argument in his head. “I want to design a light bulb that will emanate heat. Specifically, at the same power as the sun.”

  “You wish to begin a war.”

  Benjamin had never put that title with his ambition. “I wish to end fear. By any means necessary.”

  “Proceed.”

  “It is my hope that if we can create a bulb that generates and expels the proper levels of heat, we can create a safe way to travel to at night. I can create large enough glass, of course, and I’ve seen some movement in the heat being displaced, but it is not near enough.”

  “You have once again come with an excellent thought, but it is too hard to create a large enough quantity of the filament. There would be millions upon millions necessary. There is not enough magic to use, nor mages that would dedicate themselves to only one attempt.”

  Rage bubbled, and he clenched his hands, his nails cutting into his palms. “Is one not enough? If we are successful, this will allow people to live more freely. They could harm and dispel the sick, and in turn, we could drive the menace out.”

  Samuel’s eyes were thoughtful, and his voice low as he spoke. “Is there a way this thought of yours could be done on a grander scale?”

  “You mean, could I design a way that less filament would need to be enchanted to heat up? Such as tying heat producing wire to ordinary wire?”

  “That is correct, though still not enough if you wish to protect as many as possible. Though I am interested to hear why you simply did not find a way to set it on fire.”

  “That had been my initial design.” All attempts at lighting the fire inside eventually melted the glass. Any attempts outside would be foolish due to weather concerns.

  “Very well, then it returns me to my initial question for this design.”

  Benjamin knew it would, of course, we possible to create fewer bulbs. It would mean helping fewer citizens. There had to be something they could do. His primary concern had been arming humanity, “But what if there is another way?”

  “Excuse me, Sir?”

  He blinked, not having meant to speak his question aloud. “My thought had been to grant all people access to a weapon, one that would kill and not merely slow down.” What if I could find a device to run them through the city? He was motionless as his mind moved through a list of thoughts.

  Atop Big Ben. No, that area can be avoided.

  Lifted into the skies on buildings. No, that would require far too many.

  “Bloody hell.” The idea slammed into him. “The railways. They are many rail tracks, most running through this and every other city in the world. If we were to affix a bulb on either side of a steam train, we would be able to move it through the city rapidly. They move at a rapid pace and are throughout all cities. It is not a perfect solution, but it brings about a chance.”

  “Do you not believe the ill would find a way around this?”

  “Well, it is possible they would learn the route. However, if we utilized them on all steam trains, and the king created an around the clock schedule, it would hit most points at all times.”

  “And what if they burn out?”

  “You’re considering this as a possibility?” Elation nearly had him shout in the small chamber, and he chose not to focus on the negativity of the question itself.

  “One of us could create a great deal of wiring spelled to heat. Enough so that this is a start. I would like to hear what you would do if they burn up.”

  Benjamin found it rather hard to focus on the mage’s words. The entirety of his work had sat around this bulb, and it appeared he had been onto something after all – and thankfully, the mage magic would secure the part he could not invent.

  “Benjamin….”

  “Apologies. I believe, if this is done correctly, that I will have a solution your magic can work on as well – assuming you three are not the last of the mages – that will remove the need for so many.”

  “Let me hear it.”

  It’s madness. It was madness the moment you thought of it. Say nothing of the dome. “I am not ready. My design is not clear.”

  Samuel sighed for easily the third time since Benjamin had barged into the quarters and demanded an audience. It was what he said next that mattered.

  “It can be done. You must secure agreement from the steam guild that they have engines fast enough to travel on all tracks. You must receive approval from the king to delay expedited commute to and from this city while you run a test so many lives are not harmed if we are wrong about what this bulb could do. Then, one of us will make your wiring, as yes, there are more of us, and if your final plan involves ridding the world of the toxin, and it can be implemented, we would all lay down our lives to ensure it is spelled.”

  Benjamin could not force his mind to slow down. It had jumped ages ahead, perhaps even years, envisioning a future in which there were no more sick-turned-to-vampires and no more air filtration devices needed. We might get there, one day, we might see the world as it once was.

  Hope wrapped around him like a lover’s embrace, and his thoughts shifted to Raven. He was not worried about asking for her help, and he was concerned about convincing her to take his hand. She was all he thought of, even as he worked to persuade the mages to cast a spell, it had been so he could create the world she’d described to him.

  It wasn’t love, but it was undoubtedly the start of something grand for them. If Raven ever forgives you. The thought was water, dousing the fire of his hopes because he genuinely did not know the answer. He had known her for nearly a month but had only spent a full week by her side. She was beautiful beyond measure, a brilliant and skilled steam worker, and had a heart so pure for all she had lost. While she was forward and could be rather saucy, she was far too severe. It was the seriousness that ruled her life, which worried Benjamin most.

  “I must go and secure what is necessary.”

  “Good day, Guild Master Benjamin.”

  The use of the title shocked him, as he had not even met with his council to announce the king’s ruling – nor had any official documents arrived stating it.

  Which is why you had best not be late meeting with them. Turning, he wanted to say something more to the magic wielder, but nothing would come, so he merely twisted the knob and let himself out.

  Crossing the space, he pushed the red communication button. “Stella Abbott, your brother is requesting your presence in the council chamber. Please make your way there post haste.” Chuckling, he couldn’t help but wonder what she must think of him shouting her name over the speaker system as if she had done wrong.

  “Well then, off to explain a world of hope to the men and women who need to hear it most.”

  There was a bounce in his step. He knew even the king would give his royal decree to shutting down the primary transit system in London. Being called before him and Benjamin’s appointment as Guild Master without his guild knowing showed how desperate the royal family was.
r />   Deciding on the stairs, he sprinted up them, taking them two at a time and reaching the top floor in a rather speedy fashion. The door to the chamber was open, and he paused.

  An image of Raven, hair fanned out of the very same table he could see from his vantage point, drew a groan of desire from him. Tension rocked through him, as blood raced to his member and threatened to detain him from this meeting. He had lain with her there but once, and the memory of it was imprinted upon him. When he slept, he felt her dreamed of taking her even.

  When this is done, we will talk.

  Closing his eyes, he thought of business, of blood-drinking humans and the desire to stop them. When he felt his body calm, he pushed forward, walking into his former cousin’s space.

  The Council of Electric was already present, six well to do members of the aristocracy sat in all their splendor around the table. For reasons he would never understand, the ladies wore their dress gowns, and scarcely fit into the smaller chairs, while the men donned full suits.

  “Brother, what is the meaning —” Stella’s haughty rant ceased the moment she stepped into the room. “My apologies.” She spoke to the council members and shot him a very disgruntled look. “Brother, why am I present?”

  “I have come to make you all aware of two situations which have arisen. The first is I was called before the king. He learned of Christopher’s death in an unavoidable manner. What matters is he has appointed me Guild Master.”

  “Where is the documentation of this?” Charles Sinclair, a stuffy Irishman, spoke instantly.

  “It will arrive. You may seek audience with His Royal Majesty if you do not find favor in my role.”

  “Do not be daft, Benjamin. You were always going to be requested to fill the seat. Now you have merely been commanded it. I applaud this change.” Martha, a woman nearly six and ten, spoke up proudly.

  Her support was pleasing, but he had not been seeking backing. However, as it was murmured from remaining influential members, he could not ignore the joy it brought him to be chosen for a prestigious position and the ability to carry on with his family legacy. What he once would have run from, he now embraced as he knew it brought him more knowledge and assets to aid in his research.

  “Aye, was that not something you thought to tell me two days ago when you came in blathering about Lady Nightingale?” Stella dropped her hands on her hips, and her mouth was twisted in a pucker while she glowered at him from where she had taken a seat.

  “As in the leader of the Steam Guild?” Troy Donahue, younger than even Benjamin and the only American, spoke.

  “That is the next part of my meeting with the king. We have been commanded to cease our bickering and work with the Steam Guild. We are to be of one mind and one goal – destroying the vampires.”

  He braced himself, waiting for the cacophony of shouts he had anticipated at the announcement. None came.

  “It is time. The mages should never have divided us so.” Martha had a smile on her lips.

  “I concur. The rift was out of their jealousy, and I am glad to see they have been forced to end it.” Charles crossed his arms over his chest with a genuine smile. “My daughter sought out the Steam Guild, and I have not spoken with her in some time. This truly is wonderful news.”

  While Benjamin wasn’t certain he agreed with Charles on the cause of the separation, he was pleased to hear at least one family had already received a smidgen of hope.

  “You mentioned two things. I knew of neither, out with it, Brother.” Stella venomously spat the words, but she too wore a grin.

  “I have beseeched the mages, and if I can retain agreement from the king and the Steam Guild, I believe I have found a way to greatly protect our city and eliminate many of the sick in the same hand.” Speaking those words felt far better than announcing his leadership.

  Those words brought about a new way of life in his mind. Those words deemed his efforts and lack of experiences outside the guild walls validation. Those words meant much more than merely being given a raise in status.

  “Your bulb?” His sister’s question was so high pitched, and it neared a squeak.

  “Truly. Samuel has confirmed if I can obtain a little help, he can create enough heated wire.”

  “Pray tell, what do you speak of?” Troy asked though all six members appeared curious.

  “I have been working, for a great many months, on a device that would emit the heat of the sun. We know it is not mere light that injures the ill, but the heat. I have tried and failed many times, much to my embarrassment, to adequately heat the filament. The mages can help.”

  “Bloody hell!” Liam practically crashed his chair to the ground as he leaped up. “That is truly remarkable. To gain the spell cast of a mage, I did not think I would see it in my lifetime.”

  He wanted to bask at the sort of praise for his work, but he knew it was too soon. “I am certain this will pass, but I beg of you, speak to none until a royal announcement is made. I do not wish to burden the success with bad karmic pretense.”

  Stella snorted. “The day my brother embraces an aspect of Buddhism is the day I know I’ve seen it all.”

  Beaming back at her, he noticed the entire lot of the laughed.

  “Very well then, if you do not mind, I have a Steam Guild to get to before darkness falls.”

  “You are aiming to get stuck there if you leave at such an hour.” Stella chided as she dropped a kiss on his cheek.

  “Guilty.” With a wink, he patted his pocket, ensuring the device he and Raven had made was there and then left his hand on it.

  If it did not move, it would not overcharge, and he would have an added element of safety – one that would only save him from the monsters outside and not the bitterness of a woman scorned.

  “Raven,” Levi sounded uneasy.

  “Do not bring me bad news. Not this close to dark.”

  She heard his intake of breath and closed her eyes. Her quill dropped to the desk, but she did not speak for a number of moments. “What is it, Levi?”

  “Look outside your window.”

  “Bloody hell, Levi. I do not have time for your damned tricks.” Grumbling under her breath, Raven pushed the chair out and rose away from her plans.

  It was her goal to invent something to steal the mage’s spells from the Electric Guild. The king had ordered they work together, but her guild would never if they learned the truth, and she had little desire to do anything with Benjamin Abbott ever again. So, she would utilize the arrangement to ensure the mage’s spells were offered to her and her guild as well. She just would not tell the entire membership what they stood to gain.

  “Oh, bloody hell.” Looking down from five stories above, she saw Benjamin, engaging with the guard.

  It should have been impossible for her to know it was him with his head down, but she had grown fond of his navy blue shirt vest, and he had looked up at the precise moment she’d looked down as if he knew she was there.

  “Does that mean we are allowing him in?”

  She hadn’t realized he’d held his communication channel open. Thankfully you did not say anything else beyond chastising him.

  “No, that means nothing of the kind.” She looked out at the city and saw many beginning their journey inside and the orange way the sun kissed the sky on the horizon as it set.

  “Raven, it is close to sundown.”

  “I am well aware of the time and Benjamin Abbott’s living location.” Crossing her arms over her chest, she forced down the small wave of panic she felt for him. “He will be fine once he realizes the guards have been instructed not to allow him in.”

  “Raven, you were this man a week ago. You dared to leave . . . after sundown at that . . . when you needed help from his guild. What if he is doing the same?”

  “No, Levi. I left in the early hours of the evening and risked going to his cousin’s guild.”

  “It is his guild now by your own admission and announcement.”

  “Semantics.
”

  “Cruelty.” He countered.

  “Pardon me?”

  “What you are doing. It’s cruel. What if he does not leave? What if he is as stubborn as your brother Jonathon and stands out there until he is attacked?”

  “That is his choice to make. His risk to take.” Her stomach rolled as an image of Benjamin laid out under a vampire with its sharpened teeth deep in neck flashed in her mind. His face as she’d last seen him in the Throne Room quickly surfaced, and her anger replaced her concern. “He did this. I did not ask him to lie.”

  “Nor did anyone tell you to fall into bed with the man.”

  “Levi!”

  “You told me, I cannot help that I am using my brain and bringing it up. I saw you with him in your office, Raven. I saw the way you looked at him. You care for him, and you are acting foolish.”

  With a useless sneer, because Levi couldn’t see it, she crossed her arms over her chest and looked down once more. Though she could not hear a word that was being said, she saw Benjamin gesturing wildly.

  “One more thing, Raven. He said he was here by manner of the king.”

  “Tell him if it concerns the alliance we have been ordered into — ”

  “An alliance you too sought out.”

  “Do not make me come down there, Levi Stratham.” Clearing her throat, she forced herself away from the window. Seeing him out there as the sun continued to set would do nothing for her resolve in never laying eyes on him again. “Send word to the guards if he has guild matters he may send his representative and schedule a meeting.”

  “Are you going to stay here all night then?”

  “That is the plan. One near death experience for my blood is plenty. Anytime I am here within three and ten minutes of sundown, I will be retiring to one of the guest chambers.”

  “Now, you are being heartless. Just know I’ve said that.”

  She knew not to respond. Levi had a lovely habit of speaking with a barbed tongue and then vanishing. “I am not heartless. I am protecting myself from a liar. He’s not here on guild business. He’s here to speak to me about the matter of us having lain together.”