1 Chapter 1

1

With a determined step, Aurora Pendragon stomped to where the airship the Freedomwas anchored. She scaled the ladder quickly, clambering onto the deck and began her search. Once she’d checked the ship, and ensured that her brother was nowhere on board, she gave an impatient huff.

With her heels clopping across the wooden deck, she stomped down the ladder and stalked toward the house. He is so…so casualabout things. Her heels picked up their tattoo of sound as Aurora entered their home.

At the noise of her heels, their mother came out of the sitting room and Lady Magenta’s smile of greeting turned into a questioning expression.

“Hello, dear. What’s wrong?”

“Midnight is what’s wrong. He may be an exceptionally talented tinker, and he works hard when on board ship, but he’s so…so immature. We have a trip in two days and he’s nowhere to be found. I wanted to make sure the Freedom is in good working order. I can’t manage the automatons like he does, and I know nothing of engines and furnaces.” Aurora stuck her hands on her hips and drew in a deep breath.

“No, dear.” Magenta shook her head. “He just thinks differently. He’s never let you down, has he? And without him, you wouldn’t have a ship to captain.”

“I know. And no, he hasn’t.” Aurora sagged, her anger evaporating under her mother’s calm demeanour. “Oh, Mother. I love him dearly, but I wish he was more…more organised. Less forgetful.”

“Yes, well, in that respect, he takes after his father. More than a couple of people said he wasn’t right for me. We were too different. Him so apparently carefree spontaneous and me so staid and in need of order and control.” Magenta shrugged, her smile widening. “I was willing to ignore what others called his shortcomings because I loved him. And look.” She waved her hand around. “I have a beautiful home, and two talented, intelligent, beautiful children, and I’m still in love. When I look at him, I still see the young man he was, with tousled blond hair and such perfect blue eyes, so eager to make me happy. He makes my pulse race as much today as he did when we courted. And every time I see Midnight, I see Griffin when he was that age.”

“Oh, Mother. You’re such a romantic.” Aurora smiled and Magenta winked at her.

“Perhaps one day, you’ll find the right one who does the same for you.”

“Maybe.” Aurora laughed, then held up her hands as if to ward her mother off. “But today is notthat day. But it isthe day I need my brother to do all his checks on the ship.”

A barking sound stopped Aurora and she dashed across the entrance hall to stand beside her mother, knowing what was coming next. A moment later, four dogs galloped into the house, jumping at one another, and leaving a trail of muddy paw prints in their wake.

“Ah, we have a trip booked, don’t we?” Midnight and their father strolled in behind the dogs, and her brother stopped dead the minute he saw Aurora.

The dogs all stopped and dashed back to mill around Midnight.

“In you go, my lads.” Griffin waved at the dogs and they hesitated a couple of seconds before running toward the back of the house. “I’m afraid we spent a little too long out there.”

“And the mud?” Magenta asked and both Griffin and Midnight looked around to see the many paw prints as well as two sets of human footprints.

“Oh dear. We won’t be popular.” Griffin chuckled. “We walked beside the lake, and there was a trapped buck, his antlers were caught in tree branches, that the dogs alerted us to it.”

“And Midnight went to his rescue.” Magenta nodded. “Of course he would.”

“I think you need to check the ship, son.” Griffin kissed the top of Midnight’s head. “I’ll take the boys out back, get baths organised for them.

“Oh, my lawd.” The wail of Lucy, their housekeeper rang out. “Just lookat this mess. All over my nice clean floor.”

“Don’t worry, Aurora, the ship will be fine for the flight. I’ll go right now and check the engines and automatons. I’ll see you later, Father, Mother.” Midnight turned and ran from the house.

With Midnight having run one way and her father the other, Aurora looked at the housekeeper who was still lamenting over her floor, and then at her mother, before they both burst into peals of laughter.

“I think I shall go for a stroll myself.” Lady Magenta pecked a kiss to Aurora’s cheek. “I don’t want to get in Lucy’s way, and you’ll be off in your ship.”

“Absolutely, Mother.” With a wave, Aurora ran out after her brother.