The airship’s floor trembled again and Max snarled as she bobbled the vial.
“Cursed ferret!”
The emerald liquid steadied as she corked its container. She grabbed a quill to mark it, and even her handwriting looked briskly angry. Surely the Prime Minister would be done with his tests before noon. Her experiment couldn’t wait another hour, but if these blasted tremors didn’t—
A fist hammered on her lab door and an “f” turned into a “j”.
She spun. “What?”
The door swung in and Farthing Imnhold blemished the entrance, an over handsome smear of misery smirking down at her.
She opened her mouth, searching for words to voice her fury at his intrusion, but suddenly his lips were on hers and all she could think was they were firmer than they looked. Not that she’d ever looked at them without clenching her teeth.
He stepped back, gesturing behind him. “As I said, we are to be wed in a few months time. We couldn’t possibly be parted.”
Her mouth hung open as two masked shadows converged around him, studying her.
Farthing’s gaze turned pleading, an expression so unfamiliar she closed her mouth.
“And she is an inventor. Of value to us all.” Farthing’s voice cracked just slightly.
The right shadow finally nodded. “You will be responsible for her.” His voice made her shiver.
“Yes sir.”
They melted back into the hallway as another tremor shook the floor, deepening to a steady vibration. Max yanked Farthing inside by his sleeve and slammed the door. “What in the name of black lakes was that? If you ever touch me with your—“
“That was me saving your life, Max.” He strode to the single window. “The beasts are loose. Have you not noticed?”
“Beasts? The ones they’ve been experimenting on?”
He nodded grimly “They’ve mutated. The scientists can’t stop them. We’re taking to the skies before they kill us all.”
“But those guards—what—“
“There’s not enough room for everyone. Only the ones who contribute enough to society can have passage.” The airship lurched and she shoved him aside, studying the chaos far, far below. “We can’t leave them.”
“Humanity must survive.”
She swallowed, sick. “I’ll find a way,”she whispered.
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