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The image blinked out. Nyssa touched Ellis's spindly arm. “Even in his twisted state, he still loved you.”

  “I know.” He glanced back at the computer. “It seems wrong to ask for redemption for such a man, but I do wish him some peace. I'm thankful the judgment is not mine to make. I feel well enough to sit up now. Let's get away from here.”

  Nyssa wrapped an arm around him and helped him upright.

  “How bad was your accident?” she asked.

  “Bad, but I survived. After a few weeks, I got my father to let me into his workshop, and I made this.” He flicked the latch on the briefcase. It flew open. Metal rods and gears extended upward, unfolding and reshaping into something that vaguely resembled a hand cart. It rolled off the table and landed on the floor with a squeak of pistons. Then it adjusted again, changing into a mechanized wheelchair.

  “Wow.” Nyssa whistled. “You made this?”

  “You pick up a few tricks as the son of an eccentric inventor.” He winked. “Help me into it?”

  She slipped an arm around his torso. Leaning against her, he half-fell, half-slid into the chair.

  “Like I said, I used to have decent upper-body strength. In between that and the chair, I didn’t need a lot of help getting around. I hope I can get back to that point before too long. In the meantime, thanks for putting up with me.” He sank into the seat. “The chair actually has a leg brace setting that lets me stand and move upright. I don’t think I have the torso strength for that, though. Not now.”

  “You’ll get there. Right now you look like you could use a big bowl of chicken soup and some sunlight.” She rested her hand on top of his.

  He glanced around the laboratory. “So do you think those two were really working for Rivera or was that just a story they told to get you to go along with it?”

  Nyssa exhaled. “I don’t know what to think anymore.”

  “I knew Rivera. Never liked him. More interested in quick profits than my father’s legacy … though my father made enough of a mockery of that on his own.” Ellis rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Most of my father’s work isn’t something I want continued. We need to destroy as much as we can. If someone else comes for it, let them find only rust and scraps. I can tell you the codes to enter into the computer to cause a system crash. It'll turn off the backup generators as well, and all the house systems should shut down, including any remaining robots. It'll only take a few minutes.”

  “I think that's for the best,” Nyssa agreed. “What do we do next?”

  “My dad’s safe is in the wall over there.” He pointed. “There should be enough cash and bonds in there to get us as far as we want to go.”

  She almost swallowed her tongue. “Us?”

  “If it’s all right, I'll tag along. You don’t mind, do you?”

  She shook her head, feeling like an idiot. “Not at all.”

  A bit later, Nyssa and Ellis left the lab, headed towards the freight elevator hidden behind a panel in the workroom. The bodies of Albriet and Miles lay, open-eyed and blue-tinted. The top-hat rested next to its former owner. Its eyes blinked at Nyssa. She shuddered, but resisted the urge to rush over to kick it.

  “What about all this?” Nyssa asked, waving her hand towards the work tables.

  “Without the schematics on the main computer, it’s all scrap metal.” Ellis shook his head. “My dad’s life was devoted to inventing wonderful things, things he thought would help people. How did he end up here?”

  “I’m sorry, Ellis.” She squeezed his hand. “It’s over now.”

  “Is it?” His mouth hardened. “I’m his son. What if I carry that darkness, that potential for insanity in me?”

  “I think most people have the potential, but we write our own story. In spite of all this awfulness, you’re going to be all right.” She hesitated for a moment, then leaned down and kissed his forehead.

  He smiled and tightened his fingers around her hand. “Let’s get out of here.”

  They rode the elevator in silence. On the first floor, Ellis asked her to fetch him some more clothes and personal items from his bedroom. She shoved these into a suitcase, along with the money they’d taken from the safe. With its mysteries unlocked, the house no longer seemed like a trap, more like a mausoleum, a sad, empty place with nothing left to offer the living.

  Nyssa considered their options as they continued through the dark, empty halls. They had to get out of New Taured. The money would get them passage, but in this state, they’d be sure to draw attention to themselves. The police might be looking for her in connection with Mr. Calloway’s death as well. Explaining everything that had happened would be impossible.

  Pushing open the front door, she stepped out and inhaled the dust-free night air. The clouds had parted, allowing a handful of bright stars and a thin crescent moon to peek through. Nyssa smiled, and with a hand on the back of Ellis’s chair, enjoyed the quiet walk towards the gate.

  “I don’t suppose that’s yours?” Ellis pointed forward. On the other side of the gate sat Albriet’s horseless carriage.

  Nyssa grinned. “It is now.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Nyssa cursed and stuck her finger into her mouth. “Stupid spark plugs.” The rocks in the dirt road dug into her back. She wriggled around beneath the carriage, trying to get in a position where she could reach the right parts.

  “You need any help down there?” Ellis called.

  “I’ve got it.”

  “It's probably just dirt messing with the connections,” he said.

  The wheels of his chair clattered over the bumpy road. His shadow blocked the light, and she rolled her eyes.

  “You’re an expert on horseless carriages now?” She wormed out to glare at him.

  He raised his eyebrows. “You know, not only did I grow up at the feet of a mechanical genius, I spent almost four years of my life literally being a computer. I think I know a few things about machines.”

  She grimaced. “Sorry. I forget sometimes how annoyingly smart you are, but I know what I’m doing too, you know.”

  “I never doubted it. I just asked if you wanted some help.” He smiled.

  “Okay, hand me a spark plug, then.”

  He flipped a switch on his chair, and it adjusted until he was able to stand upright with it bracing his legs and back. It looked a bit like he was wearing a pair of hip-high rollerskates. He reached onto the carriage roof for the extra plugs. She took one from him and replaced the part.

  Climbing back out from under the carriage, she dusted herself off. They’d driven far enough out of New Taured to avoid recognition before stopping at a small town to pick up supplies and fresh clothes. Nyssa had purchased a dress and peacoat, but also the pair of sturdy canvas slacks and aviator’s jacket she now wore, from a military surplus store which thankfully carried small sizes.

  They’d kept to country roads, whistle-stop towns, and farming communities, often sleeping in the carriage. They had no particular destination, just far from New Taured and Dalhart’s shadow.

  At first they could only travel for short periods before Ellis needed to stop and rest, but a couple of weeks under the sun, eating real food and exercising, had done wonders for him. His skin had tanned and his face filled out, making him quite handsome.

  Nyssa tried not to think about that too often, though.

  She’d managed to get the butterflies under control. Now, for the most part, she could talk to him without feeling like an idiot. Of course, sometimes she slipped up and called him Hart. He didn’t seem to mind that. She wasn’t quite sure where they stood, though.

  Technically he was older than her. A quick discussion of the current date allowed him to name his age at 19, but his last clear memories of being human were as a fifteen-year-old boy, and sometimes his immaturity slipped through like flashes of light from a shuttered lantern. He was also above her in social station, wealthy … the money he’d taken from his father’s safe would be enough for him to easily live comfortably for the r
est of his life, and that didn’t include the Dalhart estate. He hadn’t mentioned making any attempt to claim that, though. Still, their companionship kept her going in spite of her uncertainty, and sometimes when he looked at her, she thought, just maybe, there was fondness in his eyes.

  Nyssa cleaned her hands on a grease cloth and gazed down the road. A line of endless blue beckoned. She’d never seen the sea and having the carriage break down when they were this close was maddening.

  “When we get to Freeport, where do you want to go?” Ellis asked.

  “Oh, I don’t care. You’re paying for the tickets, after all.” She smirked.

  “So we’re sticking together?” He rolled closer to her.

  “I guess. If you want me to … I mean …” Nyssa flushed. She shouldn’t have assumed.

  He stroked her cheek. Her breath hitched. With one hand on the carriage behind her, he leaned forward. The pistons in his braces hissed as they adjusted.

  His lips brushed against hers, softly first, then when she didn’t pull away he pressed harder. She inhaled the scent of him, sun-baked and dusty from their travels. Her arms slipped about his neck as every muscle in her body melted.

  “I’ve been wanting to do that since before I had lips,” he whispered.

  She laughed. “I’m glad you have lips. I like them.” She twined her fingers into his hair, her eyes locked with his. “Let’s go someplace warm and green where it can be just us two.”

  “So heaven then?” He chuckled. “That sounds perfect.”

  The End

  Nyssa Glass

  and

  Juliet Dilemma

  Copyright © 2016 H. L. Burke

  To Coryn,

  my practical, empathetic, perceptive darling.

  Mom

  Chapter One

  “Hold still please. You don’t want the photograph to be blurry.”

  It’s not my fault you haven’t updated your camera. The newer models have nearly instantaneous exposure. That relic looks older than I am. Nyssa Glass swallowed her rant and sat straighter.

  Across the room Ellis rested in his mechanized wheelchair. Behind him the streaked glass revealed a narrow side street filled with dingy, rundown storefronts. A few pedestrians and motorists passed by, but none gave the shop a second glance.

  For the best. Being sighted in the company of a known forger could cause unwanted scrutiny.

  The shutter clicked.

  “Good, good.” The photographer, a small man with a thin mustache and stiffly parted hair, nodded. “Your expression won’t be pleasant by any means, but it will suffice.”

  Nyssa glared at him, her fingers gripping into her ruffled skirts. “I save my pleasant expression for better company.”

  The man cleared his throat and disappeared into the back room, mumbling, “Just a minute.”

  “Nervy fellow.” Nyssa stood and stretched her legs.

  “For what it’s worth, I always find your expression pleasant.” Ellis flashed his easy smile. His dark eyes sparkled at her, full of life and thoughtfulness beyond his nineteen years.

  The tension between Nyssa’s shoulders eased. “I just want to get out of here. Out of the whole country, for that matter.”

  “So do I, but for that we need passports, which puts us at Victor’s mercy. You said yourself, he’s the best.”

  “The best forger. Still makes him a criminal.” She sniffed and came to rest her hand on Ellis’s shoulder. “Thank you. You’re not the one who is wanted, so going through all this for me—”

  “I have my own reasons for traveling incognito. You know that,” he said. “It doesn’t matter, though. Tomorrow we boardThe HMS Juliet and leave the nation of New Taured—and our past—in its steam.”

  Nyssa smiled. She’d never traveled by zeppelin, andThe Juliet was a top-of-the-line luxury dirigible, capable of carrying twenty passengers in comfort and style. Under different circumstances, she’d have been thrilled.

  Being framed for murder and forced to flee the country sort of takes the fun out of vacations.

  Ellis took her hand. “Hey, cheer up. Everything’s almost behind us.” He flipped a dial on the armrest of his chair. It unfolded and adjusted, clamping around his legs like a pair of braces, supporting him until he could stand upright. “I have it planned out. We’ll get to San Azula, cash in enough of my bonds to purchase a home, maybe start a business. Glass and … not Dalhart. I need a new name.”

  She laughed. “And what will we do in this venture?”

  “Whatever we want.” He shrugged. “Between your electrician training and everything I learned in my father’s workshop, we have options.”

  “Sounds wonderful.” Nyssa brushed a stray lock of wiry brown hair from her eyes. “I’d like a chance to contribute financially to the arrangement.”

  “Oh, don’t worry about it. What’s the point in having a rich boyfriend if he doesn’t buy you things?” He winked.

  Nyssa blushed. Their relationship was only a month old and ill-defined. She was fond of him, yes. While he’d never made any advances stronger than an occasional kiss, traveling in such tight quarters was often awkward. It would be nice to know exactly where things were headed. She couldn’t help but worry what people thought of them, sharing a hotel room, or feel a tinge of guilt when she enjoyed their kisses. After all, was that something “nice girls” did? Did nice girls even have boyfriends, or did they somehow manage to skip straight to fiancés? Nyssa had never had anyone to talk to regarding such matters.

  The door to the back room opened, and the pistons in Ellis’s leg-braces hissed as he turned to face Victor.

  The forger clasped two leather-bound documents in his outstretched hand.

  “Already?” Ellis asked.

  “Yes, sir. You were in luck. A pair stopped by yesterday and ordered two. I had them half-finished when they tried to pay in jewelry,” Victor said. “We’re strictly a cash operation, you understand. Speaking of …?”

  Ellis reached into his breast pocket and pulled out the bills. Nyssa had instructed him to bring only the exact payment, in case Victor tried to press for more. Ellis was smart, but not particularly worldly. Also, he could be cavalier with his expenditures in a way that made her head spin. When purchasing their zeppelin tickets the night before, he’d tipped the desk girl a fiver!

  “Ah, thank you, sir.” Victor moved behind the counter and began to count the money.

  Ellis cracked open the first passport.

  “Hart Cormac?” Nyssa read over his shoulder.

  “Yes, I wanted something that if it got shouted at me, I’d look up. Cormac was my mother’s maiden name.” He handed her the other document. “You’re Nessa Cormac.”

  She raised her eyebrows. “Are we siblings or spouses in this scenario?”

  “I’m assuming spouses, since we’re sharing a stateroom.” He laughed.

  She flushed.

  “Don’t worry,” he said, his tone growing serious again. “There are two beds. I paid extra.”

  “It’s all here,” Victor called out. “A pleasure doing business with you.” He came back and offered Ellis his hand.

  Nyssa stared at the documents. He’d gotten her age right, sixteen, even if he’d lied about her name and marital status. Her own face stared back at her from the photograph: hazel eyes steely, mouth a firm line. Perhaps her expression was a little harsh.

  Somehow Ellis had managed a smile even with the awkward, formal pose Victor had required. He looked charming, his tanned complexion and dark hair coming across well in the sepia tones of the picture.

  He pulled out the envelope with their zeppelin tickets and tucked it into his passport. “We better head back to the hotel. We have to be at the hangar by six a.m. for departure.”

  His braces folded back into a wheelchair as Ellis sat. Victor rushed to get the door for them, bowing.

  “If you are ever back in Freeport and in need of documents, I’d be happy to serve you again,” he said. “It has been a pleasu
re, Mr. and Mrs. Cormac.”

  “Thanks,” Nyssa mumbled.

  She kept one hand on the back of Ellis’s chair as he rolled out the door.

  “It makes you uncomfortable, being my wife?” Ellis raised an eyebrow.

  “It makes me uncomfortable pretending to be your wife. I’ve never been much for playacting.”

  They’d hidden their horseless carriage around back. Nyssa suspected the plates might be reported as stolen, since she’d taken the carriage from the woman who’d blackmailed her into breaking into Ellis’s home. At least that had allowed her to find Ellis, who had been trapped by his insane father’s experiments.

  She might be the one who was wanted by the authorities, but Ellis had his own share of ghosts. Yes, a fresh start overseas was just what both of them needed.

  He smiled. “Yes, well, we’ve only known each other about three weeks. It’s a little early to make it official.”

  Her face warmed. “I didn’t mean …”

  “So that wasn’t a proposal? For the best, I suppose. You don’t have a ring to give me.” He laughed again.

  She sniffed. “The only ring you’ll get from me is me wringing your neck, smart mouth.”I owe him a prank for that one. Maybe I’ll stuff some nuts and bolts in his pillow tonight.

  They turned a corner into the alley. A woman in a scarlet dress leaned against their horseless carriage.

  “What is she doing here?” Nyssa whispered.

  The woman turned to face them. Her skin was porcelain pale, contrasting starkly with her rich, brown curls. Green eyes flashed above a crimson scarf that covered the lower portion of her face.

  Nyssa dove for a board that lay in a trash pile nearby. She brandished it at the woman. “Get away from our carriage, thief!”

  “Uh, Nyss …”

  Nyssa glanced back.

  A man in a bowler hat with a black scarf over his mouth and nose stood at Ellis’s shoulder. He held the barrel of a revolver against Ellis’s neck. The muscles in Nyssa’s arms turned to water. The board clattered to the cobblestones.