Read Online Quillblade by Ben Chandler - Free Book Online Page A

light for Andrea to guide them from the crow’s nest. It would make them easy to spot but was necessary to ensure they didn’t run into any mountaintops. They were flying through a range of them now, making their way to Gesshoku.
    Missy was exhausted from hours spent scanning the airways around them for any sign of pursuit. So far there had been none, which only served to heighten her unease. The tension and constant mental effort had given her a headacheand, on top of that, she was hungry and worried about her brother. The look in his eyes as he had sent Ignis up to the Shôgo airship was familiar. Lenis had pulled some wild stunts back in Pure Land – a lot of enslaved Bestia Keepers did. It showed they could work well with their Bestia and usually drove up their selling price, but there was a limit. A common prank was beating a competing vessel to a great berth by pretending to be an airdock communications officer and sending misleading message-images, or flying faster than the legal limit to shave hours off a delivery schedule. Buyers wanted their Bestia Keepers to show skill and a bit of spirit. They did not want to see dangerous and powerful slaves, ones who could or would fight back. Slaves who could turn a Bestia’s power against their owners. Lenis had done just that.
    â€˜C-captain?’ Lenis’s voice came reverberating through the speech tube and drew Missy’s consciousness back to the bridge. ‘We need to land soon. Aeris is nearing her breaking point and it’s going to take most of her remaining strength to bring us down.’
    â€˜Thank you, Master Clemens.’ Captain Shishi turned to the navigator. ‘Have you found us a safe place to land the airship, Mister Jackson?’
    Nothing in the captain’s tone gave his thoughts away, and Missy was still unable to penetrate the fog in his mind.
    The navigator shrugged. ‘Here’s as good a place as any.’
    â€˜Take us down, Master Clemens. Hold her steady, Miss Shin.’
    â€˜Yes, sir,’ Lenis and Shin replied together.
    â€˜Prepare to land!’
    The force of their descent sent fresh waves of pain to Missy’s head. She winced as the familiar rushing motion sent her stomach into her throat. She was confident her brother knew what he was doing but that didn’t stop her worrying that they were descending just a little too fast.
    With a boom the Hiryû settled to the ground. Even though Missy had expected the lurching halt, she still had to brace herself against her desk to keep from falling over. Except for the captain and the first officer, the others had not fared so well. The older crewmembers were huddled in a corner, helping each other to right themselves. As Missy went to help Shin to her feet, her steps were uneven, as though the deck were still moving beneath her feet. She smiled wryly at the other woman as she grabbed her arm.
    Niji hauled herself to her feet. ‘If we’d been at sea I’d say you’ve still got your sea legs.’
    Missy grimaced. ‘It’s a shame we won’t be stationary long enough to get used to it.’ They both laughed, a little nervously.
    The captain was speaking with the cook. ‘Mister Hiroshi, perhaps you could prepare a late meal for us. I think we have delayed dinner long enough.’
    â€˜At once, Captain.’ Hiroshi left the bridge.
    â€˜Shall we all retire to the galley?’
    As the rest of the crew filed below decks, Missy laggedbehind so she could make the detour to the engine room. As she had expected, she found Lenis caring for Aeris. The poor thing looked completely worn out, her whole body quivering.
    â€˜Is she all right?’ Missy bent to touch her cheek.
    Lenis’s brow furrowed as he stroked the creature’s fur. ‘She will be. She’s a lot stronger than she looks.’
    Missy sat next to Lenis on his bunk, their legs and shoulders touching, and massaged her aching temples.