Read Online Storms of Lazarus (Shadows of Asphodel, Book 2) by Karen Kincy - Free Book Online

of the jar.
    “Satisfied?” Himmel said.
    Konstantin completely missed the sarcastic quirk of Himmel’s eyebrows.
    “Yes,” he said, “for now.”
    Himmel lifted the bottle of schnapps. “I really could use that drink.”
    “Me, too,” Ardis said.
    Konstantin cradled the jar with the wasp. Awfully close for comfort, in Ardis’s opinion, but then again the archmage did love technomancy.
    “Falkenrath?” Himmel said. “Will you be joining us for schnapps?”
    Blushing, Konstantin nodded. “If the invitation still stands.”
    Himmel smiled. “It does.”
    “Sans wasp,” Wendel muttered.
    Krampus hopped onto the table, stared at the smashed wasp, and pecked at the pieces until Wendel shooed him away.
    “No,” Wendel said sternly. “Don’t choke on clockwork and die.”
    Krampus looked at him with one eye and blinked.
    Nobody but Konstantin wanted the wasp, so they detoured to his cabin, where he stashed the sauerkraut jar. They descended the staircase to the lower deck and followed Himmel to his quarters. The captain’s cabin was more spacious than the cabins on the upper deck, with enough room for a couch and chairs in the corner.
    “Please, have a seat,” Himmel said.
    Konstantin settled on a chair and crossed his legs. Ardis leaned back on the couch, and Wendel sat next to her. She rubbed the bump on her arm, which was still a bit itchy, and resisted the temptation to use her fingernails.
    “Krampus,” Wendel said. “Krampus, stop.”
    The raven perched on his shoulder, nibbling his hair.
    Ardis smiled. “He’s preening you.”
    “Do you think he’s an orphan raven?” Wendel said.
    “Probably.”
    Krampus hopped onto the arm of the couch, where he started smoothing his wing feathers with his beak. Wendel smoothed his hair, which the raven had disheveled, and Ardis hid her smile behind her hand.
    “Here you go,” Himmel said.
    The zeppelin captain slid four glasses across the table and expertly poured them each a shot of apricot schnapps.
    Konstantin took his glass first. “A toast?”
    “Do you have one in mind?” Himmel said, sitting by the archmage.
    Konstantin’s ears reddened. “No.”
    “I have one.” Himmel lifted his glass. “To a Christmas with clear skies.”
    “Without wasps,” Ardis added.
    “Hear, hear.”
    They all clinked glasses. Ardis knocked back her shot. The alcohol scorched her throat the whole way down, and the sweet taste of apricot lingered on her tongue. She made a satisfied murmur, then lifted her glass again.
    “To good schnapps,” Ardis said.
    Himmel laughed and poured her another shot. Konstantin still had half of a shot. He drank it fast, coughed, and put down his glass. Wendel smiled wickedly and scooted Konstantin’s glass closer to the bottle.
    “Another for the archmage,” Wendel said.
    “I’m fine,” Konstantin said.
    But Himmel poured him another shot. Konstantin took his glass from him. Wincing, he sipped the apricot schnapps.
    “You don’t drink very often,” Ardis said, “do you?”
    Konstantin’s eyes widened. “Alcohol and technomancy aren’t compatible.”
    Himmel laughed. “An experiment gone wrong?”
    A spectacular blush reddened Konstantin’s face. He tried to look serious, but he fidgeted too much for it to be convincing.
    “I would never experiment with alcohol while in the laboratory,” he said.
    His eyes twinkling, Himmel nudged Konstantin with his elbow.
    “I believe you,” he said. “Archmages are straightlaced men.”
    Konstantin swigged the rest of his schnapps and grimaced at the ceiling. Then he glanced sideways at Himmel and raised his finger.
    “Relatively,” Konstantin said. “After all, zeppelin captains are reckless men.”
    Ardis laughed at the surprise on Himmel’s face.
    “How reckless are we feeling today?” she said, and everyone looked at her with curiosity. “Reckless enough for a game of poker?”
    “Gambling isn’t allowed on this airship.” Himmel winked.