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  Adena wheeled round, her sword up and ready, although she knew it to be futile against a gun. She searched, striving to use her Quadsang sight to pierce the darkness and seek out the attacker. Zared emerged into the light emanating from the dead silver lady, his face set in a rictus of madness. Froth foamed at his lips as they worked in mouthing words she couldn't hear. His heavy revolver filled his skinny hand, the barrel pointing dead at her. Adena stiffened, ready for death, feeling sad only at knowing she'd failed her comrades.

  A murrik swooped out of the night to claw at Zared's head. He shot it out of the air with the revolver's under-barrel shotgun. Another attacked, and he snarled and fired off his remaining rounds, bringing the creature down upon his head.

  Penny emerged nearby in a welter of spray, gripping her sword with a look of pure murder on her face. She saw the fight between the murrik and an unknown assailant and looked questioningly at Adena.

  Adena saw their chance while Zared was occupied. "Grab Greg's arms and head for the beach!" she shouted.

  They waded, splashed and swore toward the shore. Adena struggled to keep the murriks away from Penny as she towed Greg ashore. Another murrik fell to Adena's sword. As dry gravel crunched beneath her boots, the attackers pressed in. Her sword arm ached. She barely noticed the bubbling over the silver lady's corpse grow more violent until the light grew brighter, outlining the murriks in silver-white light…

  Zared splashed out of the darkness with what looked like a scrap of murrik hide between his bared teeth. There was no sign of the creature he'd fought. He spat out the fragment and plunged up to his neck, scrabbling frantically for the form of his mistress.

  "My lady! My lady!" he cried in a plaintive voice.

  Adena squinted. The light emanating from the silver lady looked all too familiar. A sinking feeling gripped her stomach. "Get down!" she cried, squeezing her eyes shut and diving for the ground.

  She and Penny fell together on the beach, Adena trying to shelter Greg's body. A vast sound and light filled the world. Searing heat washed over them, singeing Adena's skin and making her gasp in pain as the ground beneath her rocked and shuddered.

  Eventually the noise subsided to an echo. The ground stabilized, and the air cooled. Cautiously, Adena raised her head. Her abused ears sang and whistled with tinnitus.

  By some miracle one of their lanterns still burned, although it laid upon its side. The bodies of a half-dozen murriks lay scattered, smashed and burning at the foot of the cliff where they'd been hurled by the explosion. Zared had vanished. Satisfied no threat remained, Adena checked on the others.

  Greg laid prone with his mouth open, blood trickling from his wounds. Adena fumbled to open his clothing and sighed with vexation when she saw where the bullets had pierced him. Greg lived, but unless they could get him to the Oculus Nightingale he would not survive much longer.

  Penny rolled onto her back and moaned. "What was that?"

  "A last gift from the silver lady." Adena smiled through tears and a myriad of aches, pains and bruises. "I think whatever energy powered her held together until the water reached it. Then it blew up. It took Zared with it."

  "Huh. An ill wind that did some good." Penny turned her head. "Is Greg okay?"

  "He'll live for a while longer." Adena grunted and moved so she could extract Mr. Phibuli from her belt. He'd left a nice bruise where she'd landed on him in her dive for cover. "Let's go home."

  Chapter 16

  The ground crew let slip the moorings and hurried aboard the Oculus Nightingale. She lifted, free of the ground at last and headed for the great portal in the side of the mesa. Her engines roared, waking the echoes until the airship passed out of the cavern and into the open air beyond. Adena conned the ship on the flight deck, her mind half on her job, half on Greg, lying in her stateroom aft.

  He'd survived. Whatever magic Mr. Phibuli had used to regrow Greg's arm also worked to seal his wounds. Greg had lost a lot of blood, and it had taken most of the time Adena had allotted to bring him up to the hangar level. Fortunately, the sights and sounds of their battle in the lake had drawn the attention of the watch, and Jake Dyer had met them a day's journey out from the hangar where he and his detail had taken over.

  Mr. Phibuli was another matter. The parrot's inert form hadn't stirred since she'd felt his cold brass form beneath the water. He also laid now in her stateroom, packed with cloth in a small wicker hamper, where he would remain until she could find someone who knew how to make him live again.

  "Orders, Skipper?" Jake asked.

  "Set a course for Penumbra City, Number One."

  He nodded to Hsu-Li. "Make it so, Navigator."

  "Aye aye." She bent to her task, noting wind speed, ground drift and all the myriad details of her craft. Adena remained long enough until she was sure her vessel was truly on course before handing over the watch to Jake and retiring to her stateroom.

  Conner looked up from where he sat reading by her cot. "He's still asleep, Skipper," he reported.

  "Thanks, Conner." She looked down at the sleeping Earthman with a fond smile. "I'll take over now."

  The steward bowed and left the stateroom. Adena took his chair, killed the light and opened the shutters. She sat gazing out at the perpetual night, her reflection ghostly in the glass, and thought about what awaited them in Penumbra City. Erasmus the Merchant would not be happy to learn of his nephew's strange fate. But then, I have plenty to say to him on the nature of the cargo he sent aboard...

  "You're here." Greg's voice came soft from her side.

  She startled, then relaxed. "And you're awake at last."

  "Mostly. Did we all make it out?"

  "Oh yes."

  "I'm glad." She felt his hand seeking hers and clasped it, feeling the hard, calloused skin of a man who'd worked with his hands for far too long. "Where do we go from here?"

  Her lips twitched. "Do you mean my ship, or you and I?"

  She saw him smile, and his eyes sparkled in the dark.

  "Both."

  "We're heading for Penumbra City, our home port. You'll love it there, Greg. There's lots to see and do, once you get better."

  "I look forward to it. And... you and I?"

  "We'll see." She bent and kissed him on the lips. "We'll see."

  * * *

  The End

  About the Author

  Cindy A. and Adrian J. Matthews are a married writing team who met through a mutual publisher. They have been published multiple times in SF/fantasy/paranormal and contemporary fiction. Cindy writes SF/Fantasy under the pen-name Cynthianna, notably her Doctor Who-inspired rom-com series Loving Who, and adult vampire fiction as Celine Chatillon. Adrian writes SF/paranormal/contemporary fiction as A. J. Matthews. His "Mr. Grey, Ghosthunter" series is intended for mature audiences. Together they have created the exciting world of BloodDark, a tidally-locked world inhabited by the Pure Bloods, a vampire-like race, along with abducted humans and their offspring.

  * * *

  Cindy and Adrian regularly attend several science fiction conventions as panelists. They enjoy chatting on many writing/publishing and sci-fi fandom topics. Adrian also creates SF/fantasy/steampunk three-dimensional artwork for sale at cons and through his Smiling Assassin Productions.

  The BloodDark Series

  Book One: Olivia's Escape

  Book Two: Olivia's Return

  Book Three: Olivia's Decision

  Book Four: Fire On the Sand