Midnight Lady by Jamie K. Schmidt

Author:Jamie K. Schmidt [Schmidt, Jamie K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: steampunk, science fiction, Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: Jamie K. Schmidt
Published: 2018-06-04T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

When they got back to Cozumel, Maggie was disappointed at how little The Midnight Lady had changed in over a month. She had forgotten how exciting it was to be on an airship—once you got used to the vortexes. The bar seemed so ordinary and small compared to that.

The Calgarians had pulled their battleships back to their own dimension, but she still saw a few guards who were trying to be inconspicuous. Ephraim agreed to stay aboard The Quicksilver until they could contact Black Belle.

She filled Donna in on where she had gone, and what they had seen. At first Donna was disappointed at the lack of treasure, but then she tapped her nails on the bar as she thought about it.

“Let me see what I can dig up about the ruins and any new people asking about diving. Every now and then, my uncle gets a few requests to sail over by the blockade. The Federales shoo him away, but it gives the tourists some thrills.”

“Does he let them dive?”

“If they pay up front, and only if the Federales aren’t looking too closely.”

“What did the divers say when they came back?”

“They don’t come back.” Donna grimaced. “Why do you think he has them pay up front?”

On that note, Maggie went up to her bedroom with Quick. Black Belle was nowhere to be seen, but her luggage that she had sent over to The Nicholette was on her bed.

“I’ve got to get better locks. I go out of my way to make sure no one knows where I live and it turns out my apartment might as well be on a placemat map at Senior Frog’s.”

They looked around, but the only sign that Black Belle had been here at all was a dirty ashtray and two empty bottles of rum.

“You might want to rent out the room for some extra money,” Quick said, pulling up the hatch to check out the sky.

“Where am I going to sleep then?” she asked.

“With me.”

“Yeah, when you’re around.”

Quick closed the hatch. “Donna is a capable bar manager. You’re an experienced airman. There’s no reason why you can’t come on missions with me and run the bar remotely.”

Maggie snorted. “And when were you planning on asking me if that’s what I wanted?”

“It is, isn’t it?” he said, confused. “I thought we had taken our relationship to the next level.”

“Quick, if I wanted to be a pirate, I’d have my own fucking fleet by now.”

A muscle worked in his jaw, and Maggie had a moment to regret her mocking words. “Things don’t have to change,” she said, soothingly.

But he didn’t seem to be in the mood to be soothed. “Why not?” he asked.

Maggie wasn’t sure. On the one hand, it sounded pretty nice. And while he didn’t ask her if that’s what she wanted, she hadn’t given him a reason to think it would be unwanted. On the other hand, she didn’t like to give up her independence.

“This is my bar. Like your ship is your ship.

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