The Chronicles of Nir

The Cat and the Pirate

Frigid moisture clung to the sleek surface of the Harmony, the crown jewel of the United Gnomish Air Fleet. Iced beads dotted the frame of the enormous balloon, glittering like stars in the midnight sky.

The final rays of sunlight slipped behind lavender and indigo clouds, bidding the world of Nir goodnight.

A human nobleman stood at the bow of the ship.

A diminutive woman joined him, stepping onto the lower rung of the brass rail. The breeze combed through her long curls of bright pink hair and carried the scent of roses to the man beside her.

"I never miss watching the sunset from the deck if I can help it," she said, as the light faded. "It's my favorite time of day, and twilight is so awfully romantic. Don't you think? I even wrote a song about it."

She glanced at her companion and suppressed a smile. Lord Thaddeus Vine was an oddity—in a good way. Humans tended to speak down to gnomes, both literally and figuratively, but he treated her and her crew with deference. In fact, he seemed enamored with all things gnomish—herself included.

Warmth flooded Thaddeus' body, and he loosened his collar. He found himself socially inept around people in general and women in particular.

And Miss Rose was on a level of her own—leagues above his own noble status.

He dipped his head in reverence to the vivacious woman and her jubilant smile. "Twilight Mist is one of my favorites. I couldn't think of a more romantic song or setting." Realizing the implication, Thaddeus blushed and cleared his throat. "I mean, I agree it's lovely. Not that I—well, I wouldn't presume—um..."

He stopped speaking and glanced at the darkening sky. Condensation from the rails moistened his palms as he anxiously gripped the metal.

Rose giggled, then bumped Thaddeus' elbow with her own. He was awkward in an endearing way, and it was difficult not to tease him. She hoped he understood she wasn't making fun of him.

"Come on, you. No free rides. You've got to work to earn your keep, and you promised to fix my mechanical kitty."

Thaddeus' breath hitched with excitement and anxiety. Excitement at the prospect of having a front-row seat to gnomish technology; anxiety because his tongue twisted every time he tried to speak to Rose in a personal capacity.

He gazed into her shimmering sapphire eyes. "I did, didn't I? What can you tell me about the automaton?"

Hopping down from the rail, Rose offered her hand to Thaddeus. "It's my beloved clockwork cat, Chrysanthemum," she explained as she led him along the deck, ducking her head against an icy, needling wind. "I know she's not a living creature, but I've had her for so long, and she's so specialized, she's like a friend to me. I built her myself, you see, and I think that's the problem. None of our gnomish mechanics have had any luck figuring out how to fix her, but you—with a fresh pair of eyes and your own inventiveness—might see something they've missed."

Thaddeus bit the inside of his cheek and forced himself not to hyperventilate.

Could she detect the sweat on his palms? Or hear the sudden spike of his heartbeat?

Wait, she wasn't a vampire.

Clockwork Rose was currently the most popular musician in all of Nir, as well as a poet and engineer.

He swallowed, twitching as he attempted to smile. "I can understand seeing an invention as a friend. They are good listeners and never judge."

Rose led him down the length of the ship to the stern and into her private cabin. By gnomish standards, the room would be considered spacious. Thaddeus, meanwhile, felt like a giant inside a dollhouse as he took care not to bump into the delicate furniture.