Minotaur (Leviathan Trilogy Novel)

CHAPTER 01

ONE WEEK LATER

Jaspert could the feel the rope chafing the palm of his glove as he strafed the rigging of the Minotaur, the belt at his waist tugging against his lower back with the rope. He pushed against a lead with his feet, swinging to the side in the open air, the wind sweeping the hair out of his eyes.

He felt most alive when he was in the air.

It was almost enough to forget about Deryn.

He still wasn't sure what had happened to her. She could have been home, back in a goddamned corset, or somewhere on another ship.

He hadn't gotten in trouble yet, though, so he had to assume she hadn't been found out.

He released his clip, letting himself swing upwards to a higher point, climbing his way up to the top of the rigging. This was his favorite part. Every one of the other airmen hated it, and watched white-faced as he performed the stunt, but for him, it was the highlight of his day.

Once he reached the top he held onto the thick lead rope going across the length of the Minotaur, taking a deep breath as he unspooled the entire length of his rope. Taking the first step was always the hardest.

He steadied his nerves as he put both arms out the to the side.

And he leapt forward.

The wind rushed past, and he was thankful for his goggles as he free-fell through the sky. Several of the other shipboys were watching in admiration and terror as he sped past them, nothing but air slowing his fall.

The speed and adrenaline overpowered the fear as he spun around, stretching his hand out to grab the rope, holding a strip of leather wrapped tightly around his palm so his glove wouldn't catch fire, and began to slow his descent. He spiraled once or twice as his velocity lessened, reaching the end of the rope with a jerk and rebound at least half a metre upward.

He hung there, upside down, swinging from the rope. He felt the blood rushing to his head, pounding in his ears as he swayed slightly, looking at the ship from below and chuckling at the other boys. One of them had tried to do what he did the other day, but it hadn't ended well.

Not to say that he had died, but it hadn't been pretty. He'd been sent home with a doctor's notice. And three broken ribs.

Jaspert made his way back up his rope, his arms straining less than they had when he first arrived on board. It was amazing how being a ship's coxswain changed your body in just days.

Once he was back inside the ship, he stashed the rigging gear in a storage closet with the other pairs, heading to the mess for their evening meal.

A greedy little messenger lizard popped its head out from one of the ports in the wall, flickering its tongue at him.

"Don't have anything for you right now, mate," Jaspert sighed, lifting his arms over his head into a stretch as he walked.