Jak bounded down the wide main staircase and across the huge entryway. “Come on!”
Leander trailed just behind him, still fussing with his tie while trying not to crush his hat. “Just a moment.”
Jak paused at the door, a fond smile curving his lips. Leander wore one of his new suits, his hair carefully styled, almost everything about him polished. Almost. His tie was crooked, his cheeks flushed from hurrying after Jak, and a little strand of hair had fallen out of place. Those hints of disarray made Jak think of all the wicked things they did behind closed doors, when careful, orderly Leander came undone. When the man was so wonderfully, undeniably his.
Jak hadn’t exactly been against long-term romantic relationships, he’d just never felt the need to have one, never quite understood the appeal. Now, with Leander, he did.
Enough to sign away his freedom. Ugh, that was a depressing line of thought. Sure, Jak was now forced to work for the military, but he should look on the bright side. He got to stay with Leander and the rest of the Weatherford family, they would soon have a new house tucked away behind Baroness Norrington’s mansion, and today the new workers were arriving.
Leander panted as he went over to the tall mirror near the doorway to fix his tie. The mechanist smoothed his hair and made tiny adjustments to his suit before putting on his hat. “I’d ask if I was presentable, but you’re a poor judge of that.” The reflection showed Leander smiling. Then he turned and looked Jak over with a sigh. “Come here.”
Leander leaned up to straighten Jak’s collar, which Jak allowed, but when Leander reached to button the jacket, Jak pushed his hand away. “It’s just the new workers.”
“Whom we will be supervising. We need to make a good impression.” They’d already had this argument, which was why Jak was wearing the jacket at all.
“They’ll see me without my shirt on soon enough, so why get fancy?” Jak waggled his eyebrows.
Leander made an exasperated noise.
“Good morning.” Baroness Norrington came down the stairs in a cream-colored suit with a matching hat and carrying a gold-tipped walking stick. “Where’s Silver?”
“Probably out with Sky Queen.” Jak waved a hand.
“And the rest of the family?” she asked.
“They left a few moments before we did. They should be waiting outside,” Leander answered.
“Well, let’s get to it, gentlemen.” She pulled out a gold pocket watch. “I suspect these military types won’t be fashionably late.”
The first thing Jak saw when they stepped outside was the huge, gleaming bulk of Sky Queen, the mechanical dragon Leander had built and Jak had enchanted. The workers were in for a shock when they arrived. They’d almost definitely seen pictures in the newspaper, but seeing her in person was a very different thing.
Jak, Leander, and the others would be building at least a dozen more just like her for the Technological Advancement Division, the science-y department of the army. As part of the agreement not to hand Jak over to the Feldrasian government as a deserter, Norrington had expanded the workshop attached to her mansion and granted the use of it to TAD.
The expansion had been completed last week, and today the new workers were arriving. Their contact from TAD, who Jak knew was more like their supervisor, had explained that some of the mechanists were members of the military while others were contractors given security clearance to work on this project. Jak shuddered at the memory of the huge stack of papers he’d had to read over and sign as a condition for his release. Leander had been given a similar stack and been subjected to an “interview” before TAD agreed to give him clearance.
Jak tried not to think too much about the deal he’d made, but today it was almost impossible to avoid. On the other hand, Jak was very good at looking on the bright side. Today there were new people to meet. The past few months had been practically boring, waiting for the workshop to be finished and having hardly any parties to go to. In the summer many of the nobles went out to their country estates, which meant there weren’t enough people left in Belnan to keep high society going at the same pace.
Baroness Norrington had taken Jak and the others to her own estate outside the city for two weeks, but otherwise she’d stayed home to supervise the construction. Jak had worried he’d need to avoid her now that Sky Queen had been enchanted and Jak was working for TAD rather than Norrington. He’d all but promised to sleep with her once they weren’t in business together, although he’d only said that to buy time. Jak would have slept with the baroness, but he knew it would hurt Leander.
Something had shifted since Jak’s arrest though. He and Norrington still flirted, but only lightly, and she hadn’t pressed him for more. Jak had even asked Leander if he’d told Norrington about their relationship, but Leander had almost panicked at the very idea.
“Here they come!” Susanna said. Leander’s younger sister bounced on her toes.
The rest of the Weatherford family stood beside her: Percy, Harlan, and Edith. People Jak had grown to love over the past several months, just as he’d grown to love Leander.
A fleet of large black carriages appeared at the end of the driveway and headed toward them. Sky Queen turned her huge head to watch. The first carriage stopped and let out Colonel Kathleen Mitra, their contact from TAD.
She looked up at Sky Queen with a mix of interest and nervousness. “I wonder if I’ll ever get used to that.” She shook her head and turned to Jak and the others. Mitra was a tall woman with graying hair pinned neatly under her military hat.
She held her hand out to the baroness first. “Good morning, Baroness Norrington. Mister— Jak. Mr. Weatherford. I’m quite excited to get started on this project with you.”
The workers were getting out of the carriages, all of them staring up at Sky Queen. The horses shifted and snorted in their traces, reacting to the presence of the mechanical dragon. Sky Queen only moved her head, looking over the group of humans. If she made a sudden move or took to the sky, it would probably spook the horses. She was behaving herself very well, possibly because she understood these people would help build her new companions.
“We’re quite excited as well.” Norrington put her hands on her hips and surveyed the new workers the same way Sky Queen was.
Jak glanced over at Leander to see his boyfriend sweating. Jak nudged him. He was supposed to say hello.
Leander cleared his throat. “Um, yes. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I am, uh, Leander Weatherford, and I’ll, um, be supervising you. Along with my family.” He gestured toward them. “Edith and Harlan Weatherford, my grandmother and father. And my siblings, Susanna and Percy. They, uh, won’t be supervising you.”
A few of the workers chuckled. Leander was doing pretty good, but Jak decided to rescue him anyway. “And I’m Jak, the resident mage. I’ll be helping out too, though I mostly cause trouble.” More laughter.
“I’m Baroness Wilhelmina Norrington, and this is my estate. Now, on to the tour.”
Jak chuckled. Always cutting to the chase.
With Norrington in the lead, they walked over to the workshop. The expanded version was three times as large and filled with all the newest equipment. Jak glanced up at the ceiling, remembering how Sky Queen had smashed through it the day she’d been enchanted. Would the other dragons be as much trouble?
Leander seemed less nervous as he pointed out all the various pieces of equipment. This was his new domain, and although he’d confessed to Jak that the huge space felt overwhelming, he was also excited to start work on the new dragons.
After filling the orders for enchanted companions that they’d taken from the customers back at the Weatherfords’ family shop, Leander had started work on dragon designs. Both he and Jak agreed they wouldn’t build them like factory machines, every one churned out exactly the same as the last. Each dragon would be unique, just like the spirit inside it would be.
Gods, Jak loved to watch Leander work on the sketches, a little frown of concentration between his brows. Loved the way his eyes lit up when he thought of some clever little improvement.
“Much of this is adapted from shipbuilding equipment,” Leander was saying to the group of mechanists. “Many of the parts we need to make will be quite large. For that reason, awareness and safety will be of paramount importance.”
Harlan, having worked in a factory and therefore being familiar with training and procedures, had volunteered to be in charge of safety. The man had already been nagging Jak about following the rules. Harlan was perfect for the job.
Even with Leander only giving a brief overview, it took them a while to make it through the workshop and back outside again. Jak grinned as he saw Sky Queen perk up. She knew what was coming.
Norrington lifted a hand and gestured toward the mechanical dragon. “And now, ladies and gentlemen, a demonstration of the magnificent creatures you’re going to build.” She turned to Sky Queen, pressing her free hand on top of her hat to hold it on. “If you would, my dear.”
Softly whirring and clicking, the dragon tensed and then launched into the air. The workers gasped as she gained height, then Sky Queen turned, swooping over the bright green lawn. She circled the mansion, then spiraled wider to fly over the whole grounds. People clapped and let out soft cheers and exclamations of awe.
Sunlight glinted off the various metals—gold, silver, bronze, brass, and the silver gray of steel—inside Sky Queen. She seemed to be having a ball showing off for them.
Jak caught Leander watching her with a fond smile. They’d created her together, Leander designing her body and Jak infusing her with a spirit. In a way, Sky Queen was their child. The thought filled his chest with warmth, and he had to look away to resist the urge to kiss Leander. If only this country didn’t have such stupid ideas about who was allowed to kiss in public. Or at all, really.
He and Leander couldn’t even dance at all those parties they went to.
Jak shook his head to clear away that depressing thought. Sky Queen was beautiful and impressive, and despite the circumstances, Jak was looking forward to building more mechanical dragons.
After filling the orders for enchanted companions that they’d taken from the customers back at the Weatherfords’ family shop, Leander had started work on dragon designs. Both he and Jak agreed they wouldn’t build them like factory machines, every one churned out exactly the same as the last. Each dragon would be unique, just like the spirit inside it would be.
Gods, Jak loved to watch Leander work on the sketches, a little frown of concentration between his brows. Loved the way his eyes lit up when he thought of some clever little improvement.
“Much of this is adapted from shipbuilding equipment,” Leander was saying to the group of mechanists. “Many of the parts we need to make will be quite large. For that reason, awareness and safety will be of paramount importance.”
Harlan, having worked in a factory and therefore being familiar with training and procedures, had volunteered to be in charge of safety. The man had already been nagging Jak about following the rules. Harlan was perfect for the job.
Even with Leander only giving a brief overview, it took them a while to make it through the workshop and back outside again. Jak grinned as he saw Sky Queen perk up. She knew what was coming.
Norrington lifted a hand and gestured toward the mechanical dragon. “And now, ladies and gentlemen, a demonstration of the magnificent creatures you’re going to build.” She turned to Sky Queen, pressing her free hand on top of her hat to hold it on. “If you would, my dear.”
Softly whirring and clicking, the dragon tensed and then launched into the air. The workers gasped as she gained height, then Sky Queen turned, swooping over the bright green lawn. She circled the mansion, then spiraled wider to fly over the whole grounds. People clapped and let out soft cheers and exclamations of awe.
Sunlight glinted off the various metals—gold, silver, bronze, brass, and the silver gray of steel—inside Sky Queen. She seemed to be having a ball showing off for them.
Jak caught Leander watching her with a fond smile. They’d created her together, Leander designing her body and Jak infusing her with a spirit. In a way, Sky Queen was their child. The thought filled his chest with warmth, and he had to look away to resist the urge to kiss Leander. If only this country didn’t have such stupid ideas about who was allowed to kiss in public. Or at all, really.
He and Leander couldn’t even dance at all those parties they went to.
Jak shook his head to clear away that depressing thought. Sky Queen was beautiful and impressive, and despite the circumstances, Jak was looking forward to building more mechanical dragons.
The day was filled with tours, introductions, overviews, and trainings, and by the end of it, Leander was quite exhausted. He gave a weary sigh as he sat down to dinner.
“Quite the day, wasn’t it?” Dad said as he passed a bowl of greens.
“Indeed.” As Leander scooped some onto his plate, he mused about how easily he’d gotten used to being served. Well, the servants didn’t actually serve them meals except on the few occasions that Baroness Norrington invited them to dine with her in the formal dining room, but food appeared on the table three times a day.
And their family had enough money now that they would be able to afford a small staff even if they moved away from the estate. The baroness had paid them for creating Sky Queen, and they’d also been paid for the other—much smaller—commissions they’d completed. The customers who had made orders from the shop back home had been patient, waiting the months it took to complete Sky Queen before their orders could be filled. Despite the delay, they’d been very pleased with Leander’s fine craftsmanship and Jak’s intelligent, free-willed spirits. Indeed, the customers could now boast they had enchanted companions from the same creators that had made the astonishing mechanical dragon.
By some miracle, through Jak’s charm and Baroness Norrington’s generous payments for the repairs, the people of the city had seemed to forgive Sky Queen’s rampage on the day she’d been enchanted. Sky Queen herself had helped repair one of the buildings while Jak and the baroness explained the creature had been disoriented and hadn’t intended any of the destruction.
Even Ethelbert Sibley’s best efforts had only managed to turn a handful of people against them. The man had been displeased to say the least that his scheming hadn’t worked out. Leander hoped spending the summer away would help cool him down, but that wasn’t likely.
“It’s good to have more people around again.” Jak accepted the bowl from Leander with a smile. Of course he’d be happy about that. Jak seemed to thrive on being around others, whether it was helping in the workshop or mingling with nobles at a party. Leander wondered how he’d survived before, having to travel from place to place in order to keep his identity hidden. He’d hidden it from Leander too, until Jak’s arrest had forced him to tell the truth. Even though Leander understood why Jak had done it, remembering how Jak had lied to him still stung.
“And the season is starting soon, so you’ll be able to go to your parties again,” Grandma said.
The mage sighed happily. “I can’t wait. I have six new suits to show off.”
Leander groaned. “I know. You’ve already shown us those garish monstrosities.” Jak seemed to think that the more colors he added to an outfit, the better.
“It’s called fashion.”
“It should be called a crime.” Leander’s mouth snapped shut, a wave of guilt washing over him. Jak had been in jail not long ago.
But Jak only laughed. “Just because you think clothes only come in three colors—black, white, and gray. Oh wait. I forgot brown.”
Susanna and Percy unsuccessfully tried to hide their laughter behind their hands.
“There’s nothing wrong with being sensible,” Dad said. “It might be fine for a mage to be flashy, but Leander needs to be more respectable, especially when he’s around nobles.”
Jak rolled his eyes. “But aren’t you guys a higher rank now? What’s the name… magnates?”
Leander sighed. Jak had little respect or understanding of social structure. Now that Leander knew Jak wasn’t actually from the country he’d claimed, it made more sense why he didn’t have a grasp of the class system. Of course, it also didn’t matter as much to Jak, as mages held rank according to their power and social prestige, and Jak had plenty of both.
“All the more reason for him to be conservative.” Dad took the platter of roast chicken. “We need to prove we’re worthy of our new rank. Such a quick rise will mean greater scrutiny.”
A cold sensation filled Leander’s stomach at the reminder of how precarious things were. The smallest mistake could send his family back down to the proletariat stratum, and that meant it was crucial no one found out about his romantic involvement with Jak. Leander glanced at his lover. He knew the secrecy chafed Jak, and he wondered if the man might reach a breaking point.
“They can’t take your money away, can they?” Jak took a buttered roll and passed the basket on.
“Money isn’t the only concern. We can be excluded, denied business, shut out of the company of our fellow magnates until it becomes clear we’re no longer considered one of them.”
Leander noticed Grandma staring at her plate with a thoughtful frown. She was the only one who knew about Leander’s relationship with Jak, and while she was supportive personally, she was also well aware of the danger it posed.
“Well, I wouldn’t let that happen,” Jak said. “Norrington wouldn’t either.”
“You can’t shield us from everything, Jak,” Leander said.
The mage leaned back, eyebrows going up. “Watch me.”
“Why are we discussing losing our rank when we’ve only just gotten it?” Grandma said.
Jak smiled. “Right? Why not just enjoy it? You’ve wanted it for a long time.”
At least Jak understood that much. The reason they’d met was because Leander had been trying to earn more money for his family by creating enchanted companions, and that required a mage to infuse the mechanical creature with a spirit. The Weatherford Mechanical Emporium had been suffering declining profits until Jak arrived and changed everything.
The shop was his family legacy, and when they’d left to move to the capital, Leander had thought it was temporary. After Leander had signed the agreement to work for TAD, it had seemed there were only three solutions for what to do with the Weatherford Mechanical Emporium. First, for the rest of the family to return while Leander stayed in Belnan. Second, to keep paying the lease until Leander was free of the contract and they could all go back. Or third, to give up the lease.
It was Grandma who came up with a different solution—to buy the building from the owner and rent it to another mechanist. They’d offered a generous sum that wouldn’t put a strain on their new wealth, and the owner had accepted. The purchase instantly made them freeholders, the highest tier of proletariat. Or rather it would have if the prestige of creating Sky Queen hadn’t catapulted Leander and his family straight into the magnate stratum.
What ownership of the building also did was allow them to offer a talented but struggling mechanist a place to live and work at a discounted rate. Their advertisement in the local paper had yielded a significant interest, and now they had the problem of sorting through the submissions to choose their new tenant. Their first tenant.
“Speaking of enjoying things…,” Susanna started.
“The answer is still no, you can’t have a horse,” Dad said. Susanna had been asking for one since Leander and his family had been paid by the baroness. “It’s not just about the cost—we don’t have anywhere to keep it.”
“We could put it in the stables.”
“Those are the baroness’s stables.” Dad speared a piece of meat.
“I’m sure she wouldn’t mind—”
“No.” Dad fixed her with a look.
Leander could understand Dad’s position. They were still living in the baroness’s home without cost, and she was building them an entire house in a portion of her garden. She hadn’t asked for payment for that either, but Jak had helped Leander convince her to let them pay for a percentage of it. Jak had decided that meant they could help design the house, and while architecture wasn’t something Leander was well versed in, he still enjoyed the chance to work on a very different kind of design.
Still, Susanna didn’t ask for much, and she’d wanted a horse from the time she was little. Leander wondered if there was a way to arrange something. Riding lessons, perhaps? Susanna had been overjoyed when the baroness took them all riding at her country estate.
“How about a dog?” Percy asked.
Dad opened his mouth, then looked thoughtful. “I’ll consider it.”
“That’s not fair!” Susanna said.
“A dog is much easier to care for than a horse and doesn’t require special accommodations.”
“Yeah, he can stay in my room.” Percy was excited to have his own room when the new house was finished. Six bedrooms, by the gods—what an extravagance.
“I said I’d consider it. That’s not the same as saying yes.”
Percy sighed and looked down at his plate.
“Silver isn’t enough for you?” Jak asked.
The mechanical cat was currently curled at one of the empty places on the table. While it—they, Leander reminded himself—still showed some interest in food, their curiosity was less than it used to be. And because they were an enchanted creature rather than a flesh-and-blood one, Dad and Grandma had stopped objecting to Silver being on the table while the family ate.
Percy glanced at the sleeping cat a little guiltily. “I love Silver, but I’ve always wanted a dog. And, well, Silver isn’t really a pet, are they? They don’t belong to any of us.”
“Good point,” Jak said around a mouthful of food.
“What I really want is a dragon,” Percy said quietly.
“That is absolutely out of the question,” Dad said.
Percy poked at his food. “I know.”
“Have you decided which one we should start building tomorrow?” Jak asked.
Leander nodded. “The smaller one. It should be quicker to build, and it will take fewer materials. It may be less imposing than Sky Queen, but only compared to her. If TAD is satisfied with a smaller version, I could suggest scaling down the other models as well.” Sky Queen’s gigantic size was due to Baroness Norrington’s preference, but there was no reason the other dragons needed to be that large.
“I definitely wouldn’t mind getting to the enchanting part sooner.” Jak took a sip of his water.
That reminded Leander of how Jak had collapsed after enchanting Sky Queen. “Are you sure you’ll be all right this time?”
Jak waved a hand. “Now I know what to expect. Worst case, it’ll drain me and I pass out again. But you’ll be there to catch me, right?” Jak winked.
Leander should be used to Jak flirting with him in front of his family by now. Susanna and Percy were too young to understand, but it still wasn’t appropriate. The person Leander was most worried about was his father, although Jak had been flirting with Leander from the time they met and Dad hadn’t said anything or shown any indication he knew what was going on. Perhaps he took it as Jak’s particular kind of teasing since he said such things to nearly everyone.
“I certainly hope this time the dragon won’t destroy the shop and half the city,” Dad said.
“Well, Sky Queen will be there to say hello.” Jak, as usual, didn’t seem bothered by the idea of driving himself to unconsciousness or the potentially destructive capabilities of their creations. “She should be able to smooth things over.”
That cavalier attitude made Leander want to shake him. And kiss him.
Weapons & Wonders will be available May 12, 2020.