"Oi! Get a move on, your princeliness! We don't have all day!" Deryn shouted back at Alek, using her favorite nickname for the former Prince of Hohenburg. Alek laughed and did his best to make his legs pump faster, so he could catch up to the Scottish lass.

Bovril, the Perspicacious Loris, clung tightly to his shoulder. "Get a move on!" It said, then chuckled.

March 1915 was drawing to a close. Alek and Deryn, who have both been working for the Zoological Society for more than three months now, were happy whenever they could sneak away to get a few minutes together.

It was a cool spring evening in London and the two 16 year old teenagers were done with their work for the day. They were eager to get some time alone; not to mention, to get away from Dr. Barlow and Count Volger's watchful eyes.

The sun was setting—painting the blue sky with vibrant hues of purple, pink, and orange— as Deryn and Alek raced to the grove of trees located near the Zoological Society building in Regent's park.

Deryn was quite a ways ahead of him and was enjoying taunting him. He had recently had a growth spurt, so their height was roughly the same now, although her long legs did give her a slight advantage.

However, she started slowing a moment later; her left knee twinging and reminding her of the injury she'd sustained in Mexico, from the glider accident, only a few months ago.

Alek took advantage of this and sped forward, reaching the tree a moment later. He gave her a triumphant smile as she arrived beside him, just a few seconds too late.

"I win!" Alek said boastfully, panting hard from his run.

"Aye, dummkopf." Deryn said, equally winded. "But only 'cause my bloody knee decided to act up." She gave him a playful punch on the arm.

He gave her a peck on the cheek. "I'll let you win next time, leibe." He said teasingly.

She gave a snort. "Not likely, you barking Clanker. I'll be leaving you in the dust next time." She said smiling and punched his shoulder again, slightly harder this time.

Alek smiled as he watched her start to climb the tree, but still had to rub his bicep. Deryn knew how to punch.

Bovril looked at him and chuckled, saying, "Dummkopf!" Alek shook his head and then started climbing as well.

If someone had told him six months ago that he would be climbing trees with his Darwinist girlfriend, acting like a normal teenage commoner instead of ruling over Austria-Hungary as a proper emperor—and having loads of fun doing so—he would have thought them insane.

Since meeting Deryn he had done things he never dreamed possible. She had opened his eyes to a whole new world and he enjoyed every minute of it. Especially since he was with her.

Each of them ascended the old tree carefully, trying to avoid dead branches or limbs that looked questionable. As they climbed, they bantered playfully, laughing and joking their way up the tree.

When they were quite a ways from the ground, Deryn was looking down at him and making some humorous remark as she reached for a limb, not really paying attention to what she was holding. Everything after that seemed to happen in slow motion for Alek.

He heard a loud crack, the sickening sound of wood splintering. The dead limb Deryn had grabbed broke off in her hand!

Suddenly, Deryn was falling! Gravity was forcing her to make a hasty and unwilling plummet back to the ground several meters below.

"Deryn!" Alek shrieked. His hand shot out as he tried desperately, but in vain, to catch her.

He saw Deryn's panicked face and heard her terrified scream as she dropped like a rock. She wildly grabbed at passing branches as she descended, but never could grasp one.

He could do nothing but watch, in utter horror, as she fell for what seemed like an eternity.

Her body rammed hard into several thick tree limbs, yet they did nothing to slow her fall. They just made sickening, cracking sounds as she slammed into them again and again.

He heard the gut-wrenching thud, as she collided with the earth. A puff of dirt rose and then settled around her.

Then, she lay still. Too still.

Bovril mewled on his shoulder.

Shocked by what he had just witnessed, Alek raced down the tree, climbing as quickly as possible. His heart pounded in his ears.

He jumped the last few feet and ran to where she lay crumpled on the ground. He stood over her body, trembling with fear.

Kneeling beside her, his quivering hands fluttered above her face and torso, wondering what to do. He forced his hand to stop shaking and placed it on the left side of her neck, feeling around for a pulse.

He gave a shaky sigh of relief when he finally felt the steady rhythm of her heartbeat. She was alive!

He quickly took stock of her injuries.

He could see numerous scrapes and gashes on various parts of her body. Her right arm was lying at an abnormal angle, most definitely broken from the looks of it.

Her left leg, however, was twisted under her in a sickening way.

"Deryn." He said and then realized, he was whispering. "Deryn." He said again, louder this time.

"Deryn!" Bovril called out, and then keened softly when there was no answer.

"Deryn, can you hear me?!" He was starting to feel panic rising in him. He pushed it down, trying to think clearly.

He knew there was no way he could carry her. He had to get help. Now!

"Deryn, if you can hear me, I'm going to get help!" He jumped to his feet and raced back to the Zoological building as fast as he could make his legs go.


Note: I hope y'all enjoyed this first part of the story! All credit goes to the amazing Scott Westerfeld!