"Blarking spiders, Alek, would you hold still? If I didn't know better, I'd swear I was helping to dress a child."
Deryn smirked as Alek scoffed at her jibe, which quickly turned to a surprised sputter as she yanked roughly on his tie.
"You would think princes would know how to dress themselves," she drawled on, ignoring the venomous look Alek was giving her. His cheeks were red in embarrassment, no doubt chagrined that a girl was helping him to get dressed for the upcoming gala.
"I was about to fix it until you assaulted me," Alek huffed, once again receiving the cold shoulder from the Scotswoman. After a few more seconds of uncomfortable silence, Deryn stepped back to admire her handiwork, a smug smile spreading across her fine features.
"Not bad for a woman, eh?" she remarked, garnering an exasperated sigh from the Austrian. Her brow furrowed slightly as she watched Alek fidget uncomfortably in his suit, green eyes darting restlessly from one thing to another. Deryn knew he didn't particularly want to attend the Zoological Society's gala tonight, but something else seemed to be troubling him, something completely independent of Alek's disdain for the night's event.
"You know, it's not too late to pretend to be sick," Deryn suggested, the faintest hint of concern in her voice. Alek flinched at her words, obviously having been consumed in his own thoughts before being disturbed.
"Huh? No, no, I'm fine. Really," he insisted, forcing a smile onto his face, though it looked more like a tired grimace.
Deryn scowled, now fully positive that he was hiding something from her. Normally she wouldn't mind, as their relationship had never been built about sharing their feelings or whatever garbage "normal" couples did. Most of the time if either of them had something on their mind, the other wouldn't pry, their lingering presence the only indicator that if an ear was needed to listen, it would be provided. These moments were few and far between (thankfully), but they occurred often enough to where Deryn could immediately tell if something was bothering Alek, and there was definitely something bothering him tonight.
"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked again, her lips quirking into a frown as Alek remained silent, apparently preoccupied with his own thoughts. Deryn briefly wondered if his reticence had something to do with the bombing of the Hohenburg Palace. The news of the bombing had spread quickly throughout the day, but many on board the ship had dismissed it as the actions of radical anarchists, nothing to be concerned about. Perhaps the destruction of an iconic landmark wasn't relevant to the more important proceedings in Europe, but not everybody shared the same sentiment.
For the second time she received no response, and deciding that she didn't want this to turn into one of those annoying heart-to-hearts, Deryn figured she'd drop the subject for the time being. Giving Alek a swift cuff on the head, successfully knocking him back into reality, she gestured towards the door with a pointed glance.
"If you're done moping, I think it's time to join the rest of society." Alek seemed relieved that Deryn had decided not to pry, so with minimal griping, he followed her into the now-empty corridors of the Endeavour, fully intent on shoving his personal dilemmas into the back of his mind and at least pretending to enjoy the night.
The airbeast was suspended on the outskirts of Hyde Park, a small clearing acting as a makeshift docking bay. Even from the gondola, Deryn could make out the crowds of people milling about the park, illuminated by floating lanterns that were probably meant to show off the newest species of glowworms. A swell of excitement coursed through her veins, a feeling that had been absent from her life since retiring from the Leviathan. The gala was the first time she was truly able to indulge in her new choice of career, and she planned to take full advantage of what the night had to offer.
Linking her arm in Alek's (and ignoring the former prince's indignant protests at the very un-Deryn like action), they descended from the gondola, making their way through the park until the trees opened up into another clearing, revealing what seemed to be a poorly organized zoo. Tuxedoed men and lavishly dressed women ogled over what looked like a giant, brown-spotted steer, at least the size of the average elephantine, but far more intimidating thanks to its vast, deadly head of horns. According to the man with the ridiculously large Stetson hat and obnoxious Texas twang—which she recognized from her adventures in the southern United States during the whole Goliath incident—the beast was used primarily for plowing fields and hauling large payloads, supposedly doing the work of two elephantines and far less clumsy.
Menageries of other fabricated beasties were all over the place. Birds of all shapes, sizes, and colors filled the inky, smoggy sky of London, some whose feathers reflected the soft golden light, and upon further inspection, Deryn could see that their plumage was made entirely of thin sheets of metal. Her attention shifted to the ground after something slimy had brushed against her trousers, and her blue eyes widened when she saw what looked like a miniature dragon, and she could have sworn smoke was leaking from its nostrils. The dragonesque soon ran off, in the pursuit of two beasties resembling ferrets, with the exception of fiery red coats. This place was utter chaos, and she loved it.
"Enjoying the gala, Mister Sharp?" Deryn swung around, attempting to disguise her bewildered expression with a calm smile.
"MisterSharp," came a small voice from Doctor Barlow's shoulder, and she shot the loris a scathing glare before returning her attention to the imperious woman in front of her.
"Seems more like a zoo than a gala," the girl remarked, tugging lightly at her black waistcoat under the lady boffin's scrutinizing gaze. "Not that I'm complaining!" she amended quickly, a sheepish grin forming on her lips. And it was true, she wasn't. Deryn always enjoyed organized chaos, whether it had been on the Leviathan, the cluttered, messy experiments of the Zoological Society's scientists, or an event like this. As long as no one was poisoned, injured, or eaten, Deryn didn't see any harm in letting the fabricated beasties roam around.
"This is what the gala should be like," Barlow responded, her clever eyes sweeping over the masses of people and creatures. "For the last couple of years, everything was centered around war. It's nice to see things that weren't made for the sole purpose of killing others."
Deryn lifted a brow, a bit taken aback by Doctor Barlow's confession. The boffin had never seen too concerned with the war, and when she did acknowledge its existence, her comments were usually focused on how incompetent Churchill was. While Deryn would never have expected her to be a blood thirsty advocate of war, she definitely didn't anticipate pacifist ideals, either. Yet she found herself agreeing with the other woman. There was nothing like watching a flock of flechette bats shred a Clanker aeroplane, and she would never get the image of the behemoth in the bay of Istanbul out of her head, but these new fabrications captivated her in a different way, and they were a pleasant reminder that several months of fighting were winding down. Albeit, nothing could replace the feeling of hanging off the ratlines during a battle in the sky, but Deryn knew she could find other exhilarating adventures elsewhere.
"Were those eggs we delivered to your stateroom for the gala, Doctor Barlow?" asked Alek, whom Deryn had almost completely forgotten about. She glanced over at him, surprised but happy to see a small glint of excitement on his face, and though Alek didn't hold Darwinist creations in the same esteem as herself, she was glad to see that he was in a better mood than he had been a few hours before.
"I'm afraid not, Alek," the lady boffin replied lightly. "Those were meant for a colleague here in London."
"Any idea of what they are?" Deryn piqued, but Doctor Barlow was already melting back into the crowd, her interest in their idle chatter apparently exhausted. Deryn merely shrugged, choosing to follow the boffin's example and see more of what the gala had to offer.
"Treats us like slaves, and she can't be bothered to tell us what those eggs were!" huffed Alek, earning an elbow to the ribs from Deryn. Seconds later, a terrified keening erupted from beside her, and instinctively she shifted her weight in preparation for a fight, until she spotted the gleaming bird perched atop Alek's head, casually preening its delicate metal feathers. The former prince's face was red with embarrassment, and Deryn didn't hold back raucous bout of laughter.
"How very princely of you, screaming like a lass!" she chortled. Alek's expression was the textbook definition of if-looks-could-kill, but Deryn pretended not to notice, figuring she wouldn't compromise his dignity any more.
The night proceeded without any more mishaps. Eventually it was time for the "honored guests" to receive their recognition, as was customary at any formal gathering. Reluctantly, Deryn and Alek made their way over to the circular tables that had been erected around a raised platform, choosing one near the edge in case the long-winded speakers became a bit too tedious and she could chance slipping away. After half an hour, Deryn was wondering whether being stuck in a cage with a Russian fighting bear would be more enjoyable than listening to a fat man in a suit drabble on about his fabricated fungus revolutionized the paint industry. She cast a cursory look at Alek to see if he was faring any better, frowning when she saw him glancing anxiously into the hazy night sky.
"What's got your panties in a bunch?" she grumbled, her buoyant mood deflated after one too many sleep-inducing speeches.
Alek paused, as if waiting for something before he replied.
"Don't you hear that?" he whispered, smiling apologetically when a couple in front of them gave them a disapproving glare for talking. Deryn's eyes narrowed suspiciously, wondering if the daft prince had finally lost it, but after a few minutes of attempting to drown out the speaker's monotone voice, she heard it, a steady thrumming characteristic of Clanker engines. The noise wasn't entirely unusual; every so often mechanized planes would fly across London, typically part of some experiment combining Darwinist and Clanker creatures, so at first Deryn didn't think too much of it. But as the buzzing began to crescendo, more eyes ascended to the sky, and an apprehensive murmuring broke out amongst the crowd.
Deryn opened her mouth to hush the pair that had previously chastised Alek and herself, but whatever retort had been on the tip of her tongue immediately died as a low whine drowned out any other noise, interrupted by a deafening, earth-shattering explosion. She was knocked from her seat, hands clambering at the soft earth as she tried to hoist herself back onto her feet, only to be knocked back down by another powerful blast. Screams and yells punctuated the hazy veil, giving Hyde Park an eerie, unsettling atmosphere.
"Alek!" Deryn called into the gloom, coughing as dust and other debris filtered into her lungs. Finally managing to pull herself to her feet, she stumbled through the gloom, spotting faint silhouettes of other individuals through the dark smog, but not able to distinguish any unique features. Another explosion sounded a good distance off, shaking the ground beneath her feet but not enough undo her balance. Obviously this wasn't the case for everyone, though, as a body landed right on top of her, and further investigation revealed it to be Alek.
"Get off me, ya bum-rag! You weigh more than a barking hippoesque," she spat, though a faint edge of relief crept into her Scottish burr. Alek mumbled something incoherent as Deryn shoved him off her and gracelessly pulled himself upright.
"Volger warned me that something like this would happen," he gasped. "I thought he was just being paranoid..." His words trailed off into a violent fit of coughing, and Deryn promptly grabbed him by the wrist and began walking in what she hoped was the direction of the Endeavour. The pungent aroma of burnt foliage and gunpowder filled the air, mingling with the acrid odor of burnt flesh. Usually nothing affected Deryn Sharp's stomach of steel, but the scent was enough to make bile rise in the back of her throat, and she hated to think of what carnage was obscured by the thick, muggy haze.
"Of course when the count has something to say, it's always doom and gloom!" she lamented. Deryn faltered mid-step as the muffled sound of buzzing Clanker engines pierced the unnerving silence, and a sound reminiscent of rolling thunder suddenly exploded around the pair. A myriad of objects, ranging from knife-sharp splinters to pieces of rock flew past, a hefty branch nicking her in the ribs and sending her toppling into the churned up earth. Her head erupted in a splitting pain as her skull landed with a definite crack on an upturned boulder, and she vaguely recognized the warm, wet feel of blood trickling down her face.
"Barking spiders," she groaned, not particularly liking the fuzzy black appearing on the edge of her vision. There was another massive tremor, the sound of something whistling past her ear, and the darkness consumed her.