The crew of the Machtvoll airship had surrendered the second that half a dozen heavily armed pirates crashed through the locked door into the control car. The rest of Yuri’s crew had secured the rest of the airship, though they’d only found three more of crew spread throughout the giant thing.

  Mikhail now shimmied from the Machtvoll airship across to Vera’s Revenge. Yuri had sent him to see if Elana had any truth extract so they could ensure the Machtvoll captain didn’t lie about the strange orb in the mainframe.

  He’d avoided Elana since they had settled upon the plan—not that he was avoiding his mother, of course. Just that… well… his mother was gone. What was left terrified him.

  Mikhail reached Vera’s Revenge and hurried through the airship, making for the armoury. He found Elana inside, tinkering with a grappling pistol while an extract brewed behind her.

  She looked up as he entered. “Success I’m assuming?”

  Mikhail nodded. “We took the airship but have run into another problem.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yeah, the airship is… staying in the air without hydrogen. It’s using some kind of strange glowing orb.”

  Elana’s eyebrows nearly disappeared into her hairline. “I thought those things were just a rumour.”

  It was Mikhail’s turn to raise his eyebrows. “You know about this technology?”

  “Yes,” Elana said slowly, “I know of it. But I don’t know how it works. What do you need me for?”

  “Uncle Yuri wants to know if you have any truth extract so he can question the captain.”

  “I see. Unfortunately, I don’t have any truth extract, and while I have the ingredients, it’d take several hours to make.”

  “Do you have any suggestions then for how to get the captain to tell the truth?” Mikhail asked.

  “Threaten to throw him off the airship?” Elana suggested, shrugging a shoulder.

  The blood drained from Mikhail’s face, and Elana shook her head and sighed. “I’m joking,” she said. “You just have to convince him that telling the truth is the right thing to do.”

  “That’ll work really well, considering we just took over his airship,” Mikhail muttered. He sighed. His new plan was failing, and failing fast.

  Though no one had mentioned it yet, he’d seen the look on Yuri and Klara’s face. They were both wondering how the depths they would blow up a hanger full of airships that weren’t filled with hydrogen. Mikhail hoped Yuri wouldn’t abandon the mission because of that. They had to rescue Yeger and Matvei.

  Elana peered at Mikhail and he flushed, uncomfortable under the scrutiny. “What?” he asked.

  “I’ve been trying to discover if there is a way to read thoughts, or at least emotions, with the Sila. I think I may have just worked out how. When you first entered, the threads of your mind were pulsing quite fast, but now they’ve slowed almost to a stop. What are you thinking, Mikhail?”

  “Um,” Mikhail said, “I was wondering if we’d be able to rescue our friends.”

  “Interesting. Do you believe I’m still your mother?” Elana asked.

  Mikhail’s brow scrunched together. “Yes, of course,” he said.

  Elana studied him, leaving him squirming. “Mmmm,” she said, “I do believe there is a slight difference in pattern when you’re lying.”

  “I’m not lying!”

  “Yup. Definitely a difference.”

  Mikhail clenched his teeth and glowered at her.

  “Come on,” Elana said, brushing past him.

  Mikhail squeezed his palms into his temples and groaned, then took a deep breath and followed her.

  ***

  Mikhail trailed behind Elana as she entered the Machtvoll airship’s control car. The interior was very similar to Vera’s Revenge, only newer and more spacious. Several of Yuri’s crew piloted the giant airship, while Yuri and Klara sat at the navigator’s booth at the rear of the control car with the Machtvoll captain. The rest of Yuri’s crew waited above.

  “You have the extract?” Yuri asked, rising as they entered.

  “Better,” Mikhail said. “Elana can tell if someone is lying. She’ll infect the captain’s mind with uzhas and if he doesn’t tell the truth?” Mikhail paused and shrugged. “Well, it’ll hurt.”

  Yuri raised an eyebrow at Mikhail, but said nothing.

  Elana slid onto the bench opposite the disgruntled Machtvoll captain. For a long moment she stared at him, and he at her. Finally she said, “Are you going to cooperate?”

  The Machtvoll captain shrugged. “That depends,” he said, speaking perfect Serovnyan, though his words hard the harsh edge of the Machtvollian accent.

  “On?” Elana asked.

  “On the quality of your vloysh.”

  “Oh, come on,” Yuri said, throwing his hands in the air. “Why is everyone after my vloysh?”

  “Just get the good captain a bottle, would you, Yuri?” Elana asked, not breaking eye contact with the captain.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Grumbling, Yuri stomped over to the woman piloting the airship and took over, sending her for the vloysh.

  “All right,” Elana said, “let’s start with the basics. My name is Elana Koskova.”

  “Ulrich,” the Machtvoll captain said.

  “Well, Ulrich, what brings you to this part of Serovnya?”

  “I like the speed of the Veter.”

  “Seeing how fast this nice new airship can go?” Elana asked, tracing her gloved fingers across the polished oak table.

  The hint of a smile played over Ulrich’s lips. “You could say that.”

  “Seriously?” Mikhail interjected. “You expect us to believe that?”

  “No,” Ulrich said, leaning back. “I’m just curious to see what Miss Koskova will do to me for lying to her.”

  They sat staring at each other, a half smile frozen on their lips..

  Suddenly Ulrich twitched and jerked around. “What was that?” he demanded.

  “What was what?” Elana asked sweetly.

  Ulrich jerked the other way, his face paling. “What are you doing, witch?”

  Elana’s half smile disappeared. “Superstitious fool,” she muttered. “Science and technology. Not witchcraft. At least, it’s no more magic than that glowing orb you have in your mainframe.”

  Mikhail almost felt sorry for the captain as he sank back into the seat, his face drawn and pale. Who knew how in control Elana was of the Sila. If Yustitsiya took complete control, what would happen? He wasn’t convinced she wouldn’t just murder them all.

  “Ready to talk?” Elana asked.

  “Yes, talk. Just keep whatever that… thing is away from.”

  “Excellent!” Elana said. “Perhaps we can start with what that orb is?”

  Ulrich was silent for a long minute, before finally he said, “It’s dark stone. We mine them in Machtvoll and use them to keep our zeppelins in the sky.”

  Mikhail’s ears perked up. At last, answers. He leaned forwards, eager. “Is it controlled by heat somehow?”

  Ulrich nodded. “In a sense. The stone itself doesn’t change weight, but when you shackle steel to it, increasing the temperature of the stone will reduce the steel’s weight.”

  “What about cold? Elana asked.

  “The colder the dark stone, the heavier the steel.”

  “So if the furnace goes out, then we’ll all die.” Mikhail said.

  “Correct. And very, very quickly.”

  Footsteps stomped overhead, and a moment later the pilot descended into the control car with a bottle of vloysh. Yuri snatched it from her, a heavy scowl on his face as he marched to the table. “No vloysh until you finish talking,” he said, slamming the bottle on the table in front of Ulrich.

  Ulrich’s eyes lit up at the sight. “I would gladly have my zeppelin taken if every pirate were this generous with their Novagrad vloysh.”

  “Yeah, well, don’t get used to it,” Yuri said, folding his arms and slumping against the wall.

  “That’s enough about the dark stone,” Elana said. “Where are you delivering this airship?”

  “To a housing shed at the base of Mount Zilpuv.”

  “What do the Alchemists do with the airships after you deliver them?” Mikhail asked.

  The Machtvoll captain shrugged a single shoulder. “Don’t know. Don’t care. We leave them outside, and they fly us back to Machtvoll on one of your cog-worn pieces of trash you call airships.”

  “What?” Yuri said, straightening, his face red.

  Elana, still staring at Ulrich, held up a finger, silencing Yuri. “How many airships have you delivered there?”

  “Fifteen I suppose.”

  Mikhail’s eyes bugged out of his head. “Fifteen? They have fifteen of these things?”

  “I would say around that, yes.”

  “You know they’re using these as warships, right?” Klara cut in, leaning forward suddenly from her spot next to Elana, the muscles in her jaw twitching.

  “I deliver. I don’t sell, I don’t ask questions. Nor do I care what they’re being used for. I was not lying when Miss Koskova observed I was taking this zeppelin to see how fast you could fly in the Veter.” He grinned. “There is something quite intoxicating about flying two hundred miles an hour. If delivering zeppelins means I can travel in the Veter, then I will deliver zeppelins.”

  “Even if that means thousands of people will die just so you can have your little joyride?” Klara asked, venom dripping from each word.

  Ulrich’s lips curved down. “I’m not responsible for what your people do. Besides, if I didn’t deliver the zeppelin, another captain would. We have no control over whether these zeppelins will be supplied. So don’t blame me for your country’s bloodlust.”

  Klara snorted. “That is such a weak excuse—”

  “Well,” Elana said, cutting Klara off, “you’ll have no problem cooperating with us then, correct?”

  “If you can ensure the safety of my crew.”

  “We can make sure your crew is safely returned to Machtvoll once we’re done,” Yuri said.

  “How do I know you’re not lying?” Ulrich asked.

  “Because it is so much more fun to tell the truth and see what happens,” Elana said, glancing at Mikhail.

  Mikhail’s cheeks burned, and he looked down, hoping she hadn’t noticed. But of course she would. She could see his mind.

  “Well,” Ulrich said, “I don’t see how I can be anything but helpful after that incredibly moving and compelling argument…”

  “Splendid! Then tell us exactly what the layout for the Alchemist factory hidden below the housing shed is.”

  Ulrich stared at her, blinking rapidly. “I was... I was being sarcastic.”

  “Really? I’m sorry, you’ll have to be more clear next time. It was too subtle. The layout?”

  Ulrich eyed the vloysh, a wistful look on his face. “There isn’t a factory. Or if there is, I have never seen it. We leave the airships on the surface then leave.”

  Mikhail sympathised with him. Talking to… whatever Elana had become lately left him longing for a strong drink.

  “What can you tell us about the holding shed?” Klara asked.

  Ulrich sighed, muttering something in Machtvollian before saying, “I’m sorry, but I cannot help you further. If I return to Machtvoll having failed to deliver the zeppelin but with my crew healthy and safe, my employers will suspect something.”

  “Now that’s just ridiculous,” Elana said, leaning forwards. “Surely there are pirates out there that would steal an airship without hurting its crew?”

  “Perhaps. But my employers would question why I didn’t fight back.”

  “Ah. I see,” Elana said. “We could always rough you and your crew up a little?”

  Mikhail baulked at his mother’s suggestion. She actually wanted to hurt them?

  “There’ll be no need for that,” Yuri said, pushing himself off the wall and walking to the table. He planted his hands on the polished surface and pushed his face close to Ulrich’s. “You see, whether he helps us or not, his crew will be returned to Machtvoll unharmed, so his point is, well, pointless. What he has not accounted for, however, is that if he doesn’t help, we’re likely to fail and the Alchemists’ will blow Vera’s Revenge out of the sky. They’ll have no idea there are Machtvoll citizens on board. Even if they did know, they’ve already proven themselves more than happy to kill Machtvollians to get what they want. But how would your country respond? Are you willing to risk war by not helping us?”

  Ulrich glared at Yuri. “You are the one risking war by endangering the lives of my crew, and myself.”

  “We’re already at war.” Yuri straightened. “We’ve already lost crew, and I have family hurt because of what the Alchemists are doing with weapons that you supplied. If you refuse to take responsibility for your part in the deaths of thousands of Sentinels, then your country is just as much to blame as the Alchemists.”

  Ulrich ground his teeth and glowered at Yuri. Finally he asked, “Thousands of Sentinels?”

  Yuri nodded. “They attacked Ledavsk and slaughtered everyone. Men and women whose one goal in life was to defend this world from invading monsters.”

  “I’m sorry for my country’s involvement in that.” Ulrich rubbed his eyes. “I do not blame you for holding me and my countrymen accountable, though perhaps you are too fast to judge our motives. The Alchemists supply the engines used to power our zeppelins. They also provide the extracts we use to hold the gates in Machtvoll. Without them, we would lose many more soldiers. However, that does not justify aiding them as they use our equipment to murder Sentinels. I will report the situation when we return to Machtvoll and recommend that we find alternatives to defend the gates.”

  “So you’ll help us then? Mikhail asked, barely daring to breathe.

  “I will.”

  Yuri clapped his hands together and snatched up the bottle of vloysh, pulling the cork from it. “Great. You just earned yourself a drink. Now tell us everything about this airship, and how to blow one up.”