Dark Tides

"Finnigan, do stop your grousing and hurry up." Emily hurried along the street ahead of her brother's apprentice. Finnigan was every bit the quintessential academic type. He was on the short side; the only man Emily knew who didn't tower obnoxiously over her; and had an unruly mop of black hair and worried brown eyes behind thick horn rimmed spectacles. He was always anxious, poor Finnigan. He was the same age as Emily but she had nearly given him half a dozen heart attacks in the time they had known each other.

"I'm sorry Emily, I just really don't feel we should be in this part of town so close to nightfall. Are you sure Mr. Weldon wants those parts by tomorrow morning?"

"Teddy wants to make his big reveal on the last day of the Industrial Faire, you know that. We need those parts as soon as possible."

"Why did he send you instead of Rob?"

"Well," Emily said, winding a loose strand of hair around her finger. "He didn't technically tell me to go with you."

"What!" Finnigan yelped. "Emily, are you insane? He's going to kill me for this!"

"He won't kill you," Emily assured him. "He'll probably just electrocute you a little or something."

Finnigan glowered at her. "That makes me feel much better. Can we turn around and go back to the workshop before Mr. Weldon realizes what's going on and skins is both? I don't like the look of this place."

"What kind of inventor's apprentice are you anyway, Finn? Where's your sense of adventure?"

"Back at the workshop. Where you should be."

"Don't be crass, Finnigan, it doesn't suit you. You need me for this. Lionel likes me better than he likes you." Emily walked up to a fairly ramshackle little building and knocked on the door. There was a shuffling, a bang, and a shout. Then the peephole opened and a watery eye peered out.

"Who's there?" a gruff voice demanded. "What do you want?"

"It's me, Lionel." Emily boosted herself up onto her tiptoes and waved.

"Emily, my darling girl! Why didn't you say so?" Lionel's eye disappeared and there was a series of clicks as he unlocked the dozen deadbolts on his shop door. He waved them inside and quickly relocked it.

"What can I do for you today, little Emily?"

"Finnigan and I came to pick up some parts that Teddy needs. I believe he sent a message ahead so you'd have them ready."

"Ah of course. Hello, boy." He gave Finnigan a stony look and Finn shifted nervously. Lionel linked his arm with Emily's and led her into his own workshop.

"Yes yes, I have it all right here. It's a bit late in the day to be collecting parts isn't it?"

"That's what I tried to tell her!" Finnigan said.

"Be quiet runt, I wasn't talking to you."

"I decided to take a little initiative to help Teddy get his steam-powered carriage up and running."

"Such a good girl you are." Lionel nodded as he handed her the box of cogs and tools Teddy had asked for. He patted Emily on the head fondly. "I was so worried to hear you'd been lost at sea. Did my heart good to hear you'd come home safely."

"I'll come back to visit soon, with some of those cookies you like." Emily planted a light kiss on his wizened cheek.

"Be careful out there, love. Thieves and hooligans like to come out at night."

"I also tried to tell her that," Finnigan muttered. Lionel gave him another unimpressed look. "Take care of that one," he instructed Emily. She bit back a giggle and nodded as Finnigan scowled. Emily grabbed his arm and dragged him back out onto the sidewalk.

"Keep this tucked under your coat," she ordered, shoving the box at him. She set off with a purposeful stride, exuding a sense that she belonged in this ominous little village near the docks. She had rifled through her closet until she found something not entirely frilly and expensive looking. She had a black corset over a simple lacy white dress and boots laced up to her knees. They may have made it if it weren't for all of Finnigan's twitching. Three men smoking outside a ratty looking pub watched them approach, then slid out into the street behind the two of them as they passed by.

"Emily!" Finnigan hissed. "Those men are following us!"

"Shush!" Emily chided. But it was too late.

"What are you two pups doing out here so late, then?" One man sidled up between them, draping an arm around Finnigan's shoulder. "It's best not to talk to your whores much, didn't you know that lad?" The man chuckled. Outraged, Emily spun around and kicked him in the shin.

"I am not a whore, you flea bitten ingrate!"

The man glared at her as he rubbed his sore shin. "Well I was going to rob you nice like, but not anymore," he growled. He flicked a switchblade out of his pocket and Finnigan stumbled in front of Emily, clearly trying to display some heroism even though he looked ready to faint dead away. Emily reached into her glove, removing a small cylindrical device.

"You won't be robbing anyone," she declared. She pressed the button on the end of the device and a small pin flew out the end, poking the man in the chest and releasing an electrical jolt through his body. He convulsed as though attempting a bizarre dance move, and collapsed on the ground.

"It really works!" Emily exclaimed excitedly.

"You didn't know it would work?" Finnigan shouted. Their attempted robber's companions stared for a moment, stunned.

"You want to be next?" Emily asked, brandishing the device at them. They backed away and retreated into the shadows. The would-be crook was unconscious, his mouth hanging open as he drooled.

"Perhaps I should have put it on a lower setting," Emily mused. Finnigan grabbed her shoulders.

"Are you out of your mind? You tricked me into coming out here armed with a device that may or may not have worked?"

"It did work," Emily pointed out, slapping his hands away. "So stop fussing. And I didn't trick you. Teddy did want you to go to Lionel's and pick up the supplies."

"What sinful atrocity did I commit in a past life to deserve being stuck dealing with my mentor's crazy little sister? If you're not going to have a sense of your own self-preservation, couldn't you at least think of mine?"

"You think of self-preservation enough for the both of us. Besides, I'm the one who put the brute down, aren't I? Now come on."

They made it back to Teddy's workshop without further incident. Her brother frowned when Emily plopped the box in front of him.

"Didn't I send Finnigan to fetch these?"

"Yes, Mr. Weldon, and she-"

"Bye Teddy, love you!" Emily kissed her brother's cheek and hurried toward the door, stomping on Finnigan's toe as she went to silence his tattling. She hustled through the dark streets back to her house, letting herself in through the hidden door into the garden and proceeding to begin scurrying up to her bedroom balcony like a frantic squirrel.

"Emily?"

"I wasn't sneaking out!" she said, her voice squeaking as her foot slipped. "There was a bird, it flew against the window and I was just coming down to check on it-oh Percy it's you." Emily climbed back down to find Percy staring at her like she'd lost her mind.

"What are you doing?" he asked. "Were you sneaking back into your house?"

"Yes. I was...well, it's not really important. I was just out later than I meant to be, you see, and I was supposed to be in bed feeling ill so I needed to get back before anyone checked on me. But I'm so happy to see you!" She hugged him, feeling him jump slightly. She stepped back and smiled. He never seemed to entirely get used to how frequently and freely Emily hugged. She grabbed his hand and tugged him over to sit down on the little stone bench.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. "I didn't expect to see you again so soon. Not that I'm complaining, of course."

"I was making sure you didn't hunt me down," Percy said dryly. "The world doesn't need you commissioning a Percy-locating machine and stalking the streets with it."

"I would do just that, too," Emily said with a nod. "I am glad you came. I have a story to tell you! You remember that awful man I told you was dancing with me at my birthday party? Well he came by the house yesterday to invite me to go to the Faire with him. I wanted to say no but Aunt Marjorie ruined everything and I was forced to go. They had a mechanical horse, it was truly spectacular, and I wanted to ride it but that ruddy git told me 'ladies aren't equipped for such things.' The nerve! Of course he volunteered to ride it, trying to show off like he does. Well I was so angry at him that I tampered with the horse's gears. It bucked him right into the pond!" Emily dissolved into giggles at the memory.

"You should have seen his face, Percy! I do wish I had taken a picture with my locket. That'll show that barbarian. I'm not equipped, indeed."

Percy was smiling at her story, but a puzzled look came into his eyes at the end. "What was the name of this barbarian?" he asked.

"Gregory," Emily said with disgust. "Gregory Harrington."