Beauties of the Beast (The Yellow Hoods, #4): Steampunk meets Fairy Tale by Adam Dreece Read Free Book Online Page B

you worried about Tee?”
    “We had a good talk,” he said, turning to her. “But of course I am, I’m her father. We always worry about our little girls, even when they grow up to be fearless warriors.”
    She narrowed her eyes and studied him. “She’ll be okay. I won’t let anything happen to her. I don’t think Mounira will either.”
    William rubbed his face. “She’s carrying a heavy burden. She—”
    “It’s getting lighter each day,” she said, interrupting.
    Nodding, he said, “Thank you, Elly. It means a lot that she has a friend like you.”
    “She’s my girl, my sister. Even if she finds a nice Benjamin someday, I’ll still be there,” said Elly.
    William laughed. “She’ll never outlive that first crush. He was a nice boy.”
    Elly smiled. 
    “I better catch Christina before she wanders off somewhere. Listen, it was great to see you, Elly.”
    “Wait. We aren’t coming with you?” asked Elly confused. “I thought once I heard your voice, that—”
    He scratched his eye. “You and Tee… peas in a pod. You need to stay with Christina a while longer. I’ll see you in a few months, if not before. Take care, Elly.”
    “You, too,” replied Elly. She watched suspiciously as he went to the main building, her head shaking unconsciously.

    William closed the door to the Abbott’s office after Christina entered. It was decorated with the expected trappings of a religious life, from its books, to the small paintings that hung on the walls, to the bust in the corner.
    Christina glared at the room, her loathing of organized religion poorly hidden. 
    “I just ran into Mounira. Where did that mechanical arm come from?” asked William. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
    She sat in one of two old chairs and folded her arms. “Christophe made it for her.”
    “Very funny,” replied William.
    Christina’s expression hardened. “She said he made it. Do you know her to lie?”
    “No one’s seen him do anything but stare at walls and mumble in years,” replied William.
    “And Mounira claims he came to life around her. I spent some time with him when we were there, but he just stayed locked in his head. She couldn’t explain it.”
    William frowned, and sat down. “You’re serious?”
    “Do I joke?” snapped Christina, pushing her hair back over her ears.
    “And you believe her?”
    Christina glared at him. “No, I think a one-armed southerner with no history of inventing created a state of the art piece of technology without a single person noticing.”
    William shook his head. “Well, I see your sarcasm is alive and well,” he retorted. He’d always had an awkward relationship with Christina, and her relationship with Jennifer was worse. They were almost visual opposites, never mind their personalities and beliefs. William had never gotten the whole story, but knew enough to stay out of it.
    “You said you needed to talk to me, and you aren’t taking them with you. Why?” asked Christina, leaning forward. “I’ve done my part, and more.”
    He stared at the floor, his face drooping as he thought.
    “Don’t start talking about how nice the office is, or any of those distracting tactics you sometimes try. I don’t have the patience to suffer through them today. Just tell me, why are you here?”
    William braced himself. “I need you to take all of them with you back to Kar’m.”
    “No,” replied Christina. “I was going to bring them back to you, but you’re here now. I have my own world of problems. Something’s wrong in Kar’m, and I have to get a handle on it.”
    “Mineau’s not safe,” said William, looking up at her, his eyes sharing some of the horror he’d seen.
    Christina shook her head. “Did you hear about the airship bombing at the palaces of Myke? Nowhere is safe these days, Will. Tee, Elly, even Mounira, they’ve proven themselves to be quite capable. Take them with you, it sounds like you need all the help you can get.”
    “I