Noli repositioned the roses. So, so pretty. “A watch chain.”

“Oh, is that what it is?” He made a face as if he’d never seen hair weaving before—which he, being a boy, may not have. “Supper’s about ready. Asa isn’t a bad cook, he just prepares strange meals.”

She stood, smoothing the wrinkles from her dress. “I’m still wearing my work dress, should I change?”

Her cheeks warmed. How idiotic she sounded.

Jeff made a concerned face that was becoming all too familiar. “No, Noli, you don’t have to dress for supper here.”

“Of course, how silly of me.” Part of her wanted too. The sprite had slipped a couple of nicer gowns into the bag.

He offered her his arm. “Let’s see what strange concoction Asa made tonight.”

They strolled into engine room. Noli frowned and went over to the hybrid engines which were part inside and outside the back of the ship. The off-kilter hum filled her ears.

“Can’t you hear it, Jeff?” She put her hands out, not quite touching the large one in the center. “Something sounds wrong.”

Jeff shook his head. “I’m a pilot, not an engineer. If you think something’s wrong, I’ll make sure you get time to do your diagnostic.”

“That would be helpful,” she replied as they left the engine room. “I’d hate for something to go wrong with the engines when we need them most.”

“And some for little sister.” Asa put a spoon full of yellow stew on Noli’s plate then passed the bowl on to Thad. His face screwed up in distaste, but he plopped several spoonfuls on his plate anyway.

“What is it?” Noli took a piece of flat bread off another plate then passed it to Jeff.

Asa smiled at her, dunking his bread in his food. “Just try.”

She tentatively took a bite of the thick stew. The strange spices exploded across her tongue and she nodded. “This is delicious. Not like anything I’ve tried before, but very good.”

Everyone talked about their plans for Denver. Apparently they were docking in Denver for a few days. Excellent. First order of business, figuring out why the engines were unhappy.

After supper Thad brought out a bowl full of apples.

Vix eyed them dubiously, then took one. “Did hell freeze over?”

“I just thought I’d share. Got them in port.” He offered the bowl to Noli. “Little sister?”

Noli took one of the shiny red apples. “I appreciate your generosity, Thad.”

He passed around the bowl. Winky took his and retreated into the bowels of the ship where he spent most of his time. The captain bit into hers. Noli withdrew her knife from her boot, cut a piece off, and popped it in her mouth, savoring the sensation of the sweet, crisp flesh.

“Mmm, these are so sweet.” Noli cut off another piece and ate it. She realized everyone stared at her and squirmed. “Did I do something wrong?”

“You cut your fruit with a knife before eating it?” Vix sneered.

“Of course.” She didn’t see the problem, though she should be using a fork as well.

“She can cut her apple with a knife if she’d like.” Jeff squeezed Noli’s shoulder. “Every time I bite into a piece of fruit I can hear my mother lecturing me in my head.”

Noli chuckled, imagining her mother snapping Jeffery Cornelius Braddock, what sort of gentleman are you from across the table.

“That’s an exquisite knife. Where did you get that?” Jeff peered at the little knife. Green stones formed a pattern on the golden hilt.

“It belonged to Charlotte.” Noli sliced off another piece of apple.

“That is quite fancy,” Asa replied as he cleared the table.

“Eh, it’s a girl’s knife, so little and sparkly.” Thad took a swig from his flask. “Couldn’t even clean your nails with such a bitty thing. Not good for nothing but playing darts and slicing apples.”

Noli examined the bejeweled, filigreed knife about as big as her index finger. “Well, Charlotte was a girl, though she preferred cribbage to darts.”

After Charlotte had died, James gifted it to her, saying Charlotte had wanted her to have it. Noli loved it because it was Charlotte’s. The sprite liked it because it was shiny.

Also, wouldn’t an air pirate have a boot knife?

“We should teach her how to throw knives,” Asa replied. “So she can defend herself.”

Thad nodded. “And win money in air terminal bars.”

How could did one do that? Not that she planned to ever be in an air terminal bar.

“Please? I’d like to learn to defend myself,” she told them. Then perhaps Vix wouldn’t think her quite so useless.

“You will do no such thing,” Jeff snapped. With a sigh, his brow furrowed. “Noli, did you see Charlotte after you both left the school? Did you run away to her?”

“Yes … and no.” Noli busied herself with slicing off more apple. “It’s complicated, but yes, I saw her in between leaving the school and her passing on.”

“Where? Did you go to Georgia?” Jeff pried, taking another bite.

Ugh. How did she get out of this?

“No, James took her back to the big house and stayed with her there until it was time.” The words poured out as the sprite spoke for her.

“The big house?” Jeff made a face.

“Where V and James lived before they moved to Los Angeles.”

Noli wrestled with the sprite for control before she said something incriminating.

Jeff blinked. “What?”

The sprite wouldn’t budge. “James is really sad now that she’s gone so he went with V on his errand for their mother.”

Jeff paused, apple halfway to his mouth. “I thought their mom was dead.”

Noli shoved the sprite back into her mental closet and sighed, trying to ignore the stab of pain slicing through her mind as she retook the body. “It was easier to tell people she was dead than the truth—she abandoned them. It’s not a happy story. Anyway, James and V recently made contact with her. She doesn’t like me much. I think that’s why he broke it off with me—because she forced him to. After he returns we’ll figure out how be together again.”

Somehow. The more she thought about it, the more it smacked of Queen Tiana. Mr. Darrow preferred subtlety.

“And we’re not going to find a way to be together simply because I have some societal need to be with a man. I can make my way in the world without a husband just fine. But I enjoy being with him,” she added when Vix frowned in disapproval.

Jeff’s eyebrows knitted. “Noli, I’m very confused. When did you meet his mother? Is she in Los Angeles? And, well, if she abandoned them, why would he listen to her? I could see how Mr. Darrow might take issue with you and Steven courting … ”

“Wait, that’s why you’re here?” Vix’s face contorted in dismay, apple weighing in her palm as if she were about to throw it. “You’re fleeing Los Angeles because some boy breaks it off with you because his mother made him?”

“It’s complicated.” It wasn’t as if she could tell them V could never disobey an order from the high queen, or that he was Fae, or the big house was V’s home in the Otherworld and he was actually a prince of the earth court.

Or that she was no longer mortal.

“I … I’m sure it is. I need to return to the bridge and fly this tub before we crash. Perhaps you’ll sit and explain this all to me?” Jeff gave her a pleading look. “You could start with when you left the school. I’m still not precisely sure what occurred when you went missing.”

That definitely wasn’t a story she could share with Jeff and Vix. “It’s fine, Jeff.” She finished her apple and tucked her knife into her boot. “Eventually V and I will figure it out. I’m sure as soon and he and James finish their errand he’ll get in touch with me. That’s why I left the note—so he could find me when he returns.”

“Noli, if a boy won’t stand up to his parents in order to be with you, then he’s not worth it.” Vix shook her head, dark strands flying. “It doesn’t matter how handsome or wealthy he is. If he truly loves you, he’ll be with you. He’s not coming back. He’s not going to fix this.”

Her voice wasn’t harsh, but Noli still bristled as their eyes met.

“Yes he is.” Noli shot up out of her seat and threw away the apple core. “You don’t know him the way I do.” V valued his honor, his word.

“Noli … ” Jeff put a hand on her sleeve.

She looked into his eyes and what she saw made her knees shake under her skirts. “Wait—you don’t believe it either? But you know V.”

“I knew him once, but you aren’t children anymore. Marriage and courting are complicated—especially among families like ours and with Mother’s situation being what it is … ”

Noli’s jaw dropped. “I can’t believe you’re telling me this. He’ll come back.” Her throat swelled. “He will.”

Without waiting for an answer, she ran down the stairs and into her little room. Clutching her little pot of roses, she curled into her hammock, not quite crying but upset nevertheless.

Sometime later someone knocked on the door. “May I come in?”

“No, you may not,” Noli sniffed, not wanting to speak to Vix, of all people. Whatever she meant about men not being worth it if they wouldn’t stand up to their parents didn’t apply to V since his parents weren’t mortal.

“Please? I promised your brother and he gets cranky when he doesn’t get his way.”

A sigh died on her lips. Vix did say please and she hadn’t spouted anything about this being her ship. Truly, since she was the captain Noli should say yes.

“Well, we don’t want to make Jeff cranky because then he’ll become insufferable and make everyone around him miserable.” Noli sat up in the hammock, still holding the pot of roses. “You may enter.”