state of Johann’s life, up until recently. “I must give Cornelius important information. I am better in English.”
Valentin rolled his eyes as he fought a still-swearing Cornelius. “Good luck telling him anything. I haven’t seen him this drunk in years.”
And on the night Johann needed, desperately, for Cornelius to be sober. “Why did you let him drink so much?”
“He wouldn’t slow down. I thought I had his measure, but I think he’d had more than a bit before he arrived, and knowing him, he skipped lunch, which means at best he had a bit of toast this morning. He has more alcohol than blood in his veins at the moment. And they always lace the absinthe here, so he’s a fine mess.”
Johann didn’t understand all of that, but he comprehended enough to glean a general summary. “What did he tell you about the dangers he’s facing?”
Valentin stilled. “Dangers?”
Cornelius swatted at Johann. “ Shh. I didn’t want to tell him,” he said in English. His fiery mood turned abruptly sad and nervous. “I don’t know what to tell him. I don’t know what to do.”
Johann caught Cornelius’s hands. He continued in French despite hating to after the freedom of English so Val wouldn’t interrupt him again. “I found the sea ships. They do not look good. No game names. Rough men.” When Cornelius’s eyes filled with tears, Johann drew a hand to his mouth and kissed the knuckles, shivering for a second in desire as he caught the musky whiff of his own cock. “I have passage on an airship. My airship, from my pirate days. But we must hurry.”
“What airship is this? Why?” Valentin looked alarmed. “Conny, what’s going on?”
“I don’t know who I can tell,” Cornelius whispered, then burst into tears.
“Do you have the letter from your mother?” Johann prompted him.
Cornelius patted his waistcoat clumsily, and when it became clear he was too drunk for something as complicated as reaching inside, Johann did it for him. This inspired him to clunk his head against Johann’s as he attempted to nuzzle his face. “I want to kiss you. All this time, we could have been kissing. I want to make love to you now.”
Johann fumbled the letter. “Let me get you to safety first,” he murmured in English. “Then we can do anything you like.”
Conny cooed and bit Johann’s lip. “I want you to fuck me while people watch us. Is that all right? Will you hate me if you find out I’m a terrible slut?”
“I could never hate you,” Johann whispered, pressing his lip close in case Cornelius wanted to bite it again.
“Stop speaking that language.” Valentin glared at Johann as he pulled out the envelope. “What is this letter? Why are you talking about leaving? And what does he mean, all this time you could have been kissing? You haven’t been? So I was right!”
Johann ignored him and opened the letter. “It is in English. I will read and say in French, but find patience.”
“How can I trust you’re telling the truth?”
Johann had endured enough of this. “You will trust me. Or you will find him taken, or dead.”
Valentin fell into furious silence, and Johann did his best to translate from his second language into his third.
“‘Dear Cornelius. I…wish letter is in time. Read it with tea and…thinking hard. It is an important letter.’”
“Read it with tea ? What in the world does that mean?”
Johann stared at the letter. Yes, what did that mean? Cornelius had said the letter didn’t make sense, and it seemed odd to list off such dire news but first suggest he have tea. Yes, he should calm down, but…it seemed odd.
“I detest tea,” Cornelius murmured in French.
Like Cornelius dropping cogs into his clockwork hand and making it start again, all the little wheels fell into place in Johann’s head. His mother is a spy. He doesn’t like tea. The letter makes no sense. No ship is right. A barmaid passed him, and he put out a hand to stop her. “Please. Bring a
Valentin rolled his eyes as he fought a still-swearing Cornelius. “Good luck telling him anything. I haven’t seen him this drunk in years.”
And on the night Johann needed, desperately, for Cornelius to be sober. “Why did you let him drink so much?”
“He wouldn’t slow down. I thought I had his measure, but I think he’d had more than a bit before he arrived, and knowing him, he skipped lunch, which means at best he had a bit of toast this morning. He has more alcohol than blood in his veins at the moment. And they always lace the absinthe here, so he’s a fine mess.”
Johann didn’t understand all of that, but he comprehended enough to glean a general summary. “What did he tell you about the dangers he’s facing?”
Valentin stilled. “Dangers?”
Cornelius swatted at Johann. “ Shh. I didn’t want to tell him,” he said in English. His fiery mood turned abruptly sad and nervous. “I don’t know what to tell him. I don’t know what to do.”
Johann caught Cornelius’s hands. He continued in French despite hating to after the freedom of English so Val wouldn’t interrupt him again. “I found the sea ships. They do not look good. No game names. Rough men.” When Cornelius’s eyes filled with tears, Johann drew a hand to his mouth and kissed the knuckles, shivering for a second in desire as he caught the musky whiff of his own cock. “I have passage on an airship. My airship, from my pirate days. But we must hurry.”
“What airship is this? Why?” Valentin looked alarmed. “Conny, what’s going on?”
“I don’t know who I can tell,” Cornelius whispered, then burst into tears.
“Do you have the letter from your mother?” Johann prompted him.
Cornelius patted his waistcoat clumsily, and when it became clear he was too drunk for something as complicated as reaching inside, Johann did it for him. This inspired him to clunk his head against Johann’s as he attempted to nuzzle his face. “I want to kiss you. All this time, we could have been kissing. I want to make love to you now.”
Johann fumbled the letter. “Let me get you to safety first,” he murmured in English. “Then we can do anything you like.”
Conny cooed and bit Johann’s lip. “I want you to fuck me while people watch us. Is that all right? Will you hate me if you find out I’m a terrible slut?”
“I could never hate you,” Johann whispered, pressing his lip close in case Cornelius wanted to bite it again.
“Stop speaking that language.” Valentin glared at Johann as he pulled out the envelope. “What is this letter? Why are you talking about leaving? And what does he mean, all this time you could have been kissing? You haven’t been? So I was right!”
Johann ignored him and opened the letter. “It is in English. I will read and say in French, but find patience.”
“How can I trust you’re telling the truth?”
Johann had endured enough of this. “You will trust me. Or you will find him taken, or dead.”
Valentin fell into furious silence, and Johann did his best to translate from his second language into his third.
“‘Dear Cornelius. I…wish letter is in time. Read it with tea and…thinking hard. It is an important letter.’”
“Read it with tea ? What in the world does that mean?”
Johann stared at the letter. Yes, what did that mean? Cornelius had said the letter didn’t make sense, and it seemed odd to list off such dire news but first suggest he have tea. Yes, he should calm down, but…it seemed odd.
“I detest tea,” Cornelius murmured in French.
Like Cornelius dropping cogs into his clockwork hand and making it start again, all the little wheels fell into place in Johann’s head. His mother is a spy. He doesn’t like tea. The letter makes no sense. No ship is right. A barmaid passed him, and he put out a hand to stop her. “Please. Bring a
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