Disturbing dreams fill my days of restless slumber. The face of my dying Pa intertwines with gory sequences from my battles. I bolt up screaming for my dad more times than I can count, only to remember he'll never be able to answer me.

When I do come to my senses, I lay still, waiting for the next onslaught of imagery.

The sound of rain drumming outside pulls me towards consciousness. I want to return to sleep; to imagine I am back in a warm cocoon of my straw bed, safe at home. Pa Otto is making coffee in alembic.

"Veda?" There is a voice, the wrong voice, not my Pa's.

I remember.

I'm not at home. Not with Pa. He's gone and incinerated according to the customs of the Lighthaven burial.

A bright lit room surrounds me. My bedchamber, in my new mansion right next to the Solarium, in the center of Lighthaven. Someone is knocking on the door. I recognize Sophie's voice. She and Stella came to live with me after she testified against the Grand Duke, and I can sense a strong kinship developing between Stella and Mar.

The one bright spot in all of this.

I beg her to go away and eventually, Sophie does. It takes at least an hour for me to cry myself out. Then I just lay curled up on the bed, stroking the silken sheets until I fall asleep.

A caress on my hair awakes me.

"I enjoy watching you sleep. You don't pout or huff. Improves your look."

This, of course, brings on a scowl that makes him grin.

The boy feeds me bites of strawberries and nudges me to drink warm tea. Then he wraps me in the blankets and tucks me back in.

"Be a good girl, now," Langdon teases as he brushes the tangles out of my hair, evading my open palm flying towards his face.

"Did I ever tell you about how Otto and his wife adopted me?" I ask.

Langdon shakes his head "But I think I deserve to hear it," and looks at me expectantly.

So I begin.

"Here's the real story of how I got adopted by the two. It was Sunday morning, the day before me ninth birthday. As soon as the breakfast ended, Mar and I hit the Junkyard, because I wanted to get enough scraps to get by. Yet the haul was nothing to write home about. I was disappointed as we headed back, even though Mar kept patting me on the hand, saying we'd be sure to do better next weak-end. We had just entered the Orphanage hall when we saw them.

A smiling couple, probably in their late forties. The man's velvet vest had a hastily sawn patch on. The woman was tastily dressed albeit in a plain cotton bodice. She nuzzled his nose and whispered something into his ear.

Momentarily, I'd felt a pang of yearning for never having something that most of the kids jus' take for granted.

A lovin' home."

"I hope to be able to give it to you, one day." Langdon leans forth and touches my knuckles with his lips.

I gulp and try to brush off this forward remark. The distrust is rooted too deeply within me to believe L's words are not jus a passin fancy of a posh Lighthavener.

"And then the Headmistress had instructed Mar and me to "run off and fix ourselves a hot bath, and get changed in clean clothes" all the while apologizing to the couple about our lack of manners."

"Can't say that I've ever seen you in clean clothes." Langdon chuckles and the tease earns him a smack on the nape.

"Will ye stawp interrupting me already?" I huff.

He raises his arms to protect from my mock blows and places the finger on his lips, as if self-silencing.

"Before I knew it the two of us were seated in plush mahogany chairs in the Headmistress office. We were aware from experience we had to be quiet and polite and bring out our smiles and our how-do-you-do-s. Madam Igglesden, a short, rounded woman with the kindest smile I'd ever seen kept holding my hand, asking me questions I replied with automatism. Her husband, Pa Otto, was quieter and reserved. He stood behind her, his hands firmly placed on her shoulders in a sign of affection but his gaze was unmistakably trained on me.

Today I know why. I know, he knew I was the daughter of the Voltas.

"We decided to adopt Veda," they said. "We would have loved to have brought home her young friend as well but we fear we simply do not have the means to raise both girls."

It was something I could never get over with, our separation. The way she had to spend five extra years in the Orphanage, and to end up in Menagerie almost instantly after that, of all places.

No child was allowed to remain in the Orphanage past the year of eighteen."

"But she's alright now. She fought hard to get out of there and she has you, Veda. You are the strongest woman I know. Mar has a wonderful home here with Stella, in Lighthaven, and it's all thanks to your kind heart and generosity. Granted, you hide them under barbed wire, but they are both there. You care for people, Madam Igglesden-Volta."

And he ain't wrong. No one read me so deeply, no one even managed to, or cared.

"L?" I say.

He looks at me with concern. "What is it? Have I said too much? Are you okay?"

"No, it's not that. When you said that I care for people and I... I want them to have better lives than they did before they met me... You were right. Perhaps there is no more time for Pa, but we can help others. I would like to leave Lighthaven, L," I say plaintively, akin to a small child. "Can we go to the Imperial City and... warn the Emperor?"

"If that is what you want, then we will, I promise. Tomorrow. I'll make the preparations," he says and bends over to touch my hair.

"On a Firebird?"

L smiles at the mention of the name of my new aero ship.

Then I escape to sleep, comforted by a somewhat full belly and that steady warmth of Langdon sitting beside me.

On the morrow, dawn is breaking through the windows of the mansion.

The sun rises in the sky and even through the curtains, 'tis overly bright. Strangely enough, what I once yearned to see is despicable to me now.

Lighthaven has a misty, haunted air. My head aches and I must have bitten the side of my cheek in the night. My tongue probes the ragged flesh and I taste blood.

Slowly, I drag myself out of bed and into the bath.

When I am kind of myself again, but not really, I see someone left an outfit for me. Tight black breeches, a long sleeved white shirt and a leather vest.

I put my hair in the single braid down my back. No fancy hairdo and clothes.

Just me. A girl from Fumedge.

Looking like I could be out the door of my lil' hovel to trade some scraps from the junkyard.

My mind wanders to home. To the mornings when Pa and I would get our breakfast of porridge. Me splashin me face in a basin before heading to the garbage disposal and my daily scavenging route.

Just over a fortnight ago, I was there. Can that be right? Yes. A fortnight. And now how empty the hovel must feel.

It was time to go.

Even if I didn't care about the Grand Duke's plans, Pa would, if he were here.

Baron Secundus and his daughter have mysteriously disappeared after the Duke's arrest. Who is to say that the rebellion plans aren't still afoot?

Pa would have wanted this freedom for me. Freedom from Fumedge, even freedom from Lighthaven and its totalitarian regime.

Roaming the clear skies, always in the search of another adventure.

Outside, next to the Solarium tree, the Firebird awaits.

'Tis the biggest aero ship ever crafted—a veritable house in the sky.

Stella and Marina stand before it, holding hands. My best friend runs into my arms. She looks so happy and healthy, now out of the Puncher's claws for good.

"Are you sure about this, Veda?" Mar asks.

I nod. "I have to do this. I need to follow Pa's heart wish."

"I am going to miss you so much. I hope you come back soon."

"Look after the mansion." I smile at her.

More and more citizens congregate at the square. They have heard of L's and my intentions, and they are here to send us off.

As we climb the aero ship deck, I turn around and speak.

"Good people of Lighthaven. I don't wish to plant hatred between the starving workers of Fumedge and the noble class of Lighthaven. You crossed that bridge once before and you know how it ends. You should protect your kids. Protect your kin. Look out for each other. It's the way it's always been. Duke Sextus is the one who created the division. But now, authorities apprehended him. This will blow over. You just need to stay together."

The approving murmurs of the crowd egg me on but I allow Langdon to step forth.

"The Lighthaveners I know, the ones who were friends with the Fumedgers, wouldn't be afraid to dream of a better tomorrow, to wriggle themselves away from the Duke's heel. Veda Volta grew up being told she was less than us, that her place was down there. But she wanted to have more than that, and was willing to fight for it. The point is, Fumedge is not less than Lighthaven. This city needs healing." He pushes Diallo forth and Steelfist stands tall, with a blush.

"While Milady Veda Volta and I are on a mission to Imperial City, Lighthaven will need a leader who looks forward and who will help you heal. Someone like my brother. I leave you in very capable hands."

"Thank you, my brother," says Diallo and speaks up.

"Whether you are the scion of Lighthaven or an honest laborer from the Fumedge, know this: this town was founded to be a bastion of enlightenment. In a world that cannibalized itself over power and pride. But we've forgotten. Those became mere words. Lighthaveners traded honor for prestige. Now we are two nations divided. I believe that if we set aside our greed and arrogance, we can be one again. We must hold each other accountable. Healing Lighthaven might take more than just speeches."

"Dem inventions," I add. "Firearms. Guns. Bombs. They are the weapons of war. We are still to this day using them in new and creative ways to kill one another more efficiently. Yet Grand Duke Langdon Septimus and I will do everything in our power to prevent the conflict. Meanwhile, in the times of this fragile peace, the Lighthaven doors should open for everyone. Prove the sisterhood between the two towns."

After the speech, Langdon and I climb aboard. The aero craft moves and we're plunged upward into the sky.

I take a deep breath.

When I glance back on the Lighthave from so high above, its grandeur and splendor wane. It looks like a mere junkyard—a graveyard of people instead of that of objects. I hope the words Langdon, me and Steelfist have spoken can change it.

That's the city that gave me nothing. The city I owe nothing to. The brief sense of home I had with Pa has vanished now.

My feet are ready to wander this way and that, free of the burden of the Trials.

Langdon and I walk along the board, hand in hand.

"You okay?" Langdon's head dips onto my shoulder. The move is bold. I have to give it to him.

I rub affectionately against his stubbly cheek, acknowledging his comforting presence.

"Quite so, yer Highness. Yer Dukeness." I mock-curtsy like the first time we met, and place my cheek on his reassuring chest.

Snuggling up just under his chin is my favorite thing to do, I discover.

I look up as Langdon towers above me, and nuzzle his beard with the tip of my nose.

He glances down, and his eyes hold nothing but caring and warmth.

His right hand tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

The air crackles with tension as his piercing gaze locks with mine, and I feel a nervous flutter in my chest.

There has always been something powerful and unspoken between us. A bond that defied the gears and steam that surrounded us, Fumedge and Lighthaven.

My breath catches in my throat. There were lasses in Fumedge who navigated these waters so easily. But I'd never had much time or use fer it. Or mayhaps, I never had a person I could trust enough.

The lad's lips tentatively press onto mine in a brief, tender touch, and then he timidly buries them in my neck next to the collarbone.

"The Lighthaven boy and a Fumedge girl," he says.

My first kiss. So gentle, and slow—an unfamiliar experience I welcome entirely.

I am happy it got to be with the lad.

His fingers gently graze my cheek. I catch my breath, my heart racing like the pistons in a steam engine. His touch sends shivers down me spine and I can't help but lean into it, craving more of this electrifyin sensations. More of L.

The tension thickens, enveloping us like the steam that fills the air. His hand moves from my cheek to cup the back of my neck again, drawing me closer. I feel the warmth of his breath against my lips, and my heart pounds louder in my ears.

Time stands still. I can feel the soft hum of gears around us but all I can focus on is the anticipation of his touch.

His lips meet mine again, and this time it's like the burst of steam propelling us forward. He starts it off gentle at first, a hesitant exploration, as if we're both testing the waters. But soon, passion takes over and we fall into this frantic rhythm that feels both familiar and new.

I wrap me arms around the lad's scrawny neck, pulling him closer, and he responds with a soft groan, deepening the kiss. Our bodies mold together like perfectly crafted clockwork, fitting together flawlessly. The taste of Langdon is addictive, and I find myself losing all sense of time and space, lost in this newfound intimacy.

As we break apart, our breaths mingling, our eyes lock on once more. There's a newfound depth to our connection, an unspoken bond and supreme understanding that goes beyond words.

L's face lights up like the sun above us. He smiles as if he'd rather do nothing but stand there gazing at me.

He pulls me into his embrace, a genuine, tender expression on his face that makes my heart skip a beat. I rest my head against his chest, feeling the steady thump of his heart.

I know deep in me bones that this kiss is just the beginning of our extraordinary journey.

And I'd be happy to be in his embrace forever. No one has held me quite so in such a long time. Since my Ma's died and twinkles in Pa's eyes turned off, no one else's arms have made me this safe.

We are locked in a hug, feeling each other, and the droplets of the sunlight on our faces.

With the big city growing farther away every second, I think of tomorrow.

Flying from Lighthaven and Fumedge, putting ourselves in service to the Emperor is another new experience.

But I'm ready to take it on, if it's with L.

The vessel that took my parents' lives is taking me to the next destination.

I realize it now: to be a master of the game of life means to keep living the present moment with an unrelenting fervor, time after time. Pressing forth through the cycles of ash and fire, dying of sadness and being reborn in joy.

The cobalt sky above us is the echo of my fragile human soul: tough, humble, and pretty. The mere sight of it infuses me with the happy-sad memories. Time stops and stretches to the infinite, the white and the blue showing each other's beauty in their contrast.

The soft fluffy cloud that zips past is reminiscent of my father's smile. The hue is as pure as is his love.

My soul looks up, and I smile back at Pa's memory. As Firebird sails away on the sky canvas towards a brighter future, I snuggle closer to Langdon's chest.

THE END