The air was thick with the hum of steam and the crackling of machinery as Lucien Drake leaned over the railing of the Storm Reaper, his beloved (and frequently damaged) airship. Below him, the sprawling city of Ironhaven stretched out like a metal jungle, its dark alleys and towering smokestacks a far cry from the gilded halls of the sky-cities above. The storm clouds rolled in faster than expected, the shifting winds making the ship creak and groan in protest.
"Come on, girl," Lucien muttered under his breath. "Just one more job. One more, and we can finally fix you up."
He patted the side of the ship affectionately, his fingers brushing over the faded sigil of the Storm Reaper—a skull with crossbones, but instead of bones, a pair of crossed lightning bolts.
The crew had all but abandoned ship after their last ill-fated mission, but Lucien didn't mind. He preferred working alone, anyway. The sky was his true home, and the only companion he trusted more than the Storm Reaper was his own wit.
"Captain," came a voice from behind him, smooth and calculating, laced with the faintest hint of amusement.
Lucien didn't need to turn around to know who it was.
"Lady Evelyn," he said without missing a beat, his tone laced with sarcasm. "To what do I owe the pleasure? Thought you were busy charming your way into the Empire's good graces?"
Lady Evelyn Blackthorne, the icy-hearted engineer and reluctant ally of the resistance, stepped into view. Tall, poised, and dressed in the sleek, mechanical elegance that only someone with a mind as sharp as hers could pull off, she was every inch the picture of Empire sophistication. The wind caught her auburn hair, tossing it slightly, but she didn't seem to notice, her gaze fixed on the horizon.
"I've been investigating something," she said, her voice as cold as the sky before a storm. "And I believe it's something you'll be very interested in."
Lucien raised an eyebrow. "You're not still looking for that damn blueprint, are you? I thought we agreed—"
"This isn't about the blueprint," Evelyn interrupted, her eyes narrowing as she pulled out a small, glowing crystal from her pocket—a pulsating, dark heart of glass. "This is something far more dangerous."
He took a step forward, eyeing the artifact with both fascination and suspicion. "What is it?"
Evelyn hesitated for just a moment, and Lucien could sense the gravity in her tone. "It's a key. A key to something buried long beneath the earth. And if I'm right, the Empire will stop at nothing to get their hands on it."
Lucien's pulse quickened. He'd heard whispers of such artifacts—pieces of ancient technology tied to the earliest days of steam, before the airships and cities that ruled the skies were even thought possible. But the mention of it being a key, a key to something buried deep, set his nerves on edge. That kind of power was dangerous.
He was about to ask her more when a loud, sharp whistle interrupted them.
"Captain Drake!" came a voice from below.
Lucien and Evelyn both looked down to see a familiar face climbing up the rope ladder of the Storm Reaper. It was Rosie.
Captain Rosalind "Rosie" Kane. A sky pirate with a love for explosives and chaos. Her face was a mix of grit and flirtation, a smirk that could make any man—except Lucien, apparently—weak in the knees.
"Perfect timing," Lucien muttered under his breath. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to deal with this today."
Rosie reached the deck with ease, her leather coat billowing behind her like a flag of defiance. "Don't tell me I'm interrupting something," she said, winking at Evelyn. "You two already got a cozy little meeting going on, or are you still pretending you don't want to burn down the Empire together?"
Lucien shot her a glare. "You're late."
"Late?" Rosie chuckled. "No, my dear, I'm fashionably on time. But I did bring something for you." She tossed a small, shiny object onto the deck—an ornate map rolled tightly in a faded, weathered scroll. "This," she said with a dramatic flourish, "is a treasure map. And if I'm right, it leads right to that artifact you're so fond of. You're going to want to see what's underneath Ironhaven."
Lucien's eyes flicked to the map and back to Rosie. The familiar gleam of mischief in her eyes made it clear she wasn't just offering him a treasure hunt. She was offering him a reason to trust her—or at least, to work together for a while.
"And what's the catch?" Lucien asked, already knowing the answer.
Rosie grinned. "You help me get what's hidden underneath the city, and maybe, just maybe, we'll share the spoils."
Evelyn's voice was sharp, cutting through the air like a blade. "I don't need anyone's help, thank you."
Lucien raised his hands in mock surrender. "Hey, who said anything about help? It's all about survival, my dear."
But even as he spoke, his mind was racing. An artifact tied to ancient power, a hidden treasure beneath the city, and now Rosie offering him a map that could lead to it all. It was too much to resist, and Lucien knew that if he didn't act fast, someone else would.
"I'll go," he said, turning away from them both and heading for the control room. "But we're doing this my way. No backstabbing, no betrayals. Got it?"
Rosie's laugh was sharp and merry. "No promises, Captain. But I do like the sound of your plan."