A Matter of Blood: The Unlikely Adventures of Mortensen & Spurlock, #2

By Lucy True and Jea Hawkins

Nothing will stop Alice and Nora from being together. Not even a disapproving mother.

 

It takes little effort to save the world from power-obsessed madmen when you've been doing it for years. For once, however, it's not an artifact hunt that has Alice Mortensen vexed. It's her beloved Nora's mother, Lady Spurlock.

 

With their dissimilar Aetheric natures called into question, Alice and Nora undertake a journey halfway around the world for answers. Whether by railway, steamer, or airship, Alice and Nora will not rest until they can allay Lady Spurlock's concerns about their union.

 

Nor will they realize the unimaginable discovery or danger to which their inquiries will lead until a chance meeting leads to a long overdue reunion…

 

All our heroines want is a happy ending, but will they encounter too much danger—and not enough cake—to save the day in the finale to their unlikely adventures?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Persephone Press
• Release date: Jun 4, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393765325

Book preview

Chapter One

C ome now my sweet little daemon doll, it can’t possibly be all that bad.

Can’t be that bad? Alice stomped across the room, fists clenched and arms taut at her sides. Just because my mother was an infernal, I have to be stigmatized for it by other Aetherals. It’s been happening to me much more often lately and I’m tired of it. Who do these celestials think they are? What makes them believe they’re superior to me, simply because of how science and nature classify them on an Aetheric level? I’m outraged that the woman thinks she can tell me who I may and may not marry, particularly after society has decided to accept that I love another woman! Who is she to defy them?

Despite her tantrum, not a strand of Alice’s golden ringlets was out of place. Mouth set in a grim line and tawny eyes flashing, she continued her manic pacing, and even that furious endeavor still demonstrated her usual inhuman grace. Her dark green taffeta skirts rustled and boot heels clicked rhythmically against the wood floors when she stepped off the exotic Oriental carpet.

Had anyone of her acquaintance seen her in this state, they might have been appalled, but not necessarily surprised. If anybody thought her behavior was truly shocking, it was Alice herself who couldn’t understand why she was allowing her emotions to control her. She felt even more rueful that these sentiments manifested as the primitive urge to obliterate something. Anything in reach would do, especially if it was breakable. Her fingers twitched with the impulse.

When Alice spun on her heel to begin the trek back across the room, Samuel Mathers poured a cup of tea and held it out to her. Sit down and have some of this chai. Look at this nice lemon cake here. I know it’s your favorite. Don’t take it out on the artifacts I’ve dedicated my life to gathering. You’ll feel better after some refreshment, and I’ll worry less about you wearing a path into my carpet.

The spiritual leader of the Order of the Golden Dawn was eccentric and flamboyant in both lifestyle and language, but he was also a wise and loyal friend who knew Alice’s moods well.  That, of course, was the reason she had come to him to give voice to her feelings. If there were two things that could smooth her ruffled feathers, they were good advice and good cake.

With a huff of annoyance, Alice made her way back across the room—a tad less stompishly this time—and dropped down on the dark gray sofa with an undignified flap of her arms. It’s true that tea and cake have supernatural powers when it comes to pleasing me. Lemon cake in particular makes it difficult for me to stay angry, but could it possibly be as powerful as Lady Eleanora’s mother? She’s a formidable woman and I doubt even cake can hold its own against her.

At Samuel’s suggestion, she accepted the cup of tea and dropped two cubes of sugar in it to enhance the underlying flavor of cinnamon. While the sweetener dissolved, she took a bite of the cake and sighed with pleasure. Yes, you’re right, the cake helps my mood, even though it doesn’t go far enough to solve the actual problem. Nora and I are in love, and we have every right to marry one another, if we so choose. Well, perhaps not here in England, but there are places with people who will perform the ceremony. And everyone says it’s a perfect match. I don’t know why her mother can’t see past our silly little Aetheral differences.

My, my, you are behaving more and more like a human as of late. It seems love truly does change a person. Quite interesting. Samuel chuckled and refilled his cup from the silver teapot, then replaced it in the center of the matching tray.

It isn’t interesting in the slightest. It’s frustrating, Alice retorted. And I suppose I haven’t changed so much as grown. I was always capable of human sentiment. I just chose not to express it. However, I believe you’re correct in saying love is the catalyst for these irrational emotions. Now that I have Nora back, I don’t want to lose her again. I’ve been through enough with her over the past few years and she has dealt with her own share of uncertainty over this relationship. Now come to find out she’s a celestial and her mother forbids the marriage?

Alice’s voice rose on the last word and she shook her head. It’d been only one day since Nora’s mother delivered that tidbit of information during what should have been a lovely walk in the park. As far as Alice was concerned, Lady Spurlock really ought to have imparted that information on Nora much sooner. How did one grow up in ignorance of their own inborn nature? Easily, it seemed, in Eleanora Spurlock’s case. Her overprotective mother had found a way.

I sensed when we made our plans to travel the continent together the first time that her mother didn’t approve, though she never said so. It was her lack of acceptance of repeated invitations to meet me that, at least to my mind, spoke volumes about her attitude toward mine and Nora’s plans. I thought perhaps her reservations were due to my lack of title, despite my considerable fortune, or maybe because she was still mourning her husband. Goodness knows it had nothing to do with both Nora and I being female. However, with this news, I can see that Lady Spurlock’s prejudice wasn’t one of rank or wealth, but of birthright. What a dreadful shock.

She resumed sipping her tea and taking disgracefully hearty bites of the cake. It was gone too quickly for her liking, so she reached for a second piece of the lemony treat.

Of course it is, Samuel agreed, still speaking as one speaks when attempting to pacify an angry cat, and, in a way, it should be soothing to finally have answers. Now you know why her mother always behaved the way she did. It also explains why Nora has those contentious pistols that caused the trouble between you both in the first place. You have gained a vital piece of information, and I’m sure you can figure out how to solve the problem. The first thing you must do is calm yourself. You’ve always believed that it’s not worth one’s time to get frustrated over something they can’t control. Obviously you can’t control Nora’s heritage or her mother’s disapproval of you, but there may be some other solution.

Oh, yes. She must die, obviously. For a moment, Alice’s expression brightened at the thought. Then it fell once more and she glared at her teacup witheringly. She didn’t even leverage an ultimatum against the match. She simply said Nora could never marry me, not that she would cut her off or never receive us. Nora and I are adults, and we can make our own decisions. There are those in London society like us who’ve done the same—not just couples of the same gender, but Aetherals of conflicting natures. Lady Spurlock has no right to interfere.

I agree with everything you’re saying, but the lack of conditions on her part doesn’t mean she won’t find a way to keep you from being together. I think it’s worth looking into her objections further, my dear, to find out why she feels this way. You don’t know if there’s some sort of Aetheric legality that prohibits the marriage, do you? Or is this simply a woman’s prejudice? I understand why you’re upset, but arm yourself with knowledge. Knowledge is power, perhaps worth more than Lady Spurlock’s title. Know your enemy, and then you will know how to outfox her.

How unfortunate. I don’t wish to think of her as my enemy. Raising the teacup to her lips, Alice considered Samuel’s words. They helped quell her annoyance somewhat, because they directed her mind toward the action she might take to solve the problem. That’s why I came to you, of course. Since the Order of the Golden Dawn is a spiritual and magickal organization, I thought you would perhaps have some insight into the Aetheric world. Nothing you’ve taught me about it thus far prepared me for this possibility. Perhaps you’re right. Maybe there’s some natural incompatibility. After all, I can’t stand to touch celestial objects, and Nora can’t stand to touch infernal ones. Yet, we can’t keep our hands off one another, so that doesn’t seem to be the issue.

Samuel chuckled and shook his head. If I had such insight, I would have passed it along to you some time ago, along with what few theories have already been published and that I was able to provide to you. I’m sorry to say that all we know about your kind is that you have supernatural powers and a bloodline beyond the mortal norm. Theologically speaking, scientists theorize a celestial has an angelic parent or grandparent, and an infernal has a daemonic forebear. Beyond that over-simplified analysis of Aetheric entities, I am at a loss as to what it actually means to be an Aetheral, as is the rest of society.

Perhaps it’s that over-simplification that leads people to assume that I’m inherently evil and that celestials are inherently good, when that isn’t the case. Alice sighed and took another bite of the flavorful cake. Its soothing effect was minimal compared to the roiling emotions tensing her body.

Too many questions filled her mind, a mind that was overactive enough without another layer of uncertainty. She was a problem-solver. This was a problem to be solved, except there didn’t seem to be a clear-cut answer. Yet.

I’ve had more than one celestial try to kill me in my line of work when I didn’t so much as raise a hand to them, she mused. They somehow think they’re more entitled to the bits of magickal history that I find so easily. It’s a disturbing sort of zealotry, if you ask me. Clearly it spills over into their personal lives as well.

If celestials keep making attempts on your life, it might be time to approach another line of work, Samuel pointed out with a wry grin. I’m sure your young tinkerer friend is generous with the new devices he creates, and that your own skills as an artificer and inventor have benefited from your hunts. Is it really worth it to put your life in so much danger, when you could instead partner with Simon Warom to create and market useful new inventions?

You should know that I find the danger to be part of the fun. Alice grinned at him over her teacup. She did so love a good fight. It made her artifact hunts even more satisfying. I love analyzing the situation and then turning it to my advantage. Fighting another Aetheral is like a live game of chess. Some people like to dash in headlong with guns blazing, but I prefer sorting out an intelligent approach to the situation, even if I have to resort to violence.

Then, violence aside, look at this matter in the same tactical way, Samuel suggested. It’s a fight, a battle to be won. You have a goal—to win Nora, as well as her mother’s approval, if possible. How will you do that? If Nora loves you as much as I suspect she does, then she’s waging war with her mother at this very moment in an effort to win the same cause, arguing her case from an emotional standpoint. Odds are if Lady Spurlock is a dogmatic type, like you, her daughter’s love for you won’t be enough to move her. That means it’s up to you to come up with one of your logical, non-emotional solutions.

Well... Alice pursed her lips, considering his words. She’d come for advice and was getting it. My logical, non-emotional solution, as you put it, would be to learn more about Aetherals. I need to understand precisely what it means to be an Aetheral, particularly the differences between the two types. That way, I can counter any objection Lady Spurlock has with regard to the nature of my birth. While society looks at us as outsiders with long lives and special powers, I don’t know what I truly am any more than they do. Not that it mattered until now.

In that case, I suggest you not waste your time with published works on the subject. Those authors only give theories and guesses about the nature of the Aetheric races, and we are quite familiar with their hypotheses. I think you should start at the source—another, probably much older, Aetheral. Find the person closest to the information you seek and work your way out from there.

Alice pursed her lips and considered Samuel’s suggestion. When she was hunting for an artifact, she turned to literature first and people second. Bypassing the first step in this instance made sense. She’d pored over written material time and again, trying to better understand her heritage and come away none the wiser. A person, however...

I’ve Aetheral kin on my father’s side, though I’ve conversed with them in the past and they don’t know any more than I do. That would lead me to start with my father and see if I could somehow find out more about my mother. After all, it’s through her that I’m half-infernal. Perhaps finding her, if at all possible, would answer my questions.

Samuel nodded in agreement. That sounds like a good place to start, and surely you’ve always been curious about the woman. What do you know about her?

Shrugging, Alice answered, Only that she was a full daemon and my father was completely enamored of her. They met during some research trip that my father took on the continent a little over twenty years ago. As I understand it, they shared a passion for science. I never asked him about her because it didn’t seem appropriate. He was clear on the fact that she’d broken his heart and I didn’t want to cause him pain. She was gone and I didn’t think asking after her would change that. Furthermore, he never seemed inclined to speak of her of his own accord.

Surely you were curious about your mother! Surprise flashed across Samuel’s face. Even with your pragmatic sensibilities, I can’t believe you grew up not caring about your origins.

It isn’t that I didn’t care to know about my mother. It simply seemed pointless to wonder about her when my life went on without much fuss. Alice slanted a critical glance at the cake before finally choosing yet another slice. That made three, but no one was counting except her. "I have declared my love for Nora and made enough of a fool of myself over her. The entire ton knows that we’ve reached an understanding once more, thanks to my father ensuring that an announcement ran in The Times, along with my stepmother’s obituary. As far as I’m concerned, nothing will stand in the way of our marriage, whether it has to happen on the continent or all the way in America, particularly her prejudiced mother. I won’t let Nora go merely because her mother believes my birth somehow makes me inferior."

Is that actually what she said? Astonishment flitted over Samuel’s features. I didn’t think the nature of her disapproval was that strong.

Not precisely, no. Though good manners hardly seem to be one of her traits, she didn’t insult me directly. She gave no reason, except to say that a celestial and an infernal would never marry.

That’s an interesting statement. Samuel tapped his finger against his chin. She said they would never marry, but not that they were forbidden to do so. Celestials do seem to exhibit a high degree of zealotry when it comes to their bloodline, yet you seem much more—dare I say it—down to earth. Is that the way all of your type tend to be? I really must broaden my Aetheric acquaintance, you know.

It wasn’t a question Alice had ever asked herself. She’d met many Aetherals since taking up artifact hunting. Each acquaintance was brief and usually ended in bloodshed. Theirs, not hers. The scales of enmity seemed to tip toward celestials, which left her nibbling her lower lip in thought.

To be honest, I’ve never been intimately acquainted with another infernal, other than my stepmother, and she hardly counts as a racial paragon. I have an infernal aunt who checks all the boxes for eccentricity, but I think that’s more a product of personality and upbringing, than of her heritage. After all, look at my father. I believe my paternal grandparents were unorthodox, to say the least. But now that I’ve considered it, you’re dead on about celestials and their apparent fanaticism. It’s tiresome and I don’t know what makes them think they’re better than those of us who are infernal.

Another question to be answered, Samuel suggested with a smile. "You know our aims in the Order of the Golden Dawn are more philosophical than scientific. Oh, science does play into spiritual matters, more than most people would like to admit. But I must say that a deeper understanding of Aetherals has never been on our agenda, even with the comparisons of them to angels and daemons.

Do you know anybody here in town who can answer my questions? I’m not sure quite how much my father knows, so I would like to find some additional resources. You’re right about knowledge. One can never acquire too much information. Alice had never shied away from knowing more about anything. Except dresses. She left that to her lady’s maid and hoped for the best.

Setting his saucer and teacup on the tray, Samuel answered, Give me time to check with some of my connections. I’m sure at least one or two of my acquaintances must have some interest in or dealings with Aetherals. It’s not as if humanity has forced your kind to hide away in the shadows, after all. Well, not since the last witch trials in America. There are probably a great many more infernals out there than you realize. We need to find the right ones to help lead you to a better understanding of precisely what your heritage means and how it will affect your future.

I would be grateful if you did that bit of research for me. Alice finished her tea and replaced her cup on the tray, then brushed the cake crumbs from her lap. For once in my life, I feel so... so... She searched for the right word. Emotions were inconvenient things.

Enraged? Samuel suggested, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Yes! I’ve been angry before, but this is ridiculous. It’s as if I have no control over this feeling. I’m tired of people looking down upon me for my daemonic heritage. It’s time to set them straight on the nature of a daemon.

My dear, are we trying to plan the most fashionably unconventional wedding of the year or stage a crusade for infernal civil rights?

The corners of Alice’s mouth quirked. I wouldn’t be the first bride to fight her way to the altar.

Chapter Two

Relief filled Alice when she saw Nora through the crush of people at the Chilcotts’ ball the following night. Since Lady Spurlock’s proclamation the other day, she had been unsure of when she would see her beloved. Now, Nora approached, looking as dashing as ever in her black tailcoat, white shirt with stand-up collar, and bow tie. She often wore dark colors, favoring the American frontier style. With her long burgundy red curls and stern green eyes, she looked pensive no matter her actual mood. As far as Alice was concerned, Nora’s gravity was the perfect foil to her quirky, if not downright inappropriate, levity.

Unfortunately, almost as soon as the feeling of relief swelled her chest, it vanished when she saw that Lady Spurlock was in attendance as well. The woman walked a few steps behind her daughter and nodded with arrogant grace to each person who greeted her. The slight dip of her chin confirmed to Alice that the tall, regal matriarch of the Spurlock family was a haughty shrew of a female. Dark hair bound in an elegant knot at the back of her head, the woman’s violet eyes swept over the assembly as if she were already bored. Her silver evening gown with its off-the-shoulder neckline and long, simple lines was the height of fashion and elegance.

Lady Spurlock’s celestial power was as subtle as her condescension, wafting from her like a light perfume. For the first time since their meeting, Alice was afforded a moment to ascertain the kind of talent Nora’s mother boasted. She focused her abilities on the sensation and identified it as a defensive energy, the type that allowed an Aetheral to raise circles of protection and bind the powers of others. There was nothing inherently dangerous about Lady Spurlock’s ability, but clearly it had been strong enough to camouflage Nora’s true nature for many years.

What worried Alice wasn’t the celestial power, but rather the influence the older woman might exert over her daughter or society.

Alice sensed a second celestial energy in the room. It resonated with Lady Spurlock’s, but was somehow different at the same time. The force of it was fiery and gave her a tingle of warmth and security, instead of the usual painful burn or prickles she experienced with celestial power. In a strange way, this energy seemed almost attuned to her own, as though it somehow complemented her power.

Nora, Alice mouthed in surprise when she pinpointed the source of the power. It emanated from the woman she loved. She likened the sensation to being in the presence of the warm glow of candlelight, bathed in its radiance. With Nora nearby, it was as if nothing could harm Alice.

After years of being the jilted paramour, of portraying the cold and callous spinster, this was a new feeling she didn’t want to lose. They belonged together, and she wouldn’t let some meddling matron stand in the way of their happiness.

With a determined lift of her chin, Alice waited for them to draw near. She refused to give Lady Spurlock the satisfaction of seeing her approach them like some favor seeker of inferior rank. Let them come to her, as Nora was doing.

Alice had chosen to attend the ball on her own without an escort. Since her stepmother’s untimely, and dazzlingly explosive, demise only a few weeks ago, there hadn’t been enough time to decline already-accepted invitations. As it was, the entire ton was still abuzz with gossip about Mrs. Matilda Mortensen’s sudden death. Alice endured the weight of the