Princess Elspeth stepped into the kitchen, took one look at Louise, raised her eyebrows, and pointed toward the table. “I’m not sure what I missed, but both of you need to eat breakfast before you go anywhere. If you don’t eat for your sake, then at least let our guest have a chance to eat.”
Louise blinked, then turned back to Pip as if she’d forgotten Pip was there. “Oh, right. Sorry, Pip.”
As she settled into her seat once again, the back door opened, and Fieran stepped inside.
Pip caught her breath, her mouth going a little dry at the sight of him. He wore his swords strapped across his back, his red hair tousled and a hint of perspiration at the hairline. Withhis green, elven-style clothes and those swords, he looked far more elven than he usually did in his Escarlish uniform.
It was really too bad that she wasn’t brave enough to kiss him in front of his family.
Pip threwherself into Fieran’s arms when he stepped into the main invention warehouse. “We did it.”
He caught her, his arms wrapping around her waist and holding her against him, even as her feet dangled above the floor. “The synchronization gear?”
“Yes! It works. It finally works.” Pip hugged him around the neck. “Not just works, but it’s reliable. Much better than the Mongavarian version.”
He never would have crashed if his propeller hadn’t broken. She couldn’t prevent all the reasons for a crash. She couldn’t control all the factors in a war. But this was one thing she had fixed.
Fieran grinned at her, his face only inches from hers. “I knew you could do it.”
“Louise and Bennett did most of it. I just gave a few suggestions here and there.” Pip shifted her elbows to better support her weight against Fieran’s chest since her feet were still rather far from the floor. She was definitely not going to think of the feel of his muscles and the way his face was so very close and kissable.
“They still couldn’t have done it without you.” He was all but beaming at her, his grin wide, his blue eyes sparkling.
“Then do I get a congratulations kiss?” After all, what was the point of officially courting if congratulations kisses weren’t a part of the deal?
Fieran’s grin widened before he finally kissed her. She wiggled her toes in her boots and kissed him back, her grip tightening around his neck.
Now this was the perfect way to celebrate. Even better—barely—than the bowls of celebration ice cream she and Louise had gotten during their lunch break. It had been really good ice cream.
When she pulled back to end the kiss, Fieran lowered her feet back to the floor. His grin faded into a rather serious expression, given the kissing of a moment before.
Pip rested her hand on his arm. “What is it?”
Fieran pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. “I’ve been cleared for duty and given my new orders. I’ll be flying out in a few days, escorting a squadron of the new bomber aeroplanes to Fort Defense.”
“Oh.” Pip’s hands dropped to her sides. All the heady rush of their courtship dropping as quickly as an aeroplane from the sky.
She’d known Fieran would be returning to Fort Defense soon. He was too integral to the war to remain here a moment longer once he was fully healed. And by the way he hadn’t flinched when she’d jumped into his arms and he’d held her without trouble, he was healed and definitely strong enough to fly an aeroplane.
Yet she didn’t have orders to return to Fort Defense. Perhaps they would still be coming, now that she had helped solve the synchronization gear problem.
Unless her work with the synchronization gear had proved to the higher-ups that her skills could be put to more use here than at Fort Defense as an aeroplane mechanic. She could find herself separated from Fieran for the rest of the war.
Not just Fieran. But Mak. Her flyboys. The whole squadron. Sheneededto return to Fort Defense.
“Hey. It’ll be all right.” Fieran grasped her shoulders, rubbing his thumbs over them in a way that sent tingles down her back.
He’d done that before. Did he know how comforting she found the gesture?
He studied her expression as he held her gaze. “You can stay here. I know we wouldn’t see each other as often, but you’d be safe. And you’d be able to work at the AMPC.”
She could stay. It would mean more ice cream nights—and afternoons—with Louise. Probably more weekends spent with Fieran’s family. Days here at the AMPC surrounded by magic and mechanics in a way she’d only dreamed about when growing up. There would be far fewer bombings. Less danger. No more watching her flyboys fall from the sky.
Perhaps that was a life for someday. But right now, she couldn’t imagine letting Fieran fly into danger without her. She couldn’t abandon her flyboys.
Pip shook her head. “No. I’d like to return to Fort Defense. I can’t abandon the squadron.”
Fieran exhaled a long sigh and pulled her to him, wrapping her in an embrace. “I don’t want you in danger again, but I’ll be glad to have you watching my back.”
