Title: Chasing the Green Fairy
Author: Melanie Karsak
Genre: Adult Steampunk
Blitz Host: Lady Amber's Tours
Novel Description:
Chasing the Green Fairy
The Airship Racing Chronicles Book II
The Airship Racing Chronicles Book II
A sabotaged airship.
A recovering opium addict.
A messenger with life-shattering news.
With the 1824 British airship qualifying
race only weeks away, Lily Stargazer is at the top of her game. She’s racing
like a pro, truly in love, and living clean. But on one ill-omened day,
everything changes.
Pulled head-long into the ancient secrets
of the realm, Lily soon finds herself embroiled in Celtic mysteries and fairy
lore. And she’s not quite sure how she got there, or even if she wants to be
involved. But Lily soon finds herself chasing the spirit of the realm while
putting her own ghosts to rest. And only accepting the truth–about her heart
and her country–can save her.
Excerpt!
A chartreuse-colored leaf fluttered down onto the wheel of the Stargazer. It was early morning. The mist covering the surface of the Thames reflected the rosy sunrise. Yawning, I reached out to brush it away only find it was not a leaf at all. Carefully, I balanced the fragile creature on the tip of my finger.
“Mornin’, Lil. Hey, what’s that?” Jessup called as he bounced onto the deck of the Stargazer.
Angus was cursing as he cranked out the repair platform below the ship. We were preparing for our morning practice run to Edinburgh.
“A luna moth,” I replied.
“I thought maybe you’d finally caught the green fairy,” Jessup joked as he climbed into the burner basket.
I grinned. The moth’s green wings, dotted with yellowish eyes, wagged slowly up and down. It was beautiful, but it was dying. “My mother once told me that they are fey things, that they live in the other realm until it’s their time to die. Then, they come to humans.”
“Why?” Jessup asked as he adjusted the valves. Orange flame sparked to life.
“She said that even enchanted things want to be truly loved at least once.”
“Don’t we all?” he replied with a laugh.
A harsh wind blew across the Thames, clearing the morning mist. It snatched the delicate creature from my hands. I tried to catch it, but the breeze pulled it from me even as it was dying. I lost it to the wind.
I sighed heavily as I picked up my tools then bounded over the side of the ship to the repair platform. I pulled out a dolly and rolled under, joining Angus who had fallen remarkably silent. The moment I saw the gear assembly on the Stargazer, I understood why.
“What the hell?” I whispered.
“Aye, lassie.”
“Jessup!” I shouted. “Get the tower guards down here!”
“What’s wrong?” Jessup called.
“The Stargazer has been sabotaged!”
I stared at the mangled gears. From the saw marks on the gear assembly to the metal shrapnel blown around the galley, it was clear what had happened. I felt like someone had punched me in the gut.
Seconds later I heard Jessup’s boots hit the platform and the sound of him running toward the guard station.
“They removed Sal’s torque mechanism. Sawed the bloody thing right off,” Angus said angrily.
“But . . . who?” I stammered.
“The Dilettanti?” Angus offered as he strained to examine the rest of the assembly.
“No,” I said as I touched the saw marks. The rough metal cut my finger. “That business is finished. Byron saw to that.” I stuck my bloodied finger in my mouth. The salty taste of blood mixed with the tang of gear grease.
“Then who?”
“Someone who didn’t want us to race in the qualifying. Someone who wanted to learn what had us running so fast.”
We were less than a month out from the British qualifying. While there were other good race teams in the realm, no one raced better than us. After all, we were the champions of the 1823 World Grand Prix. My stunt in Paris had brought us heaps of acclaim, but not all our British competitors were impressed. Envy had set in.
“Grant?” Angus suggested.
Julius Grant, whose team was sponsored by Westminster Gas Light, was our greatest competition at home. He hated us. He was annoyed that we were sponsored by Byron, annoyed that I was female, and annoyed that we were faster than him. Grant was the most likely suspect. But he was not the only one. “Almost too obvious. What about Lord D?” I wondered aloud.
“He’d love to, but he doesn’t have the stones,” Angus replied. “Might be someone who doesn’t want us in the Prix. If they take us out during qualifying, we aren’t a threat abroad.”
“That means it could be anyone.”
“Hell, maybe one of Byron’s lovers took a stab at you.”
“But I’m not even romantically involved with him anymore.”
“The rest of the world doesn’t know that.”
I rolled out from under the ship. Leaning against the Stargazer, I wiped my hands. The cut stung as grease mingled with the open wound. I wanted to either beat someone to death or cry. I wasn’t sure which. Maybe both.
Angus joined me.
“Can we get it fixed in time?” I asked him.
He wiped sweat from his bald head as he thought. “It’ll be close. I’ll need Sal’s help.”
“You? Need Sal?”
“Aye, lassie.”
“He’s busy getting the factory ready, but he’ll come.”
Jessup returned with Edwin, the stationmaster, and Reggie, one of the guards.
“Where the hell were your people last night?” Angus demanded of Edwin. We’d known Edwin for a long time, and we trusted the guards in London. Something wasn’t right.
As Angus and Edwin discussed, a terrible ache rocked my stomach. I set my hand on the side of the Stargazer. Her honey-colored timbers shone in the sunlight. Just as sleek and beautiful as she was the first time I laid eyes on her, she was my pride and joy. My ship. My love. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
“What do you think, Lil?” Jessup asked.
Clearly, I’d missed something. “Pardon?”
“Edwin suggested we post a private guard,” Jessup explained.
I nodded. “We’ll sort it out.”
“Lily, I’m so sorry. Someone must have sneaked past us. I can’t believe it,” Edwin said. His clear blue eyes were brimming with tears.
I set my hand on his shoulder. “Who was stationed on this end last night?”
“Morton.”
I sighed. I wasn’t one to point fingers, but that explained it. “Was he still drunk when he went home this morning?” I asked Reggie.
Reggie shifted uncomfortably as Edwin turned to look at him. “He was,” Reggie answered after a moment.
“That lazy, rummy bloke. I’ll kill him! I’ll kill him!” Edwin shouted, and in an angry huff, stomped back down the platform.
“Sorry, Lily. Angus. Jessup. I won’t take my eyes off her,” Reggie said sadly then went to take a post near the Stargazer.
“We’ll sleep on the ship until we get a guard on board,” I told Angus and Jessup who nodded in agreement.
“A guard . . . but who can we trust?” Jessup asked.
“The Stargazer is family. We need family to keep her safe,” Angus replied then looked at me.
“You mean . . . Duncan?” About three years earlier, I’d been, albeit briefly, in a relationship with Angus’ older brother Duncan. While I’d fallen for Duncan the moment I’d laid eyes on him, we were not suited for one another. Back then, I wasn’t ready to give up Byron or anything else.
Angus shrugged. “I suppose he’s over you by now.”
“That’s all well and good,” Jessup spat, “but we need someone to look into this! Someone needs to be held accountable! We should send for the Bow Street boys.”
Angus shook his head. “Only if we want everyone in London to know.”
“Well, we need to do something!” Jessup protested.
“Let’s keep it quiet. I’ll talk to Phineas,” I replied.
Jessup nodded eagerly. “Yeah. Good idea.”
Angus frowned. “Are you sure about that?”
Phineas and I had a convoluted opiate history, but as Angus knew well, I’d been keeping my habits in check. “It’ll be fine. I’ll check in with Phin, go get Sal, and come back. We can head out to the league meeting together.”
“If Grant looks even a wee bit guilty, I’m going to squeeze his neck,” Angus cursed.
“If he looks guilty, I’ll help you,” I replied. I set my hand on the Stargazer. It was so painful to see something you loved damaged.
“It’ll be all right, Lil,” Jessup said trying to comfort me. “We’ll get her fixed.”
I smiled weakly at Jessup then turned to leave. I knew he was right, but it didn’t make me feel any better.
Playlist for Chasing The Green Fairy
Yes, Anastasia
by Tori Amos
Wide Awake by Katey
Perry
Starry Eyed by
Ellie Goulding
I Can't See New
York by Tori Amos
Incantation by Lorenna
McKennit,
Angel by Sarah McLaughlin
My Immortal by Evanescence
Are you there by
Klint
Islamic morning
call to prayer
Book of Secrets
Prologue, by Lorenna McKennit,
Never-Ending Road,
by Lorenna McKennitt,
Bonnie Portmore
Mystic's Dream,
by Lorenna McKennitt,
Walking in the
Air, by Chloe (Arcadia)
Bach Cello Suite
No. 1
Stars, by Helen
Jane Long
Tabhair dom do Lámh, Irish Melody,
Carlyle Fraser
Lyrics:
Just give me your hand And I'll walk with you, Through the streets of our land,
Through the mountains so grand. If you give me your hand. Just give me your
hand, And come along with me. Will you give me your hand, And the world it can
see, That we can be free, In peace and harmony? From the north to the south.
From the east to the west. Every mountain, every valley, Every bush and birds
nest!
Slow
Ride by Foghat
Author
Bio:
Melanie Karsak grew up
in rural northwestern Pennsylvania where there wasn’t much to do but read books
and go for hikes. She wrote her first novel, a gripping piece about a 1920s
stage actress, when she was 12. Today, Melanie, a steampunk connoisseur, white
elephant collector, and caffeine junkie, lives in Florida with her husband and
two children. She is an Instructor of English at Eastern Florida State College.
Keep in touch with the
author online. She’s really nice!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MelanieKarsak
Email: melanie@clockpunkpress.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorMelanieKarsak
Authorgraph: http://www.authorgraph.com/authors/MelanieKarsak
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/melaniekarsak/
Book Trailer
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