Rebel Magisters (Rebel Mechanics #2)(80)

With a silent prayer for aid, I moved cautiously toward the soldier. “Do you know why he’s a fugitive?” I asked.

“It’s not my job to know. Now, step back, miss.”

I held my hands up to show I meant no harm. “He’s fighting for freedom. That’s why he was a prisoner. He wants to create a better land for all of us. Do you like having to answer to magisters who hold all the power?”

It might have been my imagination, but I thought the tip of his rifle wavered slightly, so I pressed on. “He wants a land where all of us are equal, where we all share in power, where we don’t pay taxes to some foreign government in which we have no say. What kind of land would you rather live in, one in which you’re limited by your birth, or one where everyone stands a chance?”

“That’s what he’s doing?”

“Yes. Surely you’ve heard about the scandal in the government, the way they’re misusing the money and raising taxes on us to cover it. That’s what we’re trying to stop. If you bring him in, you’re helping your oppressors.”

The rifle lowered slightly. “There are really people trying to change things?”

“There are,” Henry said. “People at every level of society, even some magisters. That’s why they feel threatened.”

“What’ll you do if I let you go?”

“Hide for a while, but keep working. Things are going to change. You can be a part of it.”

“You won’t tell anyone?”

“No one has to know you saw me.”

The rifle raised again, then sagged, and I held my breath, waiting for his decision. “Go on now,” he finally said.

“Thank you! I thought I could trust you to do the right thing,” I said. Henry added his thanks as he took my hand and led me away.

I didn’t relax at all until we found a large magical carriage waiting beside the road. Several men in hunting attire stood around it.

One of them, a slightly built boy I didn’t recognize, ran toward us and threw his arms around Henry. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re safe,” he said, except it wasn’t a male voice.

At the same time, both Henry and I said, “Flora?”

“Did you think I’d let you go away without saying good-bye?” she asked.

He turned to me. “You brought her in on this?”

“I needed all the help I could get, and she figured out what I was doing on her own. But I did not arrange for her to be here.”

“Oh, stop gabbing,” Flora said. “We must go.”

“Yes, the word has apparently gone out about my escape,” Henry said.

We climbed into the carriage, and it took off down the road. Henry and I sat side by side, and he took my hand, clutching it. We were so close. Once we made it to the airship, he’d be on his way out of British territory. I didn’t think the governor would risk the treaties with the native tribes to search for a fugitive. Henry out of the colonies would be almost as good as Henry in England. At least, I hoped that’s what the governor would think. Did he have any idea of the full role Henry played in the rebel movement?

The small window onto the footman’s roost opened, and the man there said, “There’s a patrol carriage signaling for us to stop. Hang on. We’re about to speed up.”

I clutched Henry’s hand tighter. Had the soldier had second thoughts, or were there more patrols? I was surprised to see that Flora didn’t look concerned at all. “Don’t worry, we have plans,” she said.

“I wasn’t part of planning this,” I said.

“My friends are very good at escapes,” Henry assured me, but I was close enough to feel him trembling.

The carriage made an abrupt turn, throwing me against Henry. It continued at a rapid pace for a few minutes more, and then the window opened again. “They took the bait!” the rear lookout said. “They’re going to be surprised when they find Lord Melton in the carriage they catch. Lucky for us, his is identical.”

Henry laughed, leaning back against the seat. “Ah, yes, the ploy we used to escape after we robbed the excise house. Good old Melton.”

Knowing that they already knew about Henry’s escape made me worry what else we would face, but we reached the hangar without further incident. Everett, the airship’s pilot, ran toward us as we got out of the carriage. “The Liberty’s ready to go when you are.”

“Good, because we ought to hurry,” Henry said. “I don’t know how long our little ruse will throw them off.”

As we approached the airship, Flora handed Henry a bag. “Matthews put together some things for you, and there’s some money in there, too.” We reached the ship, and she embraced her uncle. “Take good care of yourself, Henry. I know I’ll see you again.”

“And you take care of yourself and the other children. Keep up your reading.”

She released him and turned away, wiping tears off her face. He looked at me, smiling at me in a way that made my heart melt. “And you, Verity. You’ve got to be more careful.”

“I’m not the one who got arrested.”

“You could have been. You still could be. Please look after the children as well as you can. I know they’ll end up under their grandfather’s control, but he likes you, so there’s a chance he’ll keep you on. I know the cause is important, but please, for me, make the children your priority for now. You’ve done so much already.”