London is like nothing I’ve ever seen. At first we can only make out the peaks and spires rising up in the distance, like dark, spiny fingers reaching up into the clouds.  As we get closer I can see dark clouds of smoke twisting up out of sooty chimney stacks, and buildings that seem impossibly tall and only inches apart. The ship starts to pass over the city, and I lean over the railing, taking it all in.

                There are people far, far below us, and they look like tiny black bugs scurrying back and forth on the cobblestone streets. Bigger shapes, faster moving, turn out to be horse drawn carriages and steam cars as the ship drops down and down.  My fingers bite into the wood of the ship’s railing as we get closer to the jutting black peaks of the buildings. Will we drop down so far that they will puncture the ship’s balloon? Would we drop out of the sky like a stone?

                But no, the ship is steering carefully through the buildings, heading for a wide stretch of green up ahead of us, a park, it looks like. Down below there are already several ships parked, smaller than the one we’re on.  Around me the pirates scatter across the deck, boots clumping as they run to haul on ropes and draw the sails in. I tense as the ground rushes towards us, and then my body lurches slightly as the ship sets down with a grinding bump.

                Ellie squeaks, staggering forward, and out of the corner of my eye I see Gus reach out to steady her. There’s a small dilapidated shop to the right of the ship, and several ragged looking men saunter out and gesture at the pirates, helping them bring down the gangplank. When the ship’s engines shut off abruptly it leaves a ringing in my ears. The silence is almost deafening after hearing it for days on end. As the pirates stomp back and forth across the deck they shoot us black looks, suspicious and angry. Clearly they can’t wait to get rid of us.

                Well, they’ll get their wish soon enough.

More tromping of boots on the deck and then someone’s hand falls on my shoulder. I tense and turn around abruptly, ready to bite someone’s head off. Words die on my lips, and I end up with a sort of winded gasp when I find myself looking into Jasper’s big grey eyes.

                “Sorry,” his voice is low, “didn’t mean to scare you.”

                “I wasn’t scared,” I lie. His hand is still heavy on my shoulder, so I step to one side, letting it slide off, “you just startled me.”

                We’re both silent for a moment, and both hyper aware that the others, his crew and my friends, are watching and waiting. It’s time to go.

                I wait for him to say something, and for a long moment I don’t think he’s going to, but finally he says, “Well, we’ve done our part. I guess we’ll just wish you safe journey now.”

                It’s ridiculous to feel sinking disappointment. I know that. But I can’t help it. I feel like blurting out questions, like why can’t he come with us? And why does he look at me, the way he’s looking at me right now? It was stupid to entertain the thoughts I was, but when he was staring at me, looking down at me with those eyes….

                Shut up, I told myself firmly, he’s a damn pirate, and he’s clearly telling you to get lost. He doesn’t have a dog in this fight, so why would he risk his neck? For you? Don’t kid yourself.

                I turn away abruptly, my voice sounding thick in my ears, “Alright then, thanks for getting us this far, mate. Much obliged.”

                There’s something in his face for a moment, a flash of expression I can’t quite figure out, but then he smiles, easy and charming, “Right, well. No problem, fate of humanity and all that. Hope you make it along alright.”

                I force a smile at him and stomp over the floorboards, beckoning at Gus and Ellie with a jerk of my head, “Come on, you lot. Let’s get on with this saving the world stuff.”

                I don’t turn around, because if I do, I might catch Jasper’s grey eyes, I might experience that rush again, annoyance combined with….what?

                Nothing. I feel nothing.

                All I feel is the vibrations of my own footsteps through the soles of my boots on the gang plank. I can hear the sound of Ellie and Gus following behind me. They’re whispering to one another, and for some reason this sets my nerves on edge even more, and I find myself grinding my teeth furiously, one hand plunging into my pocket to clutch the jewel that’s been causing all our problems.

                Stupid useless jewel. What’s the point of having a bloody big diamond if I can’t even sell it to anyone without turning them into a flesh-eating monster?

                “Molly, wait!”

                Jasper’s voice – I realize in that moment that I recognize it effortlessly, it’s low, silky enough to send shivers down your spine. When I turn, heart beginning to lift slightly, I see him striding down the gang plank after me, pushing his way past Gus and Ellie, who look startled.

                Jasper stops just in front of me, so close I could reach out and touch his face, run my fingers over the blonde stubble on his firm jaw line. I force myself to remain still.

                Jasper’s mouth is open, like he’s about to say something, but he only stares, and then shuts it again, shaking his head. Shock freezes me to the spot when he reaches out and seizes both my arms, reeling me in, crushing me to him. Pressing me to the length of his body. He’s like iron wrapped in silk.

                When did I get so damn poetic?

The snow storm of thoughts raging in my mind stutters to a halt as Jasper leans down. I feel his stubble scratch my cheek, and then his mouth is hot on mine and my heart is beating riotously in my ears, the rush of my blood is like the airship’s engines.

                When Jasper pulls back I try to catch my breath. We stare at one another in shock.

His eyes are like smoke.

                Obviously my brain isn’t working properly.

                Finally something seems to occur to Jasper, and he reaches down and yanks at the curved sword in his belt, “Here, take this.”

                I try to protest, but he’s pushing it into my hands, shaking his head, “No, Molly, take it. I have another. All you have is that pathetic cheese knife.”

                I find myself sputtering, “It’s not a cheese knife!”

                The lop sided smirk is back on Jasper’s face, “Alright, keep your cheese knife, but promise me you’ll use this if you get in a scrap.”

                His fingers feel hot as they curl around mine, pressing the handle of the scimitar into my hands, insistent. Finally I nod, “Alright. Fine.”

                When I turn around it feels like my chest is about to explode, there’s such a conflict of emotion. I’m light and happy, like a woman who’s just met her sweetheart, but there’s also disappointment. Jasper still isn’t coming with us.

                When I catch Gus and Ellie staring at me, both with eyes as huge as saucers, I give them my best glare, “come on, you ninnies. Shut your mouth before you catch flies.”

                I march the rest of the way down the gangplank until I feel my boots hit the ground, doing my absolute best not to look back at Jasper, even though every part of me is burning to do so.

                The streets of London are a dark blur of humanity and noise, and I march through it all with my brain doing crazy circles. There’s warning bells going off in my head. This is a dangerous city. I need to have my wits about me, I need to watch for danger. But for some reason I seem to be in a daze. I can’t think straight.

                It keep replaying in my head over and over. Jasper’s grey eyes meeting mine. His body pressed the length of mine, fingers wrapped around my arms, the rasp of his stubble on my cheek before…

                “Molly!”

                Gus’ voice brings me up short, a hot rush of annoyance makes my face flush.

                “What?”

                He looks bewildered, gesturing around him, “Where are we going?”

                Good question.

                Feeling stupid, I finally take a look around us, scanning the city for danger and opportunity, what I should have done as soon as my feet hit the ground. Here I was walking around like a love sick calf. What the hell had gotten into me?

                Brick buildings tower over us, hemming in each side of the dirty street. I jump to one side as a horse and cart rattle by, wheels bumping over the cobble stones. The driver  is perched on top of the carriage, he shouts down at us around a mouthful of chewing tobacco,

                “Gerroh the way, stupid git!”

                “Let’s get out of the street,” I have to raise my voice above the rumble of the steam carriages going past.

                Ellie and Gus follow me to the nearest sidewalk, where we are forced to dodge apple carts and scruffy boys selling newspapers, calling out the news as they push past us. I scan the crowded sidewalk and street, noticing that there isn’t one glimmer of fine silk or lace amongst the dirty brown and grey colors. We’ve obviously landed in a very poor part of town.

                ‘I think we should get to a nicer part of town, hawk that ring you’ve got and get on our way to Bristol.”

                Ellie and Gus exchange a relieved look, and I think - with a flash of annoyance, that they’d clearly thought my brain had been addled or something.  That was confidence for you.

                My eyes dart from side to side now, scanning the street, a force of habit that’s kept me alive up till now. Sure enough I catch sight of a group of boys following us at a sedate distance, casual like. Hands in their pockets as if they haven’t a care in the world. That’s a sign, sure enough, that they’re up to no good.

                I face forward again, taking care not to speed up or slow down, or do anything to make it seem as though I’d caught on. In my head I’m counting how many I’d just seen. Five, maybe six. Two had been younger, but I didn’t like the look of the other three, they were just as tall and strong as Gus. More than a match for the three of us. The best bet was to get to the nicer part of town, and get there fast.

                “Put on a little speed,” I mutter to Gus, “but don’t look like you’re putting on speed.”

                He shoots me a puzzled look, but bless him, he doesn’t ask, just starts taking longer strides, and Ellie and I have to hurry to keep up with him. Ellie has her mouth open like she’s about to tell him to slow down or something, but when she sees the look on my face she shuts it again, and her lips firm into a thin line, brows drawing down in concern. She knows something is up.

                “Don’t worry,” I mutter, “it’ll be fine.”

                Not even sure why I said that. There’s five of them and three of us, and to make matters worse, I have no bloody idea how long this street is. Again, my fingers find their way into my pocket and curl around the diamond, damn this rock. For something so stunningly beautiful, it sure causes an awful lot of heartache and bloodshed.