A Tale of Two Airships (Take to the Skies Book 2) by Katherine McIntyre

ale, even though I hadn’t seen him sip it once.
    My gaze had never left the Morlocks, even though I focused on my table. I didn’t like the how the six of them managed to plunk themselves down a mere two tables away from us. Didn’t seem planned until I caught the first of the glances darting our way. What were the chances our crew ranked high up on the Morlock shit list? Pretty high given all the money and lives their failed attack on us had cost them. I let out a long breath to stay calm, though my trigger finger itched.
    “Hey, Shadow Ward—think it’s time for you to take a walk to the bar.” I met Mordecai’s gaze and glanced to the circuit around the roundtable our Morlock friends sat at. “No better way to suss out intent.”
    “A walk sounds nice. I could use the chance to stretch my legs.” He passed an easy smile as he stood, towering over the rest of us. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword, which protruded past his trench. We liked to wave around our baubles before using them. Sometimes, though not often, it helped avoid a brawl.
    The moment Mordecai’s boots scuffed the floorboards near them, one of the Morlocks stood from his seat, gripping the top.
    “Well now, if it isn’t the Shadow Ward.” Greasy strands of hair glued to the lanky bastard’s forehead. “You’ve been in our database for awhile now.” His gaze flicked to our table. “And Captain Bea with her sidekicks.” Isabella bristled at the mention of sidekicks, and I had to stifle a smile. The air in this place grew tense. Even though this bar filled to the brim with scurvy bastards, I didn’t have to worry about other folks getting involved—after all, the sole reason these guys would act is if they had a bounty to claim. The Morlocks only paid their own.
    “Come on now, you’re making me blush,” I called, leaning in my seat and palming Matilda on the table so she lay in plain view. “When did we get so famous? And here I hoped for a night out of the spotlight.”
    “We’ll be heralded as heroes after taking down you lot. You wouldn’t believe the price on your heads,” the man sneered, hand inching for the revolver by his side.
    “Well darling, you sure know how to flatter a girl,” Isabella’s voice flattened as she palmed her knives. Folks around the bar clung to their drinks, watching. Place like this, bar fights were the finest form of entertainment—much better than Squawks the Songstress on stage.
    Though I was dying to sling the first punch, the irritating voice of responsibility that descended the second I took up the captain’s mantle stopped me. “Come on now boys—a fight in here, do you think you stand a chance against monsters like us?”
    The squat guy standing next to lanky got a glint in his eyes I didn’t like. The air roiled with unspent gunpowder, and the eager looks on their faces must’ve matched ours. None of us were the sort to trust each other after the whammy they’d done on the Desire, led by our ex-crewmate.
    “No, you’re right,” the guy said, steel glinting as he reached for his pistol. I already grabbed my own, finger on the trigger as I aimed the muzzle. “But we’ll split half the bounty to anyone in this place who keeps them from leaving alive.”
    Oh, shit.
    “We need to get out of here. Now.” I threw the command to the air, but I’d already taken off towards the door. Alert a whole bar full of bounty hunters we were up for sale, and we’d expire off the shelves faster than a hot meal to the starving. Even with my pistol’s handle pressing into my palm and finger poised to aim, I didn’t feel confident in swinging her around and attempting a shot—not if it cost us seconds we could be spending to escape.
    This city was no longer safe for us, as news of our bounty would spread like wildfire.  The Morlocks never shared their bounties, so if they were offering, folks would be lining up to cash in on this rare opportunity. Worse, we had no ship to escape to, only