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    Automata: Curiosities, #2
    Automata: Curiosities, #2
    Automata: Curiosities, #2
    Ebook259 pages4 hours

    Automata: Curiosities, #2

    By Hayden Thorne

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    About this ebook

    A disastrous incident at a ball in St. Jude threatens to undo Alexej Sauveterre, and his protective adoptive family whisk him off to San Marco, a mythical and romantic city in the water. Born sickly, young Alexej has grown up resigned to the fact that only his family's immense wealth makes him barely palatable to other gentlemen seeking partners.

     

    The family's sojourn in San Marco at first promises a much-needed distraction to Alexej when his older brother introduces him to an aristocratic inventor of automata as well as an old school friend who now tours the European continent as a classical pianist. Baseless hope and heartbreak, however, seem to follow Alexej everywhere.

     

    Alexej's fascination for automata and his hopeless infatuation with Briant Cousineau draw the attention of an entity from the otherworld, one that's been wandering the globe for unwary souls to claim through cursed wishes. San Marco's winged lion summons the city's supernatural guardians in answer, and in the midst of glittering balls, magical clockwork puppets, and lonely dreams, a terrifying fight for Alexej's soul darkens the streets of a fading city.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHayden Thorne
    Release dateOct 1, 2020
    ISBN9781393220985
    Automata: Curiosities, #2
    Author

    Hayden Thorne

    I’ve lived most of my life in the San Francisco Bay Area though I wasn’t born there (or, indeed, the USA). I’m married with no kids and three cats. I started off as a writer of gay young adult fiction, specializing in contemporary fantasy, historical fantasy, and historical genres. My books ranged from a superhero fantasy series to reworked and original folktales to Victorian ghost fiction. I’ve since expanded to gay New Adult fiction, which reflects similar themes as my YA books and varies considerably in terms of romantic and sexual content. While I’ve published with a small press in the past, I now self-publish my books. Please visit my site for exclusive sales and publishing updates.

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      Book preview

      Automata - Hayden Thorne

      A Note on Honorifics

      While events in this books are set clearly in an Alternate Universe where magic and same-sex relationships are commonplace and accepted, a few historical details are incorporated into the plot. The use of honorifics by different characters when addressing each other is one of the predominant elements.

      This book’s chosen time period places the Bohemian kingdom firmly under the rule of the Austrian Empire, and German was then the primary language spoken. The Czech language had been reduced to the language of the rural poor.

      In the story, the use of honorifics highlights the characters’ national origins, hence the wild jumping from German to French to Italian. The Sauveterre family, though originally hailing from Africa, are a few generations out from their roots, and the families from paternal and maternal sides have long settled in France, therefore taking on French habits and customs.

      Czech characters use German, and the French, naturally, use French. Alexej, who is the adopted younger son of the Sauveterre family, is Czech and so uses German in his addresses. It is a quirk of this new series, whether or not it’s necessary or even realistic.

      Chapter 1

      A pall had descended upon the house, leaving Alexej feeling at a loss and so miserably helpless even surrounded by such familiar privilege. The waning light outside as afternoon made way for dusk normally soothed him and drew him gently into a state of deep reverie. The magic failed this time, however.

      Little by little, a growing awareness of his surroundings pressed upon him. It dissipated the heavy fog in his head and forced him back to reality and the dismaying revelation that the intricate capillaries of canals no longer wove their particular kind of enchantment like they used to. He wondered if his mood had torn down the curtain of beloved childhood memories. An almost fairy tale-like past spent in his adoptive family’s luxurious property in one of the most magical cities in Europe.

      Alexej’s bedroom, like the other bedrooms in his parents’ mansion, opened onto a stone balcony overlooking one of the smaller and more private canals. There he’d sit for hours, oftentimes lost in a book while luxuriating in the sounds of an enchanted city. Now seventeen, he still sat in his chair—albeit a newer and better-fitting one—seeking comfort from the plants he’d nurtured in large clay pots some years ago. They’d grown so much since, sprouting full, lush leaves and flowers, with branches clearing the top of the stone railing and draping over.

      From the water, one could easily be fooled into believing a large and dense garden managed to grow on a modestly sized balcony. Alexej’s dulled gaze rested on his beloved plants for the briefest moment before he turned away, grief overcoming him once more.

      Darling, it’s time for dinner, a quiet and gentle voice said.

      Alexej sighed and nodded. I’ll be there, Mama.

      When no movement met his ears, he glanced over his shoulder to find his mother standing in the lengthening shadows of his room. She watched him with that painful look of shared grief that had become too common in that favored retreat as of late.

      Your friend will rally, she said. He just suffered a terrible, terrible loss, but the young man is as resilient as anything.

      I wish we were back there—in St. Jude, Alexej replied sullenly. I wish I could keep him company through all this. Arthur shouldn’t suffer alone, Mama. He’s done me so much good, you know, and it’s just awful not being there for him when he’s always been there for me.

      The two had known each other only for a handful of months, but they’d grown exceedingly close and had become the best of friends, much to the Sauveterre family’s delight. He’d grown up sickly and alone, largely ignored for being nothing more than a wispy figure hanging about the fringes of any group. Or, worse, tolerated and forced to be welcomed into certain circles solely because of his family’s incredible wealth.

      Arthur Summerfield’s arrival from England had changed all that. The orphaned young man had settled down in St. Jude after his older sister had gone off to marry into another influential family in the kingdom of Bohemia. And Arthur had befriended Alexej when no one else did, his modesty and kindness a much-welcome breath of fresh air to Alexej, and the two had quickly bonded.

      Arthur didn’t care about money, and he never once took advantage of his sister’s good fortune to get himself ahead, choosing instead to work hard and earn his keep independent of his brother-in-law’s fortune. His new connections might have aided him in his search for employment and humble but comfortable lodgings, but Arthur continued to insist on standing on his own feet.

      From what Alexej had been told, Arthur had been raised in poverty by his sister when she worked as a governess, and his past had shaped his values, though his remarkable character certainly had a hand in the path he now took as a blossoming adult making his way in the world.

      And Alexej...

      Alexej simply adored him as he would an older, devoted brother—though their ages were only less than a year apart.

      He isn’t alone, love. He has Mme Novotný and the Mmes Svoboda to comfort him. And—from what dear Irena’s told me in a letter I just received, that other gentleman—what’s his name again? Poor M. Havelka’s nephew?

      Alexej swallowed the lump in his throat. Kamil Chvátal, Mama.

      Young Chvátal is now very close to him—a suitor, I suspect, and from what I know about M. Havelka’s family, Kamil would be the ideal companion and partner for poor Arthur.

      What else has Frau Novotný shared with you and Papa?

      That the bodies have been reclaimed by the family, blessed, and buried properly. As for the others, I do believe they’re all resting in the nearest churchyard. Mama sighed and shook her head sadly, her tall figure quietly framed by the open windows. In the waning light, her dark skin appeared to glow ever so softly as she turned her attention to the weathered mansions across the water. No one knows their names, sadly, but I’m sure those involved will figure out a way to honor them properly. Gravestones with nothing on them but dates of burial simply won’t do. Those poor souls...

      The haunted tower house that became the home of Arthur’s sister and brother-in-law had claimed everyone’s lives—all the residents there in addition to Matus Havelka’s unfortunate doctor, who’d succumbed to madness and had attempted to aid the house in claiming Arthur’s soul. Jane Havelka, Matus Havelka, Dr. Valenti, and the little staff of four who’d lived with the newlyweds were all gone. After living in Hantise for less than a year, their lives had all been wiped out completely.

      And it was the ghosts of Jane and Matus that drew Arthur back to that isolated tower house. Those ghosts also inadvertently placed him in mortal danger but ultimately won the battle, for they also reached out from beyond the grave to lead poor Arthur to their bodies. And from there, with the help of Kamil, the remaining staff, and a sorcerer specializing in purging cursed structures, the remains of the unfortunate victims from the more distant past were also discovered.

      The terrible events were still fresh, and Arthur had fallen dangerously ill following them on his return to St. Jude. But regular letters from St. Jude had kept the Sauveterre family abreast of the news, though at the moment they weren’t set to return for another month or so. Alexej, after all, was himself ill following his own misadventures in St. Jude, but at least he was fortunate enough not to endure the kind of horrors Arthur had.

      He didn’t hear Mama step out of his room and onto the balcony. Alexej suddenly found himself firmly enclosed in his mother’s arms, his thin form wracked with irregular spasms as he wept.

      What a waste it was. What an awful, miserable waste.

      And to think he’d been feeling a little better and more willing the face the world again when the first letter from Irena Novotný arrived. It had been five days since the hopeful turn of his health, and Alexej suffered a relapse. He found himself bedridden all over again, the debilitating weakness that had been his curse since infancy resurfacing to wreak more havoc onto an already compromised constitution.

      He was still quite lethargic and lacking in strength and energy, though the fever had long abated. But the grief over his friend’s ordeal kept him vulnerable and unable to fight back, no matter what his mother made him take to strengthen his body.

      Come, come, my darling. Things will be all right for your friend. Give him time to grieve and to come to terms with his loss.

      It isn’t fair, Mama. It isn’t. Jane and Matus just got married. They were in love. They were good people. They didn’t deserve this.

      No, they didn’t. None of the others did, either. It’s just—the world simply works in ways that defy understanding, Alexej. What happened in Hantise was completely supernatural in nature, and—I’m afraid people are just helpless pawns against forces of dark and light. Maybe there’s a purpose in all this loss, but there’s simply no way of knowing for sure.

      Mama paused even as she continued to hold Alexej tightly against herself, one hand gently stroking his back. But from what I’ve also learned, the Nohtis wolves came down from the mountains, and at least St. Jude can rest easy with them venturing abroad. Arthur and Kamil both claimed the wolves were instrumental in Arthur’s rescue and survival. Indirectly, perhaps, but they protected him.

      Remarkable creatures, indeed. Alexej himself had only heard their mournful howls. Haunting lupine calls came from the misty and forested slopes of the Nohtis Mountains and the marvelous and mysterious legends shrouding those guardians like shadowy webs. On his return to St. Jude and well after Arthur recovered from his dreadful loss, Alexej would have to badger his friend for more detailed accounts of the wolves.

      It took another moment for Alexej’s tears to stop flowing. It was too common, this expression of unspeakable grief. But as he listened to his mother’s reassuring words, Alexej also reminded himself he needed to pull himself together and be the strong friend Arthur would need on his return from Italy.

      For now, Arthur was blessed with the company of the Svoboda twins—Dominika and Pavla, who were also his landladies—Irena Novotný, who was Arthur’s employer, and Kamil Chvátal. Kamil was Matus Havelka’s nephew who’d become Arthur’s new suitor. That should help Arthur through some dark days ahead, but Alexej would also be there, ready to offer an ear and a shoulder to cry on when the time came.

      If only his cursed health troubles were to go away permanently...

      Alexej drew in a long, tremulous breath and dried his face with his handkerchief. He looked a right mess now, but how often did he look fine and in perfect health, anyway? He pulled away from his mother’s hold and offered her a wan smile.

      I suppose I should eat, he said, his voice roughened a little, and his mother laughed.

      You suppose?

      I do, yes. I’m sorry for worrying you and Papa and Guilbert.

      Darling, only a heartless monster wouldn’t feel a friend’s pain. Come along now.

      Together they walked through the narrow French windows, and Alexej paused to wait for his mother to shut them and secure them for the night. Then she guided him through his bedroom and out the door, her presence beside him a badly needed balm for his heart, though his head now pounded from so much crying.

      Guilbert thinks you and he should attend a private concert at a salon. It’s not a large gathering, Mama quickly appended when Alexej opened his mouth to protest, for public celebrations such as balls and large dinner parties had always been nothing but trouble for him. A good school friend of his is now a celebrated pianist, and he’s been invited to perform at someone’s home. You won’t be required to mingle, and Guilbert reassures me he’ll make sure no one troubles you.

      Alexej sighed and nodded, grimacing in dismay. Once his older brother put his mind to something, there was simply no way out of it.

      Well—as long as he doesn’t threaten anyone with duels.

      Mama laughed again, gently squeezing Alexej’s thin arm, through which she’d looped her own. Papa’s disabused your brother of such ideas. Duels, indeed. That villain—we won’t speak his name here, I promise—might deserve a sound thrashing, but a duel?

      Alexej nodded and sighed heavily. Another cause for heartache for him, but in this case, his bitter disappointment and humiliation seemed so far away. A distant awful memory from which he’d already recovered. He didn’t know if he’d be able to trust so easily again after what Vlatislav Klement put him through. On his family’s removal from St. Jude, word had already gone around about Vlatislav’s shabby treatment of Alexej—of the gentleman’s grandfather paying him an undisclosed sum in order for him to court Alexej solely for the Sauveterre family fortune and connections.

      And that was in addition to the fact that Vlatislav was already courting someone else. Someone, moreover, the villain was apparently wildly in love with and whom his family didn’t approve. His family was clearly determined to get him to break the connection with a bribe. Alexej couldn’t fathom the kind of trouble a clearly unwanted marriage between him and Vlatislav would have garnered with a lover kept in the wings.

      That unsavory revelation was the reason for the family’s decision to whisk Alexej off to their favored retreat in the island city of San Marco.

      You’re very young, Alexej, Papa had said. You feel in extremes, and that’s quite normal for someone your age. And, by nature, anyway, you’ve always been a pretty sensitive boy. Your age is simply aggravating that quality of yours to feel so, so deeply about things. Allow yourself some time to heal, and you’ll find happiness at your fingertips again. I promise you that.

      As he and his mother entered the dining room, already resplendently set for dinner—very likely for Alexej’s benefit—Alexej hoped San Marco’s own supernatural guardians, known only as the Maschere di San Marco, would aid in his rapid healing. Like St. Jude’s guardian wolves, who answered St. Wenceslaus’s summons, these mysterious figures from legend were bound by honor to heed the city’s patron saint, the winged lion’s calls for protection, healing, and restoration of strength and light.

      Mama?

      Yes, darling?

      May I put together a package for Arthur? If we’re going to stay her for another month, I’d very much like to give him something to distract himself with while I’m not there, talking to him. Will that be too dear, do you think?

      Mama pondered for a moment, a faint smile brightening her features. "Oh, I’m sure between the two of us, we can figure something out. Besides, you know just how much I love shopping. I can come with you and help you choose."

      Alexej sighed in relief. He usually groaned and grumbled complaints up, down, and sideways whenever his mother dragged him everywhere on a shopping trip, but this time around, he was more than happy to stick to her side. Arthur deserved no less. 

      Chapter 2

      Are you sure your business will be all right with you all the way out here and not there? Alexej asked, eyeing his brother dubiously as the pair relaxed in one of the smaller, less popular coffeehouses littering San Marco.

      We’ll be here for another month, Guilbert replied with a shrug, as breezy as ever. Johan’s a good fellow with a knack for business. He’s part of the reason why my business is flourishing.

      He’s ill-tempered.

      But loyal!

      Alexej shook his head, smothering his laughter. Guilbert’s assistant, Johan Veselý, was everything described in such few words between the brothers. Alexej had been introduced to the gentleman some time ago when he was only twelve, and Guilbert was in the middle of one apprenticeship after another, utterly mired in the learning of the silk tapestry industry. Johan had been at his side all that time, a good and trusted friend whom Guilbert had met in his endless travels.

      The pair shared a dream. It was a perfect match in every way since Guilbert was the aggressive half while Johan was the quieter, steady force backing him up. And Johan had always been happier being Guilbert’s assistant, refusing every offer of advancement and positions of leadership. That said, Johan had proven he also had teeth, which he’d bare when necessary.

      As long as your business is still standing by the time we get back to St. Jude, I suppose, Alexej said. You’ve never been away from work for this long.

      Alexej, you did notice me going to the mainland about two times a week, yes? I’ve been working, though Maman and Papa sometimes think I’m just socializing. Looking for ways on how I can expand my business’s reach to less frequented parts of Europe.

      Hmm. Is that why you’re also constantly writing letters? Are those for Johan and whoever else is helping him manage things back home? Alexej had absolutely no head for business, and every reference to his brother’s work continually baffled him.

      Yes, that’s correct. And, you know, I don’t want to think about work right now. Contrary to what everyone says, I do have a life, and I intend on taking full advantage of what San Marco has to offer. Occasional excursions to the mainland aside, of course.

      Good grief! You’ve been here dozens of times already, you big oaf. There’s nothing new to see.

      Guilbert snorted and rolled his eyes. How the devil have you become so cynical at such a young age? There are dozens of things to do here. Like that concert we’re attending tonight.

      Alexej couldn’t help a grimace, and he dropped his gaze to his pastry and half-finished coffee. I suppose.

      Alexej, I promise you’ll enjoy it, Guilbert replied, covering Alexej’s hand with his own. Black skin against white, it was a familiar and comforting sight to Alexej as Guilbert gave his hand a gentle pat. Besides, I haven’t spilled all of the juicy secrets of tonight’s concert yet.

      Oh, dear.

      What do you mean? Alexej narrowed his eyes at his broadly grinning brother.

      Automata, my dear. Automata.

      Alexej froze, his eyes boggling. Automata? He didn’t realize he’d just stammered the word until his brother responded with an indulgent burst of laughter.

      See? There! I knew that would get you, Guilbert said, his voice a silly little singsong. "The lady whose salon we’re about to invade is as much a fanatic as you for automata. In fact, Mme Leccese is an inventor who’s quite mad for animating puppets, and she’s a bit of a maverick when it comes to

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