Your child goes missing. Not long after, a Russian doll awaits you on your doorstep. Within the doll is a farewell letter.
1874, Harry and Louis have a son named Othello. They lose him soon after.
Book III of the Steampunk Trilogy.
Set in Victorian...
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Hi! I hope that you're enjoying the story and you're ready for this chapter since it it a little longer than usual :)
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"She's stuck." Niall said to Harry, as if Harry weren't aware of the fact already.
Both men and Hanji were standing in the Steamers' Underground shelter, looking up at Ethel who was perched on the roof of a house and shrieking frantically. They had taken her out for the first time since Erin had found her, and she had turned out to be a rather stupid bird, even Harry was quick to admit it. At the time, she had been drugged, but now she was not, yet she was still as oblivious and dim.
Hanji stepped between Harry and Niall and waved a long slimy worm at the owl, whistling to catch her attention. "Here, Birdy Birdy. Look what Mama has for you!" He called out. The old ignored him, so Hanji threw the worm in her direction, "Oi, plonker, over here!"
"Calm down." Harry said, restraining his own boiling anger. This bloody owl had been stuck on the roof for two hours, and she hadn't even thought to use her wings. "We just.." Harry said, letting out a breath to calm himself, "-need to think rationally."
They all looked at the owl, and she tilted, slipping down the side of the roof, squawking, until she tipped over the edge and found herself hanging bat-like on the guttering. Harry swallowed his rage, exhaling deeply. Hanji let her anger free.
"THAT STUPID DENSE BIRD, I'D RATHER DIE THAN SPEND MY AFTERNOON WAITING FOR A BLOODY BIRD TO FALL FROM A ROOF. I SWEAR TO GOD, IF SHE DOESN'T COME DOWN I'LL-"
"Hanji." Harry growled, grabbing the scientist by the collar of his shirt. He glared up at the bird, letting Hanji go. "Listen, foozler. If you don't come down by the count of ten, I'll leave you there. One. Two-"
Suddenly, the bird screeched and flapped her wings. She fell, and Niall closed his eyes, but there was a whooshing of wings and a draught of cold air, and the owl drifted above them to land somewhere on the road above the shelter.
The three Steamers ran onto the train-tracks to see Lafayette leaning on a post with Erin to his left, Zayn to his right, and Othello in front of him. The owl was perched on the wheelchair, gagging on a dead mouse.
Harry sighed a deep sigh of relief. "How did you get her to come down?" he asked.
Lafayette grinned, "It's a trick learnt from poaching. I used to lure pheasants down so Father could shoot them. You need to call them correctly, otherwise, they'll ignore you."
Harry glowered at the owl, and smiled at Lafayette. "Well, thank you. Next time that I find her dangling from a rooftop, I'll make sure to call for you."
He climbed up a ladder that they had tied to the side of the shelter, hopped over the wall, and joined his friends. Niall and Hanji stayed below ground.
