Alchemist's Kiss (31 page)

“Hello.”

She could not speak with her throat constricted by Baiandelio, but Archie saw the relief in her bright irises.

“Do not be afraid.”

Sssooo mmmuccchhh kiinddnneessss sssstilll. I thought I ccuutt ittt outtt off yoouuu llonng aagoo.

“Let her go.”

The wizard’s twisted claws released the girl one by one. She scrambled back from him with her hands at her throat. Archie pointed at the hut and she backed away toward the door.

“Did Icarus send you?”

Archie raised his eyebrows at the whisper. A very brave child, he thought. “Yes.”

She smiled, revealing even white teeth and a bit of a dimple. Archie was surprised at the sudden resemblance to Icarus in the sharp steady gaze. “Good.”

She disappeared into the shadows of the hut and Archimedes looked at his old enemy.

“I figured you would have killed her anyway.”

SSsshhee willll diieee aannywwaay. YYoouu all willll.

Archimedes understood that the world always came back unto itself. The past was never gone, but a revolving door of pain and sadness. The edges of his metal plate burned against his skin and he flexed the fingers of his steel and copper hand. If you were lucky you got to confront the past, and make amends for the deeds you could not undo. He flinched as Baiandelio edged into the light, his skin puckering and sizzling at the light. Gone was the refined features and dark hair. The man was a skeleton of sagging skin and open, oozing wounds.

“You look well.”

IIII sssshall bbeee reebboorrnn wwheenn Vicccttoor prreevvaaiilsss.

Archie gathered the aether into his hands. He could feel the dark aether around Baiandelio, and he knew that his offensive magic would not work if he tried to kill the other mage.

“Tynnwch.”

Archimedes launched the fist full of aether into Baiandelio’s face, the magic word
pull
instructing it to steal the other mage’s strength.

Baiandelio doubled over, but the dark aether rushed to protect him, pushing Archimedes back. He stumbled and called the aether again, trying to think inside its rules.

Yyyyooouuu ssshhhouuulld hhhavvvee ddiiieed, boyyyy.

Archimedes winced as the mage slashed at him with magic, opening deep wounds across his chest and human arm. The only thing that protected his vulnerable heart was the metal plating that stretched over his chest. He touched the slashes, feeling his blood hot on his hands. Black dots winked over his eyes but he struggled for consciousness.

“Ydych wrth i chi y bydd.”
Do as you will
he invited the aether that covered every inch of his skin. He knew the aether was sentient. It had promised Icarus it would help, and as he tried to grasp fuzzily at any way to destroy Baiandelio within its bounds the idea had come to him. Let the aether do as it would. Surely, it could do no worse than he was doing on his own.

Ffoolliisssshhh bbboooyy. Aeeettthhherrr muussstt beee conntrolllledd.

Archimedes shielded his eyes as at the sudden glare of light that sprung up all around him. The aether was glowing of its own accord, moving so quickly around them that it was a luminescent cloud. It swarmed the dark mage, coating him in its light as it had once coated Archie’s own skin. To the dark mage, though, the light of the aether was poison.

Baiandelio screamed, his eyes bloody as he struggled against the onslaught.

Whhhaatt hhaavvee yoouuu dooonnee? Ttthhiisss cannooott beeee.

Archimedes saw the aether was pulling its dark brethren from Baiandelio’s pores, purging him of his power as he’d asked. He went to a knee, his blood hot across his stomach and soaking the legs of his pants. He panted, his eyes open by sheer force of will. He wanted to see the end of Baiandelio once and for all.

Thhisss isss nooott thheee ennddd.

The world moved in slow motion around Archimedes as the aether’s light grew brighter, engulfing the dark mage in phosphorescent fire. He could not hold himself up and fell back to his arse. He looked directly into the eyes of the evil mage and watched the last of the dark aether pour from his nose in a swarm of black particles, instantly devoured by the light. The aether moved away, then, their light dying out as they left the wizard alive but powerless. He stumbled, leaning heavily against the side of the hut.

Kiillll mmmmeee theeen, booyyy.

Archimedes shook his head, ignoring the pounding of his heart in his ears.

“No.”

Baiandelio smiled a triumphant smile, and Archimedes chuckled as much as his breath would allow. It came faster and shallower now as more and more of his blood pooled beneath him on the ground.

“You’ll die a mortal, old man. Forgotten and hollow. Nothing.” He watched the realization of his victory dawn on Baiandelio. “There will be no rebirth. No eternity. Only the empty black of death for you.”

“An easy death is too good for you.”
The words came from Lucia, standing just behind the mage. Archimedes blinked, unsure if she was real or a figment of wavering imagination.

Archimedes could not move as Bainadelio lifted his head to meet Lucia’s eyes. The mage’s laugh was a wet gurgle as he struggled for breath.

Aaaannoottheer wwhooo ssssshooouulldd beee deeeaddd.

“You first.”

Archimedes tried to keep his head up as Lucia drove the sharp knife she held deep into Bainandeli’s gut. She didn’t flinch as blood splattered her and the husk of the dark mage fell to the ground at her feet. She stared hard at him until his last breath choked from his body. Then she dropped the knife and stepped over his corpse, kneeling beside Archimedes.

“What have you done to yourself?” she muttered, pulling him back into her lap, his head resting against her bosom. She pushed his hair back from his forehead and dropped a kiss on the skin between his eyes.

“G—good think I know an apothecary.” He managed to whisper as darkness closed in around him. He felt her arms tighten around him and she nodded, laying her head against his.

“I’m sorry I took your revenge from you.”

He shook his head, coughing out a laugh. “Bastard is dead. Does not matter how it happened.”

He felt her lips against his just before he passed out.

I wiped the blood from my chin and glared at Gecko. He was adept at offense, while also managing to push my attacks away with alarming dexterity. We’d sparred, my attention wavering as I saw Archie go down. I stopped myself from cheering as Lucia ended the bastard, and I knew Archie was in good hands. I turned back to my quarry as he danced about on his tiptoes.

“Ready to play again are ye, birdy?”

“No.” I shook off my trepidation and called the aether to me, “I’m ready to get serious.” He stopped moving and squared his shoulders. I could see the crawl of the dark aether over his skin and I felt a moment’s pity for it. When he was done it would die for his stupidity.

“Gwrando fi, a gwarando. F l yw’r llais. Helpwch fi, yr wyf yn erfyn ar I chi.”
Hear me, and listen. I am the Voice. Help me, I beg of you.

I prayed the aether would respond to my pleas as opposed to my dictates, choosing to help me rather than being forced to it. It was close, an unfathomable number of creatures pressing next to me.

“What be yer tricksy, ladybird?” Gecko danced backward, but the beat of the pulse in his neck let me know he was nervous. He knew the words I’d spoken were not part of a spell. “Are ye mad?”

I smiled, the man thinking I was talking to myself in the native tongue of these lands was quite amusing.

“I’ll be taking that hat back now.”

“Ye are mad, girl.” He raised his hand with another spell, but quick as a whip the aether surrounding me snatched the dark aether from his grasp. We could not see the aether as it worked but I imagined it gobbling up the oozing black mass of its damaged brethren. He tried again, drawing more dark aether to his palm only for it to be snatched away again. His face grew pale as he spied the body of Baiandelio on the ground. “What sort of trickery is this?”

“No tricks.” I smoothed down my skirt and wiped another trickle of blood off my lip. “You, sir, are a wart on the arse of the world, and now we will cut you out.”

With my words the aether seemed to go into overdrive, the pressure of their presence leaving me and bearing the smaller man to his knees. I pulled the bowler off his head and backed away.

“Kill me then, ye bitch dog.” He spat on the ground at my feet, the dark aether in his spittle writhing until it disappeared. I saw the aether being pulled from his body, stripping off his connection to magic. He screamed, wriggling against the weight of the magic particles that held him down. “Kill me!”

I backed away, the heat of the column of light that suddenly surrounded the man too hot to bear. His screams were sharp and primal, but as suddenly as it had begun the light disappeared and he fell to the ground. He folded in on himself, shaking as he blubbered nonsensical words to his knees. I crouched down a fair distance from him and stared at him. After a moment he raised his head, his skin yellowing and sagging more than ever. His teeth chattered so hard I wondered how he managed not to shatter them.

“K—k—kill me.” He begged.

I shook my head. The aether had done as I asked in good faith that I would not break their rules. “You’ll die in your own time, Gecko. In a prison where you belong.”

I looked up as a small hand landed on my shoulder. Cassandra stared down at me with her wide blue eyes. “You okay, Adept Jenkins?”

“I’m okay, Cassie.” I looked over my shoulder at Archie, where several of the liberated Desmond House teacher bent over him. “How’s my friend?”

“He’s okay. Miss Lucia said he will be okay.” The little girl looked uncertainly around. “Where’s Mr. Grayson?”

I followed her gaze around the square until I locked eyes with the hazel-eyed man. I stood and took Cassie’s hand, walking with her toward the young mage.

“Grayson!” She jumped into his arms as he staggered under her weight.

“Hello, Cassie.” He put her down, but kept her hand in his. His somber eyes met mine. “We did it.”

“Indeed.” I moved closer, plucking a stray blade of grass from his shoulder. “You have much to explain, Mr. Trimble.”

“I’m not sure I understand.” His face was impassive but his eyes flicked away from mine.

I grinned. “That last bit of power didn’t come from Archie or I. The aether became luminescent because of something you did.” I picked up his free hand and rubbed at the chalk dust on his fingers. When he’d fallen to his knees at the edge of the square he hadn’t been exhausted, but engaged in drawing more ancient runes. I was sure of it.

He pulled his hand away and tucked it inside his pocket. “I’m afraid you’re mistaken, Adept Jenkins.” His gaze flickered to the little girl, staring up at us and taking in our conversation with rapt attention, “I did nothing except what you asked me to do.”

I let him have his secrets, for the moment, as the shadow of the dirigible appeared over the square. I looked up as the rope ladder came down and the ship’s men scurried down.

“Go with the Captain,” I instructed them, waving toward the ship. “He will take you to the infirmary.”

“What about you?” Grayson’s question stopped me, and I turned back to him.

“I have to find Icarus.”

“How do you know…” he paused, “how do you know he’s still alive?”

“I’d know.” I promised the young mage, dropping a kiss to his pale, whiskered cheek. I tapped Cassie’s pert nose. “I’ll be back to see the two of you at Desmond House soon, okay?”

I left them as one of Levisque’s men came to escort them onto the ship. I hurried through the crowd, looking for the captain and my other friends.

“Cora!”

I turned as the captain called my name. I laughed when a large black raven landed on my shoulder, pecking the top of my head.

“Captain. Grand Master.” I greeted the men. “It’s good to see you up and about, Lucan.”

“I’m sorry I missed all this.” Machiavelli’s eyes took in the scenery for his master. “As it is I’m still unable to cast magic through Machiavelli until he is fully healed.”

“I understand.” I grabbed the captain’s arm and pulled him away from the ears in the crowd. “Did you see Icarus?”

“No.” Levisque tugged on his skullcap, skewing it. “He was not visible from the air.”

“Victor is about.” Machiavelli flapped his wings, a sign of his master’s agitation. “I feel the rot in the air.”

I knew what he meant. Even with Baiandelio dead and Gecko incapacitated the stink of dark magic was still strong. “I think I know where they are.”

Levisque raised a thin eyebrow in my direction. “And you’d go there, ignoring Icarus’ direct instructions? To do what, exactly?”

I paced, my mind racing. “I do not know. Help?”

“Distract him.” Levisque raised a shoulder when I glared in his direction. “If Victor captures you? Kills you? What will Icarus do then? Turning him dark is still the end game, and what better way to do it than to hurt his beloved?”