Page 42
Story: A Forbidden Alchemy
“She hasn’t got any idium on board, lads,” Patrick said then, seemingly amused as he watched me. “Hasn’t had a hit in a while, I’d bet.”
So he was an arrogant prick, then. “Idium is in terribly short supply, Mr. Colson. Rumor has it the Union has the last Alchemist chained to a wall somewhere.”
Scottie spat on the ground in faux outrage, and Otto gave the canary cage an incensed shake. “Those ruddy bastards,” he said theatrically.
“Fuckin’ thieves, the lot of them.”
Patrick’s slight smile didn’t break. “I’ve never much cared for rumors.”
I sighed. “And am I to believe that you lot are the Miners Union welcoming party?”
Patrick blew out an achingly slow cloud of smoke, and in the silence, I squirmed. He had a way of stealing the air, leaving you vulnerable. “I’ve been searchin’ for you, Miss Clarke,” he drawled. “Me and everyone else, it seems.”
I squared my shoulders, though my knees shook. “Well, here I am.”
“There you are.” I thought there was a speck of wonderment in his voice. “And right lucky it is that I’d be the one to find you. I imagineyou’ve earned yourself quite the prison sentence by now. They’re jailing rebels and deserters alike these days.”
“Is that your deal then?” I asked, eyes narrowing. “Do as you say, or you’ll throw me to the House of Lords?”
He pretended that I hadn’t spoken. “I’ve come to the assumption you’ve only remained neutral all this time because there’s some morsel of sympathy you can’t rid yourself of. For Crafters, I mean. For the Miners Union.”
“For terrorists?” I asked. “No, sir. My sympathy is reserved for civilians—the ones who never asked to be a part ofyourwar.”
“Hmm,” he graveled, the sound cinching my stomach. “Then we’ll need to change your mind. Redeem ourselves.”
I wanted to laugh at him. How could all that blood possibly be redeemed? “What do you want from me?”
He waited a beat. Considered his words carefully. “Partnership.”
“And if I refuse?”
“There’s a train leaving Kenton Hill in a half hour,” he said easily. “I’ll take you there myself.”
“And tie me to the tracks, most likely.”
The men chortled. Patrick’s eyebrows rose. “Do you think us gangsters, miss?”
I did. It was written in the way he stood, in the pistol strapped to his side beneath his coat. “I think you’re murderers,” I said coldly.
He nodded sagely, stubbed out his cigarette. “Not all of us can be daughters of aristocrats, I suppose.” Then his eyes bore into mine again, and there was that missing glint, that shiver of trouble. We were twelve once more, daring each other to steal cakes.
He doesn’t know who you are, I thought, trying to ease my thrumming pulse.
“If you don’t want me for a partner, then I’ll let you be on your way, miss. You can go back to sleepin’ in the slums and tellin’ your lies and scrapin’ for a meal, awaitin’ the day Tanner catches up with you.”
I didn’t bother to argue. It wasn’t so far from the mark.
“Or, you could agree, and in a few short months, when our business is done, I’ll ensure your safe passage off this continent.”
I stilled. My heart galloped.
“Ah, you see?” His eyes trailed over me, raised gooseflesh over my skin. “There’s something you want. A one-way ticket on a big old steamer headed anywhere but here. To the islands, maybe, where there’s no idium to fight over, and no one’s ever heard of the renowned Nina Clarke.”
I narrowed my eyes. “How long have your men followed me?”
Otto chuckled. “Long enough to know that you prefer the seaside towns, the ports and harbors. I watched you try and bribe your way onto one of them cargo ships.”
I shivered at the thought of this man tailing me for that long, just out of sight.
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42 (Reading here)
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144
- Page 145
- Page 146
- Page 147
- Page 148
- Page 149
- Page 150
- Page 151
- Page 152
- Page 153
- Page 154
- Page 155
- Page 156
- Page 157
- Page 158
- Page 159
- Page 160
- Page 161
- Page 162
- Page 163
- Page 164
- Page 165
- Page 166
- Page 167
- Page 168
- Page 169
- Page 170
- Page 171
- Page 172
- Page 173
- Page 174
- Page 175
- Page 176
- Page 177
- Page 178
- Page 179
- Page 180
- Page 181
- Page 182
- Page 183
- Page 184
- Page 185
- Page 186
- Page 187
- Page 188
- Page 189
- Page 190