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Could my father have convinced the Moon Alchemist to help, as he’d convinced her to resurrect me? I closed my eyes and tried to imagine the warm cadence of his voice, but it felt quiet and far away. I’d thought myself so much better than him for rising to the royal court, but what did I have to show for it? My words were powerless, my wishes just childish dreams.

I locked the door to my quarters and fell into my bed, then drifted into a weary half sleep, my heart still racing too fast to let me truly rest. I resurfaced just as the sun had set—as winter drew closer, the days were becoming thinner, the sunlight paler. I’d already missed dinner with the other alchemists but couldn’t bring myself to care.

I hoped they were at least feeding my cousins, wherever they were.

I sat up at the sound of my door rattling. I’d thought the prince would wait for me to find him, but maybe he’d grown too worried.

“Wait a moment,” I called as I rubbed my eyes and smoothed down my hair a bit.

But before I could even stand up, the lock clicked.

I froze. The prince didn’t have a key to my room, did he? And he never would have unlocked it to let himself in. I reached for my satchel of stones as the door slammed open.

Two figures in red opera masks rushed into my room and grabbed my arms. I tried to scream, but one of them shoved a cloth into my mouth. They yanked my arms behind me and bound my wrists, then the world went dark as one of them wound a black piece of fabric over my eyes.

The Empress is ready for me, I thought, trying to drag my heels, to kick at them and trap them in the doorway, but something warm flashed near my knees, and my legs turned limp like wet noodles.Alchemy?I thought. Of course, the other spineless alchemists would help the Empress kidnap me. If they didn’t mind draining the blood of peasants to feed the rich, why would they care about hauling me off to my death?

My feet dragged across pebbles and dirt, my shoulders aching where their hands clamped down. I tried to work the cloth out of my mouth with my tongue, but someone shoved it back in even harder.

At least I would probably see my cousins now. More than anything, I worried what state I’d find them in. They had no inherent value to the Empress other than forcing my hand, so she wouldn’t have a problem hurting them.

A heavy door swung open, then another, then another, footsteps echoing against stone. Just how deep into the palace were they taking me?

Finally, they shoved me into a chair, and I heard the sound of a lock clicking. I would have risen to my feet if I could feel my legs at all, but I could do nothing but sit and wait to meet my fate.

Someone yanked the fabric out of my mouth, then ripped away the blindfold.

I squinted in the dim light. The other alchemists stood around what looked like an old classroom, their expressions grave. The Moon Alchemist was closest to me, a blindfold in her hand, the River and Paper Alchemists beside her.

But the Empress was nowhere in sight. And this didn’t exactly look like a place where she would deign to visit. It smelled damp and moldy. There weren’t any windows, so we were likely underground.

I turned to the Moon Alchemist, but before I could speak, she slapped me hard.

“Haven’t you done enough of that today?” I shouted, tugging at the rope around my wrists. “You made your point this afternoon.”

But the Moon Alchemist only looked angrier at my words.

“You’re a fool,” she said. “You wanted to talk about rebellion in the middle of the courtyard in broad daylight? The Empress has ears everywhere. You would have gotten us both executed.”

“There was no one around, and I was speaking in a southern dialect!” I said. “Where else was I supposed to...”

I trailed off, my gaze sliding over the other alchemists. There were no royal guards, nothing that indicated the Empress had anything to do with this. “Why have you brought me here?” I said.

“Because,” the Moon Alchemist said, crossing her arms, “we’ve been planning to stop the Empress for years, and it sounds like you want to help.”

I swallowed, scanning the stony faces of the other alchemists. They looked like they’d rather eat me alive than have me help them. Besides, they were far more experienced and skilled than me. What could I possibly offer them?

“You talk so much about people in power doing what’s right,” the Moon Alchemist said. “Did you mean any of it?”

“Yes, but...how can I help you?” I asked.

“We can’t tell you anything specific until you vow to stand with us,” the Paper Alchemist said, holding out a bowl and a small knife. “All of us have blood samples stored here,” she said. “If you turn on us, we’ll feed it to all the monsters in the dungeons.”

I hesitated, and one of the alchemists at the back scoffed. “She’s just a child,” he said. “I told you she was gutless.”

“Sorry if I think it over before giving alchemists my blood,” I said, glaring at him. I wasn’t one to make blank promises, but truly, what did I have to lose? The Empress had already taken my cousins.

“I’ll do it,” I said. “Whatever you need, I’ll help.”