Clockwork Alchemist (The Thief's Apprentice Book 1)

by Sara C. Roethle

  “Why do you trust him more than you trust me!” he exclaimed.

  Liliana laughed, wondering why she had ever felt nervous to be alone with him. “He’s a detective. He’ll do the right thing with it.”

  Arhyen sighed. “Fi-ine,” he agreed, stretching out the word as if it pained him to say it. “We’ll still have to take it with us for now.”

  She nodded in agreement. She had no idea how they were going to find anything out about the stone, but she knew Arhyen would think of a way. He seemed capable of coming up with plans for everything.

  The water in the kettle began to steam, making her realize she had yet to find the tea. She resumed her search as Arhyen switched off the burner, finding several porcelain canisters of tea in a cabinet near the sink. They prepared their beverages in companionable silence, then moved back to the sofa, tea cups in hand. Liliana’s dress had dried to the point where it no longer dripped, though it was still rather uncomfortable. Still unwilling to search through Victor’s daughter’s wardrobe, she ignored the discomfort and sat.

  Arhyen glanced past her toward the curtained window. “It looks like the rain has let up.”

  She followed his gaze to see the sun barely peeking through the edge of the curtains. Though it would soon be dark, with the rain gone, she assumed they would head out to find Ephraim. Finding herself almost disappointed that the quiet moment might soon come to an end, she sipped her tea to hide her expression.

  “We should still probably stay the night here,” he announced, prompting her to glance over at him.

  She took another sip, suddenly enjoying the aromatic beverage more than she had before. “All right.”

  He raised an eyebrow at her. “No arguments?”

  She shook her head, hiding her smile. “You said it yourself, this is probably the last place anyone will look for us, and you need a place to rest.”

  He lowered his tea as his shoulders slumped. “You know, it’s a bit emasculating to always be around someone who is not only physically stronger than you, but that doesn’t need to sleep.”

  She cocked her head, not fully understanding his sentiment. “I could sleep too, if that would make you feel better.”

  He laughed ruefully. “I think forcing you to sleep just because I have to sleep probably makes me even less manly, not more.” He paused for a moment. “But we could always lie down and chat for a while.”

  Liliana's eyes widened. Was he suggesting they lie in the same bed?

  He held up his free hand in a soothing gesture. “I wasn't suggesting anything inappropriate. I simply enjoyed conversing with you last night, and thought we might do it again.”

  Liliana managed to calm herself at his explanation, then nodded. “That sounds nice.”

  He offered her an easy smile, then took a big gulp of his cooling tea. “Let's check the bedrooms upstairs.”

  With a nervous glance at the front door, she gave an approving nod. She quickly finished her tea, set the cup on the low table in front of the sofa, then followed Arhyen as he made his way toward the stairs. Though she looked forward to another conversation, she really hoped he would actually get some sleep. She suspected that he’d been pushing himself far too hard over the past few days, and felt guilty because it was all her fault.

  There was a short hallway at the top of the stairs with three closed doors. Arhyen opened the first, which appeared to be a normal bedroom. He left that room, and went for next door, revealing another bedroom, this one done in softer, more feminine hues than the first. Though they’d already found two suitable bedrooms, he went for the third, explaining, "Just in case.”

  She nodded, wanting to see what was behind the door as well. If it had only been Victor and his daughter living in the apartment, there would have been no need for a third bedroom. Arhyen opened the door. They peered together into the room’s dark interior, and Liliana realized the term room did not do the space justice. It was an alchemy lab. She wasn't sure why she was so surprised, Victor Ashdown was an alchemist after all, but it still caught her off guard. The quickly retreating light from a nearby window glinted on the edges of sparkling clean beakers and other glass containers. The various apparatus lining the walls and a central table made her think of her father.

  Arhyen looked at Liliana, a perplexed twist to his mouth. “I don't know why, but I wasn't expecting to find a laboratory in his house.”

  She covered her mouth and let out a small laugh, amused they’d been thinking the same thought.

  He glanced back into the space once more. “I'm assuming Ephraim already looked through this room, but we should check it again in the morning, just in case.”

  She nodded in agreement. “I might notice something that someone not versed in alchemy would have overlooked.”

  “Good thinking,” he agreed, then yawned. “Now let’s go lie down.”

  It struck her then that he hadn’t eaten since they’d left the cafe that morning. Her guilt increased, but there was nothing she could do about it now. He seemed intent on lying down, perhaps out of energy from lack of food.

  She followed somberly behind him as he strode back toward the first door. On top of her guilt she felt nervous, like she was breathing too quickly, but couldn’t quite seem to control it. “Are you sure we’re safe here?” she questioned breathily.

  “We’re not really safe anywhere,” he replied absentmindedly, glancing over his shoulder at her, “but here is as good a place as any, and hopefully no one will think to look for us in such an obvious location.”

  Unable to argue with his logic, she followed him into the dark bedroom. By the light of the newly risen moon she could see that the bed was large, fitting for two people, though she still had her reservations. She could always go back downstairs to keep watch once Arhyen was asleep. With that thought making her more comfortable, she sat crosslegged on the bed, smoothing her still damp dress around her knees. Arhyen flopped down onto the bed from the other side and laid his head on one of the pillows.

  Silence ensued.

  Suddenly realizing that she had nothing to talk about, she bit her lip and wracked her brain.

  Arhyen saved her by speaking first. “Tell me about your life before we met.”

  She frowned. Why would he want to know about that? “It’s not very interesting,” she explained. “Plus, you should get some rest.”

  He shook his head against the pillow, drawing her gaze to him. "Consider it a bedtime story.”

  She sighed. Where to start? “I don't have very many memories from the time before father gave me a soul, or whatever it is he really gave me, so I suppose I'll start there,” she began. “I vaguely remember when he had me inhale the compounds. I hadn’t thought much of it, mainly because I never really thought much at all. I was just . . . blank.”

  “Mhhmm,” he mumbled, his cheek against the pillow, prompting her to continue.

  “The morning after that, everything changed,” she went on. “Previously, I would sit in my room every night, because it’s what my father ordered me to do, but I never slept. I didn’t even have a bed, just a chair. I would just stare at the walls all night, until it was time to make father’s breakfast. I did the same thing after inhaling the compounds, but it was different. After several hours, I stood up with this terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. I was afraid. I looked around my room with the realization that I’d sat for eight hours in that little box every night of my life, after days of accomplishing nothing. I didn’t even know how long I’d been alive. I still don’t.”

  She began to grow more emotional as she spoke. The words felt like they were pouring out of her against her will. “I continued to suffer through that feeling every night for the next year. I was still an artificial construct. My purpose was to obey orders from my father, but I began to want more. I had never read any of his books before. I had no reason to. Yet I began to devour them whenever I had a free moment. I would sneak piles of them into my room after he’d gone to bed, and I would read all
night. I learned all about history and technology, but what I truly enjoyed was fiction. I loved reading the books where young women would go out and have adventures. They would find their purpose, and sometimes they would even fall in love. I knew that I could never have that. I could never be like the characters in those books, and it crushed my heart every day until I finally just gave up. I shut off all of my newfound emotions. When I found my father’s body, I felt nothing. I just went into that room and sat down, and did not move again until you showed up.”

  She glanced down at Arhyen, expecting him to be asleep, but his eyes were open and looking at her, reflecting the moonlight. He turned from his side and onto his back, then held out the arm nearest her.

  She stared at it, not understanding the gesture.

  “Come here,” he said softly.

  She did as he asked, curling up into the curve of his arm. It was a strange feeling, being that close to another body. It made her nervous, but at the same time, oddly comforted.

  “You’re not in that place anymore,” he consoled. “You’re more real than any of the characters in those books. You can have an adventure,” he hesitated, “and you can find love, if that is your goal. And you know what?”

  “What?” she asked weakly, squeezing her eyes shut to ward away tears.

  “After you’ve had your adventure, and after you do anything else you want to do, it won’t end like a book,” he explained. “Your life will continue. You can make choices and find other things you want to do. I won’t let anyone take that away from you.”

  She opened her eyes. Did he truly mean what he said? She turned to observe his face, but found only sincerity there. Her heart felt warm. It was the complete opposite of the horrible despair she’d come to know so well. “Why are you helping me?” she asked softly, not understanding why a man would do so much for a girl who wasn’t even real.

  He met her gaze steadily. “We all have our own cages to break free from. If I didn’t help you, I wouldn’t be deserving of ever getting help myself.”

  She smiled. “I will help you too, if I can.”

  He nodded and closed his eyes. “You already are,” he whispered.

  Still smiling, she slowly let her eyes fall shut, feeling calm for the first time in a very long time. Perhaps for the first time ever.

  Chapter 14

  Liliana’s eyes slowly slid open. Gentle rays of early morning sunlight peeked through the window, casting shadows across the room. Arhyen remained asleep beside her, unmoving. At some point their clothes had finally dried, and a blanket had been placed over them, supposedly Arhyen’s doing. He was a warm, comatose lump beside her. She took a moment to observe him, glad he’d finally gotten some rest. His dark eyelashes formed perfect half-circles on his scruffy face. Feeling suddenly embarrassed for observing him while he was unaware, she turned over to climb out of bed, then almost jumped out of her skin. There was someone leaning against the wall near the doorway, cloaked in shadows.

  “It's about time," Ephraim’s voice muttered tiredly.

  The bed shifted as Arhyen sat bolt upright behind Liliana. She turned to see him rub his eyes blearily. “What the hell are you doing here?” he growled.

  “Well I was beginning to think you both had perished," Ephraim explained caustically, pushing away from the wall with his elbows. “Clayton Blackwood reported a break-in at his estate. He claimed you were one of the perpetrators. I thought perhaps he had managed to find you before the Watch could.”

  Arhyen groaned, combing his fingers through his wayward hair. “Well that’s exactly what I needed, another reason for the Watch to be on the lookout for me. Are they still searching?”

  Ephraim nodded, then re-situated the gray coat that hung across his forearm. His hat hung limply from his hand.

  “So how did you find us?" Arhyen asked, lowering his legs on the side opposite Liliana to climb out of bed. He quickly tugged on his boots and retrieved his satchel from the floor before standing.

  Ephraim shrugged. “I simply made a list in my mind of the most likely locations to find you. It seemed logical that you would come somewhere where Clayton was unlikely to look. Also, I noticed that someone had stolen my key. Fortunately, I had a copy.”

  Liliana remained sitting on the bed as the men continued to banter. She was so embarrassed, she could hardly hear what they were saying. She had just slept the entire night in bed with a man, and now Ephraim knew about it. She'd had every intention of returning downstairs once Arhyen had fallen asleep, but she'd somehow fallen asleep as well. It seemed now that sleep was becoming habitual, it came more easily.

  “Liliana?” Arhyen questioned curiously.

  Startled by his voice, she realized he had moved around the bed and was now standing in front of her. She nervously smoothed her dress and hair, finding the latter snarled beyond rescue, then quickly stood, only to realize her shoes were missing. She looked down and found them resting beside the bed. Perhaps Arhyen had not gotten as much rest as she hoped.

  “Yes?” she asked finally.

  “I asked if you wanted to have a look at Ashdown’s alchemy lab,” he repeated with a soft smile.

  She nodded quickly, then sat to don her shoes. Arhyen and Ephraim continued to speak of Clayton Blackwood while she laced them. Not hearing half the conversation, she quickly stood, then hurried out of the room ahead of the men, ignoring Ephraim’s amused look.

  The men followed behind her as she opened the door and rushed into the alchemy lab, lit by sunlight streaming through the window in the far wall. Sparing a nervous glance behind her, she instantly began her search, not wanting to invite any comments about the sleeping situation. She started with the bookcases, since that had worked before, perusing the various titles while dutifully ignoring Arhyen and Ephraim, until she realized neither of them were searching the room with her.

  She paused her perusal and cast them a questioning look.

  Ephraim shrugged. “I already searched this room top to bottom," he explained. “But I have little experience in alchemy, so you may find something I looked over.”

  Arhyen nodded his agreement, looking bedraggled with his wrinkled clothing and hair not easily tamed with fingers. “I probably know less about alchemy than Ephraim, so I'm a bit useless here.”

  Liliana turned back to the books with a sigh, uncomfortable with the pressure resting on her shoulders. Still, it would be nice if she did actually find something, in some way managing to contribute to the case.

  Finding nothing remarkable about the books on the shelves, she turned toward the large workstation that dominated the center of the room. The station consisted of a rectangular table, topped with an alembic and other alchemical apparatus. Glass beakers and other containers were organized neatly on one end, most of them clean and empty.

  She moved away from the table, toward another group of shelves, opposite the bookcases. There were many vials of different colored liquids, as well as jars that when opened, revealed different powders. She recognized most of the items from her years of aiding her father in his work. With the knowledge she’d gained during that time, she would probably even be able to create new compounds herself, though she had only ever tried simple formulas on her own.

  She continued to search down the shelf until something caught her eye. It was bright green, and reminded her of the large gemstone they had found in the kitchen cabinet. She kneeled, smoothing her dress over her knees, ready to take a closer look. The men quietly approached behind her to see what she had found.

  The green that had caught her eye was in fact a small shard of the same stone. It was suspended by a thin piece of twine that hung in a glass beaker half-filled with clear liquid. Where the stone met the liquid, what looked like copper had formed to partially engulf the gem.

  Arhyen crouched beside her. “What's that liquid it’s suspended in?”

  Liliana took a moment to think. The copper seemed to be forming on its own, which could happen with the use of a copper chloride sol
ution and an electric charge, though there was no source of power leading to the beaker.

  “The only thing I can think of is copper chloride," she explained distantly, “but for such a reaction to take place, the liquid would need to have electric currents running through it. The process is called electroforming.”

  Arhyen stroked his stubbly chin in thought, gazing intently at the stone. “Is there any way to electrically charge an item so that it retains its charge even after the source of electricity has been removed?"

  “It might be possible with certain metals or acids,” she mused. “Many things conduct electricity, but it still has to come from somewhere. I don't see how the charge could be retained in copper chloride without a constant source of power, or within a gemstone.”

  Ephraim knelt on her other side, gazing closely at the suspended stone. “Unless it's not an ordinary gemstone," he offered. “I've never seen a stone with that particular hue. It's too bright to be an emerald. It almost seems to glow.”

  She considered that viewpoint for a moment, then held out her hand to Arhyen. “Give me the stone we found yesterday,” she demanded.

  Arhyen glanced at Ephraim, then sighed. Seeming quite unhappy, he removed the gemstone from his satchel and placed in her waiting palm.

  Ephraim’s eyebrow twitched at the sight of the large stone, but he did not speak.

  Lifting the smaller stone out of the solution with her free hand, Liliana replaced it with the larger one, which barely fit into the beaker. On the surface of the liquid where it met the stone, minute crystals of copper began to form, much more quickly than they should have with a normal source of electricity. As the trio watched, the crystals slowly multiplied and crawled up the gem.

  Liliana puckered her lips in thought. “The stone must have an electrical charge, though the crystals are forming more quickly than they should. You were right, Ephraim. The stone was likely made with alchemy, though I'm not sure how such a feat was accomplished. I’ve never heard of anything like it.”