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Alchemist's Kiss

Page 8

by AR DeClerck


  “Very well, Icarus Kane. Your father's fate is yours.”

  The bird flew from the window, leaving behind a single midnight feather. Icarus picked it up carefully. The feathers of familiar birds, and especially the familiar of the Grand Master, were powerful items used in many spells. They were also extremely hard to come by, and only given freely. He clasped the feather gently in his hand and pulled down the window sash with a sigh. He stared hard at his reflection in the glass. The man who looked back at him was blonde with a cap of furiously curling hair. The eyes were his, the nose his as well. Even the damnable cleft in the chin that he hated so much was there.

  “You've work to do, old son.” he said to his reflection. It repeated the words back to him with a mocking grin. He shook his head at the antics of his magic and turned away from the version of himself that saw any of this as funny. His father was the beast under the bed. The shadow that haunted children at night in dreams of death and blood. His own devil, and his maker. The monster that took an innocent eleven year old boy and made him a killer. A very good killer.

  Lessons, Icarus vowed, he would use to finally put his father in the ground where he belonged.

  CHAPTER SIX

  London mornings had a particular charm that I have never encountered any place else. The air was brisk, the sound of the people on the street mingling with the smells of horses and the harsh bite of Underground oil. I leaned against the window sash and stared out at the sun as it rose over the Thames. A breeze lifted a stray curl and tickled my neck. I turned to Archie, who sat up in bed to read the morning news.

  “So you kissed Icarus?”

  His question gave me some pause. I blinked, trying to formulate an answer.

  His smile grew as he folded the paper. “There are no secrets from the aether, Cora.”

  “It told you?”

  He laughed, the edge sharp with pain from his battered ribs. He'd regained some color, the white of his shirt now whiter than his skin, thank goodness. I sat on the edge of his bed and smoothed back his hair, glad to see the swelling was better. He'd turn a garish shade of purple and blue soon, but he was alive. He took my hand in his human one and squeezed it.

  “What did he say?”

  “He started to apologize or to say something equally like him, and I left.”

  Archie's smile faded into a frown. “So nothing has changed between you, then.”

  “Only that I shall feel more awkward, I'm afraid.” I sighed and shook my head. “Why must it all be so hard, Archie? He knows I love him. He must. But any time we come close to expressing it we lose all our sense!”

  “I'm not a man who knows much about the ways of women, but I know Icarus. He's stubborn and selfless to a fault. He feels so much guilt about his past, and the things he did before he chose the lighter path, that he refuses to believe he deserves to be loved.”

  “Nonsense.” I bit my lip. It had never occurred to me that Icarus felt unworthy, and therefore sought to push my affections away. I raised my eyes to his. “Isn't it?”

  “He doesn't think so. The way we see Icarus Kane is not the way he sees himself. That, Cora dear, is why he does such balmy things.”

  I chuckled. “I'm equally at fault, then. I'm just as stubborn and far more used to having my way. But Archie, what do I do?”

  “Prove to him that he is worthy.” Archie grinned again. “Fight for him as he fights for us all.”

  “When I have him I'm never letting him go.” I warned.

  Archie's golden hand was heavy on my shoulder as he patted me. “I'm counting on it, Cora.”

  ***

  Icarus was surprised to see Cora at the table with a full tea service when he stumbled from the laboratory. The morning sunlight streaming through the window and lit her up. She tapped her foot as she arranged the tea, cursing a bit as a drop spilled onto her wine-colored silk.

  “Icarus are you hungry?” She spoke without turning. “I've prepared tea and biscuits.”

  He was speechless for a moment as she spoke to him as if nothing momentous had transpired just the night before. They had kissed, and he was still reeling from the touch of her lips against his. She, on the other hand, moved about as if this was simply another day. She looked up when he didn't answer, and a smile broke over her lips. His breath caught at the memory of those lips.

  “Is something wrong, darling?”

  Darling? She never called him that. “I'd enjoy some tea.” he managed.

  “Certainly!” She set about pouring as he moved cautiously toward the table. He'd begun to wonder if this was some game, where she poisoned him with her tea and made him horribly ill for playing with her emotions as he had. She took the chair next to him instead of across the table as she usually would.

  The scent of her was enough to undo him. Rosewater and powders, a delicate mix that was somehow heady and powerful, too. He forced his fingers to steady as he picked up his cup. The tea was perfectly brewed, the taste a bit sweet, just as he liked.

  She bustled about, placing a delicate Parisian biscuit on his plate and licking the powder off her fingertips. He watched the play of her tongue over her skin and realized he'd gone short of breath.

  “You're a bit pale, Icarus.” Her palm was soft on his forehead as she measured him for fever.

  He had a fever, all right, but it was pure male libido that flushed his cheeks. Her bodice, covered demurely in crimson lace, leaned against his arm.

  “Are you all right?”

  “Fine.” He gulped back tea as she moved back and picked up her own cup. She narrowed her eyes at him over the rim.

  “What are we going to do about your father and his dreadful companions?” she asked. “We cannot allow them to continue wreaking havoc on London, and they must be punished for treating Archie so badly.”

  This was something to take Icarus' mind away from the tempting allure of Cora. “I've been instructed by the Grand Master to pursue the scientist who is creating the Dielectric. We've both agreed that my father must be after some way to strip the barrier between us and aether.”

  “Ghastly!” She shivered as she picked up a biscuit. “The barrier is there for a reason. Your father is playing at things with consequences he doesn't understand.”

  “We're in agreement there.” Icarus found himself amazed once again by Cora's resilient intelligence. She always shook off her fear in favor of solutions to the problem at hand. He'd seen it in action the day she'd pressed The Hand to Josiah Turnbull's cheek. His Cora was courageous in the way most men were not.

  “Archie will rest for the day. Bastion has agreed to come here and watch over him while we seek out this balmy scientist.”

  “Cora....”

  Icarus could not finish his sentence as her head snapped up, her delicate china rattling as she slammed down the teacup.

  “If you think to leave me behind, Icarus Kane, you can quickly reconsider. There's no way in the fieriest of Hells that I'm allowing you to go out into the streets of London alone.”

  “I'm quite capable of caring for myself, Cora.” Icarus ignored the flush of heated pleasure at her protective nature.

  “I'm certain you are.” She folded her hands primly in her lap and looked into his eyes. “But no man of mine will face dangers such as these alone.”

  No man of mine. The words echoed about in his head for a few moments, bouncing off the sudden, intense pleasure and unmeasured horror they caused. As if she hadn't spoken such a ridiculous phrase, Cora picked up her biscuit and bit into it, patting the crumbs away with her napkin. She chewed and seemed perfectly accepting of the silence. When she was done she reached for the tea pot. “More tea, Icarus dear?”

  ***

  I knew my words had both stunned and horrified Icarus. The evidence was in the fear in his eyes and the flicker of a smile on his lips. I watched him pull on his long duster and reached for my own long coat just as he did the same. Our fingers brushed, the buzz of energy between us palpable. The aether felt it too, congreg
ating around it in a rush. I let him pull the coat from the hook and as he held it out I slipped my arms in. He wrapped it around me and for the few seconds that his arms were around me I was in heaven. He pulled them away all too soon, and handed me the wine-colored velveteen bonnet to match. It was far more sedate than many hats I owned, but its wide brim and gray silk ribbons made it attractive against my pale skin. I tied it on and attached a hat pin, holding it to my hair.

  Icarus watched the process with hungry eyes as the lifting of my arms thrust out my bodice and caused a gap in the square necked morning dress. I held back a smile as I chose a gray silk parasol from the stand by the door and pulled on my short gloves.

  “I believe I'm ready.”

  My words brought Icarus from his trance and he snapped to attention. He opened the door and I smiled to see Bastion waiting patiently in the hallway. The man moved from the wall and greeted Icarus with a handshake and me with a kiss to my cheek.

  “Thank you for watching over Archie, Bastion.”

  The healer's eyes were faded, his hair going gray at the temples, but his smile was youthful. “Sir Merriweather and I enjoy a brisk game of chess now and again. It will be my pleasure.”

  Icarus' eyes narrowed at the staccato clip of boot heels on the stairs. He moved to the hallway, tense. He didn't relax as a tall woman in a royal blue dress moved briskly down the hall. Bastion saw her and his face was wreathed in smiles. He held out his arms to the woman, who hugged him and laughed at his enthusiastic kiss to her cheek.

  “Icarus, Cora, may I present Lady Lucia Conti.”

  The woman was about my age, with the dark hair and eyes of her Italian ancestry. She was full-figured and possessed a direct nature that was obvious in the way she bowed formally to each of us before shaking our hands and meeting our eyes.

  “Luci has agreed to help me care for Archimedes while you're out.”

  I had to admit that both Icarus and I objected rather strenuously. We trusted no one except our closest friends with Archie's safety. Bastion's smile grew as the tall woman stopped our arguments with a firm hand in the air.

  “I assure you that I bear Sir Merriweather no ill will. I'm an apothecary, just like Bastion. I would never harm my patient.”

  Bastion crossed his arms as both Icarus and I wavered on the idea of allowing the woman past our wards. “Luci and Archimedes have met before. She owes him her life.”

  I narrowed my eyes as I looked at the woman. “Archie saved your life?”

  “He did. Many years ago when I was a young girl, and he wasn't much older, he brought me to Bastion for healing, and in doing so he suffered a great deal. I owe him my life.”

  “That's her!” I looked at Icarus with wide eyes. He blinked at me, not understanding the significance of the woman before us. “She is the girl Archie saved from Baiandelio.”

  Understanding came to Icarus like a wave to shore. He softened, and bowed low to Lady Lucia.

  “Archimedes thought never to see you again, Lady.” Icarus waved a hand and released the wards. “He will be most pleased.”

  Lucia's mouth twisted in a smile. She was a stern woman, and I knew she didn't smile or laugh often. Archimedes would have much fun toying with her serious nature, just as he did with Icarus. “We will see to his safety and healing. Be careful on the streets, Adept Kane.”

  I took Icarus' arm and grinned at Bastion and Lucia. “Take good care of Archie. We'll be back before evening tea.”

  They closed the door and Icarus reinforced the wards with a few words. I held The Hand to the door frame, pressing an extra layer of protection to the wood. Icarus raised an eyebrow as I took his arm again and we headed to the lift. He moved it with magic, taking us smoothly down to the lobby of the VansMueller.

  “When did you think to use The Hand in such a way?” he asked.

  “It seemed like it couldn't hurt, “I replied, tucking the talisman between my breasts. The weight and feel of the twisted metal had become as a part of my skin, and I no longer noticed it against my heart. “We cannot let those ruffians hurt Archie again.”

  Icarus pushed open the gate and assisted me out, making sure my narrow skirts weren't caught in the lift before sending it back upstairs with a wave of his hand.

  The lobby was empty, the marble floors shining in the sunlight blinking off the leaded glass windows. Bernard, the doorman, opened the doors for us as we swept past to the street. Icarus pressed three pence into the man's hand as I opened my parasol against the glare of the sun.

  “As much as I dislike the idea, the Underground is the fastest way to Columbia Road.”

  I knew that Icarus' magic was dampened underground, and he hated feeling trapped by the earth enclosed all around him.

  We moved along the sidewalk toward the entrance to the Underground Station. A few people tipped their hats to us, and a few moved across the street to avoid us. Icarus had a spark of anger in his eyes at the ungrateful nature of those he worked so hard to protect, but I was proud of him for keeping a tight hold on it. He held my elbow as we moved into the Latimer Road Station. He dropped the fare into the palm of the ticket master and helped me into the carriage. The door slid closed behind us and I held tightly to the pole as the cars began to move. Magic held the carriages above the ground, with several mages working in tandem to keep them in line and on the right path. Icarus stayed close, his hand tight against my back.

  “I detest this part.” he murmured.

  The carriage plunged into darkness as we entered the tunnels. The mage at the end of our car was a ragged young man with untrimmed blonde hair and a beard, but he was efficient as he kept our car steady and the lights came up slowly in response to his command.

  “Why does their magic work underground and yours is weakened?” I asked Icarus quietly. It was a weakness he rarely spoke about, but he'd explained it to Archie and I when the Underground had first opened.

  I felt his lips close to my ear as he spoke quietly. There were only a few non-magical passengers at this time of morning, but he didn't want anyone to overhear.

  “My magic is tied directly to my body and to my mind. My father burned the magic into the particles of my being, merging them with me. It's not the magic that is weakened, but my fear of the underground that weakens it.”

  I looked up at him, and he was so close to me. I could see the gold in the blonde of his lashes and the tired lines around his eyes.

  “I would never let anyone hurt you, Icarus.”

  He laughed, a small chuckle and I felt his breath against my lips. Cinnamon and the sugar of his tea. “I feel sorry for any beast or man who threatens those you love, Cora Jenkins.”

  As if the words had slipped out unbidden Icarus' eyes went wide. He opened his mouth but before he could speak again the carriage rocked, making us stumble as it ground to a halt.

  He held me steady and looked me over, making sure I was unharmed. I waved him off and lifted my hands, using my own magic to raise the lights in the carriage.

  “What the devil happened?” I asked. I looked about for the mage, but his seat at the end of the car was empty. The non-magicals were up, milling about and their fear created a stink in the air. “Where's the mage?”

  Icarus grabbed my hand and pushed through the people, muttering about fools and science as he went. He stopped when the mage came into view. He lay, bloody and apparently unconscious behind the last row of seats. I knelt and felt for his pulse, sighing in relief to find it steady.

  “He's alive, but someone hit him quite hard.” I pressed my kerchief to the gash on his forehead.

  Icarus crouched beside me and pushed against the man's hand. “He was warded against attack.” He pulled back the man's sleeve to show me the runes written on his hands in ash and soot.

  “The only way they managed to get close to him was to drain his magic.” I raised my eyes to Icarus. “The Dielectric.”

  “We never felt it.”

  “They were close to him, and kept the beam narrowed.”
I looked around at the crowd of non-magicals at the front of the car. “Whoever it is, they're still here.”

  “Why stop the car here?” Icarus looked out the window of the carriage at the pressed metal of the tunnel walls. “What's to be gained from this?”

  “Icarus.” I looked past his shoulder to the carriage doors as they began to slide back on their hinges with a squeal. “Do you feel that?”

  “I do.” He stood, pushing aside the milling throngs as he made his way to the doors. I hurried behind him, trying to keep the heavily booted feet off my long skirts in the crowd. I caught up to him as the doors came fully open and the stale air of the tunnels rushed in to meet us. “Stay back.”

  Icarus' pupils were tiny dots, the twin spots of flushed anger the only color on an otherwise colorless face. I reached for him, my own fear doubling to know that he was afraid. He shook his head and waved me back.

  “For the love of God, Cora. Please stay back.”

  The non-magicals in the carriage were frozen by magic as a tall man in a black coat stepped up into the car. I could feel him using his will to keep the others in stasis.. He was slim and distinguished, his blonde hair pulled tightly back from his narrow face. He moved with exaggerated grace, walking with his hands behind his back.

  Icarus did not back away as the man approached him.

  “Icarus, my son.”

  My heart stuttered. This was Victor Kane. I wrapped my fingers around the talisman, comforted little by its magical pulse. The weight of this man's magic was astonishing, and I could feel it pushing down on my skin like a shroud.

  “Victor.” Icarus' voice was flat. No emotion colored to word.

  My mouth was dry with fear. This was the man who had so easily taken Archimedes, whose personal protective wards were the strongest I'd ever encountered. The man even Icarus feared.

  “I chose to contact you here because I did not wish to engage you, son.”

  “How very noble of you.” Icarus did not look my way. I remained as still as possible, breathing only enough to remain upright. “What terrible sin have I committed to earn a visit from the devil?”

 

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