Alchemist's Kiss

by AR DeClerck

  I grinned and reached for Archie’s hand. With bated breath we stepped over the border of foliage and into the town. It was much the same as Icarus’ memory, if more neglected and drooping. Grayson stayed close, his eyes on the dark wizards, who continued with their watch of the prisoners and seemed to pay us no mind.

  I moved ten paces from Archie and bent, starting my half of the circle. He did the same, meeting me in the middle of the first arc. I could already feel the tidal pull of the aether as it gathered, and I knew the dark wizards would soon feel it, too. We drew the second half more quickly, our hands touching at the second arc. I moved away and drew the runes that Icarus had insisted must be drawn. Exactly as he’d instructed, I placed them at equidistant points around the circle.

  “I’ve never seen this spell.”

  I nodded to Grayson, not taking my eyes from the painstaking process of making the lines and curls that constituted a full rune. “It is of Icarus’ making.”

  “How do you know it will work?”

  I grinned at his naivety. “Because Icarus said it will.”

  He moved back a bit and I heard the crack of his chalk in his hand as his fingers closed over it. I stood and moved to Archie as he finished the last of his own runes. The pressure inside the circle was growing as the aether moved to it, and we stood back to back in the center.

  “Don’t let them get close.” I warned Grayson. “The aether will protect you because I ask it to, but these aren’t ordinary dark wizards. They are more powerful than most.”

  He nodded and backed to the edge of the square.

  “Do you remember the words?” I teased Archie, and he growled at me in mock anger as we locked our hands together, palm to palm. The metal of his mechanical hand was cold against my skin. It hurt my shoulders to stand that way, but it would allow the aether to circulate through and around us in a vortex of unimaginable power. We would become a diving rod, pulling it from its plane to ours and out to do our bidding.

  Rydym yn canu i chi can, oh brodyr a chwiorydd (we sing to you a song, oh brothers and sisters)

  Dewch i ni ngoleuni tragwyddoldeb a’r tan y ser (bring to us the light of eternity and the fire of the stars)

  I saw the shadowy wizard’s head go up as Archie and I said the words to the spell. He did not step from the darkness, but a hiss and a pointed finger drew the attention of the sallow man. His beady eyes narrowed and the tip of his tongue went across yellow teeth.

  “Grayson!” I looked to the younger mage and he stood, raising his hands up to the sky. My eyes widened at the circle of runes he’d drawn around himself. They were old, practically ancient, and far too advanced for a simple electrical wizard. His hazel eyes went wide as they bulged and the color drained from them, leaving them stark white. His lips moved as he gathered the electrical current from the air, the aether culling it and carrying it to his hands. Soon he had a large glowing ball of energy contained in his palms.

  The snaggle-toothed Gecko was nearly upon us, his own hands raised as he chanted the ugly words of a blood magic spell. He’d cut his own finger, I saw, and his blood dripped on the dirt as he walked.

  “Hurry, Grayson!”

  The boy’s hands moved slowly, drawing the whirling ball of energy with them. Soon they were aimed, fingers out, directly at us. I felt Archie stiffen and I wondered, too, if he would burn us to cinders with it, or protect us. The ball flew from his hands with his word, and I flinched as it neared. It did not hit us, but expanded as it flew, encapsulating us with golden light.

  “The boy was certainly hiding something.” Archie said with wonder as the sphere Grayson had contained us within whirred around us too fast to properly see.

  “No time to wonder about that.” I closed my eyes. “We have to finish this.”

  I could feel Archie’s nod as we grasped our hands more tightly together and finished Icarus’ spell.

  Rydym yn troi mewn pryd i ffyrd (we turn in time to ancient ways)

  Hynafol Gwarchod y byrd yr ydym yn cysgu (Guard the world in which we sleep)

  Diogelu ni, frodyr, o’r pla hwn (Protect us, brothers, from this scourge)

  Ein harbed rhag y tywyllwch (Save us from the dark)

  Nodd y tywyllwch gan ein gelyn (Sap the dark from our enemy)

  I held my breath as the golden glow of Grayson’s protective barrier grew dark and a shadow covered it. The aether was hot and thick around us as the echo of our words bounced within our shell. I wanted to cover my ears as it boomed against my eardrums, but I dared not break my connection with Archie.

  “Did it work?” Archie’s voice was loud against the howl of the aether around us.

  “I don’t know!” I confessed. “The spell doesn’t break any of the rules the aether put forth. We didn’t ask for bloodshed, we didn’t try to change time or kill anyone. Icarus’ thinking is sound.”

  “Cruen ta mors is down, at least.”

  He was right, the blood magic had been wiped away by the aether.

  I stumbled as a concussive force rumbled the ground beneath my feet. I held on to Archie even as my arms screamed at the pull is his weight on mine. I tensed as the filaments of electricity and aether surrounding us began to flicker. I knew now was the time we would either persevere against Bainandelio and Gecko, or we would be killed by dark magic the moment the barrier came down.

  “I don’t want to die, Archie.”

  His fingers were tight on mine. “Neither do I.”

  I took a deep breath, fighting the instinct to run. My heart hammered against my ribs and wondered if I would ever see Icarus again.

  “It’s going down.” Archie warned, and I pressed my back against his. The barrier flickered again, whirls of energy raising my hair.

  When the barrier dropped it fell like a curtain, a shower of sparks that fizzled on the ground. I could see Grayson, his eyes still white with his expenditure of power.

  I turned my head and locked eyes with the thin man. “That’s Archie’s hat.”

  The cough and rumble against my back must have been Archie’s laugh.

  “Yer a fine bird, ye are.” The tongue went across the teeth again, and I tried hard to still my roiling stomach. He tipped Archie’s bowler in my direction, blood still dripping from his thumb. “That was a right bit’o magic, but yer boy is fizzled I’d say.” The beady eyes narrowed impossibly farther still. “Come out and play, Archie boyo.”

  I felt Archie strain against my arms but I held on tight to his hands and he stilled. I drew Gecko’s eyes back to mine.

  “I’m going to kill you for what you did to Archie.”

  His laugh was rough, shaking his emaciated frame. I could see the dark magic taking its toll on him as he died slowly, rotting from the inside. His eyes were alive with power and madness as he licked his dry flaking lips. “Sure ye be tryin’, bird, sure ye be.” He sucked his lower lip into his mouth, a dry popping sound making me shiver. “Come out and try.”

  I wasn’t stupid. The moment we broke the barrier of salt and chalk the wizards could physically touch us. No amount of goading was going to bring me from the circle.

  I stiffened as a hiss carried on the wind.

  Aaarrchhhiiimmeeddeess.

  Archie’s head went up and I could feel him strain against my hold.

  “Baiandelio, come out and fight you coward.”

  Sssstttepp frroommm the ccciirrccclee, Aaarrcchhiiimmeeddeess.

  “No, Archie.” I squeezed his metal hand so hard the sharp curve of the copper cut into my fingers. Wet blood oozed, but I held tight.

  “A-a-dept.”

  I swung my head toward Grayson. He was wavering on his feet but he pointed with a trembling finger to the hut.

  “Let her go, Baiandelio.”

  I gasped as I saw the wizard in the shadows had a young girl by the throat. I recognized the wild blonde curls and the frightened blue eyes. “Cassandra.”

  Commme, Arrchhimmeeddeesss. Commee too mee oorr I kill hhheerrr.

  “What do I
do, Cora?” Archie’s voice was hoarse, his whole body shaking against mine. “If I break the circle they’ll attack.”

  “If’n ye don’t the girly dies.”

  Gecko cackled at my glare. Another pop as his lip left his mouth, the skin broken where he’d chewed on it.

  “The aether won’t let you kill him.” I warned Archie, loosening my hold on his hands. “You’ll have to find another way.”

  “I’ll choke the life out of him with my bare hands.” Archie’s voice was low and deadly. “And you?”

  “I will deal with Gecko.”

  At my proclamation the thin man clapped his hands and actually danced a bit of a jig in glee. He bowed low and tipped Archie’s bowler in my direction.

  I took a deep breath and released Archie’s hands, the corridor of power between us lessening as we broke contact. The aether still swarmed, but with less force. Quickly, before I lost my nerve, I stepped over the edge of the circle, smudging the salt with my toe.

  Archie stalked toward Baiandelio and I stared hard at Gecko. From the corner of my eye I saw Grayson go to his knees. He bent forward, apparently too tired to continue. Gecko laughed and backed up two steps, his body tightening.

  “I hear tell mighty stories about you, bird. Yer not so fearsome without yer trinket, are ye?”

  I called the aether to my palm with a word, creating a crackling fireball of power. “Let’s see, shall we?”

  Archimedes was a man of action. He could not stand idly by as a dog struggled for a bone and he would not let his old enemy kill an innocent child. He, once, had been a child, before men like Baiandelio and Gecko stole his innocent wonder.

  Ooooolllldd frriieend.

  He winced at the sharp sound of the dark wizard’s whisper. It grated on his nerves and shivered his spine, just as it was intended to do. Ignoring the twisted mage he focused instead on the pretty blonde girl.

  “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 i
t 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.