The Heart of Alchemy Read online

  Chapter 10

  “Where are we going again?” Allen asked as he and Lord Shenk made their way through Gold Ward toward the portal.

  His ill-humored employer had roused him at the unholy hour of dawn, ordered him to prepare for a journey, and waited with poorly concealed impatience for him to dress and belt on his sword. An explanation had been offered, but Allen had been too exhausted to follow the whole thing.

  “We’re going to Rolan. I’ll arrange a horse and supplies for you, then you’ll ride to a town on the coast called Blue Cove. I want you to find out if Jade spent time there regularly. A noblewoman is bound to stand out, so either way it won’t take you long to learn the truth.”

  “Right.” Allen forced his brain to focus. “And I’m doing this why?”

  Lord Shenk turned to look at him with those cold eyes. “You mean besides me telling you to?”

  Allen swallowed hard. “Uh, yeah, besides that.”

  “Because I want to know if she lied about it. If she did, she may have lied about other things. The emperor is besotted with this woman. If she’s trouble, I need proof that I can show him. One little lie might not be enough, but it is a start. I need to know everything before the love-struck fool proposes.”

  Allen stared for a moment. He hadn’t realized the emperor was so deeply involved with anyone. He’d seen the girls Sin picked out for his private harem. Why in the world would anyone choose to marry when he had those beauties on standby? Of course, being the emperor, he could probably enjoy the wife and whatever side action he wanted.

  “Sounds simple enough.” Allen resigned himself to days of riding through the tedious plains of Rolan. The serving girls would keep the tavern running. At this point he was seriously considering turning it over to them. It seemed he seldom had time to handle anything anymore.

  “I hope you’re right,” Lord Shenk said.

  They reached the fort a few minutes later and received a welcome of such enthusiasm you’d have thought Lord Shenk was their husband returned from two weeks at sea. The reaction experienced soldiers gave a man barely in his twenties never failed to impress Allen. Lord Shenk carried himself with the sort of confidence only the nobility had. It had to be in their blood.

  As soon as the portal opened, they stepped through and emerged in a nearly identical fort in Rolan. More smart salutes greeted them. Allen could barely see the soldiers by the light of the quickly dimming portal. Only the crackling magic of the runes illuminated the yard. They were far enough west that the sun hadn’t actually risen yet.

  “How may we be of service, my lord?” a man Allen took for the fort commander asked.

  “Fetch Oskar and have a horse prepared for my man. He’ll need a week of supplies and a bit of coin.”

  “Of course.” The commander barked orders and soon one soldier was running towards the stable and a second toward the barracks.

  A couple minutes later, a figure emerged from the barracks and jogged toward them. He was fairly young, with short brown hair and gray, civilian clothes. He saluted like a soldier, fist to heart, and said, “Lord Shenk. How may I be of service?”

  “What do you know about a fishing village called Blue Cove?”

  Oskar frowned and chewed the inside of his lip. Allen knew that expression and a moment later the man said, “I fear I’ve never heard of it. Is there trouble?”

  “I don’t know yet, but I hope to get some answers there.” Lord Shenk turned to Allen. “Looks like you’re going in blind. I don’t expect any real trouble, but be careful all the same. Replacing you would be an inconvenience.”

  “For both of us, my lord,” Allen said.

  “Would you like me to join him, my lord?” Oskar asked. “Matters in the capital have been quiet and I would like to do something useful.”

  “Excellent idea, Oskar. Allen will fill you in on the mission as you ride. Oh, I almost forgot.” Lord Shenk dug something out of his pocket and handed it to Allen.

  It looked like a glass stick about six inches long. A flash like lightning ran the length of it so quickly Allen thought he might have imagined it.

  “This is my latest experiment. I haven’t tested it yet, so this is the perfect opportunity. As soon as you learn whether or not Jade lied to me, snap that and speak a message up to ten words. They will be carried to me through the ether. There’s no need for you to hang around, either. As soon as you complete your investigation, return to Garen. Not you, Oskar. You can resume your duties here.”

  Oskar saluted again and Allen nodded.

  “We won’t let you down, never fear,” Allen said.

  Lord Shenk just gave him a look before stepping back through the portal.

  Chapter 11

  Annamaria watched the snow fall as it added yet another layer over her garden. The cold and snow combined to keep her in the house. She tried going for a walk the other day, but the bitter chill turned her back before she reached the end of the entry path. She hated winters and always had.

  She even found she missed Otto’s mother. Katharina had been a welcome companion. Though she obviously didn’t tell the older woman everything, there was plenty they could talk about. And the advice she’d offered for tending to Abby had been heaven sent. The little one hardly cried at all anymore. Whether she had her mother-in-law to thank for that or Abby just grew out of her fussy spell, Annamaria neither knew nor cared.

  Thinking about Katharina naturally brought her back to Otto. Her husband spent little time at the mansion despite the weather. That was probably just as well. They no longer argued, but that was mostly because they seldom spoke. Otto made it perfectly clear he didn’t care what she did or who she did it with. For her part, Annamaria no longer hated him with the passion she once did. Maybe it was inevitable that such a powerful emotion would dim with time. Now all she felt was numb resignation.

  Her life was what it was. For better or worse, nothing would change that.

  She turned from the window and started toward the bookcase. She hadn’t read anything in some time. Maybe a nice romance would take her mind off her troubles.

  Halfway to the bookcase, a scream rang out. Her stomach dropped and she ran for the door.

  Outside, the hall was empty. The next-door bedroom stood wide open. She ran down the hall and looked inside.

  Mimi lay on the floor, limp and unmoving. Abby’s crib was empty and the bedroom window wide open.

  The room spun and it took all her will not to collapse. Two deep breaths steadied her a little.

  She hurried toward the crib, stepping over Mimi in her haste. A rolled-up scroll sat on the white satin sheets.

  Before she had a chance to read it, pounding footsteps filled the hall. A guard stepped into the doorway. “What happened, Lady Shenk?”

  “Abby’s been taken. Fetch my brother-in-law. He’s a scout, maybe he can track down whoever did this.”

  The guard said something over his shoulder and more sounds of running filled the air. Annamaria unrolled the scroll and read.

  The message was short and to the point. If Otto wanted to see his daughter again, he needed to come to a cabin beyond the city walls at midnight tonight. Fail to comply and Abby would be sent back to him in pieces.

  If that was the kidnappers’ demand, Abby was doomed. Otto cared nothing for the child. If her head showed up on the front step, he wouldn’t even blink. Certainly there was no chance of him walking into an obvious trap.

  She let the note fall from her nerveless fingers and knelt beside Mimi. A light touch of the maid’s neck revealed a strong pulse. Seemed she’d only been knocked out. That was a small kindness.

  “What happened?”

  Annamaria looked up to find Axel standing in the doorway. “Someone took Abby. They want Otto to come tonight or they’ll kill her. Can you find whoever did this?”

  “My men are searching outside as we speak, but anyone skilled enough to sneak past your father’s guards will doubtlessly be long gone by now.”

  His wo
rds snuffed out the tiny flicker of hope she’d been nursing. “Then Abby’s doomed. I don’t even know where Otto is, much less how to send him a message by tonight.”

  “I’ll find him and tell him. Don’t worry, we’ll do everything we can to get her back.”

  She appreciated his kind words, but clearly Otto hadn’t told him the truth about Abby’s father. Still, maybe he could talk his brother into doing something. She resolved to hang on to that hope until the last possible moment.

  “I’m counting on you.”

  Otto stood at a table in the warehouse and studied a map of the world. He had arranged for a scribe to resize one he found in Lord Karonin’s books. The woman charged a fortune, but her work was worth every copper. Using Captain Wainwright’s course, Otto had drawn a line with their rough course. He’d hoped to find some way to bypass both stops and go straight for the Celestial Empire. Try as he might, there just seemed no way to manage it.

  He straightened and worked a kink out of his neck. What time was it? The warehouse had no windows so he couldn’t tell. A quick glance at the guys revealed that the card game was still well underway. He needed to find something for them to do, but couldn’t think of anything. He didn’t want Hans and his squad losing their edge. Or passing their bad habits on to Corina.

  The girl seemed to sense his gaze on her and looked up, smiling.

  Before Otto had a chance to say anything, the door burst open and Axel strode in looking as upset as Otto had seen him in a long time. Maybe ever.

  “What is it?” Otto asked.

  Off to his side, the game was forgotten and everyone had stood.

  Axel ignored the squad and said, “Your daughter has been kidnapped.”

  Otto stared for a moment. Who would be stupid enough to kidnap Abby? The answer came a moment later. Someone that assumed he’d care what happened to the girl.

  “Aren’t you going to say anything?” Axel asked.

  “What would you like me to say? Should I wail and tear at my clothes? Would that help? I need to think clearly. Let’s head to the mansion and you can tell me everything.”

  Hans took a step to join them, but Otto held up a hand. “Stay here and guard the armor. If this is a distraction someone might make a move against the warehouse. Corina, come with me. I’ll need you at the mansion to keep an eye on Annamaria.”

  “Yes, Master.” She hurried over, pausing only to collect her heavy cloak, before the three of them set out.

  It was earlier than Otto thought, middle of the afternoon maybe. Whoever took Abby must have been a brazen fool. Sneaking onto the property in broad daylight. What did that say about their security? Changes would have to be made. He couldn’t have these distractions popping up at random.

  “Tell me everything,” Otto said.

  Axel did so, the little he knew. Apparently, the scouts had tracked the kidnapper as far as the edge of the property then lost him in the city. No surprise there. Tracking one person in a city of tens of thousands would be beyond even the scouts’ considerable talents.

  “Your wife is distraught and when I left the maid had awoken. According to the note, you’re to go to a cabin outside the city at midnight. It’s obviously a trap.”

  “Of course it is. I knew that the moment you said they took Abby. Whoever did this is going to wish they chose someone else to threaten. I’m going to rip their guts out while using magic to keep them conscious through the pain. Before I’m done they will beg for death. If I’m feeling generous, I might grant their wish.”

  “What do you want me to do, Master?”

  “Keep an eye on Annamaria. I can’t imagine this is an attempt to lure me away to strike at her, but I’m taking no chances. Axel, if you’d deploy your scouts for the same reason, I would be grateful.”

  “Of course,” Axel said. “If you hadn’t said anything, I would have suggested that very thing.”

  The rest of the trip passed without conversation and soon they stood before the gates of Franken Manor. The guards on duty, both of them shivering against the cold, looked away as he got close. At least they had the good sense to be embarrassed. Otto had no idea what Edwyn paid them, but clearly it was more than they were worth.

  They went in through the main entrance and Otto shrugged off his cloak. He’d barely taken a step past the entryway when Annamaria said, “Otto.”

  She stood at the top of the stairs looking down at him. Otto sighed and turned to the others. “Give us a minute.”

  He went upstairs alone, keeping silent until they were in her room and the door was closed. Annamaria stared at him, her eyes wide and pleading. “You have to get her back. Please. I’ll do anything you want; be the wife you’ve always dreamed of. Just name your price and it’s yours if you save Abby.”

  Otto saw the truth of her offer, but he no longer cared. “You have nothing I want. I will save Abby and deal with the kidnapper. Not because you ask it of me, but because someone dared come into my home and make threats. That they took something of no value to me is irrelevant. It’s the unmitigated gall of the act that irritates me. Rest assured, that when I’m done, no one will ever dare threaten Abby again.”

  Some of the tension went out of Annamaria. “That is enough for me. As to my thanks, you will have them whether you want them or not.”

  “I’ll leave Axel and his men on watch as well as Corina. You’ll be safe until I return. There is something I’ll need from you.”

  “Anything.”

  “A little blood to guide me to Abby.”

  “I don’t understand. Can’t you find her yourself?”

  “No. You noticed in the note, the kidnapper mentioned a cabin beyond the city. Do you have any idea how many cabins there are? Whoever this person is, he knows enough about wizards to know that I should be able to trace my own daughter wherever she is. The problem, of course, is obvious.”

  “She’s not yours.” Annamaria had trouble forcing the words out. That surprised Otto as she’d never had a problem with her cheating before. “You can have all you need, but not until midnight. If you don’t follow the rules, he might kill her before you arrive.”

  Otto shrugged. A few hours more or less made no difference to him. “Axel said Mimi was awake. Did she tell you anything about the kidnapper?”

  “No. Whoever did it hit her from behind. She never even saw him.”

  Not a surprise, but Otto had hoped for some indication of who he was about to kill.

  Chapter 12

  As Allen and Oskar guided their mounts down the dirt road that led to the village of Blue Cove, Allen couldn’t help smiling. When Lord Shenk gave him this job, he’d assumed it would be a miserable slog. He’d forgotten just how much warmer it was in this part of Rolan in the winter.

  Instead of a chore, the trip had become a treat. He hadn’t been this warm in months and beyond the small collection of stone houses, the sea was smooth and blue. Fishing boats bobbed in the surf and a dozen tiny figures carried parcels to and from them. He made a mental note to bring Sin here, assuming they ever got some time to themselves.

  “Is this your first visit to the ocean?” Oskar asked, jogging him out of his thoughts.

  “No. I went to Lux a couple times on business—my business, not Lord Shenk’s.”

  “Do you like serving him?”

  Allen shot him a look and Oskar laughed.

  “No, he didn’t tell me to ask. It’s simply my curiosity.”

  “Do you?” Allen countered.

  “Oh, yes. I’ve had many positions in the military, but serving as Lord Shenk’s agent is the most power I’ve ever enjoyed. Even the local commander treats me with respect. I understand it’s not me they respect, but him. Still, it’s better than being looked down on and condescended to. Demanding though he is, Lord Shenk has always treated me honorably.”

  “Well,” Allen said, surprised to hear Oskar’s enthusiasm for his position, “I serve in a more informal capacity, so I don’t get the reflected glory. That said, he’s
saved my life twice. I believe if he had to, he would save it again. Having a wizard for a patron is no bad thing.”

  Oskar smiled. “Agreed. Now, let’s see if we can learn anything that will make him happy.”

  Allen grinned back then focused on the task at hand. If a noblewoman stayed here, there had to be an inn of some sort. Allen couldn’t picture her bunking with a local fishing family.

  The town had only one street and that street had only one building with more than a handful of rooms. If that wasn’t their destination, Allen didn’t know what was.

  The two men pulled up out front, drawing bored looks from a pair of old men seated out front, smoking pipes and eyeing a checkerboard between them. Dirt caked their hands, streaked their faces, and covered their canvas shirts. He’d seen poorer-looking men, but not in a while.

  They tied up to the hitching rail, dismounted, and pushed through the swinging doors into a nearly empty common room. A bar at the far end had a modest selection of liquor bottles behind it along with a middle-aged man that appeared to have recently returned from a famine.

  The bartender eyed them with a mixture of curiosity and greed. Strangers were probably not a regular occurrence here.

  Allen leaned against the bar and said, “I was hoping you could help me. We’re trying to determine if a certain noblewoman spent time regularly visiting this town. You couldn’t miss her. Late teens, bronze skin, generally beautiful.”

  The barman tilted his head back and laughed. In fact, he laughed until his face had turned red and Allen feared he might pass out. At last he gathered himself and said, “Does this look like the sort of place a high-class woman would spend her time? We barely even see our lord, much less anyone else, unless you count the tax collectors. Those bastards visit regularly. I fear you’ve wasted your time.”

  Allen nodded and glanced at Oskar who nodded. They went outside and Allen put the same question to the old men. One shook his head and the other turned his head and spat a line of tobacco juice into the dirt.