Alchemist's Kiss (33 page)

“Leave us be, Archimedes Merriweather.” I did not look up to him. “We failed him.”

“He did as he always does. The right thing.”

“No.” I shook my head, angrier still. None of this was right or just.

“While the two of you stand there bickering is there a chance I could possibly save this man’s life?”

My head whipped to Bastion so fast I heard a creak in my neck as it moved. I narrowed my eyes on him with sharp focus. “What did you say?”

“I said I can save his life.” The light blue of his eyes was softer as he reached for Icarus, “If you’ll let me do my job.”

“If you play with me I will gut you where you stand.”

“Take her, please.” Bastion pleaded with Archie, who pulled me bodily from Icarus. The apothecary shook his head and glanced over his shoulder. “Luci, this will require the both of us, I think.”

I trembled in Archie’s arms as Lucia knelt by Icarus as well. So wrapped up in my misery, I had never seen her approach.  I held on to Archie’s shirt and pressed my face hard against him, afraid to look as the healers looked Icarus over.

“Challenging,” Lucia agreed in her quiet, careful voice, “but not impossible.”

My knees went weak, and Archie helped me to the ground. I glanced up when a soft pair of hands took mine. Wide blue eyes looked at me. Icarus’ mother. His sister, Serafina, settled on my other side next to Archie.

“Don’t worry over Icarus, child. He will live.” Samantha assured me with her motherly confidence. She looked at her son with a sad smile. “He has always been a survivor.”

“He’s dead.” I covered my mouth with my hand as the words stuck in my throat. “His rune---“

“He was a wizard before it, and will be a wizard without it.” She assured me. Her hand was soft on my chin, “He is lucky to have love such as this.” She smiled as Machiavelli landed on Bastion’s shoulder, lending the Grand Master’s strength to the effort.

“What if he doesn’t come back?” The idea was too much, and more tears gathered.

“What would Icarus say?”

I managed a laugh as his voice echoed through my mind. “He would say ‘do not despair, Cora, there is always tomorrow’.”

“There now!”

I looked over as Bastion sat back with a grin.

“That’s the way, Luci.” He directed the healer with his hands. “There and there. Yes. Good, good.” He looked up at me, his face drawn and tired but his smile triumphant. “There is life in the old man yet.”

“He…he will live?” I dared to ask. I felt Archie’s hand tighten on my shoulders as we waited for Bastion’s answer.

“My dear Adept, the aether would never let Icarus Kane die.”

The sun rose over London with a glorious burst of golden color. I leaned against with windowsill and stared out at the Thames. Summer was coming, the smell of flowers permeating the air over the scent of steam and steel oil.

“We cannot keep this vigil forever.”

I turned to Archie, who sat in a chair by Icarus’ bed. The days and weeks had passed after Bastion proclaimed him healed, but he had yet to bat an eyelash. Archie and I fed and bathed him, keeping him comfortable. I sighed as I sat next to him on the bed and took his hand. “I know.”

“He is hale and hearty, but his mind refuses to awaken.” Archie rubbed his copper shoulder. “I do not know what else we can do.”

“I’ve tried to speak to the aether, but it does not answer.” I kissed Icarus’ knuckles. “We cannot give up.”

“Would we ever?” Archie smiled at me as he stood. He stretched and checked the time on his watch. “Care to lunch with Lucia and I?”

I shook my head and smiled at him. Their relationship was still new and quite volatile, but it was a great source of amusement to me. It warmed my heart to see Archie so happy. “Give her a hello for me?”

He nodded and slapped his bowler on his head. I watched until he closed the door and then I moved to lie down next to Icarus, my head on his shoulder. I stroked my hand through his hair and breathed in the lavender of his skin.

“I miss you.” I whispered. “Come back to me.”

I had always thought I could not imagine the world without Icarus in it. The sad truth was that the sun still rose, the rain still fell, and roses still bloomed while he lingered here, all but lifeless.

I sat up when a peck at the window brought Machiavelli to my attention. I stood and opened the window, bending down to stroke his head. He ducked into my hand.

“How is he?” Orrin asked.

“The same.” I stared at the Grand Master. “Things in America?”

“Progressing.” His tone was smug. “I believe that we are coming toward an amicable agreement between the factions of both magic and science.”

“Does any of that have to do with the events that occurred here?” I asked, and the raven cawed the Grand Master’s chuckle.

“Some,” he admitted. “When I explained that science saved Icarus’ life and destroyed Victor Kane the council was quite impressed. In fact, you’ve an invitation to join me at the White House.”

I looked over my shoulder at Icarus’ prone form. The raven pecked my hand gently.

“He will recover. He needs time.”

I nodded, though the old excuse was wearing thin. Icarus was strong willed. If he wanted to come back to me he would. Why, then, did he sleep?

“Have faith, Adept Jenkins. We will speak soon.” The raven flew away as another voice spoke from the doorway.

“Conversations with birds in the bedchamber, I see.”

I smiled at Grayson. He’d become helpful to Archie and I in the aftermath of Victor’s attack, helping us quell the rest of the uprising and begin talks with the nonmagical community. I had resisted the urge to question him about his arcane magic, and he repaid my lack of curiosity with steadfast friendship.

“How is he?”

I sighed at the question that was asked of me a thousand times a day. “The same.” I replied as always.

Grayson smiled and handed me a letter, wrapped in heavy parchment. “This was at the desk for you.”

I frowned down at the unfamiliar stationary. I pulled open the flap and extracted a large thick card, with words written upon it in a flourishing hand.

Once upon a time there lived a princess, sleeping upon a bed of thorns.

For one hundred years she slept, until it became time to awaken her.

The prince placed a kiss upon the sleeping form of the fair maid, and she was awakened.

I shook the foolish paper at Grayson. “What kind of game is this?”

He took it from me and read over it, then handed it back with a shrug.

“A jest. A riddle?”

“A riddle? I don’t have time for riddles.” I threw the page on the floor, shaking my head. “I am losing my mind with worry.”

“Be confident.” He advised me, kissing my cheek. I nodded and waved him out, crawling back to Icarus’ side as he left. I pressed my ear to his chest, listening to the beat of his heart.

Why was this so hard? We had won. We had prevailed against his father and the dark mages were no longer a threat. London was learning to compromise with both magic and science, and we were all alive. Why, then, did it feel so empty a victory? Why did I feel as if it was all for naught without Icarus beside me?

“Oh, sleeping beauty,” I said softly, wishing with all my heart that he could hear me, “wake for me.”

I shot up in the bed, scrambling for the paper and the envelope on the floor. I stared at the writing. Why did it look so familiar? I concentrated hard, forcing my brain to work despite the fog of despair. I traced the looping lines of the writing. I jumped when the aether spoke to me for the first time since Victor’s death. It was faint, but I heard it clearly.

RIVENSBROW.

“Rivensbrow?” I questioned, staring hard at the thick paper. I recalled the same ornate handwriting on the note Rivensbrow had given me inside Croft’s lab. “But how?”

THE RULES WERE NOT BROKEN. WE DID NOT ALTER TIME. WE DID NOT ALTER CURRENT UNDERSTANDING.

Their meaning was enough to send me stumbling back to the edge of the bed, before my shaking legs gave out. “You told him the future?”

WE TOLD HIM YOUR FUTURE. HIS FUTURE WAS TERMINATED.

I hugged the card to my chest, tears forming fast and furious. The aether had seen that Rivensbrow would die, and that by telling him my future his interference would technically not break their laws. Whatever was going to happen, Rivensbrow had written it for me in this silly letter, making sure I recognized his handwriting by passing me the note in Croft’s lab.

I looked down at the words again.

Once upon a time there lived a princess, sleeping upon a bed of thorns.

For one hundred years she slept, until it became time to awaken her.

The prince placed a kiss upon the sleeping form of the fair maid, and she was awakened.

Could it be so simple? I turned to Icarus, moving so that I could stare down at his sleeping face. I closed my eyes, and pressed my lips to his. I had kissed him a thousand times, but now I wished with all my might for him to wake as I did it.

A few seconds passed and Icarus did not stir. I pulled away, the tears free as I sobbed into my hands. Hope was the destroyer of happiness, I swore. Without expectation there could not be disappointment.

I froze as a hand touched my leg. I dropped my hands from my face slowly, afraid to see that I had imagined it.

“Why are you crying?”

I sniffed and turned fully, staring into the most beautiful blue eyes I had ever seen. He frowned at me, raising a hand to wipe away a tear from my cheek.

“Who hurt you? I will kill them.”

“You did, you oaf.”

He frowned. “Then I shall slay myself.”

I laughed, throwing myself across his chest to bury my lips against his. I kissed him until I was dizzy from no breath, and still I kissed him more. When I pulled away he stared at me quizzically.

“My father? Archie?” He leaned up on one elbow, as if to search for Archimedes himself. “Did I imagine my mother? Fina?”

I shook my head. “No.” I pressed him back to the pillows. “They are staying downstairs with Bastion while you get well.”

“Well?” He looked down at himself. “I am well.”

I laughed again. “You’ve slept for a fortnight.”

“That put the look of worry in your eyes.” He surmised, scowling. He cocked his head to stare at me. “You awakened me.”

It was too much to explain, but I knew someday he would need to hear the story of the aether’s fateful decision to tell Rivensbrow our future. For now I curled up against him and held him close. “My sleeping beauty.” I said, yawning as relief and exhaustion warred within me. “I am afraid to sleep, lest this is all a dream.”

“Sleep.” Icarus commanded, making me laugh again. He really was back to himself. “I will wake you with a kiss, as you did for me.”

I fell asleep with a smile. There was nothing I wanted more than the alchemist’s kiss.

Icarus lay awake long after Cora fell asleep. He felt hale and hearty, as well as he had ever felt. A curious sting had him looking at his left hand, and he frowned to see that it was not gloved. He opened his fingers to stare at the ruined flesh where his rune had once been imprinted. He flexed his fingers and was glad to see that he still had full use of the hand, but the rune would no longer channel the aether as it had once done.

He dropped the hand and looked at the ceiling. A part of his life was over, but he could not bring himself to mourn it. He would not be the most powerful wizard in the world without the rune, but he was stronger than ever. Cora’s love gave him that strength. He pulled her closer, smiling as she burrowed against him and murmured in her exhausted slumber. Would he ever speak to the aether again, he wondered, or feel the power of it sluicing through him to affect the world?

He closed his eyes, content to exist as Icarus Kane. He was still a wizard, he would still protect and serve the people of London. He would miss the awe of the universe spread out before him, though, and the thrill of the things the aether could have taught him.

A subtle stirring of the air around him made him lift his head as the curtains fluttered in the sudden breeze. He breathed deeply as the pressure in the room built. The aether was about. He smiled as he realized he could still sense it.

Hello, old friends,
he thought,
how I wish we could speak again. I have many questions I would ask.

He tried not to feel disappointment when only the sound of the London Street below the window met his ears. It was as he’d feared, he could no longer speak with the aether.

Icarus could not contain his gasp when the world opened before him, a chasm of the cosmos spread out in front of his eyes. Cora slept on, but she, too, had traveled to the world of the aether. Tears pricked Icarus’ eyes when he realized that the destruction of the rune had not ended his time with the aether. He smiled as the tiny particles of light swirled around them, their voice a storm of beautiful sound.

ASK.

THE END