Clockwork Alchemist (The Thief's Apprentice Book 1) Read online

  She observed him curiously as they walked, as if waiting for more questions.

  “What do you intend to do once you’re in London?” he asked tiredly.

  She abruptly stopped walking. She stared ahead for several heartbeats, then turned wide eyes to him, as if she’d only just realized she should have thought that far ahead. She was so still as she stared at him, he thought perhaps she’d stopped functioning.

  “Never mind about that,” he soothed, feeling silly for comforting something without real emotions, but doing it none-the-less. “We’ll figure things out when we get there.”

  She still didn’t move.

  “Liliana?” he questioned, forcing himself to call her by her name.

  A single tear slipped forth from her eye. Automatons weren’t supposed to cry.

  “I-I,” she stammered. “I hadn’t thought-” she cut herself off.

  What had he gotten himself into? “You can stay with me until we find a place for you,” he assured without thinking, simply wanting her to stop looking at him like that. What was he saying? He couldn’t keep her. He raked his fingers through his messy hair and shook his head.

  Liliana took a sudden, sharp breath and nodded. “I-I’m sorry. I should have thought this through. I cannot expect you to deal with such a burden permanently.”

  “You’re not a burden,” he comforted instantly, then bit his tongue before he could say more. By jove, he was an idiot.

  She looked down at her feet, not taking him at his word.

  “Truly,” he lied, “it will be nice to have the company.”

  She looked back up at him and smiled.

  Yes, he was a complete, and total idiot.

  He fortunately didn’t have time to shove his foot further in his mouth, as he suddenly sensed eyes on him. Not thinking, he whipped around. This time, he caught sight of someone watching him, though the figure instantly ducked out of sight behind the foliage. The face he’d seen had been smooth and flawless, without expression. A mask.

  Not knowing if they had more than one watcher, Arhyen deemed it best to not stay and find out who the masked person was, or if they were after the same journal he’d been sent to obtain.

  He grabbed Liliana’s delicate, gloved hand. “Run,” he whispered.

  Not questioning him for a second, she took off like a cannonball, practically dragging Arhyen behind her as he tried to keep up. Quickly recovering from his shock, he gained proper footing and matched his pace to Liliana’s. They ran together, darting through the trees, and hopping over rocks and felled logs, until Arhyen’s lungs burned and his legs felt like jelly. He did his best to keep fit, as a thief never knew when he might need to run away, but the long, frantic run after the previous day’s travel had pushed him to his bounds. He was eventually forced to halt as his body gave out on him.

  Liliana stood by his side while he panted and waited for his heart to catch up.

  “You sure can run,” he observed between pants, hunching over to rest his hands on his knees.

  He looked up at her face to find she wasn’t breathing hard at all, and her skin was still a perfect porcelain, not flushed like Arhyen’s. Of course, what did he expect? She wasn’t made the same way as he. Automatons were composed of flesh and blood, just like other humans, as such parts weren’t difficult to grow in a laboratory, but they were profoundly different. The hearts that regulated their blood flow were mechanical. Not even the greatest alchemist could figure out how to make an artificial heart continue to beat on its own, so instead their hearts had gears, and ticked much like clocks, powered by the friction generated by their movement. Even movements as subtle as breathing through their artificial lungs provided power for their hearts.

  “Are you well?” she asked quizzically, tilting her head to the side. The run had mussed her hair further, to the point where it barely held on to its updo.

  He forced a smile, then straightened and glanced over his shoulder. Their masked watcher was nowhere to be seen, and he no longer felt eyes on him, but that didn’t mean they were safe. “We should keep moving,” he instructed.

  The train station was still several miles off, so Arhyen kept a brisk pace despite his weariness. He felt it imperative to reach the safety of a train car before nightfall. He gripped his satchel protectively. Fairfax’s notes had better be worth the trouble. He glanced at Liliana, walking calmly beside him. She’d claimed the formulae were for the creation of a soul. If it was true, which he doubted, the notes were worth all the gold in England. Alchemists might be able to manufacture bodies, brains, and hearts, but surely they could not create something as intangible as a soul.

  Just as the sun began to set, they reached the train station. Liliana stood in awe of the sight. She realized she’d stopped walking, but quickly forced herself forward before Arhyen noticed. A few people were gathered together on a wooden platform, glancing down the long line of metal rails implanted in the ground. Though it was true that she had ventured outside on occasion, she’d never gone far from her home, and so, had never been to a train station, though she fundamentally understood what trains were. Surrounding the station was a small village, another new sight for Liliana. She sincerely wished the sun was still high in the sky so she could take it all in.

  They stepped onto the platform together and waited side by side. A few times, she darted glances up at Arhyen, but he was too busy observing the few other people around them, as if suspicious of their motives. He kept a hand on his satchel at all times.

  Suddenly, a loud chugging noise sounded in the distance. She glanced past Arhyen to see the train barreling toward them in the dim evening light. It seemed to grow larger before her very eyes as it approached. By the time it had almost reached the station, it was huge. She didn’t quite understand how such a massive object could move on its own. She felt the need to run, but assured herself that if it was going to crash into the platform, everyone wouldn’t be standing about so calmly. She forced herself to remain rigidly at Arhyen’s side as the train came to a screeching stop on the tracks in front of them.

  Catching her staring at the train in awe, Arhyen leaned toward her side. “Wait until you see London,” he whispered.

  Liliana shivered at the thought. She’d begun to regret her decision to accompany Arhyen when he’d first asked her what she planned to do once she got to London, and her regret had only grown as they ran through the woods away from someone who’d been spying on them. Now, faced with the prospect of traveling to London, with only Arhyen to guide her . . . she shook her head. She was a fool. She should have stayed where she was safe, even if she was alone.

  As the final rays of sun left them, and night fully fell, the doors to the train car slid open. Arhyen lightly gripped her arm and guided her forward. She went reluctantly, as all of her thoughts were wiped away except for one. She’d seen how fast the train had gone before it reached the station. Now that she was venturing inside of it, she would be going that fast too. This was bad. What had she gotten herself into?

  Arhyen slid casually into a seat, then gestured for her to do the same. He clutched the satchel with her father’s journal on his lap. The thought of her father made her tense, but at Arhyen’s warm smile, she found herself able to move again, and she slowly lowered herself into the seat next to him. Her father had never smiled at her like that, nor had his few visitors. They’d never even met her eyes as she served them tea and whatever else they required. She briefly wondered if all humans were capable of being as polite as Arhyen, then the doors to the train car slid shut, and she clutched at the sides of her seat for dear life.

  Arhyen watched her with an amused expression. She gritted her teeth in terror as the train began to move. She closed her eyes for several minutes, then slowly relaxed as the train hit its top speed and the feeling of movement became almost imperceptible. She opened her eyes and stared forward silently for several minutes. Finally, curiosity got the better of her and she leaned forward to look past Arhyen and out the small wind
ow. She deflated in disappointment as her eyes were met with inky blackness.

  “Feeling better?” Arhyen asked, drawing her attention to his face in the dim lighting of the train car.

  She hadn’t really taken the time to look at him previously. Such details were overshadowed by her desperate need to escape the dark confines of her home. Now that she had the chance, she noted that he was many years younger than her father, though she didn’t feel well equipped to guess his actual age. His dark hair fell forward to partially obscure light brown eyes. His lips, now curved into a half smile, complemented an angular jaw, and narrow nose.

  She startled, realizing she’d been staring for far too long. “I was never unwell,” she said in reply to his question, then straightened her skirts beneath her and peered forward at nothing in particular.

  “You were terrified,” he laughed. “I’ve never seen someone so terrified of a train before.”

  She turned to glare at him. “Well, I’ve never even seen one before. If you hadn’t, you would be terrified too.”

  He laughed again. “That’s probably true, but it was entertaining none-the-less.”

  Hoping for a change of subject, she asked, “How long until we reach London?”

  Laughter still in his voice, he teased, “If you were afraid of the train, I can’t imagine how you’ll react when you first see the city.”

  She sighed. “You didn’t answer my question.”

  He lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug, though his smile remained. “Five or six hours, give or take.”

  Six hours on a train with this man, she thought to herself. Of course, she’d be spending even more time with him once they reached London. She hated to admit it, but she needed him. She had no idea how to survive on her own. Sure, she didn’t need food, or water, but that didn’t mean that she was okay with living out in the elements, with no human interaction. With no one for her to help. It was what she was made for, after all. To assist her father with his various experiments, and to keep their home clean. Although, she’d given up on that latter part once he’d stopped moving.

  She sighed and mentally corrected herself. Realistically, she knew that her father was dead. She knew what death was, but she didn’t understand it. She didn’t understand life either. She couldn’t comprehend that some lives were real, while hers was not. She felt real. She wondered, if she died, if that would feel real too.

  Arhyen had turned his gaze toward the window, even though there was nothing to see except the blackness of the moonless night sky. He was real. At least, she was pretty sure that he was. He didn’t like automatons either. She could tell that he wasn’t entirely comfortable around her, despite his relaxed attitude and incessant teasing.

  As she watched, his eyes began to flutter closed. She supposed it was getting late, and he had walked all the way to her home, and then back again to the train station. He was human, and he needed rest, unlike her. His hands reflexively tensed around his satchel, protecting it even as sleep took him.

  Liliana turned her gaze forward, once again wondering if she’d made the correct decision in following Arhyen. She supposed only time would tell. With a sigh, she relaxed back against her seat and prepared to wait, envying Arhyen and the few other passengers their ability to sleep.

  Chapter 3

  The train’s screeching halt jolted Arhyen into awareness. Remembering just where he was and what he was doing, his eyes snapped open. The sky outside the window was still dark, though he sensed morning was not far off. He flexed his hands around the satchel in his lap, then turned his head to view the woman beside him.

  Liliana turned bored eyes to meet his gaze. Most of the dust had come free from her hair, though it was still a mess, and there were a few smudges of dirt on her face from their time in the woods. He began to reach out his hand to wipe them away, then thought better of it.

  “You should straighten your hair and wipe the dirt from your face before we enter the city,” he urged. “We don’t want to draw any more attention than necessary.”

  “Why not?” she asked blandly.

  He frowned, unsure of how to explain things properly to her. “I’m the sort of man who must remain inconspicuous, so please, just do as I say.”

  She instantly began to fix her hair, pulling it loose from its partial updo to let it hang down nearly to her waist. She then set to wiping at her face with her gloved hands, but eventually he had to help her with the last few smudges of dirt. By the time she was presentable, the train’s doors had opened and the passengers began to filter out into the night air.

  Arhyen stood and walked past Liliana’s knees to reach the aisle, then offered her a hand up.

  She took it gingerly, glancing around in excitement. “Are we in London?”

  “Not quite,” he explained, then led her off the train.

  Liliana gasped as she stepped onto the platform to look up at the distant lights of London. Arhyen smiled, thinking it was quite fun to show someone trains and cities for the first time, even if that someone wasn’t really a someone.

  A few other passengers still standing on the platform were beginning to stare, so he hurried her forward.

  “Where are we going?” she asked as he dragged her away.

  “To my home,” he replied simply.

  “What are you going to do with father’s journal?” she asked.

  They reached the cobblestone street and her boots began to clatter loudly as her shorter legs moved to match his longer strides. Did she really have to choose now to ask questions? The officers of the Watch at the gates eyed each of the passengers that had come from the train, asking for their papers before allowing them entrance to the city.

  Arhyen came to a sudden halt, realizing one big problem with his plan. Liliana didn’t have any papers. He probably could have gotten her some had he known he’d be coming back from his mission with a guest, but there was no way he could have had the foresight for that. Now it was too late, and he couldn’t really expect her to wait out in the dark for several hours while he entered the city and attempted to rustle up some more papers as fake as his own. Well, he did briefly consider the option, but quickly dismissed it. Automatons were highly valued. Even if you could not discern one at first glance, any who might figure it out would gladly snatch Liliana away to sell her to the highest bidder.

  “Come with me,” he whispered, turning away from the gates shortly before the guards would have noticed him.

  For once, she didn’t ask questions, and simply hurried along, sticking close to his side.

  Once they were back near the train station, they stopped and sat on a bench, as if waiting for the next train. Liliana looked up at him, her large eyes full of questions.

  He leaned close to her side. “You don’t have any papers,” he whispered. “We cannot enter the gates without them.”

  She stared at him, a frank expression on her face. “You should have thought of that sooner.”

  It was so absurd that he laughed, startling Liliana. Her widened eyes soon transitioned to a glare. “I wasn’t joking,” she assured him.

  “Oh yes, I know,” he replied sarcastically, wracking his brain for some way to smuggle her into the city.

  “Hello Arhyen,” a voice said from his left, and slightly behind him.

  Arhyen turned around instantly, recognizing the voice.

  Ephraim Godwin smiled down at him. He wore a standard detective’s uniform of a short, gray, broadcloth coat, matching silk waistcoat, and trousers. The lowly officers of the Watch wore caps with silver badges on them, but as an upper class detective, Ephraim had no badge in sight. “Did you find anything interesting while you were out of town?” he asked curiously.

  Arhyen sighed. He wasn’t in the habit of interacting with detectives, but Ephriam wasn’t a normal detective. He was an investigator of the strange and unusual, and didn’t allow himself to be fully fettered by silly laws if they kept him from discovering new information, and solving unsolvable cases. The Watch kep
t him around because he did solve cases, albeit unconventionally.

  Arhyen suddenly perked up as he had a thought. “I did happen upon some interesting things. I might be willing to divulge them, in return for a favor.”

  “Or I could simply arrest you,” Ephraim teased.

  Arhyen waggled his eyebrows at him. “Yeah, but you know I’d just escape, then you’d never find anything out.”

  Ephraim sighed, then gestured for Arhyen to name his terms.

  Arhyen nodded to Liliana, who’d remained silently sitting beside him. “An escort into the city wouldn’t be amiss. I promise, we’re planning nothing nefarious.”

  Ephraim stared at Liliana thoughtfully, his short blond hair reflecting the nearby lights of London, then turned back to Arhyen. He couldn’t help but wonder if Ephraim had also realized that Liliana was an automaton, though the man made no comment. Instead, he nodded curtly. “Let’s go.”

  Arhyen stood and offered Liliana a hand up, grateful for the fortuitous turn of events.

  As the trio walked back toward the gates, Ephraim whispered to Arhyen, “It’s her first time to London, I take it? Did you pick her up somewhere out in the country?”

  Arhyen smirked. “How could you tell?”

  Ephraim shrugged. “You get a sense for these things in my line of work.”

  He glanced at Liliana to see her taking in every aspect of her surroundings, lingering particularly long on any women or children entering London at the late, or extremely early, depending how you looked at it, hour.

  They reached the gates, composed of metal painted to appear gold, though it was simple iron underneath. Liliana and Arhyen waited a few steps back as Ephraim showed the watchman his identification. The officer nodded in recognition, and did not question Arhyen and Liliana as they waited patiently behind Ephraim. Ephraim said his goodbyes, and the trio walked into the city unmolested.

  Once they were out of the officer’s sight, Ephraim stopped and turned to Arhyen. “I’ll be by to collect my information,” he glanced briefly at Liliana, “once you’re settled,” he added with a wink at Arhyen.