The Heart of Alchemy by James Wisher (e book reading free TXT) 📕

Otto settled on one of the beds. The situation might have changed, but his mission hadn’t. The Heart of Alchemy was out there somewhere and he meant to find it.

Chapter 38

Three days of forced inactivity drove Otto to the edge of madness. While Jet’s safe house was well stocked with food and water, it had little in the way of entertainment. Not so much as a book to read or a deck of cards. Even worse, Otto didn’t dare use his magic for fear of drawing unwanted attention.

Marius, at least, seemed untroubled by the tedium. The undead cult leader simply found a spot in the corner of the room and sat down. He hadn’t so much as batted an eye since they arrived. Otto couldn’t help wondering what he was thinking about. Or maybe he could turn his brain off and become truly dead for a time. That would certainly be a handy trick at moments like this. Of course he must still have some awareness of what was going on around him otherwise he’d be totally helpless.

Jet emerged from their modest kitchen with a pot of tea and two cups on a tray. Otto joined her at the table as she poured.

He took a sip and sighed. Jet had missed her true calling. She should have worked at a tea shop. “Thank you.”

She smiled. “Of course. This turn of events has been difficult for all of us. I’m sure when you took Lady White up on her offer, you never expected to be stuck in a safe house on the run from imperial peacekeepers.”

“No.” He set his cup down. “Tell me about the Forbidden Garden.”

“Thinking of abandoning us and taking your chances on your own?”

Otto shrugged. “Killing the minister seems rather pointless now. Unless there’s something else you think I can offer, perhaps going our separate ways would be best.”

“You wouldn’t last a day on your own,” Jet said. “You don’t exactly blend in here. But let’s leave that for now. As for the Forbidden Garden, there’s not much I can tell you. Since Lord Cheng died, no one has entered and emerged to tell the tale. At least no one I’m aware of.”

Otto swallowed a smile. Where had he heard that before? It seemed the Arcane Lords enjoyed leaving lethal areas behind them. There was probably some horrible guardian like in Colt’s Workshop. Hopefully it wasn’t as tough as the steel construct, as he didn’t have help this time.

“Can you tell me where it is?”

“On the palace grounds. It fills the entire northern courtyard. Probably three hundred yards square.”

“Shouldn’t take too long to search.”

“Someone’s coming,” Marius said.

Otto nearly jumped out of his seat. He’d been so quiet for so long, Otto had almost forgotten Marius wasn’t really dead.

Jet stood and went to the door. “One of our people?”

“One of mine,” Marius said.

Jet lowered her head and unlocked the door. A furtive little man hurried in and looked all around like he expected a guard to jump out and grab him.

“How bad is it?” Marius asked.

“Bad,” the little man said. “They’ve been all over the warehouse and through the tunnels. Most of us escaped, but they grabbed eight that were too slow.”

“The temple is still secure,” Marius said. “I would know were it otherwise. The rest can be replaced. Where did they take the prisoners?”

“Not sure. The lords are running the operation and my contact in the peacekeepers didn’t know much. He said they seemed scared, and the lords fear nothing.”

Marius stood. “They are wise to fear us. Find out where the prisoners have been taken. If they live, we will free them, if they don’t, I will send Astaroth’s revenge against those who killed them. We have hidden in the shadows for long enough. For better or worse, the time for subtlety has ended.”

“Should we not contact Lady White for instructions?” Jet asked.

“I lead this cell!” Marius said. His dead features were incapable of showing emotion, but the anger was clear in his voice. “If we succeed, I will reap the rewards and if we fail I will answer to Astaroth in Hell. All you need do is obey.”

Otto kept quiet and watched. A full-blown uprising in the city would provide the perfect cover for him to sneak into the garden. Whether these lunatics succeeded or not was irrelevant.

Jet took a step back and lowered her gaze. “I meant no disrespect.”

Marius seemed to accept her submission, but Otto knew she was lying. Jet didn’t approve of his chosen path, but lacked the power to change it.

Marius turned his focus back to the messenger. “Go and learn what happened. I expect an answer by sunset tonight at the latest.”

“Yes, Marius.” The little man hurried away.

“And what should I do?” Jet asked.

“Nothing for now. You two will stay here until we’re ready to free my followers. I must go to the temple and prepare for the attack.”

“Sneaking back in will be tricky,” Otto said.

“No, it will not.” Marius sat back down and closed his eyes.

Otto shifted his perception and watched as a black ghost made of corrupt ether rose out of Marius’s body and flew through the ether back toward the warehouse. Fascinating. It was similar to what Otto did when he became one with the ether, only it was all spirit.

“Marius is wrong,” Jet said. “If we act directly against the government, with the forces we have now, the cult is doomed. I need to contact Lady White and convince her to order him to change course.”

Otto wasn’t sure why she felt the need to tell him, but he could play along. “Do you have some way to reach her in the Land of the Demon Binders? That has to be almost a thousand miles.”

“There is a way, but Marius is always the one to use it. I’m not sure the shadow birds can be activated by someone without magic.”

Now he understood. “I’m not certain it’s in my best interest