Celestial Tears (Hidden Alchemy Book 2) Read online

“That’ll be Renard,” the man said, nodding to the fox, which was eyeing Wispy.

  We were riding with Tinkers, and judging from the singe-marks, they weren’t the most accomplished or reliable.

  I had nothing against Tinkers; some of the most beautiful ships I’d seen had been Tinker made. The patchwork of mottled colour and dented panels before me was not one of those ships. The engine gave a little cough as we approached, and I prayed to the gods we survived the trip to Athens. The entire ship was half the size of the air transport ships I’d been on, and it lacked the elegance of those ships entirely. It was a peculiar shape, with a stunted little cabin perched in the middle of the decks. Nothing matched, and it seemed to be covered in a fine layer of dust, which didn’t give me much hope for the upkeep of the engines and other essentials.

  “Wait a second, we’re supposed to be going to Rio,” I said.

  The captain gave me a toothy grin.

  “Don’t worry, you’ll get to Rio. You have a treat waiting for you in Athens,” he said.

  The fox had walked close behind me, no doubt staring down Wispy as it did so. I can’t say that I wanted a ‘treat’. I wanted a simple, smooth ride over to Rio. And twelve more hours of sleep.

  Logan wrapped his arm around my waist. “Don’t worry, Kit, I packed some of your wake-up tablets.”

  “I’m unsure if I want a handful now so I can be awake for this, or if I’d be better off trying to sleep through it so I’ll be oblivious to the impending doom,” I said.

  The fox did a little hop and wrapped its jaws around Wispy’s cage. Wispy emitted a long-suffering sigh. I glared at the fox, its pale blue eyes staring back at me with a remarkable amount of intelligence.

  “You are not eating my wisp,” I told it sternly.

  It released the cage and proceeded to jump into Erin’s lap.

  Logan guided me to the well-worn sofa that had been bolted to the grey metal wall of the cabin on the rattly little ship.

  Gods be with me, when I said I wanted to go out in a blaze of glory, I didn’t mean in an airship explosion over who-knew-where.

  13

  Thankfully, I fell asleep not long after the ship ascended over the rooves of Prague. I’d had to hang onto the sofa for dear life as it rocked and wobbled for what felt like hours but in truth was probably only five minutes or so. Normally, I would have been very happy to fly with Tinkers, they took such great pride in their metal-focused magic that their ships were beautiful works of art. Unfortunately, they also thoroughly enjoyed experimenting, which sometimes led to things which delighted them and at best bemused everyone else. They had an interesting place in the magical community, given that they frequently worked with technology as opposed to what some considered to be pure magic. Personally, I found it all fascinating. I didn’t have the mind for it, but they were so passionate it was hard not to become interested.

  One of the benefits of my upbringing was that I’d been able to afford reliable transport for the vast majority of my trips to date. I loved the thrill of things such as rock-climbing, but they were situations that I had complete control over. I dug my fingers deeper into the well-worn and ragged fabric of the sofa cushion when the ship began to rattle again. There was nothing I could do if the captain lost control of the ship, or something fell off. That idea didn’t sit at all well with me. My chest was beginning to clench as the ship began rocking. I loved flying, it was freedom, but the Tinker and his ship were threatening to put me off it entirely. I made a mental note to begin looking into alchemical flying solutions. At least then, I’d be in control.

  Before long, the ship settled out enough for me to sleep. My dreams were a mix of the ship slowly falling apart leading to us dying horrible deaths and happier dreams of adventuring through the jungles of South America. I woke up glad to see that the ship was still in one piece, or at least still able to keep flying. I must have been exhausted to sleep for the three or four hours it took to reach the beautiful white city of Athens. Unfortunately, said city was approaching quite a bit faster than I’d have liked. I dug my nails into the edges of the sofa and hung on as I watched the flat white roof coming up at us with remarkable speed. So much for my hope of us making it alive and well. The ship wasn’t showing any signs of slowing. A glance at the captain told me he was entirely oblivious to the situation.

  I looked out over the deck and mentally figured out our chances of making a run for it and diving onto the roof. The speed of the ship meant that there was a good chance we’d break a few bones, possibly including our necks. Would that be a better death than was currently looming over us? I decided not; at least if we went up in an inferno, there was some glory to that. Splattering on a rooftop was just shameful.

  We landed on the roof with a clattering shudder that ended in the ship sliding across the smooth stone before it stopped just at the very lip of the platform. I unbuckled my belt and jumped off the ship before anyone tried to stop me. I wasn’t going to spend a second longer on that death trap than I absolutely had to.

  Wispy let out a long, low whistle as the energy of the place swept over us. I couldn’t help but smile. The city felt bright and refreshing. I took a long deep breath and relaxed. We were safe. Closing my eyes, I allowed the local magic to wash over me and remove the stress and anxiety from the flight I’d just endured.

  “Hurry up, Miss Felis, else you’ll miss your ride,” the captain chided.

  I frowned at him and looked to Logan and Erin for clarification.

  “We’re going to use a new Tinker technology to get to Rio,” Erin said with a grin.

  Part of me was excited at the prospect of something new to explore. The other part looked at the beaten-up ship we’d come to Athens on. Wispy remained in his cage when I opened his door. I suspected that was due to Renard, the fox. Logan took my hand and twined his fingers with mine before we followed Erin and the captain down a set of steep steps onto the pavement below. I brushed my thumb over Logan’s and smiled at the solidity and security he provided. The captain wove his way between the crowds of people in their pale colours, wide-brimmed sunhats, and lightweight fabrics with ease. I was quickly regretting my jeans and leather jacket. If I’d have been more awake, I’d have worn something more suitable to the climate. Still, there clearly wasn’t time to fix it at that point.

  We followed the captain as best as we could. He ducked down a narrow alleyway and took off around a corner, where we lost sight of him.

  “Did either of you catch what this transport was or where to find it?” I asked.

  We looked around, trying to spot the captain.

  “No, just that it was new,” Logan said.

  “Come on, come on!” the captain shouted as he waved his hand.

  We pushed through the bustling crowd and followed him through more twists and turns before he came to an abrupt halt in front of a narrow building. Like those around it, it was pure white with square windows and a clean build. I looked up and didn’t see a ship or anything that might have been able to transport us.

  “Go inside, you’ll be late,” the captain said.

  Erin smiled and led us through the pale grey door into a cool, dark room. I was glad of the shift in temperature, but the darkness and lack of people were disconcerting. Finally, a female voice called down to us.

  “Come upstairs!”

  We ascended the spiral staircase and emerged into a small square room with bare wooden floorboards and a peculiar metal disk in the middle.

  “You’re one of the first! Rio, correct?” a woman with wild purple hair said.

  “Yes, Rio. Can you please tell us how exactly we’ll be getting there?” Erin asked.

  I could feel the crackle of magic around the edge of the disk.

  “Teleportation!” the woman said.

  “Isn’t that where you disintegrate us and then put us back together on the other side…?” Logan asked, his tone heavy with caution.

  This plan was sounding worse and worse by the moment.

  “I wouldn’t put it quite like that, but yes. Now, if you’ll just step onto the platform here. This gentleman will be travelling with you,” the woman said as she gestured at what looked suspiciously like a Garou.

  Garou very rarely left their homes in the forests. I didn’t know quite what to do with the tall, broad-shouldered man before me. It was like looking at a myth. His eyes were a deep amber and his hair was the texture of wolf’s fur: short, dense, and mottled cream and grey. He appeared to be in his late twenties, but Garou were said to age very slowly. He dipped his chin in our direction and said nothing. I held onto Logan’s hand and strode onto the platform while telling myself it was a new adventure.

  Erin took my other hand with a small smile. I ran my thumb over hers and gave her what I hoped was a reassuring smile.

  “Do you have anything to declare?” the woman asked.

  I raised an eyebrow.

  “I have a lot of things; can you be more specific?” I asked.

  She blinked at me.

  “Do you have any lotions, salves, powders, or other alchemical products on your person?”

  “And if I do?”

  She sighed and pursed her lips.

  “I’m afraid they’ll have to carried in a secure box. Your wisp, too.”

  “Can I have a secure box, please?” I asked sweetly.

  The woman handed me a large lightweight copper box into which I placed all of my alchemical powders and such, and finally Wispy.

  Wispy chittered and hissed for every moment that the lid was off the box. I’m unsure if he went silent when the lid was secured, or if the sound of his fury was hidden. Either way, I picked up the box and prepared myself to be disintegrated.

  14

  The teleportation was over and done with in a
literal blink of the eye. One second I was holding the box with one hand and hoping we’d survive intact, the next we were in a new room.

  “The air transport won’t be happy with that new invention,” Logan said as he looked around.

  I ran my hands over myself, much to the amusement of the Garou opposite me. Everything seemed to be where it should be; Logan and Erin both appeared to be fine and functioning. We stepped off the large disk on the floor and looked around the bare room. My mind was reeling. It needed a moment to catch up and process what had just occurred.

  The Garou held out his large hand with a smile. “Dominic.”

  I shook his hand, noting the heavy callouses and the roughness of his skin. His eyes held a wildness that secured my gaze for a beat too long.

  “Kaitlyn. This is Logan, and Erin,” I said, gesturing.

  The box at my feet began to rock.

  “And that will be Wispy,” I said with a smile.

  I lifted the lid off the box and was pleased to find that my powders and such seemed to be fine, despite Wispy throwing himself against the confines of the box. He shot out and did three laps around the room at high speed while I calmly put my things back where they belonged. The Garou watched every small movement. Logan stood next to me, tense and on guard. Erin, however, wandered over to the window and looked out over the city around us.

  Finally, a pair of Tinkers with rich coppery-bronze skin and long pitch-coloured hair approached us. They each had broad grins on their faces and greeted us with open arms.

  “Welcome! You were our first travellers; tell me, how was it?” the woman asked.

  I raised an eyebrow. If I ever saw the captain again, I’d be having words with him about using us in experiments.

  “It was bizarre, but easy,” Erin said brightly.

  “We have places to be,” Logan said as he put his arm around my waist.

  “Perhaps we can share a meal,” Dominic said.

  Logan tensed against me. I smiled. Perhaps he’d be able to offer us some insight, given he had ties to the moon goddess.

  “That would be delightful. Do you know the city?” I asked.

  “I do. I’d be honoured if you’d join me at my favourite restaurant. It serves contemporary Brazilian cuisine.” The Garou’s gaze never left mine.

  The tinkers watched us very closely as we walked around the platform. Wispy bounced around from wall to wall and puffed himself up to as big as he could go. Erin looked out the windows with a delighted smile on her face. Her happiness was contagious.

  “Wispy, you can’t bounce around the streets,” I said as we headed for the only exit.

  The tinkers pointed us towards the staircase that I assumed led to the outside. They had turned away and begun scribbling furiously in notebooks.

  Wispy perched himself on Erin’s shoulder.

  “I put you in the box for your own safety,” I said.

  He pressed himself against Erin’s neck and moulded himself as best as he could around her shoulder.

  “Do you mind having him there?” I asked Erin.

  She shook her head and smiled at me, her eyes dancing with excitement.

  “Of course not,” she said, stroking him.

  “Do we have somewhere to stay?” I asked Logan.

  “Yes, and a contact just came through. I need to head over to a lunar temple. We’re staying in the Rosa Inn,” he said.

  “That is a fine hotel. I can lead you there now. It’s on the way to my restaurant,” Dominic said.

  “That would be wonderful,” I said.

  I didn’t miss the way Logan’s jaw tightened.

  We stepped out onto the street and into the wall of heat. I peeled off my leather jacket and tied my shirt up to expose as much skin as I could. The city around us was a riot of colour. Beautiful graffiti was plastered onto nearly every wall, depicting scenes of glorious rainforests, swirling patterns, and so much more.

  “Come on, Kit, you don’t want to get heatstroke,” Logan said quietly.

  The sun set as we walked, but it did nothing to alleviate the heat. The roses and lilacs streamed along the boldly painted walls and added another dimension to the kaleidoscope around me. Everything about the city felt so alive.

  We walked past a small wooden stall bursting with glass jars, vials, and bottles of every shape and colour. The magic washed over me and burnt my fingertips. I frowned, trying to pinpoint what was there.

  “Don’t give the merchants a chance, Kit,” Logan whispered into my ear.

  I looked to see a trio of mahogany-skinned passion merchants watching me with copper eyes and sharp white smiles. Their orange and gold robes hung loosely over powerful forms. The bottles must have contained pure passion. That explained the grins on the people’s faces in the area. They were bursting with passion. It was said that, if you asked the right questions, they would tailor the passion to who or what you desired. It was illegal to take away someone’s free will, but that didn’t stop the hedgewitches and their love potions, either.

  We left the merchants behind and moved further into the city.

  15

  The hotel Logan had chosen was sleek and modern with lots of glass. The receptionist looked slightly alarmed and checked her computer three times before she looked up into Logan’s eyes. Dominic was hanging back in the lobby, although I could still feel him.

  “There appears to have been a slight glitch. I’m afraid you’ve been given a shared room…”

  Logan smiled kindly and held his hand out for the keys.

  “I’m sure we’ll be able to find a solution. We’re all friends, after all,” he said.

  The woman’s expression calmed. She handed Logan the keys, her fingers lingering on his palm for a moment longer than necessary. Logan didn’t seem to notice. He picked up his bag and walked to the elevator without so much as a glance back in her direction. Erin kept shifting her weight and chewed on her bottom lip, which caused Wispy to chitter softly.

  “Don’t worry, I’m sure there’ll be a sofa or something if need be,” Logan said.

  Erin exhaled and smiled back at him.

  “I’m not going to bite,” I said as I nudged her.

  She laughed and relaxed. When we stepped out into the hallway, I swore I could feel Dominic, and yet he had remained downstairs in the lobby. I shrugged it off and focused on how good the cold air conditioning felt against my skin. We walked into our room to find one queen-sized bed and one single bed. I would have liked a little more privacy with Logan, but it was hardly the end of the world. I headed into the bathroom to change, for Erin’s sake more than my own. Thankfully, Logan had had the good sense to pack me a pair of lightweight linen shorts and a linen shirt, complete with air elemental magic to keep it wonderfully cool and fresh.

  I dropped my bag at the end of the queen-sized bed and sat down to pull on my far more sensible walking shoes.

  “What is it about Dominic you don’t like? And who’s the contact you’re meeting?” I asked Logan.

  He put his hands in the pockets of his khakis.

  “I’m not sure, there’s just something… off about him. And a guy I knew back in college put me in touch with the local lunar temple. They’ve agreed to speak to me.”

  “Can I come with you?” Erin asked him.

  He smiled. “Of course. Will you be ok meeting us in the restaurant, Kit?”

  I rolled my eyes.

  “I’ve been on far more dangerous adventures by myself,” I said.

  Logan gave me a positively feral grin and stopped himself from saying whatever was dancing on the tip of his tongue. Watching his exquisite mouth made me remember that I’d brought the translation salve with me.

  I pulled the small pot from my pack and unscrewed the lid, which Wispy tried to make off with. Once he realised he wasn’t strong enough to lift it, he took off and bounced up and down in front of the air conditioning vent.

  “This will allow you to understand and speak whatever language you require for the next twenty-four hours,” I said as I dipped my finger into the cool silver paste.

  I smeared a little behind each of his ears before I took perhaps a little too long tracing the lines of his lips with it. He leaned in and kissed me hard.