Sybil did, stepping around the hulking shadow and letting the warmth of the potion shop soothe her bones.The relief was immediate.Here, she would be safe.From abductors and from overprotective brothers.
Lady Guinevere looked over Sybil’s shoulder at Chester.“This is… fascinating.”
That was one word for it.Another wasinfuriating.There were others, too.The last twenty-four or however many hours had been, perhaps, the most eventful of her life.Fear, confusion, hopelessness, determination, intellectual intrigue, relief, and… something else.Something far more dangerous than the rest when Apollo Chester had found his heat.
6
THREE CHOICES
Apollo couldn’t do it without the princess.He’d tried all night, all morning, but he could never make the iron key burn bright.
So even though he was close to falling over and making a bed of the street and a pillow of the horse droppings currently being excreted from a nearby equine’s furry backside, he found himself stumbling toward the British Museum.It was almost deserted when he arrived, the only people roaming about alchemists heading to jobs and apprenticeships.Apollo welcomed the dark beneath the museum, the heavy warmth of the forge, and he folded over onto his worktable as soon as he sat down.
He might have been snoring when a hand slapped his back.
He yelped as he sat upright.
“You look like horse shit,” Stone said.“Spent too long at the pub last night?”
Apollo grunted.
“Come with me.I have an offer for you.”
That woke Apollo up.Offers were usually interesting.
Stone led him to a small room off the side of the forge.It possessed a large desk and chair and a few books dusty on a shelf in a corner.
Stone sat in the chair behind the desk.“Mr.Chester, I know how… eager you are to rise in the alchemist world.But it has not escaped my notice that you are not… progressing at the usual pace.”
“That’s a nice way of putting it.”
“Not to worry.There are ways to rise through the ranks without mastering the basics.”
Ah.He wanted something from Apollo and was willing to offer power in return for whatever it was.Interesting indeed.
Apollo tapped his foot, looking out the fading window.“What do you want from me?”
“Information.”Stone settled back into his chair, folding his hands over his belly.
“About?”
“Your cousin’s husband.His family.The Grants.”The name said with a sneer.
“I’m not particularly close to my dear cuz.And that family is not particularly fond of me, especially her husband.I hate to say I may not be able to offer you the sort of information you’re looking for.”
“I simply need to know where they might… hide things.Or if you hear about any… disruptions in their ranks.Listen, Chester…” He leaned across the desk.“I need something they have, something one of them stole from me.If you can find out where it’s being kept, perfect.If you can bring it back to me… even better.”
“And what do I get in return?”
“I was thinking of transferring you to a different division of the Guild.Our spy master suffered a fatal field injury.We need to replace him.As a former transcendent, you could easily tread where few of my kind can—among the upper classes.”
“Interesting proposition.”
“The pay is much better than an apprentice’s salary.”
Best not to show how much he liked that detail.“I have no experience spying let alone managing a network of spies.”
“Does that matter?This is the way the world works, Chester.You do something for me, I do something for you.What you’re equipped to do doesn’t matter.Titles are rewards in a game played by powerful men.Are you powerful, Chester?”
