Chains of Silver (Alchemy Empire Book 1)

Chapter 24a

“Make a list.” He winked at me. Then, he let go of my hand and left the studio, shutting the door behind him. 

I sank onto the bench and picked up a loose sheet of sketch paper to fan myself with. Grinning, I started the long process of recreating my prototypes. 

Not an hour later, Dietrich was back with word of Delphine’s return. I hastily locked the studio, and we met up with Lucy Davies and Nadine at the entrance to the girls’ wing. 

I embraced Nadine and then curtseyed to Lucy. “How is she?” 

Nadine motioned us all into a small reception room used for the rare family members who came to visit. Not until the door was closed did she let Lucy respond to my question.

Lucy took the seat Nadine offered her. “Miss Birdwell’s physical injuries are all but gone now. In that respect, she will be fine.” 

“What about a…baby?” I blushed to even mention it in front of Dietrich. We theater people weren’t nearly as squeamish as Polite Society when it came to such things, but it still wasn’t very good form to mention pregnancy in front of a man. 

Lucy’s mouth flattened into a grim line. “I’ve made sure that won’t be an issue for her.”

I nodded, letting my breath out in a rush. 

“Good,” Nadine said, her tone unusually sharp, “a child is the last thing she needs to deal with now.”

My gaze snapped to her, but she wouldn’t meet my eyes. It wasn’t that I didn’t agree with her—I did—but to hear her say it so bluntly made my heart ache. “Can she use her magic?”  

Lucy shook her head. “I used a numina flux detector—it’s a device that measures the levels of active magical energy in a person. There’s no measurable numen activity at this point.” 

None of the rest of us said a word, but the mood grew dark. It seemed rude to care about the performance right now, given how Delphine must be suffering, but I couldn’t help thinking about it anyway. Even if by some chance Delphine’s magic revived in only two weeks, without rehearsal in the meantime, she wouldn’t be ready to perform. 

Lucy touched Nadine’s hands. “I spoke with Miss Birdwell this morning. She knows now that I’ve been treating her siblings. She seems to believe that the attack was related to a debt she owes a moneylender. She is terrified of what will happen to her family if she can’t make the final payment in time.”

“They were threatening her,” I said quietly. “She showed me a letter. She was—” I glanced at Lucy. “—working to try to pay off the debt by the deadline. She won’t be able to do her job now. I don’t see how she’ll be able to make the payment in time.”

“Tell her it will be taken care of.” Dietrich’s voice was like a bar of raw iron. His jaw was clenched, and his eyes sparked jade fire. “She is not to worry—we’ll make sure her family is protected.”

I had no idea what he was planning, but even an army of rozzers would have retreated from the righteous fury blazing from him. 

“Let me tell her,” I said. “I need to speak with her anyway.”

Lucy smiled sadly. “She doesn’t want to see anyone right now.”

“I need to. Even if she doesn’t want to see me. I have to speak with her.”

Lucy glanced at Nadine, who nodded. “I can take her. Just for a few minutes.” 

Lucy looked doubtful, but she didn’t argue. “We’ll wait here, then.”