Chapter 12
Twelve
MACHINE
My heartbeat thudded in my chest amidst the keening hum in my head. It all felt familiar and wrong at the same time. No wonder the River of Tears was deemed unpassable all this time.
The anomaly stretched across its length, seeming to reach all the way up to the unforgiving sky. There were no gaps, absolutely no way around it, or over it. It was a complete barrier from this side and the other.
My mouth hung open. I turned back to ask, “What… What the hell happened here?”
With a steady crunch of his footsteps, the king was making his way closer. His face was blank. Perhaps he’d already seen the view before. His shoulders lifted almost imperceptibly. “I do not believe anyone has an answer yet.”
Looking back, I squinted at a large object sitting by the riverbank.
A dense, faint shape in the dark, not of nature, took on the form of a freight crate.
Half the size of a coach, its riveted steel frame was worn with age, while thick panes of clouded glass covered half of its surface, allowing a peek at the gears and valves of every size assembled within.
The whole machine hummed with a quiet, eerie energy.
My curiosity itched all over again. It was almost as if the rows of tarnished buttons and bone-handled levers jutting outward installed upon its exterior called out to me.
Twisting to one side, I wiggled my wrists against my bindings. “Can you take these off, please?”
I was expecting the king to command his shadows to easily undo my binds. But instead, he took a step closer, then another, until his tall, forbidding figure towered over me. That deep blue gaze met mine, and my pulse quickened in response.
Nothing in his movements suggested urgency. I tried to focus on impatience more than anything else, especially the flutters in my stomach. “What took you so long to find me anyway? Those rogues had me tied up for hours.”
Head tilting down, his chestnut hair fell across his forehead. “Were you waiting for me?”
The husky timbre of that deep voice, seemingly laced with a trace of pleasure, sent thrills up my spine. Resist it, for god’s sake. I said to myself, before snapping out loud, “I am now.”
I thought a low chuckle escaped his lips.
Reaching around my body, his fingers worked at the ropes behind my back, standing so close that the soft brush of his clothes grazed my bare skin.
It sent an unexpected shiver through me as his warmth closed in, his arms caging me within something that felt less like restraint and more like shelter.
A soft tug set my hands free. They fell slack to my sides, but he didn’t withdraw. The intensity of his gaze held me still. “Did you really think I would let those bastards hurt you?”
At the likely feigned sincerity in his deep voice, against my better judgment, I was starting to heave. “I thought you would have been relieved.”
“I cannot abide anyone messing with what’s mine. Did you forget?” His next statement was more of a growl. “You are still mine.”
More annoyed that I liked the way it sounded, I shook my head—restating what I’d said at the castle earlier today. “You. Don’t. Own me.”
His eyes narrowed in pompous self-assurance. “You have been mine since I found you in the wastes and saved your life.”
Lifting my chin, I couldn’t help a pointed sneer right to his face. “As you so eloquently pointed out, we are now even. Twice.”
Fire burned in his eyes at my impertinence. “You are just as annoying as ever.”
“And you are just as arrogant as ever.” I shot him an enraged look, but he met my gaze head-on, withstanding the furious heat of my glare.
I was still acutely aware of how close I was standing to him. He was leaned in close so he could make his statements to my face.
The furrow in his eyebrows deepened, and his gaze dropped to my mouth.
I stopped breathing.
My eyes widened slightly as I sensed him move his head the tiniest fraction of an inch closer, but oddly enough, I couldn’t move. My heart pounded in my chest in fevered anticipation—
With a short, frustrated grunt, he spun away.
A hollow feeling sank in my stomach at the sudden loss of his warmth.
If he had kissed me right then, I would have let him.
What the hell was wrong with me?
I already concluded that this was not my Rabb. That his soul had been irretrievably lost. That this was a different person entirely.
Irrelevant.
There were more important things at hand.
I shook my head, trying to regain my senses. I made my way toward the riverbank. “I thought I saw a bright glow through my blindfold earlier. Was this the source?”
His back was still turned. “I saw one of them activate that earlier, and then several of them disappeared.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Do you think this might be the powerful weapon that you heard about?” I stepped around the machine to assess it. “It must provide a way to cross the river, much like rabbit holes do.”
Turning around, his eyes narrowed. “Are you saying this machine lets those rogues slip in and out of places without notice?”
“Even more so than rabbit holes.” I nodded.
“It’s possible they haven’t been able to penetrate the castle’s defenses, but they must have easy access to the forest surroundings and everywhere else.
This machine must be how they’ve been getting across the river, despite—” I gestured toward the anomalous black haze covering the water.
Coming closer to crouch beside the contraption, he brushed some dirt away from one corner. His eyes lit up. “This marking.”
I peered around. “That symbol with the coat of arms and a white horse?”
“It’s a unicorn.” He looked up at me. “It’s the crest of Lucerne.” He averted his gaze. “I should have known. Lucerne is the only other kingdom in the land with enough influence to coordinate anything against me.”
Tilting my head, I tried to recall. “I don’t think I’ve questioned anyone from that kingdom yet. How is that possible?”
The king straightened up. “Lucerne is across the river.” He gave a shake of his head.
“They’ve never ventured this way. Not for summons.
Not for lavish gatherings. No wonder they’ve been getting away with everything.
They were never considered a threat since there was no way for them to get here.
” He thumped on the steel box. “This contraption must be the answer.” He whirled around to head back to the campsite.
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to eliminate them, of course.”
My eyes nearly popped out of my head. “What?” I ran after him, catching his elbow to tug him back. “You can’t do that.”
He shot me an irate look, shrugging me off. “Why the hell not?”
“Look, that symbol could mean anything.” I rubbed my forehead in thought. “Why don’t you pay this kingdom a visit first? Surely, the first step toward any conflict resolution is diplomacy.”
His tone held firm. “You will not be making my decisions. Besides—” He threw up his hands. “We don’t know the extent of their plans. What if the corruption of the river was their doing as well? They are causing irreparable harm to the entire land. They must be stopped.”
I tamped down an eye roll at the irony. “That’s even more reason for you to go over there and establish peaceful talks with them. If they are the ones who have caused the river’s illness, they might hold the key to undoing it.”
He dismissed me with a wave. “It’s safer to annihilate them. I will send my shadows to kill them all.”
“No! Please! Your Majesty—”
His glower seemed to waver at my plea. “I thought your objection was only with me harming innocent people. This kingdom is nowhere near innocent.”
“You don’t know that,” I reasoned. “Or at least, you don’t know for sure if it’s all of them. What if this has nothing to do with Lucerne? What if you miss your chance to find out the truth by eliminating the only people who may have the answers?”
He sneered. “What would you have me do instead? If I let these trespasses go unpunished, my kingdom will be seen as weak. And if a kingdom is weak, it only gives rogue kingdoms foolish ideas of conquering them.”
“A kingdom’s strength isn’t measured by the wars it wages. It must also have the wisdom to know when not to draw the blade.” I put my hand on his arm. “You must try diplomacy first.”
“What?”
“Negotiate.”
He looked away with a huff. “There you go again with that nonsense.”
“Look, Your Majesty.” I leveled a gaze at him.
“If you truly intend to rule over all the land, wouldn’t it be more helpful to learn more about these machines?
That way, you will be able to control both sides of Wünder.
This is a powerful weapon. I am certain you don’t want to be defeated by careless ignorance. ”
“Are you calling me ignorant?” His eyes blazed once again.
“Of course not.” I wrinkled my nose. “Why don’t you send an official delegation of royal advisors or your council who can negotiate for you?”
He sniffed. “I told you before. I have none of these pointless delegations. And I’ve never had to leave the castle to do any of my business.”
My jaw dropped. “You mean you’ve only ever sent your army or your shadows to perform your royal killings?”
“Royal justice,” he corrected.
I blinked, still in stark disbelief. “And you haven’t left the castle in eight moons?”
He folded his arms across his chest. “What of it? I have everything I need in my castle.”
Lazy tyrannical bastard.
Sighing, I put my hand to my chest. “Then I will go. I will go to Lucerne and discover the truth about the machines.”
He jerked in sharp protest, his eyes narrowed. “I am not letting you go by yourself. Are you mad?”
“Then—” I threw my hands up. “Whatever else do you suggest, Your Majesty?” I stepped back to assess the machine once again. “This is the only way to cross the river, right?”
He waved me back. “Step away from there. It’s dangerous.”
I rolled my eyes again. “I’m sure it’s perfectly safe. Look, those other people already used it before, right? Plus, part of our bargain was finding a way for me to cross the river. The solution is right here.”
His posture was tense, fists clenched at his sides, shoulders heaving slightly, seeming at a complete loss. His grumble was controlled aggravation. “There’s no way for me to dissuade you from this crazy folly, is there?”
I tilted my head. “You already knew that.”
He closed his eyes for a moment, as if he regretted the mere train of his thoughts. He let out a deep sigh. “Fine,” he snapped. “I will go to Lucerne—”
“That’s great—”
He pointed at me. “You will accompany me and—negotiate.”
I put my hands up. “That’s absolutely fine. Leave the mediation to me. I will ensure this debacle is dealt with peacefully. No more blood needs to be shed.”
He darted a menacing glance at me. “If I find them to be unreasonable, I will kill them all.”
I waved him back. “I am certain it won’t come to that.”
Almost certain.
Satisfied, I took a deep breath. Now then… “Did you see how they operated the machine?”
“No.” He coughed. “I was trying to keep an eye on this woman I know who keeps getting into trouble.”
Making a face, I shooed him away with my hands.
“Fine. Then let me see. I am sure I will be able to figure it out.” I assessed the array of buttons and levers.
Most of them weren’t labeled, but since the internal workings of the machine were visible through the glass case, it wasn’t too difficult to extrapolate the functions of each setting.
Eyes widening, I walked around the contraption again. “This is truly fascinating. It actually looks similar to—” My breath caught as I almost revealed my secret invention. “A project I’ve been working on,” I finished, keeping my gaze averted.
If the king had noticed my suspicious pause, he didn’t let on.
Carrying on, I flicked a few switches and toggled a couple of buttons. “If my analysis is correct, this machine works similarly to the concept of rabbit holes. Since certain empty spaces contain vibratory discrepancies and—”
He droned on to finish, “—these are the spots where the barriers are thinner, which allows for the creation of a tunnel or a doorway.”
I stopped and met his gaze in wonder. “You remembered.” In the days of before, I had spent many a fine day talking everyone’s ears off—his, Chez’s, the Duchess’s, the flowers’—about theoretical physics, and where magic and science intersected.
Of course, I was never under any illusion that anyone had been paying close attention.
He looked away. “Save the babble. Just make it work.”
A strange warmth threatened to spread across my chest, but I refocused on the task at hand.
It was easy enough.
This contraption was a revelation.
I had no idea there were other similar gadgets like this being built on Wünder. And while it didn’t look like this particular machine used an F-capacitor, perhaps I could find the people who built it and ask. It would mean an even greater chance to find the last piece I needed.
“Aha.” I pushed the main lever up. The machine hummed louder.
Without warning, a large spiral of bright, blinding light ignited before us with a pop and a crackle. The phenomenon swirled around like an otherworldly twister.
Light glimmered in my already widened eyes.
Holy cats.
“This is it,” I breathed.
A heightened sense of instinctive knowing tugged at my entire being.
I knew what this was. I felt intimately connected with it.
The king scooped me up in his arms.
I jumped in surprise. “What are you doing?”
He shot me a glare. “If you think I’m risking going through that abomination separately, you are mad.”