The Coldmaker was an accident.
I’d never thought it was even a remote possibility. My logic was that if a Frost touched by Jadan tears attracted Cold, then maybe I might be able to tinker something that could find Cold. Shilah had agreed that this was the best next step, and together we’d experimented for the rest of the night, figuring out the strength and duration of the phenomenon, and if anything could amplify the pull. We also hoped that such a machine might help us clear up the Desert theory, perhaps finding its opposite buried somewhere in the Northern sands, where the Opened Eye was sitting on Shilah’s map.
I often found myself preoccupied with vivid memories of Shilah’s lips, but I tried to focus as best as I could.
The hope – as unlikely as it may have been – was that if I somehow figured out the secret of flight, I could take the Coldfinder into the air; which would allow me to collect greater amounts from the sky each night, dragging the Cold towards me, instead of having to fly to each individual piece.
At least that was the intention as Shilah helped me prod and tinker and brainstorm. We’d taken the Frost into the most soundproof room of the tinkershop to experiment further. We brought in the clay pots of Cold Charge to see if they might affect the Frost’s pull, and if there was any materials that perhaps negated the power. A successful raid of the Manor kitchens brought back ten onions, which I cut up in order to extract a full vial of my tears, at one point slipping and slicing into my knuckle.
I never expected to stumble on what we did.
So, when shuffling sounds came from Leroi’s study the next morning, Shilah and I burst in with our accidental invention, unable to keep the smiles off our faces. We found Leroi hunched over his desk looking at his decanter, which now held a branch with fuzzy red buds at the end.
‘Leroi, you’re back!’ I exclaimed.
The tinkerer looked up at me, his face full of sorrow. ‘I had to go away.’
‘Alder,’ Shilah said with a coy grin, pointing at the branch.
Leroi’s face grew unreadable. ‘Yes,’ he said hesitantly.
‘I’m glad you’re back! We have something to show you.’ I was practically dancing on my toes, so eager was I to reveal what we’d made.
Leroi looked at the machine I was carrying, his eyes narrowing at the Opened Eye I’d etched into the metal casing.
Despite the little sleep I’d had, and the anxiety I felt thinking about Abb, I couldn’t help but beam. The invention in my hands was by far grander than anything I’d ever dreamed of creating.
‘Shilah, would you mind grabbing the glass and water?’ I asked, trying to keep calm.
Shilah nodded, rushing out of the study and into the tinkershop.
I set the Coldmaker gently down on Leroi’s desk, my heartbeat racing in anticipation. The machine was compact enough to carry in my arms, but came with decent heft. I’d used brass for the walls of the container itself, golden and gleaming; and I’d welded strong iron for the catch-point so it wouldn’t bend out of place. The lid acted like a Belisk Puzzle-Box, only opening with the right combination of secret sliding levers; which meant only the worthy could look inside and discover its secrets.
The anklet still stood on the desk as well. It was odd to see my creation sitting next to it, but it struck me as fitting.
‘Where did you go?’ I asked.
Leroi’s eyes were back on the Alder plant, his face gaunt and his scalp crisped up once again. ‘To visit an old friend.’
It was hard to see him so visibly upset, but I knew his mood was about to change.
Shilah returned, setting a glass on the desk and filling it up. She backed away, her smile possibly even larger than mine, shooting me an excited look. We’d already witnessed this miracle a few times, but each time it caused me a thrill I felt could never wane.
‘Leroi,’ I said, feeling more alive than I’d ever felt before. ‘Thank you. For allowing us to create this.’
Biting my lip, I flipped the machine on, the gears inside turning and the droplets being extracted from each of the different vials. The machine hummed and the air around us took on the static we’d come to expect, the catch-point lighting up with the golden glow. After a few moments, the colour had coalesced into a solid bead, vibrant and holy.
I turned the invention off and picked up the little bead which I’d decided to call an Abb.
‘May we present to you,’ I said, my voice slightly shaking, ‘the Coldmaker.’
Leroi had kept still as we spoke, but we held his attention, his eyes fixed on the invention. ‘Excuse me?’ He broke out of his reverie. ‘Did you say a Coldmaker?’
I smiled brightly, taking out a blade and slicing off a sliver of the Abb into the cup, backing away as it landed on the surface of the water.
Almost instantly the glass shattered, the two sides falling apart, and leaving behind a gleaming miracle. The block was solid, and clear, and the crystal sides beaded with gentle moisture, shining in the dim candlelight. I knew from the Gospels that this miracle substance hadn’t been seen this side of the Great Drought.
Leroi’s legs buckled, his hands finding the desk so he wouldn’t collapse.
‘Is that,’ his words sounded slurred, but this time not from drink, ‘Ice?’
I nodded, a lump of emotion forming in my throat. ‘Yes.’
Leroi leaned forward to touch my machine. ‘A Coldmaker?’ he repeated.
I nodded, sliding my palm over the smooth metal. ‘The Coldmaker.’
Leroi collapsed in his chair, trying to process what he’d just seen. It had taken Shilah and me some time to get over the initial shock ourselves, so I didn’t blame him. ‘Is this from the Crier? Did you speak to Him again?’
‘No,’ Shilah said, jumping in. ‘We made it ourselves.’
‘Is this a trick?’ Leroi said, looking up at the ceiling. ‘Am I awake?’
‘It’s real,’ I said.
Leroi still looked dumbstruck. His eyes returned to the block of Ice, his mouth half-opened as though he wanted to speak but didn’t have the words. Reaching out, he placed his fingers gently around the Ice and brought it to his lips, his hands shaking. ‘How? This is the greatest invention of our time. This is going to change the entire world. You two found a way to …’ his mouth seemed to have trouble admitting it ‘… create Cold.’
‘Do you know about Desert?’ Shilah asked, her grin still taking up most of her face. She looked incredibly beautiful in that moment, and I thought back to the second, even more passonate kiss that she’d planted on my lips after we’d made the Ice discovery. I was desperately hoping there would be more in my near future.
Leroi looked shocked. He paused. ‘Yes. I didn’t want to scare you with such an idea yet. How did you—’
‘We wanted to find the opposite in the North,’ Shilah said proudly. ‘So when Cam gave us the Frost—’
Leroi gasped at the word. ‘Did you say Frost?’
‘Yes,’ I said. ‘Cam left it on the—’
Leroi’s finger shot to the Coldmaker. ‘Is there a Frost in there? One of Lord Tavor’s Frosts?’
I felt a wave of unease. I hadn’t expected such a reaction. ‘Yes, but—’
Leroi stiffened with alarm. ‘Crier’s light, no. Not again.’
‘What?’ I said. ‘It’s not like we stole it. Cam—’
‘That damn boy is going to get you killed!’ Leroi cried out. ‘What was he thinking? Where is he?’
‘Well, after we experimented with the ink, Cam got really upset,’ Shilah said, the happiness finally dropping from her face. ‘He hasn’t come back yet.’
‘What ink?’ Leroi asked frantically. ‘Wait. You can tell me everything on the road. We don’t have time. Start grabbing everything. Cold, food, water, medicine. Any supplies we could use. We need to leave. Now.’
I held up my hands, trying to calm him down. ‘Hold on, Leroi. I don’t understand. Go where?’
Leroi was already snatching vials and contraptions from the room. ‘Lord Tavor is going to come here looking. Here. Like the last time a Frost was taken. And you two don’t have anklets on. We can’t let him find you.’ Leroi snapped his fingers, no longer looking at the Coldmaker. ‘Go. Start packing.’
‘For what?’ Shilah asked, her voice strong enough to still the Tinkerer for a second.
‘There’s only one place a machine like that will be safe,’ Leroi said, pointing a trembling finger at the machine. ‘We’re going to Langria.’
It was my turn to falter. ‘Langria is real?’
Shilah’s face lit up.
Leroi looked guilty for a moment. ‘Yes. But it’s not what you think. Hurry, we need to g—’
A thunderous knock boomed through the tinkershop.
All three of our heads turned, another crash resonating not long after.
‘Hide,’ Leroi gasped, grabbing the anklet off the desk. ‘Now!’
I grabbed the Coldmaker and started running towards our hideaway. Shilah pushed the table off, opened the grate, and allowed me and the machine to go into the space first. She tucked herself in, making her body small. The booming on the main door grew louder with each passing moment. Leroi made sure we were completely hidden before racing towards the stairs. He undid the chain, and a swarm of bodies marched in.
Dread filled my stomach as Lord Tavor’s voice filled the room. ‘Leroi. You know why I am here. You have gone too far this time.’
Without so much as a greeting, Lord Tavor swept past Leroi and marched down the stairs.
‘Wait, cousin!’ Leroi shouted, following behind. ‘I have your anklet right here. Where are you going?’
Footsteps strode across the tinkershop, using no cane this time. They went towards the study first and then to the nooks and shelves of the main workshop. Lord Tavor crossed the room with the fury and speed of a sandstorm.
I held my breath as I watched the others come down the stairs and move into view. I could make out two pairs of taskmaster feet, and what looked like a large battering ram. In the middle were Cam’s buckled slippers. But worst of all, in front was a pair of black sandals, hot oil dripping at the heels.
She was here.
She’d found us.
I clutched the Coldmaker even more tightly, praying silently. If Leroi couldn’t protect us then I hoped he could at the very least protect the machine. It was too valuable to be destroyed now, and I felt around the crawl-space to see if there was perhaps enough boilweed to make a cover, so at least they might not notice it when they opened the grate and wrung our throats.
‘Stop!’ Leroi shouted. ‘I have the anklet for you.’
‘If I find that it’s here …’ Lord Tavor hissed in reply.
‘It is here.’
‘Not the anklet, you blathering fool! You know what I mean. Your little slave assistant—’
‘—Is dead.’ Leroi interrupted. ‘When you had her head cut off.’
Horror swept through me at his words.
‘That’s what you get when you’re a dirty Jadan thief.’ Lord Tavor’s voice was filled with grim humour. ‘And now another one of them is missing, again. My son claims he knows nothing. None of my slaves seem to know anything. And after everything our esteemed Vicaress put them through, I believe them.’
I felt my stomach clench at the thought of all the Jadans in the Manor being tortured by the Vicaress over the missing Frost. I would have my revenge for them. I needed to survive this, so I might one day watch the Vicaress scream.
‘I don’t know what to tell you,’ Leroi responded. ‘Look all you want. It’s not here.’
Lord Tavor stepped over to the table above our grate, stopping so close that his sandals were inches from my eyes. My heart began to beat so wildly, I wondered if it could be heard resonating in the room. ‘This is where you make them? The anklets?’
‘Yes,’ Leroi said, with an audible gulp.
I heard Lord Tavor pick something up from the table, but eventually his feet moved away. ‘Leroi, you know the Khat’s illustrious niece.’
I knew he meant the Vicaress.
‘I told her about your anklets, and she’s impressed with your design,’ Lord Tavor said. ‘And she wants to commission you. This will bring the Tavor family great prestige.’
‘Is that right?’ Leroi said, keeping his tone even.
‘Yes. There have been problems in the slave barracks lately,’ the Vicaress said in a smooth voice. ‘And your invention is genius. Anklets that must be turned with a key every twelve hours or the vial breaks inside and acid melts their skin off. It’s inspired. And it’s the kind of threat the Crier needs to put the Jadans back in line.’
‘How many do you need?’ asked Leroi.
‘I’m glad to see you comply, Leroi. I’ve come to expect more resistance from you.’ Lord Tavor’s voice was coldly appraising.
Leroi took a deep breath. ‘For the good of the Khatdom. Praise be to his name.’
‘Praise be to the Khat,’ the Vicaress said with passion.
‘I’ll get started right away,’ Leroi said. ‘Now, please, if you’ll leave me to my work.’
‘But you haven’t even heard how many?’ Lord Tavor remarked derisively.
‘No, you’re quite right. How many?’
The Vicaress was the one to reply. ‘Considering the workload this represents, we will start with head Jadans. I will need one for each barracks’ head Jadan. The population has been getting uppity ever since the Cleansing. And we can’t be too careful after finding that cave garden.’
Leroi clenched his teeth. ‘You want a hundred anklets?’
‘Ninety-nine,’ the Vicaress corrected him calmly. ‘I’ve already taken care of the Healer in barracks forty-five last night. Can you believe a Jadan had the gall to gather a group and openly talk about rebellion? And as chance will have it, his son was my missing Jadan as well. He wouldn’t tell me where the child was, but I found illegal items in his quarters. It seemed very much to me that he had undertaken illicit tinkering activity. So I killed him in front of the whole barracks. I think they now know better than to defy the Khat’s orders.’
I didn’t remember much after that.