Page 57 of The Blood Orchid

“Where did you get it?” I said again, my voice low. The ArcaneAlchemist had gone very still, Zheng Sili and Wenshu suddenly silent behind me, as if they could sense that this was no longer an idle threat.

The man swallowed, the motion tearing a pinprick of blood from the tip of my knife. “Somewhere you will never find,” he said, the words quiet, almost mournful. The Sandstone Alchemist had said something similar to me once.

“Somewhere like Penglai Island?” I said.

The Arcane Alchemist went still, another drop of blood chasing the first down his throat. “What does a girl like you know about Penglai Island?”

“Only that I need to go there,” I said, “no matter the cost.”

The Arcane Alchemist let out a sharp laugh. I pulled my blade back a fraction so I wouldn’t slit his throat by accident.

“You and me both,” he said, “but that place is long gone.”

“Gone?” Zheng Sili said sharply from behind me. “Islands don’t just disappear.”

“It wasn’t just any island,” the Arcane Alchemist said, his expression grave, gaze distant. “It was a fountain of alchemical power. Very little was impossible when it came to Penglai.”

“You’ve been there?” Wenshu said, crossing his arms.

“Yes, of course,” the Arcane Alchemist said, glaring back at him. “I have sailed back to look for it a thousand times, but there’s nothing but dark water. And I promise you, a place like that is not something you simply forget how to find. It’s gone.”

The handle of my knife creaked warningly as my grip tightened. There was no way that Penglai was gone. If the Sandstone Alchemist’s transformation was the key, then it wasn’t a place one could simply sail to. He was probably lying to keep us away. He had to be.

Zheng Sili turned to me, expression pinched. “Then why wasthat desert alchemist so protective of his stupid transformation?”

“Desert alchemist?” the Arcane Alchemist said, frowning.

I grabbed Zheng Sili’s sleeve and yanked hard, but he kept talking, undeterred. “The Sandstone Alchemist, wasn’t it?”

All at once, everything about the Arcane Alchemist’s expression changed. It was as if dawn had broken in his eyes, his expression filled with warm light. “You found the Sandstone Alchemist?” he said, the words so delicate, so filled with hope. “He gave you a transformation?”

Gavemay not be the right word, I thought. But it seemed the Sandstone Alchemist was no enemy to the Arcane Alchemist, so admitting that we’d robbed him was probably not wise.

“Can I see it?” the Arcane Alchemist said before I could answer, tugging against his restraints.

“No,” I said, raising my knife again. “You know the Sandstone Alchemist?”

He nodded quickly. “Yes, we were childhood friends. Look, I think we may have gotten off on the wrong foot, what with you grabbing me and mugging me and all. I didn’t realize you were his friends.”

“And that changes things?” Wenshu said.

“Yes, of course,” the Arcane Alchemist said impatiently. “I wasn’t lying about Penglai—I have never been able to return. But I trust the Sandstone Alchemist. If he thinks there’s a way back, it’s at least worth looking into. He’s a wise man.”

“A wise man who tried to kill us,” Wenshu mumbled in Guangzhou dialect.

“I can give you the opal I used,” the Arcane Alchemist went on, ignoring Wenshu. “Straight from the rivers of Penglai Island. That’s what you wanted, right? Whatever you need it for, it’s all yours. It has served its purpose for me. And in return, if you finda way back to Penglai Island, bring me back with you?”

“That’s a bigif,” Zheng Sili said.

“Why do you want to go back?” I asked.

The Arcane Alchemist let out an incredulous laugh. “If you knew anything about Penglai, you wouldn’t be asking me that question.”

He winced as I pricked his throat with the tip of my blade. “You’re going to have to be a bit more specific,” I said. For all I knew, he wanted to wield Penglai’s power to overthrow the government and burn the country to the ground.

“I... may have overlooked certain...disadvantagesto my gift the last time I was there,” he said, glaring at the ground.

“He’s broke,” Zheng Sili said. The Arcane Alchemist glared at him but didn’t deny it.