“My advantage is how well I know the outskirts. The Gravitas Mountain chain, Martial. I rode through these areas during the week of my cousin’s wedding. The two families rented out phoenixes from a nearby ranch. Weddings are boring, so I spent most of my time riding. I’ve been through some of these passes before. I know the terrain.”

Martial frowns. “Look, Ayala should have told you this….Really, you should know this from watching it every year. The course is enclosed. They raise these huge metal barriers around the whole area. From start to finish. So you can’t get out. And what good would it really do to get outside the walls? The paths on the course are always more direct than going around.”

“Not for what I have planned.”

I reach into my other pocket and pull out a small square of paper. The instructions I’ve written on it are absolutely thorough. I hand the slip to Martial and watch as his pale eyes scan the contents. The longer he reads, the wider his eyes get. When he reaches the end, he sets a hand on the marble frame of the bathtub to keep himself steady.

“You can’t be serious.”

“It will work. I just need your help.”

He’s stunned. “You’re asking a lot of me, Imelda.”

“Don’t just do it for me, then,” I reply. “Do it for my family. Do it for Farian.”

He takes a few steadying breaths and finally nods.

“I’ll send the letters today. What happens if they figure out what you’re doing?”

“They won’t. It will work. Trust me, it’s going to work.”

“Great. Then what? What if it works?” he asks. “Ashlord law…”

“Is very clear on the subject. The crime I’m committing can’t be extended to anyone but the person who commits it. I spent half the night going through their standard book of laws just to make sure it wouldn’t echo back to my family.”

The water’s still running loudly behind him. I hate asking this of Martial, but if there’s anyone who will understand what I’m trying to do, it’s him. He reads the instructions two more times, shreds the little paper, and tosses it into the bath. We both watch the flowing water snatch the paper, curling and darkening it before sucking it down to the sewers.

“It’s risky.” He smiles, looking ten years younger. “But if anyone can do it…”

We go over a few more details before he leaves. His absence makes me nervous. All that’s left is execution. No more planning or dreaming or hoping. I just have to do the impossible. I have to make something out of nothing. Farian’s always called me the Alchemist.

It’s time to take the title seriously.