My heart twinged. Papá had broken eye contact. He was no longer being honest. “But how did you know that? If I’m the only one with this ability, why were you so quick to believe me? Why didn’t you question me more? How did you know that’s what I’d done? What aren’t you telling me?” The questions that had been building over time poured out of me like oil leaking from a bot—and just like oil, they could easily cause an explosion.
“Whatever I do or don’t tell you is for your own good,” he said firmly, meeting my gaze again. But his belief that he was helping me didn’t soften the blow.
“I deserve to know the truth, Papá. If there’s someone else you know with these abilities, you should let me talk to them,” I said hotly.
“No.” His voice cracked like a whip, and his nostrils flared. “There is no one for you to talk to. This discussion is over.”
I stilled in my seat as his furious gaze met mine. Either he was too angry to worry about lying or he honestly believed what he was saying. But that didn’t make sense. If there wasn’t anyone else, he would have been more surprised about my Slipping as a child.
I pressed my lips together and stuck my head out the window to tell the bot, “Please stop at the edge of the Chime. I’d like to walk from there.” That would be my best chance to get Papá ensnared in conversation with someone.
“No, get closer to Cogs and Corsets,” Papá countered.
“Papá, we’re in the Eleventh Chime.” I said in exasperation. “What’s the worst that could happen here? I don’t even have any money on me to steal.” Something which had come back to bite me in the Lower Chimes. As an Annandale, I had an account open in Papá’s name with every store in the Upper Chimes. The only thing I had of value on me at the moment was Desmarc’s engagement necklace.
“Nevertheless, I’d like to get closer to the shop.”
I gritted my teeth and stared out the window. He acted like I never went out on my own, but then again, he didn’t know half of the things I did. At least Cogs and Corsets wasn’t too far from Papá’s bank. Maybe I could recruit Geneve to help me slip away for a bit once we were inside. Common sense told me I’d be better off waiting for another chance, but I was done waiting. I’d done that my whole life.
The steamcab rolled to a stop, and I opened the door and slid out before Papá could offer me his hand. The scent of flowers drifted to me from the many boxes hanging from aether lamps and though it was still early afternoon, a humid cloud hung over the city.
Papá followed me into the store.
Warm light streamed through the large display windows, casting gentle shadows across the polished wood floors and onto the dresses suspended from brass hooks and hangers in the main area. Each was a masterpiece of craftsmanship, featuring intricate lace, delicate brocade, and fabrics in deep, rich hues. They all bore Geneve’s distinct whimsical and innovative style with embellishments such as gears, keys, and clockwork motifs along the bodices, hems, and sleeves.
A contented sigh escaped, and I looked around at the fabrics and dresses happily: bolts of silk in a deep emerald, designs made from ivory and black lace, a pastel pink chiffon that gently shimmered in the window’s breeze. In a world where so many things were out of my control, sewing was the one time I got to make all the decisions.
The attendant scurried over and started simpering to Papá. “Thank you for gracing the shop with your presence, Meridian Annandale.”
A royal blue fabric along the wall caught my eye, and I wandered to it, leaving Papá with the attendant while I tuned out their conversation and focused on the striking color. Running a hand over the smooth material and holding it up to the window to watch the light play across it, I debated on what I could make. Maybe a new pair of gloves. Looking more closely, I realized it was the same material used to make Detective Atwood’s cape.
“That’s one of our most popular colors, Miss Annandale,” Geneve said, emerging from a back room pushing a lock of curly black hair out of her face. Her comment jerked me back to the present. I had a mission, and I couldn’t afford to be distracted.
“What have I told you about calling me Miss Annandale? You know better than that.” I put the fabric down and turned to her.
“And you know I have to treat you as your station demands when we’re in town.” She cast a pointed look at her attendant and Papá, then back toward me.
“My station?” I laughed. “Geneve, you’ve known me since I was running around the house half-naked.”
She tsked and picked up the fabric. The movement made the silver knitting needle stuck through her messy bun glint. “This would look lovely on you.”
“I’m actually here to discuss my dress,” I said.
“Of course,” Geneve said. “Have you brought the sketch of the design for the finishing touches?”
“I’m struggling to find some inspiration.”
Concern filled her green eyes. “Can I help?”
“No, I can do it. I’m sure something will come to me soon.”
“I’ll need it in the next few days at the latest,” she said. “Are you going to help me with the embroidery?”
I chewed on my lower lip. “I want to, but I’m not sure I trust myself.”
“Cogswash.” She gave me a small smile. “I’ve never taught someone more gifted.”
I smiled at her, letting her praise soothe away the lingering irritation from my argument with Papá. “All right, then. I’d like to work on it with you. I’ll send the design to you as soon as it’s ready.”
“So, we can go?” Papá looked almost relieved to be leaving so soon.
“Not until I try on what we already have of the gown.” If I went to a changing room, I could buy myself some time out of Papá’s sight and figure out how to get to the bank.
Geneve collected my dress and started to lead me toward one of the changing rooms, but I shook my head and pointed to another—one that was farther from Papá and closer to the shop’s back door.
Once the door closed behind us, Geneve hung the dress on the wall and gave me a pointed look. “What’s going on?”
“What do you mean?” I tried to give her an innocent smile.
“You think I don’t recognize the mischievous look in your eyes? Like you said, Kyra, I’ve known you since you were small. I know that you’re up to something. You’re as out of place as a kitchen bot working on one of my dresses.” She folded her arms. “Spill.”
“Oh, all right.” With Geneve’s help, this would be much easier anyway. “I’ve found a key to an old vault. It was Mamá’s, and you know how Papá is.”
“You want to go behind his back and see what’s in the vault?”
I grimaced. “That’s a terrible way of wording it, but yes. He would never show me otherwise. He refuses to talk about Mamá. Please, Geneve, I just need you to make sure Papá stays distracted long enough for me to slip across the street to his bank.”
“Actually,” she said after a long moment, “if I’m remembering what Gwen said correctly, the vault wasn’t at your father’s bank.”
“You know about it?”
“I know that your mother mentioned opening a vault at Copper Haven a few years before she passed.”
My heart thumped in excitement. That was only a few minutes’ walk from here. “Does this mean you’ll help?”
She pursed her lips, then nodded. “I will this time, but you need to be back here in a quarter of an hour, or your father will get suspicious.”
“Thank you!” I clasped her hands.
I’d found the next clue that could lead me to Mamá.