by Nina Walker
“Listen, about last night. I never meant for any of that to happen.”
“Nothing happened,” she quickly cut me off, pretending to be interested in whatever was going on outside her window. Which I knew was just a side view of the lawns.
Neither of us said anything for a while. I didn’t know what to do to get through to her. Should I just apologize? An apology would be disingenuous. I had wanted that kiss to happen. This whole mess wasn’t her fault.
“I need to take a shower. Can you please leave?”
Of course she didn’t want to see me. I didn’t deserve anything more from her right now. As I left, I uttered the only apology I could give her. “You can have the day to do as you please.”
“Are you serious?” she asked, turning to me with wide eyes.
Was I? I wasn’t sure how I’d explain this one to Faulk and Richard. But then again, it was just one day. She’d be happier for it. And that’s better for her training. “Yes, but stay within the grounds. Obviously.” She perked up. “Oh, and tonight you’ll be accompanying me to a palace party where you’ll officially be introduced to the Guardians of Color and my parents.”
Her mouth dropped. “Won’t you be taking your girlfriend?”
I blinked at her. I hadn’t thought about Sasha being my date when my father had announced the party plans over breakfast. But it was the perfect place to get some real traction for our cover. Sasha was a guardian, after all. But Richard had told me to escort Jessa myself.
“Sasha will be there, yes. But I’m taking you.”
“Sorry, but contrary to what you thought of me last night, I am not the other woman type of girl.”
Unfortunately for her, when Richard gave an order, he gave an order. Period. For her sake, it was better I forced this issue instead of him.
“I’ll pick you up at seven,” I replied, quickly leaving the room.
I stood outside her door and inhaled deeply. How am I going to do this? I had to escort Jessa tonight and, at the same time let everyone know that Sasha and I were together. It was a totally bad maneuver either way. I needed Jessa to trust me. But I also needed an easy excuse to be seen with Sasha.
I wasn’t looking forward to this evening.
Faulk’s office was at the top entrance of GC headquarters. All the royal officers’ offices were here. The area itself was the most modern of the palace, and the most recently constructed. Everything was charcoal gray and stark white, but it also felt lived in. Busy. People spent a lot of time there.
A few guardians came out of a nearby doorway, their voices light as they echoed through the corridor. The younger guardians were still in training, while most of the teens were official initiates. I didn’t know these faces well. They barely took notice of me as they disappeared around a corner.
I tended to stay away from most of the guardians. My parents preferred I didn’t make friends with alchemists, and personally, I no longer wanted to. They weren’t bad people, but they wielded powers that my father worked hard to control. With such small numbers, he could. He treated the few hundred guardians well in return for their obedience. But, no, I didn’t fear them. I just chose to stay away.
I walked into the GC headquarters, eyes peeled for my target.
Faulk was essentially in charge of the GC, second only to the king. So I went to her office. Of course, the sleekest, biggest, and nicest one had to be hers. As I walked through the area, the royal officers stopped their work to watch me. This wasn’t a place I customarily frequented.
It looked almost like a normal office. Except for the modern glass, which covered most of the surfaces. And the fact that I knew what these people actually did for a living. Royal officers were anything but normal. Their whole existence revolved around controlling the GC, and thus, the kingdom.
I stood there for a minute, still looking for Faulk. An older man got up to greet me with a bow and a smile: Thomas. “Prince Lucas. How can I help you?”
He was my favorite officer. I returned his smile. “Why do you work here Thomas? Aren’t you tired of all this?”
“I wouldn’t know what else to do. I’ve been committed to this post for decades now.” His tone was kind, unlike most of the other royal officers I knew, who were cold and unemotional—all business. Still, it bothered me because I was sure he knew the truth. He had to be involved in the shadow lands project.
“When my grandfather was king, didn’t you have Faulk’s job?”
He frowned, nodding.
“So what happened? Why did Faulk replace you? No offense to her, but I like you much better.”
“Well, I appreciate that. But Richard wanted to make some changes. I guess there are things he and I don’t always see eye to eye on. But that’s okay, Lucas. I do what I’m told. I’m loyal to your family.”
I couldn’t be sure what he meant by all that.
“I need to talk to Faulk. Is she here?”
He pointed behind and above me to her office. It was at the top of a set of industrial stairs. It was no surprise to me that she’d set herself at an elevated level; whoever worked up there could watch what everyone was doing. Royal Officer Isadora Faulk: General was written in big bold letters across a heavy glass door.
As I moved for the staircase, he quietly added, “Be careful, Lucas. Remember who you’re dealing with.” He turned and walked away. Was he trying to intimidate me or warn me?
The office was made entirely of opaque and clear glass with wide sweeping views of the back gardens, an area used for guardian training and recreation. This was all exclusive GC territory.
I entered quickly, wondering how Faulk felt about people barging in on her. I didn’t care either way. After all, she’d done the same to me yesterday. Faulk was busy typing furiously on a slatebook. She continued for a moment, ignoring me.
“Lucas, please have a seat,” she said, still typing.
I sat back in one of the uncomfortable chairs and waited for her to look at me. After a few long minutes, she finished up whatever she was working on. She wanted control. And she hated me for taking some of that away from her. I assumed her indifference was all part of her game.
“What do you want?” she asked, finally breaking the silence.
“I came to inform you about Jessa. She’s had a rough couple of days, so I gave her the day off. Except for tonight, of course. Richard is throwing a party in her honor.”
Faulk’s chair screeched as she stood up. “You did what?”
“Do you have a hearing problem?”
“Who do you think you are? We have a schedule for that girl!”
“Who do I think I am? I’m the crown prince of this kingdom. The only prince of the most powerful country on the planet. Who do you think you are?”
“I am a royal officer, the First General of the Guardians of Color, not you. You have a long wait before you get to be king. And that is only if your father steps down. My guess is that he’ll stay on his throne until the bitter end, especially knowing he has you as a successor.”
I observed the vein in her temple as it pulsed with every word.
Maybe she was right. Maybe my father would never step down for me to take control of New Colony. But that didn’t change the fact that he had charged me with overseeing Jessa’s training. Not Faulk.
“Look,” I said, standing. “I didn’t come here to fight with you. Yes, you are in charge of GC training, but Jessa isn’t a guardian yet. She has to be initiated for that. And we both know I’m the one making day-to-day decisions for her right now. I came to tell you what I did out of courtesy, not to get your permission. Anyway, it’s done.”
I got up. Just as I turned to leave, I was startled by Jessa’s blurred figure standing on the other side of the glass door. What was she doing here? I quickly opened it and pulled her inside.
“Do you have a built-in radar?” I asked.
“For what?” Jessa replied, her face flushed.
“For opening doors just as I’m about to walk through them
?”
Faulk cleared her throat. “To what do I owe another interruption in your honor, Miss Loxley?”
Jessa glanced at me. “I’ve been trying to call my parents all morning.” Her words were directed at Faulk. “It’s their day off, and they’re not answering my calls. I was wondering if you knew what’s going on. Are they okay?”
“You just spoke to them yesterday,” Faulk said. “We have royal officers stationed at their home, you know.”
“Yes, I called them. But when I tried again, they didn’t answer. That really isn’t like them.”
Well, this is interesting. I sat back down in the uncomfortable chair and pulled one over for Jessa.
“Yes, Faulk,” I said. “What’s going on with my trainee’s parents?”
Faulk peered at us, tilting her head. “Whatever Lucas says, you should know this Jessa: I am in charge of GC security around here. Do you recall getting permission from me to call home?”
“I didn’t know I needed permission to talk to my own family.” Jessa’s voice rose with each word. “They never did anything wrong. And I’m here, aren’t I? Doing exactly what you’ve asked of me. We had our first training session yesterday.”
“Let me be clear, Ms. Loxley. I did not want you here. My job is to put threats like you in prison. We need complete loyalty of our guardians. The only reason you are here right now is because the king has taken an interest in your alchemy. I’ve decided to agree with him and give you a chance. Don’t think it means you’re off the hook.”
“Please,” Jessa said, truly sounding apologetic. “I didn’t want to lie. I didn’t know what else to do. I was afraid. Please, I just want to know if my family is safe. Did they get punished for my crimes?”
“And what makes you think I would know?” Faulk asked.
I scoffed. Of course she had the power to answer Jessa’s questions. She just didn’t want to.
“I think it’s your job to know. You’ve met them. You’ve talked to them. And you just said you have royal officers stationed at the house. Just tell me, are they okay?”
I suspected Jessa’s parents weren’t as innocent as she believed them to be. I was still pretty sure they’d lost a daughter or some kind of family member to the GC years before. I studied Jessa’s frustrated face. Did any part of her suspect that her parents had been harboring a giant secret from her? I was sure Faulk knew the truth. Maybe that was why she hated Jessa so much. Who was Francesca Loxley and how did she get away from the GC?
Faulk paused, her hard face softening slightly. “They’re fine. It turns out you’re a bit of a celebrity after your ballet stunt. We’ve had their phone number changed for their privacy, as well as yours.”
A good reason, but I wasn’t sure I could buy that simple of an answer. I mentally added “further inquiry into the Loxley family situation” to my to-do list.
“So I can call them? Do you have the new number?” Jessa asked.
“You cannot call them. You’re the property of New Colony now. You’re a huge asset and a huge liability. Part of your agreement here is that you will do as we say. Security is my top priority. I am not giving you permission to call home. Lucas never should have given you a line out. It is not safe, and I will not allow it to continue.”
“What? You can’t do that!”
“What does any of that have to do with security?” I shot back.
“Jessa has been trusted with classified information and will continue to be trusted with State secrets. All guardians must cut off outside relationships. No exceptions.” She turned back to the work on her desk, excusing us.
“So that’s it?” Jessa asked. “You expect me to give them up, just like that? I won’t do it. I won’t join your stupid Color Guard. I won’t help you.”
Why couldn’t Faulk see things my way? Jessa wasn’t a young child that she could manipulate into forgetting her family. Giving Jessa an easier life here meant she would be easier to train. It was a simple, win-win situation. And besides that, I wouldn’t have to watch her struggle so much. I hated to see her upset like this, knowing there wasn’t much I could do.
“You don’t have a choice,” Faulk replied. “It’s that or prison. Either way, you’re not going home.”
Jessa doubled over as if she was about to be sick. Was she just realizing what I had known my whole life? New Colony had all the power. She had none. It didn’t add up, since she was the one with the powers they wanted. But that’s how things were going to be.
“Fine, I’m not going home. But you’re not going to keep me from my family. If you do, I’ll make sure you lose your job.”
And that’s why I like her so much. No one stood up to Faulk. Except me, that was. I had to admit I was impressed.
Faulk laughed. “There’s nothing you can do, Jessa. I make the rules and you follow.”
“Actually, that’s where you’re wrong—the king makes the rules,” I interjected.
“And what’s your point?” Faulk squared her shoulders.
“My point is that my father wants her to help her country. And if he wants her to do that, then I’m pretty sure he needs us to help Jessa.”
“Where are you going with this?”
“I’ll help you,” Jessa said. “I’ll work as hard as I can. I’ll do whatever you ask of me, but I won’t give up my family. And if you take them from me, then you can explain to the king why I refuse to work. I mean it, I’ll go to prison instead of staying here if you keep me from them.”
Faulk and I both studied her determined face.
“You’re bluffing,” Faulk said.
“I don’t think she is,” I mused.
“Try me.”
“Fine,” Faulk said after a long pause. “After you learn how to control the color red, I’ll give you a line out to call them. That is what the king wants most, you know—he wants red. That’s all I can offer. Phone calls, twice a month.”
“Twice a week,” Jessa replied.
“Once a week.”
Did Faulk just say red? No. No. No. Red? That’s what he wants? Of course it is. How could I have been so blind?
My stomach dropped. I knew there had been a reason my father wanted Jessa in his custody. There was a reason he’d taken such a huge interest in her. Of course it was red. A memory flashed through my mind of the first time I saw Jessa. She’d used alchemy on the lavender of her ballet costume. And the colors had separated. Blue. And red. How had I not put two and two together?
We still didn’t know what red could be used for. It was the only color on the spectrum that none of the guardians had any power over, besides white and black. They weren’t even sure white or black were colors that could be used by alchemists. But red? Well, with a color that symbolic—representing everything from bloodshed to passion to control—it definitely had to be useful for someone like my father. I had no doubt he could get even more power once he could control Jessa.
Jessa stood and reached her hand toward Faulk’s. For her, this was a done deal. I wanted to say something. To scream at her to stop.
Don’t agree to this!
But what could I do? My cover would be blown if Faulk knew I had an issue with Jessa helping my father. I was supposed to be on the side of the GC, of the New Colony.
They shook on it. Their grip was tight and unforgettable.
9
Jessa
After a quick walk around the palace, I decided to go back to my room. Lucas had tried to delay me, but I barely gave him a second glance. I was still infuriated about his decision to take me to the ball without my consent. Besides, I needed to get to work and figure out how to access red alchemy. Unfortunately, I had no idea how to go about something like that. Even when I’d messed with Lacey’s blood, I hadn’t known what I was doing, or what it did to her.
I ended up sitting on my bed during the early afternoon hours, pondering how I was going to pull this off. If I helped Faulk, I would at least get to call home. And maybe I could sabotage my alchemy after that,
show Faulk that she didn’t need me after all. After what felt like an eternity, I realized I needed to distract myself from my own thoughts…thoughts about color alchemy, thoughts about my family and Faulk, and far too many thoughts about Lucas. About his smile. About the way his naturally tanned arms looked in that t-shirt.
No, those thoughts could only get me into trouble.
And then there were my parents to consider. When I called them last night, something wasn’t right. I couldn’t put my finger on it, exactly. It’s not that they were afraid of me, as I had worried. Or even disappointed.
No, they’d been dismissive. Did they believe they’d lost me? Until I got privileges to call home, I’d have to wait to find out why.
An idea hit me with such clarity that I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of it before. There was only one thing that would serve to distract me from all this turmoil and clear my mind. It had always been the one thing in this world that could make me feel better.
I needed to dance.
A light tap sounded on the door, followed by the maid, Eliza. She was holding a tray of afternoon snacks. As appetizing as they were, I hated to dance with anything fresh in my stomach. If I ate now, I would need to wait an hour before dancing.
“Is there an empty ballroom somewhere around here?”
“Sure, which one, miss?”
Perfect. I felt like I could breathe again just thinking about it.
“Whichever one is empty and closest,” I said, jumping from the bed and pulling Eliza into a hug. She squeaked in surprise, nearly dropping the tray. I laughed. We weren’t exactly on hugging terms, but I didn’t care. Right now, Eliza was my ticket to emotional freedom.
Tonight I had to attend a guardian event. I had to meet the king and queen. I had to be introduced to people who’d probably be my colleagues until I made it home. But this afternoon, I would dance.
It came back to me as if I hadn’t been away at all. Had it really only been five days? Even so, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d missed five days in a row of dance. So much had changed for me in such a short time. If I could erase the past week, I would. Then I’d be able to return to the core of what I loved. Of who I was.
