The Color Alchemist: The Complete Series

by Nina Walker

  So that’s what happened.

  “You took him out?” I gasped, handing them the teacups at that exact moment. “How brave! You should be so proud.”

  They both looked down and then took sips from their cups.

  “I’m not proud,” Jane muttered.

  “Why not?” I asked, placing my hand on her shoulder. A little more orange wouldn’t hurt, would it?

  “He didn’t deserve to die,” she said.

  Guilt.

  It was guilt they were both immersed in now. It was so heavy it clouded their better judgment. But I was sure it wouldn’t last long.

  “Why not?”

  “He wasn’t a—”

  “She only means that it would have been better to question him,” Parker jumped into the conversation, cutting his wife off. He was right back to nervous. I would have to focus on his wife.

  “Of course.” I smiled as I walked behind them, taking the long way back to the trolley to return the tray.

  “He was a bad man, wasn’t he?” I asked. On the way back to my seat, I lightly touched both of their shoulders, leaning between them for an answer. If that question elicited them to hide something, to disagree, we would know.

  “He wasn’t what you think,” Parker said at the same time as Jane said, “He wasn’t one of us, sure. But not bad. He was good.”

  I stepped back and caught the satisfaction on Faulk’s face. “Is that enough?”

  She nodded and licked her lips.

  “What’s going on?” Jane mumbled just as the door burst open and guards swarmed in. I moved to the side to make room for the guards, and Faulk joined me. She seemed pleased with me for once, and I didn’t know how I felt about it.

  “We already suspected they were working with the gunman somehow.”

  We watched the couple, still in a daze as they were put into handcuffs. It all happened so fast that they barely had time to protest.

  “No worries.” Faulk continued moving toward them. Her tone was back to the pleasant one from before. “Now that we’re sure, we’ll get all that we need from you during interrogation.”

  “But…” Jane sputtered. “What just happened?”

  “Take them,” Faulk ordered. It only took a minute, and we were left alone in the room. The teacups sat on the coffee table, still warm. I picked up my own and studied it. The liquid warmed my fingers. I squeezed my eyes tightly shut for a moment, hoping I had just done the right thing.

  “That was impressive,” Faulk said, moving to the door. “Can you imagine how easy it will be once we use red to do it?”

  I gulped. What have I done?

  I followed her out to find none other than King Richard waiting for us. He was talking lazily with Celia’s parents in the hallway. My eyes darted between the three as they looked over at me. They seemed unfazed by what I’d just done. Maybe it wasn’t a big deal to them, but my heart exploded in my chest just thinking about it.

  “I knew you’d pass.” Richard beamed at me. “But that was fast.”

  “Uh, thanks.” My tentative happiness at completing the task evaporated.

  “Good job, dear,” Celia’s mother said. Her eyes moved down me with contempt. It was clear she wanted nothing to do with an alchemist. Her husband did a better job of hiding his feelings, but even he held a grimace on his face. Or maybe they don’t like the way Lucas looks at me?

  Nonsense. He’d moved on. If he hadn’t, he would have come to me by now. I hesitated, ready to leave.

  “We’ll make the announcement,” Richard said. “Tomorrow night, there will be a banquet to celebrate your initiation.”

  “Wow,” I said, my smile faltering. “Thanks.”

  “Your initiation will follow immediately after.”

  I nodded, the words no longer able to form on my tongue. I didn’t know how I felt about all of this. The group left, and I rushed to my room.

  As I walked, my heart thumped in my ears like the heavy beat of a drum. This was happening. I was being initiated tomorrow night. I was in with the king. I would be one of them. And at the same time, the banquet would allow for an attack. The odds of taking out Richard were pretty slim. The palace was crawling with people sworn to protect him. But an attack would weaken his forces, and it would send a message to all the alchemists: there’s another choice. Join us.

  No one had told me the specifics, and true to her word, Jasmine had closed up on all things Resistance.

  Be careful. Stay out of the way. We need you to appear loyal.

  That’s what she’d asked. That’s what I would do.

  I rounded the corner to my dorm, eager to take a shower and get to bed. I needed to wash away all images of what had just happened. I was terrified I’d done the wrong thing, but that gunman had stolen innocent lives. How could anyone sympathize with that?

  Sleep. That’s what I needed. Not that I expected much of it. I was too nervous. This was happening. Really happening! One day closer to seeing my family again. One day closer to freedom.

  I stopped abruptly.

  “The guards told me where to find you.” Celia was leaning nonchalantly against my doorframe. She still wore the extravagant dress from earlier, appearing as relaxed in it as I was in my pajamas. She yawned. “Let’s get this over with, shall we?”

  She was in GC territory. Was she not afraid of alchemy? No, if she was anything like her parents, she just hated us. Her hard gaze shifted over me, a question forming.

  “Can we talk, woman to woman?” She reached out her manicured hand. I nearly stumbled as I stepped forward to shake it. I was a ballerina for crying out loud. When did I suddenly have two left feet?

  She made me nervous. That was why. Everything about her reflected my own insecurities back to me. She had what I wanted. Pure and simple. Her grip was firm as she smiled.

  “Sure, come in.” I opened the door.

  “It’s…cute,” she said, her gaze roving over the small, sparse room.

  “It’s fine,” I said. “It’s not like I chose it.”

  “That’s funny.” She smiled. “I thought being an alchemist was an honor. I’m certainly honored to have the opportunity to live at the palace.”

  “Such an honor,” I quipped.

  She raised an eyebrow, and I ran my fingers through my messy hair and bit my bottom lip. I needed to relax. This girl wasn’t my enemy. Lucas had made his choices all on his own.

  I sat on the bed and motioned for her to take a seat at the desk. “Why did you want to talk to me?”

  “How long have you known Lucas?” she asked.

  Of course she wanted to question me about him.

  “Not long,” I said. “I’ve only been here about four months.”

  “And in four months, you managed to get him to fall in love with you?” She didn’t say it defensively, as a fiancée would. It came out more as a matter of fact. A question even, like, how did I do it?

  My stomach twisted. “What? Why would you say that?”

  Her lips twisted and she rolled her eyes.

  “If he loved me, why would he be engaged to you? Lucas and I aren’t even talking anymore.”

  “Then why were you waiting outside his door earlier?”

  “I was trying to talk to Richard.”

  “You’re on a first name basis with the king?”

  “Kind of,” I frowned. “I was going to ask him about a test I had to take tonight, okay? Why is that any of your business?”

  She smiled, and it lit up her entire being. My heart ached as I realized that maybe she could find her way into Lucas’s heart after all.

  “You don’t have to get upset. It was just a question,” she said, kindness in her voice.

  I shook my head. I wanted to ask her to leave, but I had to remember my place, and I didn’t need to make any more enemies. She was the fiancée of the prince, and there was a real possibility she would become the next queen. I felt like puking and crying at the same time.

  “Listen, your name is Jessa, righ
t?” she asked. I nodded. “Listen, Jessa, I’m not here to tell you to back off my man, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

  My jaw dropped—like literally dropped—at the laugh that exploded out of her mouth.

  “I know, not what you expected the second you saw me waiting outside your door, right?” she said. “But the truth is, I hardly know Lucas. And he hardly knows me. It’s not fair of me to lay claim to his heart.”

  “Umm…okay.” What was I supposed to say to that? It was so weird. Was this some kind of reverse psychology? Some kind of game?

  “But I am laying claim to the crown.”

  “And there it is.” I sighed.

  Of course that’s what this is about…

  “And there it is.” She nodded. This woman was bizarre. She had to be close in age to me, and she cared more about a crown than about marrying for love. A little jaded for someone so young.

  “How old are you?” I asked.

  “Eighteen.”

  “Don’t you think eighteen is a little young to be married?” In New Colony, most people paired off in their mid-twenties, but younger marriages weren’t unheard of. But still, I certainly didn’t feel quite ready to get married. She was only two years older. And I could honestly admit I was in love with Lucas. How could she be ready for that level of commitment when she’d just admitted the opposite?

  “He’s a prince, Jessa. Come on, you’re smarter than that. It’s a monarchy, and he’s an only child. The. Only. Heir.” She smoothed her red hair, fingering a piece at the end, before turning her eyes back to me. “No doubt his parents tried for more. Just in case. But as it stands, Lucas needs to have children.”

  “And you’re going to do that for him?” I was going to be sick. My body tense, I breathed in slowly as I waited for her answer.

  She shrugged. “I am.”

  “So that doesn’t explain why you’re here.”

  “It’s simple.” She almost looked sorry for me. I didn’t want her pity. “I’m not stupid enough to expect him to stay away from you. I saw the way you looked at each other, and I knew there had to be a reason why he’s been so aloof with me. Men are never that way with me.” No doubt; she was gorgeous and sophisticated. She was the type of girl to get her pick, no matter which men were on offer. “I’m just asking you to do me the courtesy of keeping things private. And safe, if you know what I mean.”

  Okay, now I really was going to puke!

  I stood. “I don’t know what you think is going on, but Lucas and I are over.”

  She studied me and finally shrugged. “Well, I thought I would ask. You know, woman to woman. Just in case it isn’t really over.”

  “That boy has put me through so much, you have no idea. I refuse to be someone’s second choice.”

  She stood, nodding. “All right. I guess I underestimated you.”

  “You did.”

  I’d had enough. I jumped off the bed and stalked to the door, wrenching it open. “Have a good night.”

  “Thank you,” she said over her shoulder as she left. “I think I’ll do that.”

  I had to keep myself from slamming the door.

  I stomped to the shower. I ripped off my top, screwing it into a tight ball until my knuckles turned white. Peering down for a moment, I threw it at the wall and practically growled as I finished undressing. How could Lucas be engaged to that woman? She was truly sadistic if she thought I’d be her husband’s mistress. That’s what she’d alluded to. I would keep him happy, love him, and she’d run the household, give him children, and most important to her, she’d be queen.

  It was wrong on every level!

  It broke my heart to be away from him. I missed him so much. I missed our easy conversations and the way he challenged me. I missed the looks he gave that were only for me. I loved him. But I wasn’t willing to share. I wouldn’t stick around and be his side-woman. I had more self-respect than that. Besides, after the experience with Sasha last summer, my heart couldn’t take it. Whatever had happened to cause his engagement was their business. Let him deal with it. I was staying out of it.

  The water scalded my skin, pelting hot irons with each drop. I didn’t turn the shower heat down. I wanted the distraction. Don’t think. Don’t feel. But for the second time that night, it happened anyway. I cried.

  This time, my tears washed away instantly.

  16

  Lucas

  As I stood pressed against the wall, I realized that invisibility was a blessing and a curse. It was exhausting. Dangerous. Tailing people at a distance and silently slipping through open doors behind them was less than enjoyable. I didn’t know what I expected to discover taking off after the Addington family. Would I have to follow the man home? And then what?

  They first took Celia back to her new room, going in together before I had a chance to follow. I waited outside, trying to keep my eyes open as the minutes ticked by. It would’ve been a lot more useful to have an affinity for blue alchemy. But it wasn’t my forte, and grumbling to myself wouldn’t solve anything. I willed the conversation to filter through the door but couldn’t make out a word.

  Just when I’d about given up, thinking about where the closest and safest place to make myself visible would be, the thick door swung open. Inertia nearly landed me flat on the ground, but I was able to jump back and out of the way. I studied the family, but they didn’t seem to notice anything. They headed toward the GC wing—a curious choice, considering normal people didn’t venture over that way.

  Celia broke off, heading toward the guardian dorms. Her parents didn’t go with her. They kept going into the heart of alchemist territory. They didn’t seem to be bothered about what they saw, not even cautious. Occasionally, a guardian would give them a funny look, but mostly they were ignored. I think everyone had the war on their minds: wondering what it all meant, if they were next, if their friends were okay. The whole palace was turned upside-down so apparently a couple of citizens taking a stroll down their hallway didn’t seem out of the ordinary. The palace wasn’t the same place it used to be. Not for any of us.

  We continued down the hallway and when they met up with my father, I shouldn’t have been surprised. I mean, really? But I was.

  “How is she doing in there?” Mark said.

  “She’ll pass.” My father nodded calmly.

  The next moment, a door opened and a bunch of guards pulled a handcuffed couple from the premises. They looked a little confused, but definitely agitated. They were quickly whisked away. A second later, Faulk and Jessa exited the room. Jessa was pale as a ghost, but a wisp of accomplishment tilted her smile. At odds, to say the least. I wanted to help her. To touch her. Something.

  I stood back, listening to their conversation, waiting for something out of the ordinary. My father placed a hand on Jessa’s back. “We’ll make the announcement,” he said. “Tomorrow night there will be a banquet to celebrate your initiation. Your initiation will follow immediately after.”

  She smiled and responded appropriately, but I could sense something else behind those eyes. Worry? A few more words were exchanged, and Jessa headed back to her room.

  I stuck around. Just as she was out of earshot, Richard rounded on Faulk. “I told you she was good.”

  She shook her head. “It was never a matter of Jessa’s power, it was always a matter of her loyalty.”

  I sucked in a breath as my whole body went numb.

  “You and I both know we can’t really know who’s loyal anymore, can we?” Richard’s face flashed. My mind conjured an image of Thomas; my father was right. “It’s not a matter of if we have more executions, but when. The least we can do is use up these alchemists’ powers while we can.”

  Would he have done that with Thomas? Faulk shouldn’t have missed the signs, and she had to know it. They could have used his red alchemy years ago.

  Faulk pinched her lips and nodded. “We need to be extra cautious.”

  “Come.” Richard patted Mark on the shoulder. “L
et’s get out of here, and we can talk more about our plans.”

  I followed the group, and the security detail that was my father’s constant shadow. They went to the officers’ headquarters, which were in another part of the GC wing, so it was easy to slip into the selected office with everyone else. When my father asked the security team to leave, I ducked into a corner. No one batted an eyelid in my direction. After a minute, it was only the four of them remaining.

  Sabine stood aloof on one side, an older version of her daughter. The resemblance was uncanny if not a little bit disturbing.

  “What have you found out?” Richard asked.

  “We’ve been interrogating people all along the borders. Anyone who lives near there, asking them if they’ve seen people, helicopters, airplanes, anything,” Mark said.

  “And?” Faulk raised an eyebrow.

  “So far we only have a few leads but they didn’t pan out.”

  Richard narrowed his eyes. “That’s not good enough.”

  “I know,” Mark said. “We’re not giving up.”

  “And what about that one helicopter? It was heading north the same day Sasha went missing.”

  “We’re still investigating. It must have been going to Canada.”

  “How did it disappear like that?”

  “We still don’t have the answer to that.”

  “Magic!” Richard began to pace.

  “It’s obvious they have alchemists,” Faulk said. “The question is how did they use magic to get away from us like that? Invisibility is not something we’ve ever seen before, and we need to find out how it’s done. What do their alchemists know that ours don’t?”

  That this was still under investigation was a problem. I realized I was utterly juvenile to believe the incident had been forgotten. Of course it hadn’t been. It was still the forefront of my father’s worries, and apparently Mark wasn’t who he said he was. These people weren’t in charge of managing farming and food resources. Or if they were, it was only part of the job. He was an investigator for my father. Someone undercover?