by Nina Walker
My face burned, and I looked forward, watching the road in front of us. I couldn’t face either of the men.
“You better be,” Tristan snapped. “This girl has been through hell and back.”
They both shifted toward me, sandwiching me between them, and the backseat grew infinitely smaller.
“What happened to you at the palace?” Mastin asked.
I decided to be blunt. I’d told the story so many times over the last couple of days; it wasn’t like there was anything left to hide. “They tortured me. Used my sister’s red alchemy against me so I gave them info about our camp, but they were too late getting there. Lucas was the one who broke me out.”
“Lucas?” Mastin replied, surprised. “As in, Prince Lucas?”
“The one and only,” I muttered. “But that part isn’t public knowledge, okay?”
He nodded. “What’s his endgame?”
“How should I know? He’s not like his father, never has been. He’s not evil. But he is self-serving. He’s the reason we were ambushed that night. He thought he was protecting Jessa by giving us away. But now he’s back to helping the Resistance. I think he’s trying to play both sides of the fence to keep her happy. I’m not really sure where he stands.”
“That’s not going to work.” Tristan chuckled, but I could tell he didn’t think it was funny. Nobody did.
“No kidding.” I leaned back against the seat and watched as palm trees passed outside the window. Loads of green waxy-looking shrubs, and buildings of all shapes, colors, and sizes flashed by. It wasn’t as urban as I’d been expecting. Everything was close together, but small. Actually, Los Angeles wasn’t anything like what I’d seen of New Colony and was certainly a world away from Canada.
And the people. Some strode along the streets as if they didn’t have somewhere to be. Didn’t they work? And others, they were dressed in rags, sitting under trees or walking slowly down cracked sidewalks. New Colony had plenty of diversity, but for the most part, everyone was fed and clothed in similar fashion, they all worked, and always had things to do.
What was better? Guaranteed mediocrity but nobody was left behind? Or a free life, with the guarantee that some people wouldn’t make it out of poverty? I didn’t know. And now I was here, too, stuck between two lives. Two choices.
I peeked at the men on either side of me, my feelings conflicted.
They were so similar in certain ways, but so different in others. One had been my friend for years, and I loved him more than words. There had been times when I’d been sure we’d end up together. But now there was this other man. He’d come marching into my life against my will, but had taught me to see things differently, forced me to grow. To fight even harder than I already was.
Mastin caught me looking, his eyes narrowing, so I quickly changed the subject.
“So, where to next?”
I figured I’d be joining the others from camp. I hated to admit it, but I wanted to see my mom. And I wanted to see Hank and Lacey, too. I missed them all, a feeling I had kept hidden away while I was in the prison. But now that I was here, so close to them, the longing hit me with an unexpected force.
“That’s the thing I wanted to talk to you about.” Mastin shifted uncomfortably.
“Are they okay?” I sat up straighter, glaring at him.
He raised his hands. “They’re fine. They’re great.” Then lowered his voice, “But nobody knows Lacey is an alchemist. We’ve chosen to keep that a secret for now. She’s with your mother.”
“Okay?” What was his point?
“It’s your identity that we weren’t able to keep secret.”
Obviously, considering the protestors, that was true.
“What are you getting at?” Tristan pulled my hand into his lap, holding it tight.
There was a long pause as Mastin leaned back against his window and studied us. “Okay, so Cole might have taken some creative liberties back at camp.”
“What are you talking about?” I glared at him, my heart about to beat out of my chest. I had a sinking feeling I knew where this was going. Cole, the general who’d died, had said if the alchemists would help him then we would get to come to West America and be free. I’d seen the paperwork signed by their president herself. If that wasn’t the case, what was?
“You don’t exactly get amnesty here, though you’re not about to be thrown into prison,” he said, his expression shifting to shame.
Good! He ought to be ashamed!
Tristan’s tall body tensed next to me as he squeezed my hand, like he was about to fly out of his seat and over me to beat the crap out of Mastin.
“How bad is it?” I asked.
“When those men died getting you out, your identity was compromised. There are a lot of people here who hate alchemy. It broke as a huge story. You’re not safe here. The others have been given temporary living arrangements but you need to be kept in a more secure location.”
“So, put her with me. I’ll protect her,” Tristan said.
“You’ve noticed all the security everywhere, haven’t you?” Mastin interjected.
“I sure have.” I rolled my eyes and leaned back against my seat. The air conditioning was starting to add to the chill and I shivered. “So where am I staying? Out with it, Mastin, you’re driving me crazy.”
“My father is a general. We’ve been stationed at a base here and you’re going to be our guest.”
“No, she is not,” Tristan spat. He leaned over me and glared at Mastin. “I got her out of there, she stays with me.”
“It was the best I could do. Either that, or another prison. She’ll be safe with me on base.”
“How convenient for you,” Tristan growled.
“As far as America is concerned, she’s enemy number one. They hate New Colony and this war. They want someone to take it out on and Sasha is it.”
“Can’t Tristan come stay with us?” I felt his body slightly relax against my side.
“He’ll go stay with the others.” Mastin shrugged. “My father doesn’t know him well enough to trust him.”
I laughed. “And he trusts me?”
“No,” Mastin said simply. “But he’s curious, so that’s enough.”
“Did you forget the fact I was the one who went back for her while you saved yourself?” Tristan yelled.
“I have other duties,” Mastin snapped back. “I’m a soldier!”
“Stop!” I shouted over their rising voices. They turned on me, hurt, each wanting me to take their side. “Seriously, you two are like kids fighting over their favorite ball on the playground.”
I spun toward Tristan, touching his face gently with my fingers. “It makes sense. We’ll figure out a way to spend time together, and to bring my sister to see me.”
“You need to continue her training. Hiding her alchemy or not, she needs to learn before she accidentally hurts someone.”
“I agree,” I said. “And thank you for coming back for me. Nobody else would have done what you did for me.”
He quieted and studied me with thunderous frustration in his eyes, but he nodded.
Then I turned on Mastin. “And you, give Tristan some credit, will you? He crossed the shadow lands to get to me. He’s amazing and if you have as much pull as you seem to think you do, you’ll find a way to get Tristan some sort of security clearance so he can help with this war.” Then I added, “Hank too, for that matter.”
Mastin’s mouth had thinned into one long line. I took that as his way of appearing chastised and I held back a bitter laugh. Had he already forgotten what I was like? Of course I was going to stand up for my guy. He was my best friend, almost like a human security blanket. He centered me like nothing else. And Hank, he was like a father to me. The fact he’d gotten out of that palace alive in the first place was a miracle. I wasn’t about to let him sit around and do nothing; the man was useful. Mastin was a fool to overlook these men.
“Fine,” Mastin relented, relaxing back against his seat. �
��I’ll talk to my father.”
“Fine,” I said, grinning. I turned to Tristan and winked.
“Fine,” Tristan said, studying my face. I willed him to be happy, and he must have sensed that because he winked and smiled, returning to his happy-go-lucky self. I had to admit, it was an impressive ability. And one the always-grumpy Mastin should’ve adopted. A pang of longing ached in my chest. I rested my head against Tristan’s shoulder and tried to relax as the car drove us onward toward our uncertain future. Would I fit in on an American military base?
I considered the magic that flowed through my veins and laughed.
“This is your room.” Mastin opened the door and revealed a simple bedroom. It was nicely decorated in sage greens and cotton fabrics. A queen-sized bed sat in the middle, with wooden nightstands on either side, and a wicker chair in the corner by a large window overlooking the yard. A closet was open, empty hangers on the rod. “Mom is kind of the ultimate hostess,” he continued, “so she’s going to go shopping for you once she gets your sizes.”
“She doesn’t have to do that.”
“Believe me,” he replied, “She’ll love it. You’ll be like the daughter she never had.”
The house was the largest on the base, which made sense considering Mastin’s dad was some kind of general. It was bigger than most of the homes I’d seen on our drive in, red-brick, with white columns and green shrubs lining the sidewalk. I had immediately teased Mastin about it, delighted when he turned bright red.
The second we’d walked in the door, I’d been met by Mastin’s mother, Melissa, who was the older female version of her son, all pale skin, white-blonde hair, and sea foam eyes. She’d immediately fed me, talked my ear off, and treated me like we were old friends. She was quick to inform me that though Mastin was an only child, his father would be there that evening and we’d all have a proper family dinner.
I’d caught Mastin staring at me as she’d told me about their family, about him.
And now we stood together in this bedroom, a tangle of emotions between us. We used to hate each other, and that had been easy. Trying to be friends was hard. Weary, I rubbed the back of my neck and yawned.
“Would you mind if I took a little nap and met you for dinner later?”
He nodded. “Sure, and don’t worry about the dress or anything, we’re pretty casual around here.”
I looked down at the simple jeans and black t-shirt I’d been supplied with and shrugged. “Your mom will be playing dress up with me soon enough.”
“I’m sorry about that.”
“Why? Are you jealous? Need a little shopping time with Mom?” I teased.
He shook his head, laughing. “You really are a brat, you know that?”
“I know.” I smiled.
“Alright, get some rest,” he said, knocking on the doorframe once and closing it as he left. I sat on the bed, taking everything in. I still couldn’t believe I was staying with Mastin’s family. It only made me want to see my own. I didn’t know when my icy opinion of them had melted, but it had. After everything we’d been through the last few weeks, I was ready for a fresh start with them.
I noticed a slim slatebook charging on the nightstand and powered it on. It was a different style than the ones I’d grown up with, but I figured out the differences quickly and began to scroll through the newsfeeds. It was filled with stories, with countless sides of the issues. The main ones being about alchemy and about the war, all sorts of sources gave their varying opinions. There were comment sections where people waged verbal battles on each other. Some of the things they said to each other made my skin crawl.
Was this what it was like to be free?
In New Colony, the palace controlled what news was released. They controlled the story. And there wasn’t a comment section. But here? There were no restrictions. Some of the headlines seemed completely bogus, and others drew me in like a moth to the flame, especially the ones about me. I read through story after story. I quickly found one thing they all agreed on. King Richard Heart was an evil dictator, controlling both his people and their magic, with greedy intentions to take over their America and control them, as well. They weren’t generally a country who supported war, from what I read, but this was different. This was personal and they were going to win, no matter the costs.
Wow. I sighed and laid back. There was no chance of napping now. I’d read the afternoon away and I needed to get freshened up for dinner. I went to the bathroom, and before I knew it, someone came knocking.
“You ready?” Mastin asked, his steady voice muffled through the door.
“Yup,” I replied as I swung open the door and stepped into the hallway. I was still in the same clothes as before, but the shower had helped. He raised his eyebrows and I was suddenly annoyed. Why did he affect me so much? He was just a stupid boy, and I’d reserved my heart for Tristan long ago!
I followed him down the stairs to the dining room, with its table set with blue and white patterned china and its scent of seasoned meat and fresh baked bread. Mastin’s parents were already seated. This was so weird, like I was meeting my boyfriend’s parents or something. But I was not with Mastin, nor did I want to be. I don’t think. Maybe. I don’t know.
“There she is.” Melissa beamed from the table and stood. “Honey, this is Sasha.” Then she said with a conspiratorial smile, “The alchemist girl.”
Her honey glared at me, looking me up and down with a sneer on his lips. “Oh yes, Sasha? Or Frankie? Which is it?”
I gulped. As if I knew anymore.
“Dad, we’ve been through this,” Mastin clipped. Apparently, they had. They seemed to know all of my business.
“Sasha works fine,” I added with a weak smile. My eyes shot to Mastin, bulging. Hello, introduce me? He squinted before getting it.
“Sasha, I’d like you to meet General Nathan Scott.”
“Pleased to meet you,” I replied smoothly. It was at that moment that I realized I didn’t even know Mastin’s last name. We’d shared a few conversations, a few almost-kisses, and battled together, but we didn’t really know each other.
Nathan harrumphed at me, folding his large arms, and turned to his son, “Mastin, would you bless the food, please?”
We sat, and I followed along as they clasped hands and Mastin asked God to bless their family and their meal. I watched the family, thoroughly confused as to why God would bless us. Mastin’s Dad caught me staring and I blushed, quickly closing my eyes and bowing my head.
I’ve never heard a prayer before, so what?
It wasn’t something people did in New Colony. It wasn’t illegal, but it was customary to keep religion private within the family. And there certainly had been none of that at the palace or in the camp with Tristan and Hank. I nearly laughed at the image of Hank praying. He wouldn’t know what to do.
But this family treated God as if He were in the room with us.
“Amen,” I said when the rest of the family did.
“In this family, we pray over every meal, attend church each Sunday, and read the Bible,” Melissa said gently. “You’ll learn.”
That’s probably why you hate alchemists, I thought. Maybe that wasn’t fair. Melissa didn’t seem fazed by my magic. But as we ate, General Scott certainly glared at me like I was the devil come to dine with his precious family.
“So, how long have you been in this home?” I asked politely, pushing the food around my plate and trying not to look as uncomfortable as I felt.
“Oh, not too long,” Melissa said. “We’ve moved every few years, depending on our assignment but I hope we’ll stay here for a while now that the war’s broken out.”
“I don’t expect Mastin and myself will be here long,” Nathan said with a grunt. He cut into his steak with a knife, his movements brisk. “I’m needed elsewhere, for obvious reasons.”
“Just waiting for the right timing,” Melissa chirped.
Mastin smiled. “It’s killing him,” he said. “Me too. We’re
made to fight.”
The general nodded.
I chewed my food slowly and tried to ignore Melissa’s worried expression. Unfortunately, I related with the men in the room, eager to fight. “Me too,” I said. “I want to help.”
Nathan laughed. “I wouldn’t count on it.”
“Dad—” Mastin interjected.
“And why not?” I asked, urging myself not to glare back at the man. He looked nothing like his son, except for his tall muscular build and his buzzed cut. He was all dark hair and olive skin and black calculating eyes.
“You’re here, in my home, because my son has vouched for you and because I am going to be watching you carefully to make sure you are who he says you are. But let’s just make one thing clear,” Nathan replied, jabbing his finger at me, knife still in hand. “I don’t know you and I don’t trust alchemists, so I don’t trust you. Men died to get you here. If you turn out to be as useful and as trustworthy as Mastin says you are, you might one day get off this base and be allowed to help with the war. But until then, until I say so, you will behave yourself as any self-respecting guest would.”
Wow. Someone is used to getting his way! No wonder Mastin had been such a jerk when he’d first met me. I pinched my leg under the table, pushing the anger down deep, and smiled sweetly, nodding. “Of course, sir. I wouldn’t dream of crossing you.”
He was lucky I knew how to control my alchemy. He was on the receiving end of a hailstorm of dangerous emotion.
“Dad, I know you don’t trust her, but you also don’t know her. Don’t be so quick to judge,” Mastin cut in.
I smiled, despite myself. I had befriended Mastin, hadn’t I? Pretty sure to the point that the man wanted more than friendship. I could get his father to trust me and take me with him to the warfront. I just needed to play my cards right.
“Thank you so much for this delicious meal, Mrs. Scott,” I said, sending a practiced smile to the woman. “Please, I would like to help out wherever I can while I’m here. Whatever you need, just let me know.”
I turned to Nathan Scott: man of this house, a man who strategized for a living. He had no idea who’d he just invited into his home. “That goes for you as well, General Scott. I’m here to help.”
