○○○
“Are you alright?” a soft voice startled me, and I realized I wasn’t being carried in someone’s arms anymore, I was standing on my own two feet. Though my clothes were covered in soot, the shooting stabs of pain had completely vanished. I glanced down at my hands, seeing that they were covered in blood, but felt nothing. Had the smoke made me delirious? Did I hit my head hard when I fell?
“You lost consciousness just now,” the voice said again, “I’ve been waiting for you.”
I looked up startled. There, standing not even five yards away was the girl transfer student, her pretty strawberry blonde hair twisted in a sloppy braid, and she wore a pair of white pajamas with lace trim. She looked so out of place in the dark woods, like a lost princess in a fairy tale.
“What is this?” I asked, glancing around. I was surprised to see that the Old Chapel was still covered in flames—but they were frozen in time. “What’s happening—”
“There’s not much time, so I’ll make this quick,” the girl said, “I’m here to protect you—um, sort of.”
“Um…pardon?”
“Look…someone was behind that fire. They wanted you dead, Emery.”
I blinked. “How did you know—”
“There’s no time to explain right now!” the girl said. “And I am so, so sorry for this—I was given the orders to do it—but I’m going to have to block your memories. Just temporarily, alright? We can’t have a scene here, but don’t worry. Someone from the Crown is going to take care of everything. All you have to do is rest and keep a low profile.”
I took a step forward, letting her words sink in. But nothing was making sense! “What on earth are you talking about?!”
But the girl flickered, as did the scenery, like this was a television with bad reception. “Oh no—have to—I’m—”
“Wait!” I called out, rushing forward. But my balance was shaken; the ground beneath my feet suddenly collapsed and I was tumbling down—
CHAPTER 10
“Wait!”
“Emery?”
It was so hot—too hot; my lungs shuddered with every heavy breath, like thousands of needles were pricking inside my chest. My nostrils burned with smoke; I gagged, trying to struggle out of the heat—and then I was falling
—
“Ack!” I slammed to the ground in a tangle of sweat covered sheets, felt the carpet scratch against my chin. It felt like I was suffocating, and I sucked in cool air when the blankets were yanked off, revealing a worried Dove hovering over my curled up form, her light blonde hair looked only slightly ruffled compared to the birds nest on my own crown. Even her pale pink pajama set looked wrinkle free.
“Emery?” Dove repeated, blinking her eyes. Wordlessly she folded the sheets as I just lay there, breathing in and out with slow, painful motions. I felt like I had run a freaking marathon in the middle of the blazing hot desert. My whole body ached, and every twist and turn sent a spasm of pain through my bones and muscles.
Warm hands enveloped my arms, and I was distantly conscious of being pulled up and pushed back into bed. I was so tired, I didn’t bother to try and convince Dove that I was alright—and I clearly wasn’t. Dove muttered something about my hands, and I looked down to see both my palms wrapped up in gauze.
Dove’s voice was low and soothing as she tossed one of her own quilts over my shivering form. “What happened to you?”
I looked up at her, blinking slowly, then back down at my hands which throbbed ever so slightly, as if to try and make me remember what…
happened…
There was something. A building. Glass. Fire?
And…people.
“I don’t know.” Was all I could say before the waves of sleep pulled me into its dark embrace, making the confusion and pain and…regret?...fade away.
○○○
I heard what happened to the Old Chapel the next day. I think I may have come down with the flu, which could explain my aching bones and flushed skin…but the odd cuts on my hands remained a mystery. Did I somehow damage myself the other night and bandage myself up all in some crazy haze-induced, feverish dream? Dove thinks that could be the only explanation, but I wasn’t so sure. I didn’t have any other idea, so I just went along. But something kept nagging at the back of my skull, like I was…forgetting something. Something important.
But because of my fever, I ended up sleeping the entire day, so I didn’t hear about what had really happened to the Old Chapel ‘til the next day—and the rumors that came with it.
“You think this is such a good idea Emery?” Leon asked, staying close to my side as I marched on towards the small cluster of woods, towards the very scene of the Old C. And I wanted to agree with Leon—what the hell was I doing? What would be the point of going to the charred remains of an abandoned church?
“I honestly don’t know,” I muttered, veering left to take a short cut through the trees. “But there’s just…something off, you guys. My head doesn’t feel right. I’ve got weird cuts on my hands and…I kept having these weird dreams of fire and smoke and something…else. But I’m not sure what. And to
top it all off, someone up and set the Old Chapel on fire? Why?”
Dove, as graceful as a doe, easily caught up, putting a gentle hand on my elbow to steady my balance. “It’s just as the police said—either some vandals snuck onto school grounds and set fire to the church, or it was a prank gone wrong by a couple of nameless students. Nobody was harmed at all.”
“Yeah, and you’ve seen how crappy it looks around there. All those scattered cigarette butts? Someone was bound to toss a couple into one of those windows and it could have easily caught on fire.” Leon piped in, agreeing with Dove so easily I had to do a double-take. This was the boy who had argued so heavily with his sister his face had turned red and had stormed off like an angry bull. Where was that Leon and what happened to him?
Now…he looked tired. His skin a little waxen, and there were dark half moons underneath his eyes. And those eyes looked a little dull, like a calm sea before a raging storm was about to strike. Even his hair was a bit scuffed up, and his uniform wrinkled as if he had slept in it for two days straight.
I bit my lip, pressing on. Leon wasn’t acting like his usual self…or maybe he was, and I just didn’t want to accept it. But that was silly—Leon was Leon, no matter what. He had the right to a couple of bad days. And as for that argument…it wasn’t my business.
I knew for a good solid fact that Dove and Leon trusted me with their lives. Why else would they be humoring me by taking me to the site of the ruined church on a crazy whim? So I had to trust that they could handle whatever their problems were.
I had to quit being “I’ll Fix Everything!” Emery Miller. I had enough problems on my plate as it is.
So instead, I went back to the matter at hand: “And did nobody even see what’s been happening to me all day?”
I took their silence as a big fat “No”. But then again, none of us really shared any classes. The only times we got together were for lunch, study breaks or alchemy training. But all day long, it felt as if everyone was whispering behind my back. I felt eyes on me wherever I went. Conversations would stop short when I entered the room.
But all—mainly—from the other female students. I got the most confusing and venomous glares from them I had to check myself thrice in the bathrooms to see if there was some weird zit on my face or a stain on my shirt.
Eventually, I had put two and two together. It didn’t take a genius to realize when you’re in the center of the gossip circle: everyone was blaming me for the destruction of the Old Chapel.
But how in the hell could I burn down a building? I wouldn’t even dream of it!
I needed to find out what happened.
We eventually reached the Old Chapel—or what was left of it. A startled gasp escaped my throat. The entire building was gone save for blackened rubble. A heavy, disgusting smell of lingering smoke seemed to burn my nost
rils. My lungs constricted inside my chest instinctively, and I swear I could taste the smoke thick on my tongue and throat like I had just crawled out of that fire. Though the area was taped off by the police, I ducked under anyway, carefully pacing the outside of rubble, feeling bile rise up in my throat.
I spotted something blinking in the afternoon sun. Squinting, I inched a little closer and saw bits of broken glass almost hidden underneath the remains.
My hands stung, and I looked down to see I had clenched them both into tight fist, sending a wave of pain up my arms. Pain that felt oddly like…
“Here to inspect your work?” A shrill, condescending voice called out.
“A criminal always returns to the scene of the crime, huh?”
I whipped around, strands of my auburn hair slapping my sweat-soaked face. There, beyond the yellow tape was Mallory with her arms crossed, her hip jutting out a little, and she had the most furious look in her chocolate eyes.
A look so poisonous it could have melted my bones.
I didn’t want to be here any longer. I met her gaze with a level glare and ducked back under the tape. Leon and Dove were at my side in an instant.
Mallory’s evil look never wavered. It was solely directed at me, like I had broken a rule that was never meant to be tampered with, like I had brought shame upon her—
And then it clicked. Like snow melting in the morning rays of the sun, I realized what she was here for.
The Magnolia Bells. Meeting at the library…the midnight text…Isabella trials. One by one memories of the other night flooded inside of me. Me, running to get to the goal; being lead blindfolded by Tasha, Mallory’s right-hand woman….my own personal goal of completing the Isabella Trials.
To sneak into the Old Chapel and…retrieve Isabella’s bible.
“Oh my God,” I whispered.
Mallory’s lips tugged into a smirk, though her eyes continued to bear hatred. Now I knew why she was here. And I needed answers, too. I lifted a hand and waved for Dove and Leon to leave, to give us space. It was obvious they didn’t want to—especially Leon, whose own eyes flashed with a warmth protection.
“Just go, guys. I’ll be fine. I need to talk to her.”
Leon opened his mouth to say something, but he clamped it shut. He turned abruptly, and I shuddered at his sudden coldness before he tromped away. Dove squeezed my shoulder, and I knew in her eyes that they wouldn’t be far away. She mouthed “Be careful” before trailing after her hot-tempered little
brother.
I took a deep breath, ready to face Hurricane Mallory.
“How dare you?” Mallory hissed so softly I had to strain my ears to hear. “How dare you even show your face at this school after what you did?”
“That’s the problem, Mallory,” I replied, forcing myself to be level and reasoning, to keep my cool. “I don’t remember—I don’t remember a thing that happened last night—”
“That’s bullshit!” she screamed, grabbing my right arm with such force that I stumbled to my knees, slamming to the ground. With her razor sharp nails she easily ripped off the bandages, revealing a jagged red line across my palm. I had no doubt my other hand had a nearly identical mark. Some parts of the cut were deeper than most, and blood instantly began oozing out of the open wounds.
“How the fucking hell do you explain this, you bitch?!”
“I don’t know!” I said, biting my lip so hard I tasted blood. “I honest to God don’t know! All I remember is finding a way inside…I had my hands on the Bible, I swear, and then—”
“Enough with your lies!” Mallory screeched. “I told Karin she never should have recommended such scum into the Sisterhood! Never! I knew you were a bad seed, Emery Miller. I knew the moment you couldn’t have it your way you would do whatever it took to make me look bad. That’s why I rigged that damn trial to make absolutely sure that you would fail! And you fell right for it—but instead of giving up like the stupid dog you are, running off with your tail between your legs, you had to go and do the unthinkable. You set the Chapel on fire just to make a laughingstock out of us, didn’t you?!”
Something hot snapped inside of me, shattering like glass that stung sharper than the wounds on my hands. I yanked my wrist out of her grasp; her
red nails scraping against my skin, and stood up. “Just what the hell is this all about Mallory? What the hell did I ever do to you?! You’ve had it against me since the first time we’ve ever met. I didn’t do anything to you, yet you treat me like crap just because I’m not rich or beautiful or smart? You’d even go out of your way to tamper with the rules, just to get rid of me? How could I believe you didn’t have something to do with this fire—”
Mallory’s hand shot out so fast I barely had time to blink. But these past three months of training in hand-to-hand combat with Leon had finally seemed to engrave into my nerves. I barely managed to duck back, feeling the hot air of her slap breathe against my face. But my foot caught on a root and I fell backwards, arms whipping out like a pinwheel to try and stop the fall. I hadn’t even caught my breath when Mallory was on me, clawing at my face and pulling at my hair. My fist came out, colliding with her eye and she gave out a shriek of pain, and pause that gave me the opportunity to buck her off me, sending her rolling to the ground.
But for someone so small and lightweight, she was hell fast! In seconds she had shoved me so hard against a nearby tree I felt the breath leave me.
“It’s all your fault…” she mumbled, her eyes again blazing with such a hatred that it made my entire body limp. “It’s all your fault—everything is your fault—everything! Everything! Everything! If you weren’t here, none of this would have happened! None of it! Including what you did to Jack—”
She got up her hands reaching for me again when all of a sudden she was lifted into the air, shrieking like a dying banshee.
I felt a hand on my face, my arms. Something was being pressed into the palm of my bleeding hand. I saw Dove give me a small smile before she turned. My eyes widened in surprise to see Leon had Mallory by the arms. He was so tall compared to her little frame that her feet were swinging wildly.
“Put me down this instant, or I’ll have your sorry ass expelled! You
hear me?!”
Dove was the one who spoke up. In her hand she held up her cell phone, aiming it right at Mallory. “I think it would be best if you would calm down.
See, I’ve got everything you’ve said and done right here on this phone. Would you like me to send it to the administrative office for you? I have their number on speed dial. Or perhaps I could send it to your so called Sisters. Would you prefer that?”
All of the color drained from Mallory’s face, leaving a welting gray bruise on her left eye shining out. She spat out something unrecognizable about ganging up on her, that we should all be arrested for assault, but Dove simply smiled, shaking her head sadly as if Mallory were only throwing a small temper tantrum.
“It’s three witnesses against you. And this entire fight was all instigated by you. You threw the first punch, as they say. So we’ll let you go if you get out of here and never come near us again.”
“And you’ll keep that mouth of yours shut,” Leon growled. “I personally expect those rumors to be gone by tomorrow, got it?”
Mallory clamped her lips shut, nodding. Her pride had been trampled upon, and for once in her life, someone else had the dirt on her; the upper hand. Slowly, Leon released her (not to gently, if I may add). But with one last lingering evil look in my direction, she shot off. But not before I saw her lips move in silent words:
“I’ll make you pay for what you did to Jack.”
CHAPTER 11
The sky had turned a dusty gray, sweeping over the campus like a cool blanket.
I sat at my desk, tapping my highlighter mindlessly on my unopened book. My mind was crowded with what had happened tonight. Everything.
Mallory’s accusing words seem to haunt me. It’s all your fault…all your fault
…I’ll make you pay for what you did to Jack…
It’s true my life has completely changed since I came to St. Mary’s.
Despite its rough roads and near death experiences, I came to believe that those changes were good. I came to accept them—I came to accepted myself as an alchemist.
But now I realize not everything was rainbows and puppies anymore. I may be a person who could bend Time, but I couldn’t even change the past.
Involuntary or not…I had changed a lot of other people’s lives too. Some for the worse.
And I hadn’t even realized how hurt Mallory was. Underneath her bitchy exterior…she was hurting so much over his disappearance. And who else but to blame than me?
“It’s rare to see you at your desk without an open book.”
I jumped a little, leaning my creaking chair back as Dove entered our room freshly dressed in a pair of pale blue pajamas. A towel was draped over her shoulder, catching the droplets of water that soaked her fine blonde locks.
I forced out a laugh, placing my highlight back in its proper place. “Is it? Guess my mind just doesn’t want to study tonight…”
“Yes, your mind has been a little preoccupied lately,” Dove paused to rub the towel over her scalp. “Is there…anything I can try to do for you?”
“No. Nothing. It’s just…stuff I need to figure out myself.” I stretched my limbs, wincing as the bones cracked in certain places before shoving myself away from my desk and flopping on my bed in a graceless mess. “You know Dove, that was pretty cool what you did back there. I’ve never seen Mallory look so horrified. Why didn’t I think of that?”
A slight pink tinge swept over Dove’s face. “It was nothing.” She glanced over at the window, a hint of a smile on her face. “Actually it really was nothing—that was all a lie.”
I could only stare, my mouth open like a gaping fish. Dove’s grin just stretched even wider as she tossed her small cell in my direction. “See for yourself. There is no video. Actually, I don’t even think I know how to use the camera button…but I had to do something without lowering myself to her level.”
The Fake Eye (Time Alchemist) Page 7
