by Matt Ryan
Jin had purchased a few penny purses from the gas station and now each of us had a few defensive stones. I tapped my small purse and felt the two stones inside. They gave Leo a couple of stones, but from the sideways look Jackie gave me, I think they were harmless. At least she still had her sense about the reality of the situation.
“Maybe we can get some sleep?” Jin asked.
“We just woke up, like three hours ago,” I said not feeling tired at all. I didn’t even want to be in this room anymore, now that we made the stones. “Can’t we just find a way into the place. I mean, we’re alchemists, we should be able to find a way.”
“I’m in favor of patience,” Jin said.
“Me too,” Leo said. “I’ve got a bad feeling about what’s out there right now.”
“I’m with Allie,” Jackie said. “We should at least scope it out. Who knows, maybe tomorrow, with the crowds around us, it might be tougher.”
“What we need are portal stones,” Mark said.
“Oh, so you can snatch Allie and take her out of here?” Jackie said.
“What?” Mark acted taken aback by her accusation.
“Like I don’t know you by now. You’ve been hating every minute of this. Now that you have that Lotus stone in your pocket, you’re going to bounce the second you get a chance, whether Allie wants to or not.”
“I would never—”
A knock at the front door silenced the room. We all exchanged glances, but none of us were expecting company.
“Maybe it’s just the front desk clerk,” Jin suggested, while getting a stone ready to throw.
“Give me a real stone,” Leo demanded, putting out his hand. “What? You think I don’t know what a smoke stone is?”
Another knock.
We all moved toward the front of the room. Jackie went to the door and looked out the peep hole. “I only see two—a man and a woman. I don’t recognize them,” Jackie said. “They aren’t wearing gloves.”
“We can take them,” Leo said. “I don’t care if I have to tackle them to the ground.”
“We can hear you,” the woman outside said. “These motel walls are incredibly thin.”
“Stand further back,” I said to our visitors, looking through the peep hole. “And keep your hands in the air.”
They both took steps back with their hands up.
“You’re not going first,” Mark said. “It could be a trap.”
Jackie and Mark went shoulder to shoulder and opened the door. They rushed out with stones in hand. Jin followed, then I went out with Leo.
The dark parking lot only held a few cars and one dull streetlight. The two people still had their hands up as we approached. I scanned the area, looking for other people.
When it seemed clear, I focused on the two standing in front of us. They were finely dressed, with layers of dark clothes and shiny shoes. The woman was beautiful, with straight black hair and a small scarf wrapped around her neck. They were both all smiles as they shared a conversation with each other in their language.
“You’re American alchemists, right?” the man finally asked.
“Who are you?” I asked.
He glanced at my wrapped hand, then his eyes shot to my face. “You’re Allie Norton?” The guy fell to his knees with his hands still up.
The woman’s eyes went wide and her mouth hung open. Then she went to her knees as well.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“You’re her, the creator of the stone,” he said.
“It really is you, isn’t it? Your hand still bears the wound. But that was years ago. Has it still not healed?”
I looked to Jackie for some guidance. She frowned and motioned for me to walk back with her, away from the two strangers. “I may have forgotten to mention that some in the alchemist world look at you like a god. There are alchemists who feel you were the rightful bearer of the stone. You’re a celebrity, girl.”
“What?” I was so confused. I was a no one.
“Of course we know who you are,” the man spoke up. “I can’t imagine how any alchemist wouldn’t.”
Was I a famous alchemist now? I guess I would be in the history books for making the stone . . . I’d just never thought of it that way. “Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked Jackie.
“I don’t know. I just didn’t think of you like that. Sure, people know you because somehow it got out that you were the one who made the stone. And there’re a few pictures floating around on the internet. Oh, and I guess there are some clubs and groups dedicated to being your fans.”
Clubs? Like actual fan clubs? I couldn’t believe this.
“What do you want from us?” Mark asked.
“Our friend at the gas station spotted you buying stuff that looked like alchemist ingredients.” The man stood, but kept his hands in the air. “These days, it’s not very often we get alchemists from America, let alone one of the most famous in the world. He must not have gotten a good look at Allie, or he would have said something.”
We all looked at each other, but Jackie spoke first. “They’ve seen Allie. We can’t let them go.”
“What are you suggesting we do with them?” Mark asked.
“Maybe they can help us,” I said. “My gut tells me to trust no one, but not everybody can be awful. There could be good people.” I stepped back from Mark, and Jackie addressed the man and woman. “What are your names?”
“My name is Raffi,” he said.
The woman bowed her head. “And I’m Shari.”
“Well, as you probably know, there are people looking for me. Now that you’ve recognized me, we can’t just let you go and trust that you won’t tell the wrong people about us. If you know about me, then I assume you know my mother.”
“The queen? She is perhaps the only person more famous than you,” Raffi said. “My cousin Roz disappeared just a few weeks ago. He vanished, like many others—simply gone from existence. We thought maybe some outsider alchemist might know something.”
“I’m sorry, we don’t know anything about your cousin.”
“It was a long shot,” Raffi said with a sigh. “I thought, maybe you could ask your mom . . .”
“We’re not with my mother. Maybe you can help us, though,” I said.
Raffi lowered his hands.
“Keep them up,” Leo said, cocking his throwing hand back a little further.
“I know you as well,” Raffi said raising his hands back up. “He’s with the queen, you know that, right?”
“He’s changed,” Jackie said.
“People don’t change easily, not without some help." Raffi’s gaze narrowed. “Listen, we promise not to say anything about you.”
“We can’t let you go, but maybe you can help us?” I offered.
“Are you going to take the stone from her? We all believe it belongs with you,” Shari said.
“I know. And yes, we’re looking to end the queen’s reign.”
“Then of course, we will help you . . . if we can.”
Mark insisted on patting them down and taking away their stones. After that, he allowed them to lower their hands and we made our way back into the hotel room.
We were careful in what we told them, but we mentioned where we wanted to go.
“The pyramids?” Raffi said. “You want to get into the vault, huh? My dad and sister sort of run that place. You know they can’t make a single stone down there.”
“They need a special,” Jackie said.
“They need more than that,” Shari said. “I’ve heard about them bringing in specials to attempt a few ancient circles; all have failed. But I bet the person who made the philosopher’s stone could make anything. If we help you, can you make one stone for me down there?” A desperation filled her eyes and it stung. Not just the look, but the question. It seemed to be all anyone wanted from me.
“Sure, you help us, and I can help you,” I said. It felt dirty coming from my lips.
Shari smiled and looked at
the stained ceiling, mouthing the words, “Thank you.”
The problem was, I had no intention of making her that stone. If I could help it, I wasn’t making another stone for another person ever again. “There is one thing. Do you have any portal stones?”
They both laughed. “We’re well off, but not rich. We don’t have portal stones around here.”
Mark sighed and rubbed his face. I wondered if he did get his hands on another portal stone, if he would whisk me away to some hidden location.
“All right, but let’s go over how we’re going to get into that pyramid,” Jin said, steering the conversation back on topic.
Shari laid out a simple plan involving us being visitors, and me using her scarf and a pair of nice sunglasses to give me a plain disguise.
“So, when do we go?” Mark asked.
“We can go now,” Shari said. “You guys ready to go to one of the most important sights in the alchemist world?”
Chapter Eleven
I didn’t trust these people. Sure, there wasn’t anything directly wrong with them, but maybe I’d been burned by so many alchemists, I was starting to become jaded. Or maybe it was the fact that they were controlling our fate. They could easily bring us to a trap, hold me for ransom, or simply kill me off.
The cloth wrapping around my face hid my scowl, so I am sure they had no idea of my disdain. Mark took my good hand in his and squeezed. He must have known how I was feeling, and I loved having him with me on every step on this journey.
The long line of people in front of us spread out for what seemed like forever. To keep a lower profile, Shari gave me and Jackie her scarfs to wrap around our heads and faces. The guys wore hats and glasses, but it was obvious that Mark and Leo were tourists.
Leo took the role with gusto, pointing out the wonders of the pyramid to Mark.
I wish I could’ve found more joy in seeing something as magnificent as the pyramids of Giza, but my hands were getting sweaty and my gut was churning with bundles of nerves. The crowd of people around us seemed as if they were looking at me, watching my movements, and maybe even notifying my mother.
How many people had seen me since I last awoke? From Jin’s, to the island, and now this place. We didn’t last one gas station stop before getting spotted. The only thing keeping me from running away from this was the fact that if they were working for my mother, she would be here already.
“Freaking hot,” Jackie said and fanned her face. “How much longer are we waiting in this line?”
“Once we get past the check point, we can move to our contact location,” Rafi explained. He’d said it a few times now, but like me, I could tell Jackie was feeling uneasy.
“We have our stones,” I whispered to Jackie.
“I know. It’s not these people I’m worried about. I’ve heard rumors about the Egyptian alchemists. They’re uber protective of this thing,” Jackie said and gestured to the pyramid.
“It’s one of the wonders of the world, not a thing,” Shari said.
“Just get us there so we can make this stone and get out of here. This place . . .” Jackie shivered.
The line moved ahead and Rafi chatted with the guard.
“You all been here before?” a woman behind us asked.
I turned to see her in all her tacky, American tourist glory. A white visor, Hawaiian shirt, pale-blue capris, and a fanny pack.
“No, first time,” I said.
Her eyes lit up, “Oh, thank heavens, another American. I thought you were from one of those Pakistani countries with a hijab thing on.”
I sighed and turned away from the woman. I had nothing close to a hijab on my head.
“Do they let us in the pyramid?” she asked.
“I don’t think so,” Mark said curtly.
“Dang. I didn’t come here all the way from Billings, Montana not to go into one of them. I’ll talk to the guide we’re meeting and tell him we are expecting to go inside.”
Rafi eyed the woman with disdain.
“Hope you find what you’re looking for out here,” I said.
“Oh, I’m sure I will,” the woman said. “My kids are older now and have their own lives, but nothing can stop them from being my kids. That’s really the important thing, now isn’t it. That blood connection. Nothing can break it.”
“Yeah . . .” I said.
“Come on.” Rafi motioned for us to follow past the guard.
“Nice to meet you,” I said to the woman.
“The pleasure was all mine, sweetheart.”
We walked past the largest pyramid and down a dirt path, probably a hundred yards away from it. I gazed up at the massive blocks of stone. A few people mingled behind barricades, taking pictures and pointing at it, but our path was empty.
“Not this one?” I asked.
“No, this isn’t the one for alchemy. It’s the one over there,” Rafi said and pointed to the smaller one in the distance.
“Oh God, do we have to walk that far?” Jackie said. “I swear, I am never going anywhere without Carly again. We have portals stones out the ass with her.”
“You have a portal stone creator on staff?” Shari said.
“Of course they do. It’s the freaking stone creator standing right here. I can’t believe she can’t . . .” Rafi trailed off.
Yeah, I didn’t like it either. How could I create the biggest, baddest stone in the world, yet couldn’t do something as simple as a portal stone? I’d tried it a few times, but nothing. Something was different in Carly and the other portal creators. Something that wasn’t in me.
We walked along the dirt path, pretty much to ourselves, until we got to the smaller pyramid in the distance. By now, the sun was higher in the sky, but for me, I was starting to feel tired. I wasn’t even sure what time it was. I checked my pocket instinctively for my cell phone, but it wasn’t there.
“Jackie, have you tried contacting the Minitrepid?” Mark asked.
“Yeah, right, with queen bee floating around out there. Who knows, she can probably read our freaking cell signals and locate us through them. Safer to stay quiet.”
“Yup,” Leo said.
“Yeah,” Mark said skeptically. “But at some point, I think we’re going to need them.”
“Oh please, I can’t imagine if Bridget was here,” Jackie said with a laugh. “With the shoes she wears, she’d be crying by now.”
“So, Rafi, how do we get into this thing?” I looked up at the pyramid.
“This is the most sacred place in Egyptian alchemy. It isn’t a thing,” Rafi said. “Besides, it’s not in it, it’s under it, through a secret door.”
I glanced over at Leo, who was jerking his head around as if someone had just tapped him on his shoulder.
“How do we get in?” I asked. “You know, without them noticing us?”
Already, on the other side of the barricades, between us and the pyramid, were guards giving us the eye. They could probably spot troublemakers, and we were sure as hell troublemakers.
“It’s over here, right in the shadows,” Rafi said and kept walking around the pyramid until we were in its shadow.
The dark side made the stone blocks look more unified and undefined. The darker shadows in-between the cracks seemed like caves we could go up into and explore. I couldn’t help but stop and gaze at the wonder of it all. The idea of how they built it was almost asinine to entertain. The fact they had alchemist history in them made me feel even more connected, as if one of my great ancestors might have been here. I wanted to run over and touch them.
Rafi kneeled and brushed some loose sand from a stone embedded in the ground.
“What is it?” Jin asked.
“The door to below.”
“Guess we were lucky to find you.”
“We don’t believe in luck,” Shari commented. “It was our destiny to meet you in the motel parking lot.”
“How do we open it?” I asked.
“Only a special can open something like this,�
�� Rafi explained.
Everyone’s eyes but Mark’s landed on me. Then he spoke up. “I’ll open it.”
“Oh, what, you don’t think I can?” Jackie antagonized.
“They said a special alchemist,” Leo said. “Not special needs.”
“Shut up, Leo, or I’ll tell them all about your special needs days.”
“Hey, I had a speech impediment!” Leo exclaimed. He wiped his mouth and glared at Jackie, but it soon collapsed into a smile.
“It doesn’t matter who opens it,” Rafi said.
“Have you ever been down there?” Mark asked.
He shook his head. “I’ve heard my dad talk about it from time to time, but we aren’t exactly the most powerful of alchemists. In fact, I’m an embarrassment to my dad,” Rafi admitted.
“Then how do you know how to open it?” Mark asked.
“My sister is a well-known special around here. She’s taken great pride in being able to open this door in front of me, but never allowing me to enter.”
“Is it guarded down there?” Jin asked.
“No, they only use it for rare events, or if they’re trying to create some crazy stone. That’s the thing about my sister. She isn’t as powerful as she thinks she is. She fails at making stones for them all the time.”
I was starting to feel a little better about Rafi. I intimately understood the concept of living with a sibling who was treated better than yourself.
Mark stepped to the stone on the ground and looked to Rafi. “So?”
“Oh, just place your hand on it and let your alchemist energy, or rage, or whatever you summon, channel into it. That will open the door. We only have one shot at this though. If you can’t do it, we’ll have to wait for tomorrow to try again. So, I think it would be a good idea if Allie did it. No offense, but she seems like a sure thing.”
“I think I can handle a stone on the ground.”
Rafi shrugged and took a few steps back. “Okay.”
“You sure—” I started to say.
“I’m sure. Now just give me a bit of space and I can get this thing open.”
