The Fake Heart (Time Alchemist Series)

by Revelle, Allice

  If this wasn’t the biggest event of the year I would rather have just slept in bed all day.

  But it wasn’t until the day before the Winter Formal—when the air was buzzing with excitement and shrieking girls showing off their dresses and plumes of perfumes clung to the air—that Dove finally told me their game plan.

  “We’re heading out tomorrow night,” she said.

  Tomorrow night? Why tomorrow, of all days?! “Why so late?” I asked, hoping she would drop a hint as to which area the Elixir might be in.

  We were both bundled up on my floor in thick blankets, drinking hot chocolate and munching on ham and cheese sandwiches I had fixed downstairs (it was super easy to fix whatever you want since ninety percent of the residents at Moore Hall made the kitchens off limits to themselves). I looked out the window as the wind whipped the tips of the trees in the moonlit night. I hoped that Leon was warm and safe in the clock tower.

  “Leon told me he felt like someone was watching him,” she said, taking small sips of her drink, “We don’t know if this Ice Alchemist knows I exist, but I’ve been pretty safe hiding here. Leon and I think that whoever is watching him is waiting for us to move. If we guessed right, whoever it is lives on campus, and since tomorrow half of the residence will be occupied with this…Winter Dance you mentioned, moving out at dusk is our best bet.”

  “Why are you even telling me this?” Dove knew I would be occupied tomorrow, and that winter holidays began the day after, which meant I would be packing my things and heading back to New York for the next two weeks of winter break. I had mentioned the dance to her before and said I was going (she didn’t seem very interested), and Dove and Leon had both agreed (without my consent) to get the Elixir before I left Georgia. And I can’t help but think she selected tomorrow night on purpose. To make absolutely sure I was busy and out of their hair, but in a place where she knew I would be safe and sound.

  And…that really hurt. I had been hoping that…we would all still have some time together, even when I come back from winter break—but my mind never wanted to think about what could happen afterwards.

  After I was healed, Dove and Leon wouldn’t have a reason to stick around. They would probably go off and search for more pieces of the Elixir but…what would they do with them? How would they even find them? Would they try to work together or go back to their old ways, fighting and bickering to the death?

  Her cool blue eyes held my gaze, a sad flicker of a smile on her pale face, “You would have found out either way, but we promised we wouldn’t leave you in the dark. You have to understand, Emery, if we plan this right, there is a high possibility that the Ice Alchemist, or any person, could be following us. People have killed over less, haven’t they?”

  The hot chocolate felt like I was choking on thick sludge as I swallowed. She was right. Of course she was right—she was, well, Dove! At least Leon had a chance to fight back, and take care of Dove at the same time. There was no way he could watch me and Dove, especially if this Ice Alchemist was as powerful as we thought. And my powers…what little powers I had were pretty much useless. Unless the enemy decided it was much more amusing to watch me concentrate on slowing down time, I was dead meat.

  But my heart clenched whenever I thought of the danger Dove and Leon would be in—they could get seriously hurt, while I was still at the grounds dancing away and kissing Jack under the mistletoe like Cinderella. Couldn’t I do any thing to help them?

  Then it hit me.

  It was so obvious. If it was a snake it would have bite me in the behind. I knew what I had to do—and, I wouldn’t be in the way at all. (at least, I’m pretty sure it would work). It was daring, bold, and quite frankly, a little stupid. But it was perfect.

  Besides, whatever Dove and Leon didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them, right?

  ◊◊◊◊◊

  Up bright and early the next day, I scurried off towards the clock tower. The morning light filtered a soft gray blanket on the dead trees and the brick buildings. My breath hung in the air as I marched towards the clock tower, backpack in tow.

  There wasn’t a soul around, and I kept glancing over my shoulder, feeling eyes on me. The hairs on my neck stood up and I set into a run. But even when I reached the back of the tower, nothing had happened. Yet, I couldn’t shake this weird feeling that whoever was watching me was waiting…for something.

  Something big was going to happen tonight at Bonaventure.

  Something bad.

  I couldn’t figure out what, but let’s just call it intuition. All night I kept tossing and turning, the picture of a sweet, innocent barely thirteen year old Kathleen staring right into me, burning into the backs of my eyelids, begging for questions. The tugging I felt in my gut seemed to grow stronger after Dove finalized the plans. There wasn’t much time left.

  I pushed open the back door; it groaned in protest, and I was met with a stale, dusty cold. Normally it was somewhat warmer than the outside, but the hallway felt lonely and abandoned. I figured that Mr. Jones had taken off for the holidays (since tomorrow was technically the start of vacation), but what about Leon?

  I heard heavy shuffling, and a flickering light near the stairs. I quickly tucked my bag in the hall closet, nestling it between a faded red vacuum and the wall before heading up.

  Leon’s door was all the way open and I peered in. Everything was gone. The furniture was pushed to the far wall and the plates and cups were packed up in a plastic bag. An orange duffle bag was on top of the mattress, the linens and pillows all missing, as Leon finished stuffing what looked like books and clothes inside it. It was almost bulging out of its zipper.

  “What’s going on?”

  Leon whirled around, a toothbrush sticking out of his mouth, “Whah the hech, Emery?” he spat out, foamy toothpaste falling onto his blue shirt. I snorted; his shocked expression was kinda cute, but seeing the bag quickly quenched my happy mood.

  “Sorry for scaring you,” I said, looking out the large window. The sun was starting to shine a little brighter, unusual for a December morning. It looked like it would be a nice day for the Formal. I leaned against the oak door frame as Leon busied himself with cleaning. “I just wanted to stop by and say hi…but I guess you’re going somewhere, so I guess it should be a goodbye instead.”

  He gargled loudly and spit in a plastic cup before dumping it in the trash. His eyes were very calm and warm as we spoke, “I take it Dove told you.”

  I nodded. No words were really needed. I gestured over to the backpack and the bags full of food and silverware, “I take it that you’re moving out.”

  He nodded, a thin and strained frown formed on his lips. “If you think that I’m going to grab the Elixir and run off—”

  I shook my head, walking over to him before poking his chest, “Of course not, dummy!” I said, “I know you better than that. I also know that it’s time for us to all move on, isn’t it? That’s why I came by—to wish you good luck. But I’ll add a ‘see you later’ to that also. Just don’t do anything stupid like getting yourself killed or…” my voice trailed off. My mind went blank. But then a firm, warm hand enveloped mine, tugging it closer to his chest.

  I could feel the steady beats of his heart beneath his shirt, thrumming like a bass drum. “Emery….” His voice sent a ripple of electricity through my skin.

  I felt my skin flush; I was sure my face was a bright as a tomato. “Wh-what is it?” I stammered, instantly wishing the earth would swallow me up before I made a gigantic idiot of myself.

  “You…aren’t planning to follow us, are you?”

  “Geez, of course not! I’m not stupid!” and I felt like a bigger idiot. Here I thought he was going to do something…romantic, since we wouldn’t see each other after this. Dammit Emery! You have Jack! You like Jack! Just because…just because this isn’t as sweet as you thought doesn’t mean you should be an ass!

  But I was being an ass. A huge, cowardly lying one. That’s it: I was just like the cowardly lion fro
m the Wizard of Oz, getting left behind while these two went to find Dorothy’s ruby red slippers—except replace the slippers with a…what did the Elixir look like, anyway…well, replace the slippers with the Elixir and it was pretty much a fairy tale ending. And for some reason I couldn’t help but feel guilty at these…emotions I was feeling when Leon looked at me like that. My cheeks burned hot as I felt his sea green glassy eyes bore into mine.

  “I gotta…go,” I said, slipping my hand away from his grasp. My hand already felt cold. “See ya—or, I mean, bye. Be careful.”

  I walked out, tears starting to well in the corners of my eyes. I barely heard what Leon’s reply was before I had rushed down the stairs and fled the tower like a crying little girl.

  “Bye.”

  ◊◊◊◊◊

  A large, rectangular box wrapped in silver and frosty blue ribbons awaited me when I came back from my trip to the clock tower. It was perched carefully on the door to my single room; the paper sparkling in the hall lights. I heard whispers echoing in the halls and girls poke their heads out, faces covered in thick mascara and luscious cherry red lipstick; hair piled up in tight, curly buns or cascading down their shoulders like the ripples in an ocean.

  Which made my mind travel back to Leon’s swirling eyes, and the sour taste in my mouth made it hard to swallow, like I had chewed on a piece of Uncle Bob’s horribly made fruitcakes that were anything but fruit and cake.

  Mallory stood outside her door, polished pink-and-white French cut manicures posed on her slender hips as she bore tiny holes into my back when I bent over to pick it up. Tasha peered out over her shoulder briefly before heading back inside to finish whatever. I even saw Samantha’s strawberry blonde curls peak out underneath a large fluffy pink towel before she too disappeared back inside.

  There was a tiny white stock card nestled between the ribbons, and my heart leapt at the note:

  Em,

  I thought this dress would look absolutely stunning on you. Let’s prove me right, for once in our relationship? I will be waiting for you tonight.

  Your prince charming,

  Jack

  I smiled at our own personal joke. Ever since we met—ever since we started officially dating—I had confessed that his actions and speech always reminding me of a corny fairy tale Prince Charming, just as he had joked about in the woods back in September. It was nice, having a private joke between your boyfriend, no matter how cheesy it was.

  I heard Mallory fake a cough behind me, and boy, did I want to tear the beautifully wrapped package open and flaunt whatever was inside in front of Mallory’s perfectly, blemish-free face and watch her pretty brown eyes fill with jealousy, but I didn’t. It made me so happy that Jack thought of buying me something, and the timing couldn’t have been any better, but my heart still ached, like somebody had punched a hole in my chest and kept prodding the open would with a stick.

  Maybe it could take my mind away from what was going on, or at least distract me for a measly five minutes.

  I shoved open the door, balancing the package and giving Mallory a curt smile before shutting it with a click. “Hey Dove,” I said in a low voice, just in case the other girls could hear me, “You won’t believe what I got from Jack—!”

  But the room was empty.

  The curtains were drawn together, but a slim string of light shone through the crack. Everything was in place—the framed picture of me and my Dad, my school books stacked neatly in a box to take back to the library, and my school uniform hung on the closet door, the black buttons as dark as night. It was all in perfect order. Just like always. Everything, save a few minor things, was ready for me to pack up to leave for home. Everything was normal.

  Except….it wasn’t. The hundreds of papers and pens and weird research instruments that Dove always littered over my floor and desk and bookshelves weren’t there. The muddy tracks that Leon’s boots kept trailing in, no matter how many times I had scolded him about it, were wiped clean. Even the window perch looked like it was missing a friend.

  I slumped against the door. Yup, still perfect and normal…and empty and lonely, even in the bright translucent lights of the dusty overhead bulbs. Still, I opened my closet and peered up at the hole, calling Dove’s name softly, hoping she was just taking a nap, or maybe even planning to surprise me.

  No answer came from the creepy hole that Dove had failed (or forgotten) to cover up. I’d have to find a way to fix that before the House Mother or some cleaning crew found it like that.

  Girls in the hall chattered happily like baby birds, all full of light and laughter and the same, glowing warmth that friendship provided. The wind howled outside like it was lonely. Just like me.

  Dove was gone.

  And she didn’t even say goodbye.

  CHAPTER 23

  I placed the box on the bed, ready to crawl under the covers and sleep away my miserable life until I spotted a piece of paper folded in half and stuck to the mini fridge with a SAVANNAH, GEORGIA peach shaped magnet. I slid over, sitting on my aching knees and ripped it open. My eyes widened.

  It was a note from Dove:

  Emery,

  I know you dislike it when I go on about how sorry I am, but I couldn’t really bring myself to say goodbye.

  Because…this isn’t goodbye.

  Rather, as Guinevere used to say, it’s just the start of a new beginning. Every person you meet in life opens the door to your future, and, well, we can both agree that our door sort of slammed into your face, didn’t it?

  I laughed, eyes brimming with tears as I read on.

  Both Leon and I have been trying our best to get back on the right track, but I will be honest: I’m a bit apprehensive. How could something so simple turn into something so black? Could Leon and I really make amends with such ease, or will we just dwindle back into our old habits?

  Neither of us know what will become of us after we find this fragment of the Elixir. But we both know—and agree—that saving your life is something our Master would have wanted. You resemble her so much; your eyes full of fire and your kindness, and sometimes you are just so stubborn and to the point, just as she was; but there are no words to express my gratitude towards you.

  Of course, I will see you soon, very soon, I hope. But in that slim chance our paths can’t cross again, I wanted to say one more thing:

  Thank you for being my only friend.

  Dove

  I smiled, even though I felt the tears flow down my cheeks before I even finished the letter. Warmth spread all the way to the tips of my toes. Funny, I didn’t feel sad or empty anymore. I felt happy and confident and fulfilled. It was amazing how a piece of paper and a few words could make you so much better. Like reading a good fortune from inside the golden fortune cookie, or getting extra bonus points on a paper you thought you had failed.

  Maybe my true reason for coming to St. Mary’s wasn’t to be the top student, or become the popular chick and be part of a pre-college sorority—it was to meet Dove and Leon. Given the circumstances, you’d think I would be relieved to have them out of my life.

  But I knew it was something. Fate, luck, whatever, that led us together, and I couldn’t be better.

  ◊◊◊◊◊

  The third (or was it fourth?) biggest surprise of the day came to my door exactly two hours before Jack was scheduled to pick me up.

  I opened it and almost dropped my hardback novel onto an unfortunate someone’s foot.

  Who happened to be Karin—wide eyed, grinning with her dark blonde hair done in an elegant braid, carrying a large duffel bag and a few dresses draped under her arm, wrapped in plastic. I saw lots of sparkles and glitter and ruffles. And then I saw the girl standing behind Karin.

  It was Samantha. Mallory’s friend, Samantha.

  She looked sheepish, holding a large neon pink bag in her hands that was covered in stickers of flowers, kittens and iconic cities of the world. Her hair was done in a low, side pony tail tied up in a big pink almost tropical
looking flower that had sparkling pink glitter on the petals.

  “You better shut that mouth of yours before you swallow a fly!” Karin laughed, and I did. Snap it shut, I mean. But I still stayed right in place.

  “I—what’s going on?” I ask.

  Karin grinned, looping her arm around Samantha’s thin frame and giving her a squeeze, “We came to help you with your date!”

  “Okay…why?”

  “Well, you aren’t going to the Winter Formal with your hair like that are you?” Samantha blurted, cowering a little at my glare. Karin smacked me playfully on the upper arm.

  “She comes in peace, Emery, don’t worry your pretty head about it,” Karin said, rushing past me, dragging a very confused Samantha behind her. I sighed, relentlessly shutting the door with a soft click.

  “I—”

  “Don’t ask questions,” Karin said, “We are here to help whether you like it or not.”

  I stared at Samantha, who fidgeted near my mini fridge, unusually interested in the papers and few photos I had taped on there. Karin busied herself surveying the room, going from my bed to ruffling inside my desk drawers, making comments of “What I would give for a single” and whatnot.

  I stepped closer to Samantha. “What is it that you really want?” I asked in a low tone, “Did Mallory send you here? Is she planning something?” Would Mallory really stoop so low as to send one of her lackeys here to spy on me just hours before the formal? Yes. Yes she would.

  She gave me a curt look, but blushed. Her baby blue eyes wide. “I’m here to help, just like Karin said.”

  “But why?” I tilted my head as I placed the hardback on top of the desk before shooing Karin’s prying eyes away from it.

  Instantly Samantha’s eyes fell to the ground. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped her hot pink bag in both hands. “I’m…I wanted to say I was sorry for what happened last month.”