by Rain Oxford
Forbidden Alchemy
Elemental Book 7
Rain Oxford
Revenant’s Call © 2019 Rain Oxford
All Rights Reserved
Cover art by Piero Mng (Gianpiero Mangialardi)
Edited by Crystal Potts
Previously, in Elemental…
School Directory:
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Epilogue
About the Author
Books by Rain Oxford
Previously, in Elemental…
I used to be a perfectly normal private investigator… who happened to have supernaturally accurate intuition and could communicate with animals. I was known for my discretion, so my talents were often utilized in fascinating cases such as embezzlement, cheating spouses, and the occasional inheritance scandal. It was boring, and I liked it that way. Then I took a case at a secret paranormal university called Quintessence and learned that I was actually a wizard.
Among humans, there also lived wizards, fae, vampires, and shifters. They were secretive, but they were everywhere.
Wizards blended in the best with humans. They could do magic naturally. Their magic was based on the elements, so while an untrained wizard could whip up a nice little fireball, a master of wizardry could turn a person inside out. However, magic could interfere with electronics, so the most powerful wizards didn’t interact much with humans.
Fae were like wizards in that they could do magic, except the magic was limited to just a few powers. However, they were much better at those powers than wizards were. Also like wizards, they looked human.
Shifters could only change into one animal, it was a full shift (they didn’t have a partial, man-beast form) and they weren’t controlled by the full moon. Most shifters were carnivores, predominantly wolves and large cats. Some of them (like wolves) lived in packs with an alpha whose word was the law for the entire pack.
Vampires, as human lore suggested, had super strength, speed, and senses. They could also thrall people, which was akin to mind control. Garlic, holy water, and crosses did nothing to them, but sunlight could kill them. They typically lived in covens.
If a paranormal had a child with a human, the child would almost always be a paranormal. If two paranormals of the same species (such as two wolf shifters) had a child, there would be no problem. However, if two different types of paranormals (such as a shifter and a fae) had a child, there was a fifty percent chance that the kid would be a throwback. A throwback was a person with paranormal parents who was somehow defective. Either he couldn’t shift or do magic, or he couldn’t function in the human world because he had animal characteristics or uncontrollable magic.
When I was eleven years old, I found out my best friend, Astrid, was a vampire. Instead of going to my parents and vampire-proofing my house, I invited her in and helped her. I woke up to find my father dead, my mother bleeding out, and Astrid sitting on the floor, covered in their blood. After many years of shunning the entire paranormal community and hating vampires in particular, I learned that she had actually saved my mother and me from a wizard named John Cross, who was my real father.
Or my uncle.
John Cross was no mere wizard; he had a unique, powerful, and deadly ability to read and control minds. He also fathered children in order to steal their powers. His brother, Vincent Knight, had visions; he could see the future and past. Both of these abilities were inherited from their father, who had a third ability neither of them developed; he had supernatural intuition.
To hurt his brother, John stole Vincent’s wife with mind control and nearly destroyed her mind. She was my mother. I didn’t know whether John or Vincent was my father, but I inherited all three abilities my grandfather had. I had my intuition for my entire life. My ability to talk to animals was just the tip of the iceberg, and soon developed into more when I accepted that I was a wizard. In the end, I killed John and absorbed some of his magic, which unlocked my visions.
Vincent taught me to control my visions using a ring so that I wasn’t constantly seeing things I didn’t want to. Quintessence played a large part in preventing me from turning out like John.
To become a halfway decent wizard and not follow in John’s footsteps, I had to let love into my heart again. Water was the first element I had to “master,” which was characterized by healing and love. My roommates were vital in doing this because they were the first paranormals after Astrid that I really trusted.
Henry was a jaguar shifter, but not like any other. Although he was born here, his mother was from another world, where shifters ruled. Other than his saber fangs and the fact that he could turn invisible, choose between being regular sized or the size of a horse, and regulate his own blood, Henry was a normal jaguar. He was also a trained thief, thanks to a jaguar couple who kidnapped Henry from his real mother as an infant, exploited him his entire life, killed his wife, and kidnapped his son. Years later, Henry finally got his son back and cut his parents out of his life. He was also a fantastic artist.
Darwin was half fae, half wolf shifter, and all mouth. He was a genius and fiercely loyal, but he was nearly ten years younger than me, and could be abrasive. His jokes were older than me, he was messy and forgetful, he took his pranks way too far, and his cheekiness was going to get him eaten. There was also the fact that if anyone except his fiancée touched his skin, it would hurt him and he would see the person’s death.
Earth was the element of strength and stability of mind. I learned that fighting my magic was wrong; I had to control it. With the earth element, I could control my power instead of letting it control me. I could use it without turning out like John.
Fire was used for purification, passion, and willpower. It was similar to other elements in a way, but it was the element I took to the easiest. Air was the element of divination and psychism. The fifth element was the soul, which I didn’t actually master since I didn’t attend my last semester at Quintessence.
During my time at Quintessence, I learned of a tower far below the university that had four doors to four different worlds. Each of these worlds contained the pure ancestors of our paranormal factions: wizards, vampires, shifters, and fae.
These “pure” versions were also about a hundred times more dangerous than our “diluted” versions. Because the paranormals are so powerful, the doors could only be opened with a key. Logan Hunt, the headmaster of Quintessence, Vincent, and Keigan Langril each had a key when I first learned about it. Langril was a quirky professor who happened to be a “pure” wizard from Dothra. We called wizards from Dothra demons because of the sinister nature of their magic.
I attained the fourth key which, other than allowing me access to the shadow pass, didn’t seem to do a whole lot at first. The shadow pass was a dark realm that a demon or someone with a key could transport from place to place, but not across worlds.
It turned out that the price for the key was too high, so I made a deal with Langril’s daughter, Heather, so that she could tak
e my key. Because the keys fused into our magic as soon as we accepted them, the only way to get it from us was to kill us. In order to take it from me, she first gave me immortality. Then Langril and Heather went to Dothra to destroy the tower from that side.
Not all connections were broken, however. We had learned that Henry was Langril’s familiar, so although he was a shifter and couldn’t use wizard magic, he could use some of Langril’s demonic magic.
Only when everything was over and calm again did I learn that the key had given me another power that I didn’t want. Although I lost access to the shadow pass, I was stuck with the ability to see ghosts. Because I couldn’t always tell them apart from living people, I got a magic tattoo from Hunt’s brother that warned me if a ghost was near.
I didn’t attend my fifth semester at Quintessence because I was offered a job at Hunt’s paranormal children’s school. When he turned control of the school over to his daughter, Remington hired me to be a vice principal. While I didn’t completely give up my investigations, I did agree to the job. Some of that decision might have been due to us dating.
School Directory:
The Center is the house for teachers.
The North is the house & school for students aged 5-9.
The West is the house for students aged 10-17.
The South is the school for students aged 10-13.
The East is the school for students aged 14-17.
Administration:
Remington Hunt – Headmistress
Devon Sanders – Deputy Headmaster of the East
Gryphon Yuun – Deputy Headmaster of the North
James Murphy – Deputy Headmaster of the South
Dani Halstead – Accountant, messenger, & Remington’s assistant
Counselors:
Manuela Polo – Counselor of the North
Addison Floyd – Counselor of the North & South
Amelia Bell – Counselor of fae students
Henry Lycosa – Counselor of shifter students
East Staff:
Darwin Mason (14-17 math teacher) – Wolf shifter/Fae
NONE (14-17 literacy teacher)
Ms. Terri Holland (14-17 history teacher) – Wizard
William Grant (14-17 science teacher) – Wizard
South Staff:
Mrs. Lesya Zedrick (10-13 math teacher) – Fae
NONE (10-13 language arts teacher)
Ms. Kelly Davis (10-13 history teacher) – Wizard/Fae
Mrs. Konwerski (10-13 science teacher) – Wizard
North Staff:
Roland Zedrick (5-9 math teacher) – Coyote shifter
Tanya Greening (5-9 literacy teacher) - Wizard
Ray Mcaleer (5-9 history teacher) – Fae
Ponni Murali (5-9 science teacher) – Snow leopard shifter
Multi-grade/extracurricular Staff:
Amelia Bell (5-13 controlling fae powers) – Fae
Henry Lycosa (10-17 controlling the beast) – Jaguar shifter
Ms. Melody Bounds (10-17 home economics and health teacher) – Wizard
Mark Whittaker (10-17 martial arts and athletics coach) – Fae
Cy Walker (Temporary Librarian) – Wizard
Chapter 1
I woke with a splitting headache. The fact that I was on a hardwood floor instead of my bed told me that something was wrong. I sat up and took in my surroundings.
I was alone in a ten-by-ten room with flickering lights on the walls, as if there was a fire. However, there was no fire, or even source of light. There were no windows, doors, or visible gaps in the walls or ceiling.
How is there air without windows or a door? I checked my arms for defensive wounds and found none. My clothes were in place. I felt my head and found no sore spots or blood.
I heard someone crying and froze. “Mommy!”
I stood and followed the sound to the middle of one of the walls, which was as close as I could get. When I touched the wall, however, a chill went up my spine. The wall was soft and leathery, like I could punch through it. “Hello?” I called. The cries stopped. “Can you hear me?”
“Yes,” the young girl tentatively answered.
“I want to help you. Are you hurt?”
“Do you know where my mom is?”
“Who is your mom?”
“Chris Williams. Please find her.”
“I will find her. Are you hurt?”
“No.”
I tried to reach out with my magic, but it didn’t connect with anyone. Something was blocking me. I called to my familiar and sensed her, but she didn’t appear.
“How long have you been here?”
“I don’t know.”
“Do you know who took you?”
“No.”
“Do you remember what happened? Did someone grab you at night or---”
“No, I woke up here. Please find my mom! She’s the only one who can help me.”
“Is there something you’re not telling me?” No answer. “Why can’t I help you?”
“She knows how to find me. She saved me before.”
“Before? You’ve been kidnapped before?” No answer again. “Who kidnapped you?”
“You wouldn’t believe me.”
“I can believe a lot. I really want to help you, but I need as much information as possible.” She didn’t say anything else. “I will do everything in my power to help you and get you back to your mom safe and sound. What’s your name?”
“Tazmyn. Mom calls me Tazzy.”
“Good. Good. Can you tell me where your mom lives?”
“Siloam Springs.”
“Do you know her phone number?”
“No.”
“Are you in a small room with no windows or doors?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. Stand away from the walls.” I pulled out my dagger and stabbed the wall. Blinding light flashed and I was suddenly awake, sitting up in my bed at the school. I was sweating. It wasn’t a dream, but I also shouldn’t have had a vision unprovoked.
* * *
Sunday, November 13
Darwin set his plate on the table and sat with a sigh of frustration. “If I see one more meter-tall spider blocking the hallway, I’m gonna puke.”
Darwin was five-five and slender with light, shaggy blond hair and deep blue eyes. He wore his favorite gray hoodie to cover as much of his skin as possible, but he was also barefoot, as many of the fae preferred to be. Despite having been born in England, he had lived all over the world as a child, and his accent and slang were primarily Australian.
“You’re the only one bored by them,” Henry said. Henry was pretty much the opposite of Darwin in appearance and mannerism. He was six feet tall and muscular with black hair and gold eyes. Where Darwin was goofy, uncouth, and used humor to break the tension, Henry was serious and stoic, often coming across as a prude.
“We have crabs that can walk off with dogs in Australia. Our trees can kill ya, bro. The point is that it’s the middle of November, so it’s time to stop the Halloween pranks.”
“You love Halloween,” I pointed out.
“We all do. There are other holidays to look forward to, though, and these kids take it way too far. Now it’s getting in the way of my teaching. It cheapens the holiday.”
The paranormal schools celebrated Halloween and other holidays that are recognized around the world, but the students and staff usually put a pagan or unusual twist on them. No one in the paranormal community seemed to have any interest in celebrating Thanksgiving, though.
Instead, there was a three-night-long “Moon Night” celebration. The full moon hadn’t been this close since 1948, and it wouldn’t get this close again until 2034. Students and staff decorated their rooms and hallways with glowing moons and stars. Magic caused clouds to cover and uncover them randomly. Colorful banners and ribbons decorated most of the walls and gas lamps in the school.
Since the three days that the moon was its fullest fell on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday,
many students and staff begged to have the days off, but Remy gave everyone Halloween off, so she declined. Besides, the students couldn’t enjoy it as much during the day. Instead, she canceled all afternoon detentions for those three days.
Since most clubs occurred on the weekends, they were usually busier than weekdays. Clubs weren’t mandatory, but I didn’t know any student who wasn’t in a club.
“I was more bothered when they turned all the water to blood.”
“It only looked like blood,” Darwin said.
“Glowing bats still infest the North,” Henry said.
“None of those were as bad as the worms in the spaghetti last night!” I insisted.
They both looked at me like I was insane. “I actually liked the texture,” Darwin said.
“They were more nutritious than noodles,” Henry added.
“Anyway, I’m starting a religious studies club.” Darwin sounded excited about it.
“What does it cover?” I asked. Darwin regarded religion as a cultural tool.
“So far, we have planned Druidism, Ancient Egyptian, and Wicca, but I think what we’ll do is cover a different religion each week.”
He was also in charge of five separate language clubs, a math club, a science club, and an ancient history club. The students loved him. The science and history teachers didn’t. I sat in on his clubs and classes sometimes. He was a genius and pretended that Henry and I were idiots, but around kids, he was completely different. He was patient, funny, and encouraging.
“Oh, I have to sub for Mark today. He was injured by the Madaki kids.” The problem with African wild dog shifters was that they were even more pack-minded than wolf shifters. When Debbie lost her temper, shifted, and attacked her martial arts teacher for not letting her be first in a demonstration, her brothers shifted and attacked automatically. They couldn’t help it; their pack member attacked, so they did.
Mark Whittaker was fae, but he would never use his powers against children. Fortunately, the other students were loyal to him and pulled the Madaki siblings off him. The main purpose of the children’s school was to teach the students how to control themselves and function in the human world.
