by Walker, Nina
I took quick stock of my surroundings and breathed in deeply.
An older woman kneeled in front of me. She had twinkling brown eyes and long gray hair that was braided down her back. An eclectic collection of long necklaces draped over her loose clothing. I noticed she’d brought one of the potted plants closer. She must have pulled the green from it to use for her alchemy.
I was surprised to find that she was not dressed in the typical guardian attire. They usually wore black from head to toe. Her skin was tanned and wrinkled, like worn leather. Despite her wizened appearance, I liked her. I knew her. She turned to Jessa, who was just next to her, also leaning over me.
“You’re both okay now,” the woman said, laughing at Jessa’s expression. “You had a panic attack, dear, plus burned yourself and he passed out. What did he say to you?”
Neither of us responded. She studied the fire, which still crackled as if someone had tossed water over the embers. She could probably guess the answer.
Yes, lady, that’s right. I was just knocked out by an untrained color alchemist.
“It’s okay,” she said to Jessa. “You’ll adjust. We all do.” Her smile was magnetic. Maybe this woman was the perfect person to get through to Jessa. Should I keep her around to help me?
“I’m a color alchemist. Primarily, a healer,” the old woman continued. “I used the green color of this plant to heal your wounds, as well as calm your panic attack. Not to mention, wake up Prince Charming here.” She laughed at her lame joke. “You’ll be fine, but if you need anything else, you’re welcome to ask for me. My name is Jasmine.” She held out her and shook Jessa’s.
“Thank you,” Jessa replied.
“By the way,” I added as I brushed off my suit and stood. “Jessa is not getting into trouble for that, because we aren’t going to tell anyone.”
I peered at Jessa. “But please, try not to do it again.”
“Everything is going to be just fine now,” Jasmine said. “Do you need anything else, Prince Lucas?”
“That’s all, thank you.” I was grateful for her perfect timing, of course, despite the embarrassment. Jasmine curtsied to me before leaving the room. I reminded myself to have a conversation with her later.
As soon as we were alone, Jessa and I were immediately transported back to our earlier tension.
“What just happened?” she asked as I sat next to her. “One moment, I was sure I was having a heart attack. I tripped. I never trip. And I burned myself. Then the next moment, you’re on the ground knocked out. That lady comes in here and makes it all go away as if it was nothing. Using color. Green color, from a plant right? I didn’t even catch the whole thing—I was too shocked.”
“That was only a little bit of healing. Jasmine used green color alchemy. It healed you and woke me from whatever you’d done to me with that fire. I have to admit, you’re the first alchemist I’ve met who’s actually touched fire like that.”
I meant it as a joke, but she wasn’t laughing. She sat speechless, staring at her healed wrists and hands. She probably never suspected alchemy existed on this kind of level. Maybe she’d heard of other alchemists, but if she’d seen one before, she certainly didn’t look it.
“It’s just a glimpse of what’s to come, Jessa,” I continued. “Before long, you’ll be able to do that, too. And more. Welcome to your future.”
At that, she was ready to listen. What can I say? It’s a good line.
I couldn’t admit that what had just happened with the fire had bothered me. I’d never seen anyone react the way she had. I certainly hadn’t been expecting her to fall into the fire, let alone pull the orange energy out. Again, I was reminded of how lucky we were that Jasmine had already been on her way in. I had called for a healer, and apparently they’d sent only the best. Now…where was that food and clothing?
As I racked my brain, I realized that Jasmine’s face was familiar. I was pretty sure she’d been a GC staple at the palace for years. But since I typically avoided their area in the palace and really had no purpose for healers, our paths hadn’t crossed much. Was she one of the guardians who regularly attended to my mother? There were well over two hundred guardians by now. I didn’t know them all.
Despite Jasmine’s rescue, Jessa’s emotions were still all over the place. This is the danger with untrained color alchemists, I reminded myself. I had to keep her calm while I explained the situation.
I momentarily wondered if I should summon the guards back in. But I decided against it. I needed to gain her trust if this was going to work. Given Jessa’s unprecedented power, it was clear that my father wanted to use Jessa for his own ends. I needed to get close enough to her to stop that from happening. I didn’t just need to gain her trust, I had to. She was the tipping point. Perhaps she could even help the Resistance. Maybe together we could save New Colony from my father.
“You’re struggling with this because you’re a little late to the game,” I explained, trying not to get too far ahead of myself. “The fact that your abilities weren’t discovered earlier is astonishing.”
“It really was an accident.”
“Was that actually the first time?” I asked, pushing thoughts of her beauty from my mind. I didn’t need the distraction.
She hesitated, but I didn’t want to irritate her and risk another accidental blast of power. She shook her head. “It was the second.”
I paused to consider that. The first time it happened, she should have turned herself in. This must be why General Faulk was so bent on keeping Jessa locked up. We had to make examples out of people like Jessa. But I had no intention of punishing this girl. Luckily, Richard had seen my logic for once. He’d even put me in charge of seeing she got the training she needed. That was normally a royal officer’s job, but ever since I turned eighteen, Richard had been bringing me in for more and more work. His orders had enabled me to be in this room, talking to this potentially dangerous girl.
“Color alchemists are born, not created. There are different degrees to their power, and some only have abilities as children before they quickly grow out of it.”
“They’re lucky.”
“Yes and no,” I replied. “Yes, because they usually are able to integrate back into their families. We keep tabs on them, but in most cases, they seem completely normal. But many who are discovered with this power become strong enough that they must fight to have control. They join the GC because it means they’ve trained enough to handle their abilities. It means they know what they’re doing can make a difference. Those that can’t control it—” I paused to consider how to say this. “Let’s just say it’s not very appealing.”
Her gaze held me, a trace of pain buried beneath her eyes. Was she recalling the brief time spent in the isolated prison, with its dull gray surfaces? The first time I’d seen her up close, she had been drugged and asleep. I felt a twinge of empathy, remembering the way she’d been so helpless.
“To be a Guardian of Color is an honor. Most of the alchemy the GC does is kept secret from the public. People don’t usually accept what they can’t understand. But I can testify that their magic is remarkable and instrumental to our kingdom.”
Her brow furrowed skeptically, but she didn’t interrupt.
I took that as a good sign and continued. “You already know that New Colony is the only country that takes care of its people. Many have returned to the Dark Ages. Why do you think that is?”
“Standard answer? Because when natural resources dried up, the rest of the world was holding onto their democracies. But no one agreed on anything. They didn’t take care of what they had. They were too busy fighting with each other, which meant no one got anything done. So we broke away. Our monarchy created stabilization. The kingdom was named New Colony, and your family became our royal family decades ago, in our last ever election.”
Each word sounded like it had been lifted verbatim from a history book. Richard would be proud.
“Yes, initially that’s how we survived.
But what did alchemy have to do with it?” As I suspected, she didn’t have an answer. She wouldn’t. Regular citizens knew very little about color alchemy or the guardians. They only knew to report anything suspicious. That was it. My father and grandfathers before me had gone to great lengths to keep our secrets well hidden from our enemies. Our biggest weapon? We knew why alchemy worked—and how to harness it.
“Did you know that throughout history, color alchemists have been persecuted?”
“There aren’t very many of them. Didn’t they hide it?”
“Sometimes they did. And sometimes they were murdered, burned alive with accusations of witchcraft. More civilized societies would just throw them in prison. That’s only if they were lucky enough not to accidentally kill someone, which ended in execution.”
From the horrified expression on her face, I could tell this was new information.
“There’s a lot about the past that New Colony has kept from society.”
“To keep us safe?”
Typical obedient civilian answer. “To keep the citizens safe, sure. But it’s also been for you, to keep the color alchemists safe from the people. You saw the way those people in that auditorium reacted to you. They were the wealthiest, most educated and elite citizens in our nation, and even they were ready to create a mob. Normal people don’t understand you, Jessa. They never will.”
She flinched at the word “normal.”
“So what makes you royals so different? Why is the GC located here at the palace, of all places?”
“Generations ago, our family created the GC to study color alchemy. We housed it here, right in plain sight. Instead of fearing it, we’ve used it to our advantage. New Colony has not only survived, but we’ve thrived. What Jasmine did today was only an ounce of what she’s capable of. Before the GC, we had scheduled blackouts, poverty, and a lot of unhappy people. And that’s what still happens outside of our borders.”
Jessa still looked pained. Was she conflicted? If she believed me, then she understood why her power was so important. We needed her. She could never go back to her old life.
“If I join you, what happens to me? What about my family? What about ballet?”
“I wish I had a better answer for you, but I don’t.”
“Don’t pretend to feel sorry for me,” she murmured.
Why did I have to do this to her?
“Please, if you know so much about it, can you help me turn it off? I could have my life back.” She held off tears. “Please just let me try.”
“There’s no turning it off. It’s impossible.” It took everything in me not to go over to her and hold her. I couldn’t risk revealing my unwanted feelings. I was angry with myself for even acknowledging them at all. I needed to stay in control.
Guilt threatened to rise to the surface knowing how I’d lied. She’d asked if she could turn off her powers and I said no. Alchemy wasn’t exactly impossible to turn off. It was just nearly impossible. Sure, she could try. I know it had happened once before. An alchemist was able to do it. Turn it all off.
But I couldn’t tell her that. I’d never tell her that.
I kept my face still. She was too valuable. I suspected the Resistance could use her to stop Richard. She wasn’t indoctrinated by the alchemists yet. Clearly, Faulk hated her. Maybe we could gain Jessa’s trust and get her on our side.
“You can’t make me do it. You can’t make me do anything. I don’t want to be a Guardian of Color.”
“You don’t have a choice. Besides, we can’t just let you go. You’d hurt someone. Would you rather sit in that cell for the rest of your life?”
She scowled at me. “What does any of it matter to you?”
How was I supposed to get through to this girl? Was she hearing a single thing I was telling her? So stubborn, so frustrating!
And that makes you like her more.
Just then, the heavy oak door opened and a woman dressed head-to-toe in a white uniform walked in the room. The white alone meant she was part of the special forces group that governed the Guardians of Color. I recognized her immediately though: Royal Officer Faulk. She was the head of that department, and she loved every controlling minute.
My body contracted. I still hadn’t figured out why Faulk cared so much about what happened to Jessa, besides the obvious “make an example of her to the people” argument. There had to be something more.
Faulk was flanked by several palace guards. They were dressed in the standard blue uniforms. I identified another as a guardian, because he was dressed in the typical sleek black GC getup. He was more relaxed than the others, more sure of himself. He was also the youngest in the group. If I had to guess, I would have pegged him for seventeen, not much younger than me.
His arrogance was irritating. Who was this kid? He was staring at Jessa with an appreciative boyish gaze, unlike the regular palace guards, who were obviously afraid of her. He clearly saw her beauty. Her potential.
“Hello, General Faulk,” Jessa said, eyes downcast.
If Faulk was the one who’d questioned the Loxley family just a few short days ago, then Faulk was the one Jessa had lied to. Not the smartest choice.
Faulk didn’t return the hello. She gave me a slight glare and a small bow before moving into the room. To her, I was insignificant to the conversation. But we both knew this wasn’t true. My father wanted me here. Ever since I’d confronted him about the deaths he had caused with alchemy, he’d wanted me to learn more about this world. To understand his reasoning, I supposed, though I would never agree with his tactics. Never. But still, I had authority that even Faulk didn’t have.
“I’ve heard some of your conversation,” Faulk said. Jessa frowned, confused, and rightly so.
I caught the proud expression on the young guardian’s face. He looked a little too pleased with himself.
I recognized him. He had strong abilities in communication, which meant he could intercept conversations. Certain shades of blue could be used to replicate powerful listening and surveillance devices. Blue was a tough magic and highly useful. I looked at the boy with a newfound respect, despite myself.
Jessa was at a loss for words, and just when I was about to intervene, Faulk moved in closer.
“I would have you locked up for your crimes,” she said. “But the king has other plans. So you will do what you are told, or I will make sure your family loses everything.”
I wondered just how much of our conversation Faulk had heard because of that annoying kid! But I guessed she didn’t know about Jessa’s earlier accidental alchemy with the orange color from the fire. Otherwise, it would have been the first thing out of her mouth. She wouldn’t be the sort to withstand yet another violation of the law.
“Lay off, Faulk. Jessa knows what has to be done. There’s no need to threaten her family. You can leave them out of this.”
“They’re innocent,” Jessa said to Faulk. “I swear they had no idea. It was all me.”
“So you admit you lied?” Faulk asked.
“I’ll do what you ask. But please, leave them out of it.” Going after family was a low blow, which of course was why it worked.
“Your family will be fine,” I said, shooting a dangerous glance at Faulk. She needed to ease up on the threats before Jessa had another breakdown. “Jessa, you’ll be staying here as my guest,” I continued, nodding toward the guards. “I’m sure Miss Loxley is tired. Please show her to her room.”
Jessa practically gaped at me. Was that gratitude or suspicion reddening her cheeks? I knew she still had a barrage of questions, but she kept them to herself. Now was not the time. Smart girl.
She stood up and quickly followed the guards out of the room.
Faulk watched the whole exchange silently. She turned on me once Jessa and the guards were gone. “How dare you dismiss that girl when I clearly had unfinished business with her!”
I was unfazed. “Jessa has been through a lot. And quite frankly, you’re not going to get anything out of
her tonight. Just let her get some rest. We can start her training tomorrow.”
“It’s not your call.”
“Actually, if you’ll remember correctly, it is my call. Your king, my father, put me in charge of overseeing Jessa’s training. Not you,” I said.
“That may be true,” Faulk responded. “But he wants her in the GC. And as the head of that program, I’ll also be making sure that this girl stays in line. If she doesn’t get through the basic training, there will be no initiation.”
I doubted that. If Richard wanted Jessa in the GC, it would happen.
“And how are you planning to keep her in line?”
The younger guardian stepped forward, smirking. I frowned, having forgotten that he was still in the room.
“I’m Reed. I’ll be working with you both from here on out.”
“He’s my eyes and ears.” Faulk said. “Your father already approved it.”
Great. Faulk’s spy kid was going to be following us around. That was the opposite of what I needed right now. If I was going to get Jessa to help me, Reed needed to be out of the picture. But what choice did I have? As much as it bothered me, I knew this wasn’t a battle I could win. At least not right now.
“So, Lucas,” Reed continued boldly, “when do we start?”
I studied them both before turning on the kid. “You’d be advised to call me Prince Heart. We’ll start first thing in the morning. I’ll find you.”
I turned and strode away before I lost my temper completely. It was only once I was out of the room that I let myself consider the implications of everything that had just happened in there.
There were a few things I knew for sure.
First of all, Jessa was dangerous and talented. She wasn’t afraid to put up a fight. She had a fierce spirit and, despite everything, it still wasn’t broken.
Second, I wasn’t the only one who wanted something from the girl. Faulk, Reed, and my father all had their hooks in her. She was a valuable resource. She had separated purple into primary colors, which was unheard of. Alchemists could access variations of five of the seven colors: purple, blue, green, yellow, and orange. And all the shades in between. White and red remained a mystery. Black, as well. Jessa had accessed red that night at the ballet. This could change everything.