by Nina Walker
I got up and started to stack the plates before realizing I probably didn’t have to clean up after myself. I noticed the two boys staring at my bare legs.
Seriously, are there no girls in this palace?
Reed grinned with enjoyment, but Lucas looked bothered.
“What is your problem?” I said. “It’s not like I was going to sleep in that costume again.”
Lucas shook his head. “You have a closet completely stocked with clothing.”
He walked over to the dark-wood wall and pulled on a handle I hadn’t noticed before. It slid open to reveal about six feet of wardrobe space. Each hanger had an item. Most of the clothing was black. Was all that for me?
Well, okay then.
Reed doubled over in laughter. “The look on your face right now is priceless.”
I glared at him and tilted my head toward Lucas. “And how was I supposed to know that? I heard you called for clothing last night, but it never came. I figured someone forgot.”
“Well, you’re obviously not ready for training,” he said.
“Thank you for pointing out the obvious.”
He glanced down at my appearance again, and I pulled the robe, attempting to cover up as much as possible.
“Guardian.” Lucas stopped Reed’s laughter short. “Please allow Jessa some time alone to prepare herself. We’ll meet in an hour to begin our training. It’s a nice day, isn’t it? Let’s spend it out in the royal gardens.”
“Your Majesty, we should begin her training somewhere more appropriate. Those gardens are hardly guardian headquarters. If it’s greenery you’re looking for, we’ve got plenty in the GC area.”
“The royal gardens are exclusively used by the royal family and our guests. I’m sure Jessa would like to get a breath of fresh air. It will be just the three of us and Jasmine. No one else.”
I breathed a sigh of relief and nodded.
I loved the outdoors. And something about the idea of being amid the lush gardens and their beautiful flowers reminded me of my childhood.
Didn’t I have a dream about a flower?
“Too macho to hang out in the gardens?” I asked Reed.
I bit my tongue before I could say anything more. I didn’t want Lucas to think I was flirting with Reed.
Both of these boys were attractive, but I wanted no part in that game.
Instead, I tried to focus on the matter at hand. Namely, how was I going to get myself out of this palace? As exciting as all this was, alchemy wasn’t my plan. It wasn’t dancing, and it took me away from my family. I had no clue how any of this could work in my favor, but I had to try, at least.
I’d been so lost in my thoughts I hadn’t noticed Reed and Lucas were still here. Hello? What are they waiting for?
“Hey guys, you can go now.”
They mumbled a string of awkward goodbyes and left the room. I wanted to go back to bed but knew it was time to get ready for the day. Hopefully I wouldn’t embarrass myself.
Reed was waiting for me when I left my room an hour later. We engaged in trivial conversation as we walked down to the gardens together. When we came out onto the palace steps, I stopped short.
I don’t know what I was expecting, but this wasn’t it.
It wasn’t just a garden. It was beautiful greenery that stretched for what looked like half a mile, and beyond that was a towering stone wall. Picturesque rose bushes, symmetrical flowerbeds, perfectly trimmed hedges, marble statues, beautiful fountains, stone paths, and vast lawns sprawled out around me.
We approached a bench where Prince Lucas sat waiting. He gave me a polite smile but didn’t bother to acknowledge Reed’s small bow. I got the feeling that Reed was only doing it out of obligation and nothing else. I wondered if I was supposed to curtsy, but before I got the chance, Lucas stood and waved at someone behind us.
“Jasmine. I’m glad you could make it.”
Again, the older woman wasn’t dressed in the black uniform that Reed wore, even though she was GC. Did the Guardians of Color have a little more freedom than I’d originally thought? Or was it just her?
“It’s my pleasure,” she said.
“I didn’t know you were helping out today.” Reed frowned.
“I’ll be helping every day.”
Lucas stood and led our group down one of the paths, a few of his guards following at a distance. Lucas must have been listening, but he didn’t join in on the conversation. I could tell the two guys disliked each other. And yet they seemed so alike to me. They could probably be friends if the egos involved weren’t so big.
After several minutes of navigating the garden, Lucas stopped at a charming pavilion and sat down at a small table. We were secluded, surrounded by the tall trees. Spindly green vines covered the delicate white structure. The spring air was breezy, and the pleasant scent of freshly cut grass wafted through the area.
“Before we start testing your abilities, it’s important that you’re educated on the intricacies of alchemy,” Lucas said.
He motioned for us to join him at the table. Reed and Jasmine sat across from Lucas, leaving me no other place than right next to him. Strangely, I felt vulnerable there. I still couldn’t believe the wild situation I’d found myself in.
“What better way to learn than by practicing?” Reed asked Lucas. “If you’re not too afraid.”
I wasn’t sure if the comment was directed at me or at Lucas. Either way, I was definitely not ready to take another crack at color alchemy.
“Jessa is different,” Lucas said to Reed. “She’s older, so her magic is strong, but she’s also very new to this. She’s better off understanding what she’s doing before she tries again.”
Lucas was right. I was not ready to do any alchemy. The three times I’d done it, I’d had no control. The experiences with Lacey’s blood, the ballet, and the fire last night had been terrifying.
I’d rather just talk, even if it meant listening to Lucas and Reed bicker. Sacrifices, right?
“Okay, I like your plan, Lucas. And I do have a lot of questions.”
“I’m sure you do, but let’s start by explaining the basics. After we’re finished, we’ll try to answer some of your questions.”
I nodded as he pulled out his slatebook, the same high-tech device he’d used the night before. He typed in a quick password, and the screen pulled up a search engine.
“There is a lot of information out there about color alchemy, but most of it is only speculation. You probably believe all sorts of false rumors. We don’t like to correct the public, because the less they know, the better for us. New Colony is the only country we know of that uses alchemists as assets. We don’t accuse you of witchcraft, and we don’t publicly execute you.”
Wow, how nice of you.
I didn’t like to think about it, but it made sense. After a number of crippling wars and most of the planet’s natural resources in scarce supply, the world wasn’t thriving anymore. People resorted to desperate measures as they were struggling to survive. Having a scapegoat gave people an outlet for all their rage. Was it misdirected? Yes. But it happened. New Colony wasn’t at war anymore, but we knew our government used alchemy to take care of us. I’d heard other countries wanted the information. Why wouldn’t they? West America probably wouldn’t be able to agree on what to do with alchemy anyway. Still, with such powerful magic at our disposal, I was certain we had ways to keep our secrets.
Lucas typed something into his slatebook. “That’s why most of the real information about alchemists and guardians is banned from public access. We don’t want our foreign enemies learning our secrets.”
Besides West America, who exactly are our foreign enemies?
“But couldn’t it help? If people are struggling, wouldn’t this be valuable information for them? Maybe they could train their alchemists and live the way we do here.”
“And then we’d be back to more world wars,” Reed argued. “There are still plenty of people out there who want us to return to
the old ways of democracy. What makes you think they wouldn’t use alchemy against us?”
Democracy? I didn’t know much about it except what I was told. In the old country, called America, people voted for their leaders. But that only led to more disagreement, hatred, and division. We split off, becoming New Colony. Things were better now.
Lucas placed the screen face-up on the table. “That’s a discussion for another day. But if I were you, I wouldn’t repeat your sentiments to anyone.”
He winked, and I realized my mistake. Had I sounded treasonous?
“Anyway, if you have a very high level of security clearance, like I do, then you can access this.” He pointed to the screen.
It was an image of a colorful drawing. A man was sitting, his legs crossed, with his palms open on his knees. From the crown of his head to the base of his spine were circles of color. Together they made a rainbow, moving from white at the top to red at the bottom. Although the image was on a modern screen, it still had an ancient quality. Unlike anything I knew.
Reed’s eyes glittered. “Whoa! I know what this is, but even I’ve never seen it before.”
“This is a very old document. It comes from a time even before America was established. Possibly from before there were people on this continent. Its teachings are ancient.”
I tried to imagine this, but I didn’t know what he meant. The history classes I’d taken never went back that far.
“This document gave my family huge clues on how to control color. We’ve succeeded, while so many others have failed. What we’re looking at has many names. Some texts refer to this concept as chakras, others as the wheels of light. We refer to each sphere as an energy center.” He nodded at Jasmine to explain.
She put a hand to her head. “White.” Then she placed it on her forehead. “Purple.” She moved her hand to her throat. “Blue.” Her heart. “Green and pink as well.” Her upper torso was yellow, her stomach orange.
Jasmine motioned to her pelvis. “Red.”
I peered at the drawing. “I don’t understand.”
“Energy exists in some way or another in all things. Humans have seven main energy centers. You wouldn’t know that because you can’t see them, but I promise you, they are there.”
“We’re not sure why, but some humans are born with the ability to tap into their own energy centers and connect them with other energies. That’s where color alchemy first begins.”
Lucas peered at me. “When you were dancing, what were you feeling?”
It hurt to remember. I’d been full of joy, and that was all gone now. But I needed to understand, so I decided to push my feelings aside and talk about that night. “I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be. I felt sure of myself. I was free. I knew what I was doing. I’ve practiced that a million times, so I just let all my thoughts go, and I danced. It was like breathing.”
I held back my tears. I’d allowed myself to cry last night. I couldn’t do that anymore if I hoped to gain any respect.
“And that’s why you were able to use alchemy so strongly.” Reed grinned.
“In that moment, you were most connected to your violet or purple energy, the ball of light here,” Jasmine said, pointing to the man’s forehead. “This has been historically called the third eye. That’s because the brow is associated with self-knowledge, intuition, spirituality, and self-reflection. I suspect you were also connected to other energy centers in your body, but I can’t know for sure.”
Reed stood excitedly. “This is where it started. Do you understand?”
No, I couldn’t say that I did.
This was confusing. They may as well have been speaking a different language. What I didn’t get was how this so-called energy center in my head caused the show of color alchemy. My dress had become gray, while the air around me sparkled in an electric cloud of purple. Almost like physical light.
“What color was your costume?” Reed asked.
“It was dark purple and lavender. Yes, it was similar to that.” I pointed to the sphere of purple around the man’s head.
“Exactly,” Lucas said. “In that moment you let go, that perfect moment when you were dancing, something happened. One of your energy centers, the one in your forehead, was activated. The energy was so strong that it needed a way to escape. So what did it do? It connected with the object that corresponded to its color. One you just happened to be physically touching. Purple.”
“My dress.”
“Yes! The energy connected with your dress, and the color released. Do you remember the dress briefly turned gray? That’s exactly why. What’s even more extraordinary is that your dress isn’t exactly a living organism. It’s made of manufactured fabrics. Most alchemists can only connect with organic things, like plants. Our strongest are able to connect with nonliving things, but that takes years of training. You went beyond that without even meaning to!”
So physically touching the color was part of the process. I remembered Lacey’s blood and how, when I touched it, the red had seeped away from the liquid, turning it gray. According to them, my power had been responsible for the brilliant display of color alchemy that had followed. I shook my head in disbelief.
“So what happened to the color after my dance? I passed out, remember? When I woke up the next day, my costume was normal again.”
“Even for a natural like you, it’s not easy.” Reed smirked. “You have to know what to do with it once it’s out. Or else it goes back to where it came from.”
“Yes,” Lucas said, “but that’s complicated. Best to see it for yourself. Since we’re not ready for that yet, I think it’s best we stop here for today.”
I didn’t want to stop the conversation. I needed to know more. What did the other colors mean? How were they contained? What did the New Colony want with them? Why did they need me? And was Lacey really okay after what I’d done to her? After all, the blood I’d changed had remained gray, as Faulk had shown us. What had happened to the red? Where did it go? Had we used it somehow? The questions were endless.
“Why don’t I get you a copy of this?” Lucas pointed to the screen. “You can study it today and come back with questions tomorrow.”
“Can I get a copy, too?” Reed asked.
Lucas paused. Just when I was sure he was going to deny Reed his request, he sighed. “I can grant access for all of you with a temporary copy only. So I suggest you study it well. I’m going out on a limb for you, so please don’t break my trust. Do not share this with anyone. And printing it is illegal, so don’t even think about it.”
We nodded.
“Jessa,” he added, “I’ll make sure you receive a slatebook today. You’ll need it.” He powered off his own and stood to lead us from the garden.
At his words, a heavy load of weariness slowly lifted from my chest. Of course our family had a slatebook at home, everyone did. Sure it wasn’t nearly as high-tech as the ones here at the palace. So what? It still worked! I knew immediately what my first order of business was. As soon as I got my slatebook, before I studied the energy centers, before I did anything else, I was going to call home. I was going to talk to my parents. They would know what to do.
6
Lucas
Reed immediately wanted his copy of the old chakra drawing, and without a good excuse to keep it from him, I emailed it to his device. It wasn’t ten minutes later that Officer Faulk found me in my study. Coincidence? Doubtful. Not bothering with a polite “Your Highness,” she stormed in unannounced. “How dare you undermine me!”
I turned from my bookshelf, already wishing she would leave. “I assume this is about Jessa?”
She really had it in for the girl, and something about that made me want to defend her even more. So what if Jessa had lied? It wasn’t the first time someone had tried to hide alchemy, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. How was this girl any different from so many others? She deserved a break.
“Giving her a slatebook with outside call access? You
may as well just give her complete freedom. And apparently the two guards posted at her door have been ordered to let her come and go from her room as she pleases. Have you lost your mind? She is a prisoner and a criminal! She is not a guest.”
I could only guess that Reed must have gone running to tell Faulk about the slatebook and Jessa’s housing situation. He’d put up a front of wanting to be Jessa’s friend. She probably thought he cared for her. I was stupid to believe he would be anything other than another one of Faulk’s golden boys.
“As much as you don’t approve of my approach, I’m in charge. If you have a problem, then you can take it up with my father.”
We both knew she hated that I had the reins. She was ordered to assist me with what I needed, but to essentially stay out of my way. I also suspected she had been tasked to report the efficacy of my methods to Richard.
“Don’t think I won’t be telling your father all about this. He knows as well as I do that the Loxley family is trouble.”
“What do you mean, her family?” I asked, my heart jumping to my throat. There was something going on that Faulk wasn’t telling me about. Was there more to why she was so strict with Jessa?
But she only stared at me for a minute before briskly turning on her heel and leaving my study. With the slam of the door, my suspicions were confirmed. She was hiding something. And it was highly likely she’d be following my every move, reporting it all back to my father.
I walked over to the door and made sure it was locked this time.
Going back to the bookshelf, I found what I was looking for. Pulling out the non-descript title, I opened the large leather-bound book. The one with the hidden compartment. I’d altered the book years ago, looking for a place to hide the access to my unauthorized research.
This is where I’d hidden my undocumented flash drive. The slatebook attachment held electronic information that couldn’t be found on any computer or information cloud. Information I was sure no one expected me to have. I was only eighteen, but I’d been collecting it for years.