The Color Alchemist: The Complete Series

by Nina Walker

  “Don’t worry, Lucas. We know how valuable you are. It’s handled.”

  Oh, great. Like that was supposed to make me feel better. I was losing confidence in this Resistance group by the minute. Who exactly had I partnered up with? I’d been so eager to feel like I was doing something right, to feel like I could help my country, that I hadn’t really stopped to consider maybe I’d made a mistake. But now probably wasn’t the best time to voice that out loud.

  “And I’m just supposed to take your word for it?”

  “What other choice do you have?”

  Well, she had me there. She knew it. And she knew I knew it. For now. But there were choices. There were always choices.

  “No offense, Sasha, but I’m struggling with this. I give you information, and I’m just expected to be patient and wait it out. But you said it yourself, didn’t you? I’m a valuable asset. In fact, I think I’m probably your most valuable asset. I’m the prince, for crying out loud. What more do you want from me?”

  “You are a valuable asset. But you see that over there?” She pointed to Jessa. She was on her knees, hugging Lacey and saying something to her parents. I caught the words “for the best” and saw them nodding.

  “That’s what we call our most valuable asset now. I didn’t realize how easily Jessa would come around to our way of thinking. But all it took was one open conversation for her to understand how much we need her now.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “What you did back there with the white was remarkable, Lucas. Thank you for that. Who would have guessed white could do something so useful? I’m impressed! But I thought that amount of alchemy would have knocked you out for another few hours, at least. I hadn’t expected you to wake up so early.” Was she turning on me? Why was she talking like this?

  “And your point is?”

  “You have to take Jessa back to the palace.”

  “Absolutely not.”

  “We need her.”

  “We’re not having this conversation. We didn’t just risk our lives only to take her back there. It’s not safe. They’re going to hurt her. What they’re doing is unthinkable. It’s so much worse than what I could have ever imagined. To have the ability to control people’s minds? To make them do whatever they want? That kind of power will probably kill Jessa by the time she’s finished.”

  “This isn’t about one person. If I could do it myself, I would. But I can’t be there anymore. I’ve already received word that my cover was compromised. I’m needed here now anyway. You’re the only one with a fighting chance of getting Jessa back in that palace. They know you took off, but they don’t know you’re with us.”

  “And what do I do when I go back?”

  “You’re going to show them that you’re on their side. You’ll say that she never left the capital city. You found her and brought her home. The end.”

  “And what about the jet. They saw us, remember?”

  “These windows are tinted, Lucas. There is no way they could have known for sure who was in here. Or what we were doing. Sure, they’re looking for Jessa, but they wouldn’t expect to find you in a helicopter. Plus, we already moved your car. It’s safe. They’re looking for you back home.”

  Could it be so easy? But I still didn’t want to take Jessa back. Saying goodbye to her would tear me apart. I’d known that going into today. As soon as we’d found out Jessa had gone missing, our plans had drastically changed. Our plan had quickly transformed from getting Jessa to her parents to finding a safe place for her to hide…and now Sasha was telling me that wasn’t the case anymore.

  Maybe it never was the plan. Maybe Sasha just told you what you needed to hear to get you to bring Jessa here in the first place.

  The thought had me questioning my alliance with the Resistance more than ever. Once I got home, I was cutting them out. I was done. There had to be another way than dealing with these people. I would go home and Jessa would stay here. Here…where it was safe. Where she could live a comfortable life with her family. Where she could still be trained to control her abilities, without fear of being used by people like General Faulk and my father.

  “Has she made up her mind?” I asked, looking back out the window.

  As if sensing me, Jessa peered back at the helicopter. Even though the windows were tinted, I knew she could see me. She stared at us for a minute, smiled faintly, and turned back to give her family another round of hugs.

  “Yes, she’s sure. You won’t be able to change her mind.”

  “And who’s flying us back, then? Now that you’re staying here, we’re going to need a pilot.”

  “My friends are going to fly you back to a safe place, and then you’ll be picking up your car and taking Jessa back. You can trust them to get you there safely.”

  I was pretty sure I couldn’t trust anyone in the Resistance. I would play along long enough to get home. This little false mission of theirs was the last straw. “And then what?”

  “No one will know you flew off. You’ll create a cover story. Take her back to the palace.”

  “You’ve said that already. I mean, what happens to Jessa?”

  She stared at me for a moment. “When you get back, make sure that Jessa gets initiated into the GC. We need her working on the inside. She’s more valuable to us there than she is anywhere else.”

  That wasn’t okay with me! The last thing I wanted was to put Jessa in harm’s way. But it seemed that my opinion didn’t matter. I felt so out of control. Not only were they leading me around without telling me their true plans, but now they knew about my alchemy. And that was something that could easily be used against me. Why did I put myself in this situation?

  “So if you’re staying, who will be my Resistance contact?” I asked.

  “Jessa will be your contact. I’m pretty sure my superiors don’t think you’ll turn her in for treason. They know all about your romance.”

  So that was it, then? They would use my feelings for Jessa against me. Because they knew, just as much as I did, that I would help her no matter what.

  “Are you trying to make me regret ever having met you?” I snapped.

  “Oh, don’t pretend like you ever really cared for me. You should be happy that now you and Jessa have another reason to spend time together.”

  Could I have misunderstood Sasha’s feelings? Or maybe I was just a game she had played and failed. She’d been a good sport about our faked romance. But then last night we’d gotten closer than ever. I wasn’t proud of it. At least I stopped it before it went too far.

  “Is this about last night? You’re mad because I didn’t hook up with you?”

  “Ha! Don’t flatter yourself.”

  My reply was interrupted by pounding on the metal door behind me.

  “That’s your new pilot,” Sasha said, reaching for the door. “Oh, and I lied. We were never completely locked in here. My door was unlocked. You’re kind of naïve, Lucas.”

  Whoa! Why does she suddenly hate me?

  She wrenched open her apparently unlocked door and jumped out into the clearing below. She hugged a very large, very tall, burly middle-aged man. He was wearing oil-stained brown jeans and a plaid button-up with rolled-up sleeves. His tanned skin, work gloves, and disheveled hair gave me the impression that he was probably a handyman of sorts.

  “It’s so good to see you,” he said, “My, you’re all grown up now, aren’t you?”

  “It’s good to see you too, Hank.” Sasha’s earlier sour mood had gone.

  The man gave her another smile, shaking his head before peering into the helicopter. He looked me up and down.

  “Well, son,” he said, “looks like I’m the sorry sap who agreed to see you home. You’re not going to turn on me, are you? Some of the others think I’m a fool, flying a royal. You’re not going to make a fool out of me, are you?”

  “No. I’m pretty sure I’m the fool.”

  “Well, okay then.” He turned to Sasha, “Let’s get the gi
rl loaded up. They told you Tristan is coming along too? He insisted on keeping an eye on things.”

  “Sounds like him,” she laughed.

  “We’re already behind schedule,” someone said, coming up to the helicopter. He was young too, probably in his twenties. He hugged Sasha and she smiled up at him, adoring. “Of course you insisted on going,” Sasha said to him. “I’ll see you when you get back, all right? We have a lot of catching up to do.”

  The guy hugged her again before sliding into the seat next to Hank. I noticed he made sure I saw the gun in his hand. Whatever. “I’m here to make sure you don’t give Hank any trouble, so don’t even think about it.”

  I only glared at the kid, then looked out of the window.

  Sasha walked through the tall grass and tapped Jessa on the shoulder. Jessa pulled away from yet another hug with her father, and the two girls nodded. They exchanged a few inaudible words before they came walking back to the helicopter together. Jessa climbed in next to me, careful not to meet my gaze. Her cheeks were ashen, her eyes hollow.

  “Don’t do this, Jessa. Don’t go back with me.” I had to try and talk her out of this.

  “I’ve made up my mind. There’s no changing it.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked, unable to help myself.

  She looked at me. Or rather, she looked through me. Through me to her small group of family members, circled in the distance. The longing on her face was replaced with an expression of fixed resolve when she focused her attention back on me. Did she blame me for my father’s actions? Would she ever forgive me for choosing not to teach her what I knew about hiding color alchemy?

  “Do you hate me? Are you doing this to punish me or something?”

  She didn’t answer. She just turned to Hank, who was busy switching on the controls up front. “I’m ready to leave.”

  He turned a knob. The heavy thrum of the engine came to life, an unseen answer to her request.

  “What happened back there?” I asked. “Is your family okay?” I didn’t know if she was talking to me, but I had to try.

  “Well, let’s just say they don’t understand me anymore. But they love me. And I guess that’s all that matters.”

  “So why not stay?”

  “Because I love them, too.”

  “Are you sure about this?” I asked Jessa one last time.

  We stood at the edge of the dim parking lot, hidden by the shadows of the setting sun. How was it possible for so much to happen—in the way of action and emotion, as well as revelation—in one day?

  My car waited for me, silent and ready. I didn’t know what would happen when I left this morning, but I never expected to be doing this. This was the last thing I wanted for Jessa.

  “Don’t ask me that again.” Jessa folded her arms, bent her head down low, and ran for the vehicle.

  I followed, quickly catching up to her as we sprinted across the empty parking lot. My car was the only one here, half hidden by an overgrown weeping willow whose roots had probably began tearing through the tarmac years ago.

  Hank and the wannabe badass Tristan had dropped us off about a mile away and gave us directions before heading back north. This time, we’d flown so high that I couldn’t really be sure where Sasha had taken us in the first place. There hadn’t been any recognizable landmarks that I could identify. All I knew for sure was that north, in the mountains somewhere, a Resistance camp waited.

  Once we loaded ourselves into the car, we went over our story a few times as we drove back to the palace. Within the hour, we pulled up to the gates. I hesitated, squeezing the steering wheel tight. My hands wanted to turn us around and get Jessa out of there.

  Jessa studied me. “It’s too late for that, Lucas.”

  She was right. Any more hesitation would raise too much suspicion in Faulk and Richard. I pushed on the gas and headed up the long, smooth drive. As soon as we pulled up to the front of the palace, we were surrounded by dozens of royal officers and guardians, their guns pointed.

  “Stay calm,” I whispered, before opening the door and casually stepping out of the car. “You can put your guns down,” I called out, shaking my head. “Where’s my father? This is no way to treat your prince.”

  A few hesitated and lowered their weapons, but most stayed put.

  The massive door to the front entrance opened, and my father, mother, and General Faulk stepped out. “You heard the boy.” My father’s voice boomed. “Lower your weapons immediately!”

  The men all stepped back as the three approached the car.

  Faulk’s eyes were bloodshot and angrier than I’d ever seen them. “Where have you been all day?”

  Her tone, although tough, actually ignited a chain reaction of calm through every cell in my body. Suddenly, I knew that although I may be under great suspicion, no one had actually seen me doing anything illegal.

  “Tracking this one down,” I said, pointing to the car. “For you, Father,” I added, with a smirk. “Maybe we can finally agree now that I’m not as useless as you may think?”

  They stared at me for a second and then looked to the car. My mother leaned closer to the window, eyes squinting, before stumbling back. “It’s her!”

  Mom landed on the ground, and I ran to her as the rest of them—my father, Faulk, the guardians, and royal officers—swarmed the car.

  Mom brushed herself off and looked up. Her eyes tried to focus on me, but it was difficult. She was grasping for something in her mind, but it was slipping away. A misty confusion filled her face, and she blinked rapidly. Had someone used more mind control on her today? Something was wrong. That had to be it!

  “Are you all right, Mother?” I asked, lifting her up.

  “I don’t think so.”

  Her knees buckled, and she dropped into my arms.

  23

  Jessa

  “I’ve already told you,” I said, leaning back against the cool metal chair. “I don’t know where Sasha went.”

  Faulk stared at me, silent. She was waiting for me to say something, anything, that she could use against me. And though she didn’t say it, she was waiting for me to incriminate Lucas, as well.

  As soon as we’d pulled up the palace drive, Lucas had gotten out of the car and left me in the passenger’s seat. It hadn’t taken them long to figure out I was in there. They swarmed the vehicle, pulled me out, and threw me to the ground. They handcuffed me tightly and hauled me off. Of course, after everything I’d been through, it wasn’t like any of their actions came as a surprise. These people didn’t care about me. They didn’t care about my freedom. As far as they were concerned, I didn’t have any.

  “Repeat your story,” Faulk said for what felt like the hundredth time.

  I looked around the concrete gray room. I knew there was no added color to be found in here, except for that of the people who came in and out. But I couldn’t seem to stop myself from looking for something safe enough for alchemy, because I was beginning to think I’d made a huge mistake. “I already told you. Do you really need to hear it again?”

  Faulk cocked her head. “Yes, I really do.”

  “I ran away. I jumped out of my window in the middle of the night. I broke my legs, and yes, I even screamed. But your royal officers never came looking for me, did they? You really need to increase security around here. So anyway, I healed myself with the grass. Green is one of the only alchemies I can do. That’s the reason why I jumped from that high in the first place.”

  “What happened next?”

  “I ran to the wall. It’s big. I didn’t know what I was thinking. I pretty much gave up. I got really upset and hit it. And I guess I used alchemy on something there too, because one of the large stones crumbled. So I pulled it from the wall and crawled through the hole. You’ve confirmed all this by now, haven’t you? You obviously found the open window. Was the grass turned gray just below? And I’m sure you already sealed up the hole in the wall.”

  She stared at me for a long moment. “Keep going.
”

  “I rode the high speed train to my old neighborhood. You already know that. Some girl from my old high school was there and tried to make small talk. I thought that was strange, but when I got off the train and she stayed on, I let it go. But you and I both know what happened next. She attacked me in one of my neighbor’s yards. That girl can pack a punch, I’ll give her that. I thought she was going to break my arm.”

  “So what did you do in retaliation?”

  “It was self-defense. And I had no idea what I was doing, actually. She was going to turn me in, and I freaked out. I think I broke her nose. Then I ran.”

  “And where did you go?” Faulk was ready for me to slip up. But I wouldn’t.

  “I hid. I spent most of the morning in one of the nearby forests. But I knew that I couldn’t hide there for long. So I snuck into a neighbor’s tool shed and waited it out.”

  “And what were you going to do? Who were you going to meet?”

  “No one. I never got that far. I had no plan. I just wanted to see my family, I swear. But I knew I couldn’t go to the house, not after what happened with that girl. I finally decided I needed to come back to the palace, but I also knew I’d be in trouble. You know, that girl told me she’s a royal officer in training.”

  “She was. But it’s funny Jessa. She doesn’t remember the fight,” Faulk said. Not for the first time, I wondered what had happened to her.

  “You got me. I used alchemy on her. It made her forget. After that, I got scared, and I ran. I hid and tried to think of a plan. But honestly, I didn’t have one. So when I got hungry, I just started walking back to the palace. I kept myself hidden, because I didn’t want to hurt anyone else. Just in case a civilian saw me and got involved. I know it’s lame, but it’s the truth.”

  “But Lucas found you? How did that happen?”

  “Blind luck, I guess. He told me that his father was angry with him for losing me. And so he spent the day driving around the city, looking for me. Just when he was going to give up and go home, he saw me darting across a street. He pulled up and told me to get in. By then I’d all but given up anyway, so I did. And here I am.”