The Color Alchemist: The Complete Series

by Nina Walker

  “And here you are.” Faulk said. “You never saw Sasha?”

  I shook my head. “No, what does she have to do with any of this?”

  Of course, there was no answer.

  Faulk got up and left the room without a word, the heavy door banging shut behind her.

  The room was a box. No window. One door. There was a mirrored glass wall that I was sure was actually a two-way mirror. For all I knew, there were royal officers just on the other side, studying me. Looking for mistakes. But they wouldn’t find any. I wouldn’t mess this up.

  After a few more minutes, Faulk came back into the room.

  She wasn’t alone. King Richard sat down across from me.

  “Your Highness.” I attempted what probably looked like a pathetic bow, considering I was handcuffed to the chair.

  “Hello, Jessa.”

  “We’re curious about a few things.” Richard narrowed his eyes on me. “Why is it that one of our best guardians would also go missing on the same day as you, and yet you two never crossed paths?”

  “How should I know? Maybe Sasha took the distraction as an opportunity to run. It might come as a surprise to you, but you don’t always treat your guardians right.”

  We both watched as I tried to raise my hands from where they were cuffed to the chair. They barely moved. Case in point, dear King Richard.

  “But, Jessa, you’re not a guardian, are you?”

  It was not a question.

  “But I want to be,” I said, quickly catching his attention.

  This was the part that had to be convincing. Otherwise, I would be stuck in a room like this forever. And everything I risked to come back here would be for nothing.

  “You think I’d let you join my Color Guard. I don’t need you to be a part of anything so important to get what I want from you.”

  My heart dropped into my stomach, fear threatening to take over.

  “General Faulk told me that if I could figure out red alchemy, I would be able to have weekly phone calls with my family. And I promise I tried, but I couldn’t do it. I got desperate to see my family and I made a mistake.”

  “Oh, yes, you certainly did,” Richard said. “There are rules for alchemists, Jessa. Rules that are there for a reason.”

  Rules meant to control us! I nodded. “And you’re right. Because I ended up using alchemy while I was out there, Your Highness. And you probably already know by now that I changed that girl’s blood, turned it gray. Don’t you see? Just when I had given up, something got triggered within me, and I did it. I did what you wanted.”

  “So?” We both knew he had all the power right now.

  “Well, when Lucas found me, he explained that you probably had my family on lockdown because I ran away. Personally, I didn’t get close enough to my house to see much of anything. But I did see that they weren’t there.”

  I began to cry, allowing the tears to fall as heavy as I could manage. “Lucas said that breaking the rules would only get me into more trouble. But if I was really good, if I worked hard for you and did what you needed me to do, then you’d let me see them again. Please, that’s all I want. Don’t punish them for my mistakes. Let them be free and let me join the GC so I can prove myself to you.”

  By the time I finished my speech, hatred boiled inside. But I worked harder than ever to maintain the outer appearance. I was the prodigal child, coming home for forgiveness. Maybe his pride would be enough to keep me safe.

  I knew he didn’t really have my family. The Resistance had gotten them out already. But he would never have to know that I knew the truth.

  “I don’t buy it,” Faulk said, stepping forward. “From day one, she put on a show and lied to everyone. Who’s to say she’s not doing that now?”

  Richard stood and looked down at me for several moments before turning his back. Just before the door closed, he turned to Faulk. “Immediately begin training her for the GC initiation,” he said. “I want her.”

  I wasn’t returned to my bedroom. Nor did I end up in a prison cell. Instead, I was taken straight to GC headquarters and was left to wait there alone in one of the training rooms. I was still dressed head to toe in the stale gray jumpsuit. The space was similar to the others, with glass walls and modern furnishings.

  Nobody said anything about who would be joining me, or if there was something I was supposed to be doing here. So I just waited and watched as people walked down the hallway, glaring at me.

  Great, these are going to be my peers. They hate me more than ever.

  Reed materialized on the other side of the glass, talking to someone. About me, I was sure. I recognized Brooke, the girl from the ball and the gymnasium, the one who obviously had it in for me.

  I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but it didn’t look like it could be anything good. I shrugged. The girl stormed away in a huff, but Reed gave me a tight half-smile before walking away.

  I couldn’t help but remember how he’d tried to use blue alchemy on me. How he tried to mold my feelings to reveal my secrets. Should I confront him? If I acted like nothing happened, would it be easier to become a part of this operation?

  Jasmine walked into view and waved at me from behind the glass. The two guards at the door nodded at her and left us as she walked into the room. She wore her usual wardrobe. “Why don’t you dress like the rest of them?”

  She paused, looking down at her blue cotton dress. “I made a deal with the king. I’m his best healer. I do not ask to be reassigned. I do whatever he asks of me. But I get to be myself. And part of that means I dress how I want to dress. I have free range of the grounds here, too. Makes life a little easier.”

  “You do whatever he wants?”

  “Yes. Is that a problem?”

  “Nope,” I said, faking a smile.

  I could only imagine what talents Jasmine had that the king found so valuable. But I knew I would also do whatever he wanted with my own talents, at least for a time. I smiled at Jasmine, sorry I’d said anything at all. If I was going to pull this off and take Richard down from the inside, I couldn’t raise any suspicion. At one time, I thought she understood me, but after what she’d just confessed, I wasn’t so sure.

  She studied the room, as if she was looking for something. But there wasn’t anyone else in here. In fact, it was quite bland. She opened her palm, where a small blue flower lay crushed in her hand.

  “How’s Hank doing?” she asked.

  My heart stopped. Hank was the kind older man who’d flown us back in the helicopter. How did Jasmine know about Hank?

  “No one can hear us,” she said, gently rubbing her thumb against the flower, the blue color staining her skin. “Don’t worry. It’s safe.”

  “You’re part of the Resistance? Are you here to help me?”

  “Yes. I was Sasha’s handler,” she said. “And now I’m yours. We have important work ahead of us.”

  A group of laughing teenagers burst into the hallway beyond the heavy glass, and I nearly jumped out of my skin. We watched as they continued down the hall, and it became quiet again. Even though Jasmine was using some kind of blue alchemy to mask the sound, it still felt risky to be having this conversation.

  “Jasmine, I’m terrified. What am I supposed to do now?”

  “Fit in,” she said, not bothering to keep her voice down, evidently confident in her alchemy. “Train with the guardians. Be a team player. Then join them. Get initiated. Do whatever you need to do to gain the king’s trust.”

  “Anything else?” I laughed. She made it sound so easy, but I knew it couldn’t be that simple. And what did initiation even mean?

  “Yes. Get over your squabble with Lucas.”

  “Why should I? He lied to me.”

  “Because we need you to be successful where Sasha failed.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked, beginning to question again what Sasha had really been here to do. Who was she, really?

  “We need him to be absolutely committed to us,” she sai
d. “And we’re convinced the best way to do that is to get him one hundred percent committed to you.”

  “How am I supposed to pull that off?”

  “Easy. Make him fall in love with you.”

  I thought about that for a moment. Could I do that to Lucas?

  “You must keep it all very hush-hush. After Richard found Lucas and Sasha in bed together, he was incredibly angry. That won’t help us. So instead of being public, you need to keep your relationship a secret. I’m sure that a forbidden love angle will make it even better for him anyway.”

  My brain could only focus on the one thing she’d said: After Richard found Lucas and Sasha in bed together. My chest burned. Lucas had said that his relationship with Sasha had only been for show. Apparently, he’d lied about that too, and now I was expected to pretend it didn’t matter? How could I?

  I bit my lip and nodded, allowing my thoughts to return to my family. They were most important. I would do anything for them, even if it meant being close to someone as deceiving as Lucas. And the truth was, I still cared for him. Deep down, I still wanted to be with him. This wouldn’t be too hard.

  “I’ll do it,” I said, interrupting Jasmine. “I don’t need convincing. I’m in.”

  She reached out her arms and pulled me into a hug. It caught me so off guard that I just stood there, frozen. She smelled like sandalwood and lemon. I allowed myself to melt into her embrace for a moment before she let go.

  “You can trust me,” she said, her eyes focused intently on mine. “We’re doing the right thing here. We’ll stop Faulk and Richard. We’ll help Lucas make the changes needed. We’ll stop the killings. We’ll use alchemy for good.”

  I believed her. I wasn’t alone anymore.

  “There won’t be royal officers or guards around you anymore. You’re officially in training, which means you’ll have freedom to move around the palace. Just don’t try to sneak away anymore. Stick to the GC wing. We’ll start tomorrow. But today, you need to go to Lucas. He needs you.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “Just go.”

  I stood there, confused.

  “I mean it, Jessa. You need to go now, and hurry. He’s in the royal wing. I suggest you run.”

  I lost all my previous apprehension. She wasn’t going to lead me astray. The Resistance needed me to hurry, and so, I ran.

  Flying out of the room and down the hallway, I made my way through the palace. And Jasmine was right—no one stopped me. I got several strange looks, but there wasn’t a single cry of alarm. I guess that meant I was finally on the inside.

  Within minutes, I was approaching the large wrought-iron door that marked the private residence of the royal family. It was surrounded by palace guards. It was late, and I was sure I needed an invitation.

  I hesitated, but the door opened and Lucas walked out. He beamed at me. Here was the boy I wanted, the boy I maybe even loved. And yet, he had betrayed me. He’d kept his secrets for too long.

  “You came just in time. She’s doing much better. Come see!”

  What was he talking about? Before I could ask, he grabbed my hand and pulled me back through the door with him.

  The room was large and beautiful, as one would expect. And in the middle of it all, Queen Natasha stood with her arms open wide. “I remember you! You’re Jessa!” She rushed to me, her white silk robe fanning out behind her. Pulling me into a hug, she then spun me around and giggled. “You’re so pretty!”

  I just smiled, unsure of how to behave. Here was the queen of New Colony, a woman I’d barely seen in passing but who had always been untouchable. And she was spinning me around and acting like a whimsical schoolgirl. What was going on?

  “It’s an honor to meet you.” I curtsied.

  Lucas smiled and put his arm around his mother. “Why don’t you sit down and rest? You’ve been ill.”

  “All right, dear,” she said, flashing him a smile. “If you say so.”

  And then she ran and actually jumped onto the couch, landing in a pile of pillows. She leaned back and grinned up at Lucas, laughing hard. Her auburn hair fanned out around her, framing her pale face.

  “She’s been ill?” I asked, not quite believing it.

  “You didn’t see?” He knelt on the floor, holding her hand and staring at her with admiration. “She passed out earlier. When I got out of the car, she fainted right into my arms. The result of another headache, I’m sure. But then Jasmine came. She helped. You feel better now, Mother?”

  “Yes, I feel better than I have in years.”

  I watched Lucas and his mother. Their bond was tangible. Despite her strange behavior, I was happy for Lucas. He deserved this small happiness.

  Natasha sat up then and rubbed her forehead. Her face tightened.

  “Are you okay? Is your headache coming back?” Lucas asked.

  “Who is that?” the queen said, pointing at me.

  Lucas’s gaze traveled between us.

  “That’s Jessa. Remember, you just talked to her a moment ago? She’s my friend.”

  “No, I didn’t.” Natasha stood up, wobbly on her feet. She put her hands on her knees and began breathing deeply. “Son, I need to lie down. Please ask your friend to leave and walk me back to my bedroom.”

  Lucas’s mouth parted, as if he didn’t know how to respond.

  “It’s okay,” I started backing up toward the door. I didn’t want to be here, anyway. Why had Jasmine sent me here? To see this?

  Lucas nodded back at me and then focused on his mother, helping her across the room. Just as I was about to turn around and exit, the queen let out a pained scream.

  She grabbed her head, her hair flying in wild fire streaks around her as she tumbled to the hardwood floor. Lucas was at her side in an instant, and I rushed to help.

  “It’s all gone!” she screeched. “It’s all gone!”

  “What’s all gone?” Lucas asked.

  She started convulsing, arching her back and banging her head against the wood floor. Lucas struggled to hold her down, to try to do something, anything to help her. And then the beloved Natasha, Lucas’s mother, the queen of the New Colony, went completely limp. The color immediately drained from her face.

  Lucas carefully slapped her cheeks. “Mother!” he cried, shaking her gently. But she didn’t move. He looked around, panicked.

  We spotted the potted plant at the same time, and I jumped up and practically dove for it, stumbling over my feet. I grabbed it and pulled the heavy pot to the two of them as quickly as I could. As soon as it was within reaching distance, Lucas put one hand on it and the other on his mother. I followed suit and did the same.

  I concentrated as hard as I could, focusing all the energy within me on healing her. I knew Lucas was doing the same. We sat like that for several long moments, willing something to happen as we pulled the color from the plant in waves. The green was swirling around her, almost frantic. But it wasn’t doing anything. She wasn’t changing. It just moved for what felt like forever. Eventually, the color began to calm, and then all it once, it flew back into the many leaves of the plant.

  I sat there, stunned, looking at the lifeless woman before me.

  “No!” Lucas gasped, pulling her head into his lap. “No, no, no…”

  I didn’t know what to do. I just sat there like a statue and watched, horrified, as Lucas rocked back and forth with his mother’s body in his arms. He sobbed, and I felt tears on my face, too.

  Something stopped within him as he carefully placed his mother back down on the floor.

  “I don’t understand! What happened to her?” He was beginning to hyperventilate.

  I didn’t understand, either. But when I looked down at her body, I grew cold, because suddenly, I knew. Dark gray streams of liquid were dripping heavily from her ears, pools of death that could only lead to one logical explanation. Queen Natasha had just been murdered by a color alchemist. I was sure that someone had messed with her blood. But who? I knew I hadn’t don
e anything to hurt her. Sasha said there were others like me, ones who could get to the red. And yet, would Lucas believe that? Would Richard? Faulk?

  Who did this?

  I crawled backward, my knees sliding across the hard floor.

  “No. No, I would never,” I choked.

  Lucas stared up at me as he lifted his mother’s body into his arms. I just sat there. I couldn’t bring myself to move.

  A moment later, the doors swung open, and Faulk appeared in the living room. She was saying something, but I couldn’t hear it. I couldn’t understand anything, as if I were witnessing the whole scene from behind a murky sheet of glass.

  Lucas stood up. I expected him to explain, but he moved right past me and just stood there, dazed, his mother’s body in his arms. And that’s when several palace guards stormed the room.

  “Queen Natasha has been murdered,” someone said. Faulk? I thought it was her voice.

  The moment slowed further. My ears buzzed. I sat there motionless as the men swarmed the room, pushing me out of the way. Would they blame me? I found my back against the cool wall, as I stared at the world around me. I studied the plush white rug, the dark wood floors, the disturbed potted plant with its spilled soil…and Lucas. His black shoes, motionless, as he held his mother. The pool of her gun-metal blood widened between us.

  24

  Lucas

  I failed. I went off on some hero’s mission, leaving my mother stuck here. Alone. Vulnerable. Hadn’t she tried to ask for help just this morning? She’d acted so strange, worse than ever. I knew something was wrong but I’d gone anyway. Too caught up with the Resistance. And even that turned out to be a bunch of lies. In the end, the Resistance had used me. They got Jessa. I got nothing. And now, my mother was dead.

  This is my fault. I clutched her body, unable to let her go.

  “The queen has been murdered,” Faulk repeated.