The Color Alchemist: The Complete Series

by Nina Walker

  I crossed my arms over my stomach, trying not to be sick. This was why I hated red alchemy so much. I never wanted this kind of power. It was too much, too much for one person to have this kind of control.

  “Snap out of it.” I turned on him. “Do whatever you want.”

  He blinked, confusion running over his face, as he looked around wildly. “What just happened?” His eyes narrowed on me. “Did you do that?”

  “I’ll explain later,” I rushed the excuse out, breaking his intense eye contact just as I’d broken his trust. Now was not the time for this conversation—would there ever be a time for it?

  “There you are!” Tristan’s frenzied voice jerked me out of my thoughts. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” A trace of anger rung heavy in his tone as he pushed his way around the crowd of retreating soldiers. “You disappeared! We were supposed to stick together.”

  “We took cover.” I shrugged, biting my lip as more guilt ripped through me. “It’s fine, we’re here now.”

  He held my eyes, mouth in a thin line. “You heard the General, we need to get out of here. Get what you need. We’re leaving.” He hooked his weapon over his shoulder, drawing his eyebrows together.

  I nodded, and the three of us sped off to replenish our supplies. Luckily, all of us had been trained to understand the layout. My stones were in a box in the corner of the room, resting high on the farthest shelf. I sprinted toward it, relieved to find the box waiting for me. Just the sight made it easier to breathe.

  But when I heaved it down from the shelf, it jostled into my hands like nothing, as light as if it were empty.

  I flung it open, furious. Empty.

  I cussed and threw the box against the floor, splintering it along one edge.

  “What’s wrong?” Tristan jogged over, an added gun slung over his shoulder.

  “Someone took my stones! And I’m pretty much out of everything useful.”

  Pulling it from under the hem of my black shirt, I studied my necklace in my fingers. The stones hung in a line along the leather strap. There was hardly a trace of yellow left and the green was completely gone, the stone a sickly shadow of itself.

  “It’s okay.” Tristan tugged me after him. “We’ll worry about it later.”

  He was right. As much as I wanted to scream and punch something, there wasn’t time. We took off, finding Mastin who was busy loading ammunition into his current handgun and slinging another, much larger one, onto his back.

  “You ready?” I asked him.

  He nodded once, looking me over with a trace of suspicion in his green eyes. His jaw clenched for a moment and then he spoke, “Yeah, let’s go.”

  We hauled it for the building’s one exit, Mastin taking point as usual as we moved from the relative safety of the place. Gunfire rained down on us the moment we slipped out the door and sprinted for the airfield. We dodged the bullets as they ripped at the ground around us, sending dirt and gravel flying. The airfield stretched out next to the armory, so we didn’t have to run far, but with death all around us, it felt like miles extended between us and the nearest machine.

  Soldiers were climbing into the opened doors of jets and choppers. The second one filled, the doors slammed shut and the machine rose into the air. I eyed the nasty New Colony jets circling the base, white demons that roared through the sky, hungry for more death.

  So far, they hadn’t dropped any more bombs.

  Probably because so many of the New Colonians were on the base now. Richard wouldn’t care about his civilian soldiers, but he wouldn’t want his alchemists to be blown up. No, those Guardians were the difference between winning and losing.

  Our feet slammed against the pavement, puddles of rainwater splashing in our wake. At last, we made it to one of the mammoth helicopters just as it was getting ready to lift off. Mastin jumped in first, reaching out to pull me in after him. As I was hoisted inside by his steady arm, I landed on my butt. A prickle of relief ran down my entire being, settling in. I closed my eyes, catching my breath, running hands down my legs to wash off the mud. I spun around to make sure Tristan had plenty room as well.

  He was gone.

  I blinked, disbelieving. “Tristan!” I jumped up and screamed out the door. “Where are you?” My voice was a mere squeak compared to the onslaught of battle raging outside. I frantically scanned ahead, taking in the last of the soldiers, watching as the enemy approached, but Tristan wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Had he gone to another chopper? No, he wouldn’t have left me. Not on purpose.

  Someone pulled the door shut with a sharp clang. The chopper lifted and climbed, and my panic climbed with it. No, I couldn’t leave him!

  I wrenched the door open, calling on the last bit of yellow magic I had, and dived down to the pavement ten feet below. I tucked and rolled on my landing, ignoring the pain as I popped up to full standing.

  “Sasha! What are you doing?” Mastin screamed down but it was too late. He was too high to jump down after me.

  I held up a hand. “Don’t worry!”

  Looking around the airfield, there were still several choppers that hadn't taken off. There was still time. All the jets had left, but all I needed was one chopper. Just one. I would have to be quick. Find Tristan, then get back before it’s too late.

  You can do this. Everything will be all right. I repeated the words over and over again as I took off running.

  Gunfire blew bits of the dirt right next to me, and I dove for the ground in the opposite direction. I crawled to my knees and searched for cover.

  That’s when I saw him.

  Leaning against the metal siding of the backside of the armory, Tristan hunched over, clutching at his stomach. His face shone with anguish, his mouth pinched.

  I ran for him at breakneck speed, dodging bullets and crying out in both terror and relief. I was well aware that there wasn’t green near me, so if I got shot, I wouldn’t be able to heal myself. But more than myself, it was Tristan who I worried for. He needed my healing alchemy. I had nothing to offer. The entire area was a tangle of metal and pavement, dirt and gravel, shrapnel and wreckage, but no greenery in sight.

  I skidded to a stop in front of him. “Are you okay?”

  He blinked up at me, a mix of relief and fear drowning his features. “What are you doing here?” He coughed, thick globs of blood spilling out of his mouth.

  “I came back for you. What else?”

  He didn’t seem to hear me, head shaking, his eyes rolled into the back of their sockets. The remaining color drained from his face, black hair flopping across his sweat-covered forehead.

  I had a little bit of yellow left, the barest amount. I prayed it would be enough to get us to safety. Quickly, I called on what was left of the amber stone that lay, mostly gray, against the hollow of my neck. The second the surge of strength ran through me, I reached around Tristan and picked him up. His arms fell on either side, his head rolled against my collarbone as I stood.

  “Hang in there!” I demanded. “You are not allowed to die!”

  Magic bursting through my legs, I took off for the chopper. It was the last remaining one but the propellers were already spinning. A man with a smoke-smeared face leaned out to slam the door shut.

  “Wait!” I screamed, my voice shriller than I’d ever heard it before. The man caught my eye, looking to me and then to whoever was advancing behind us. I didn’t look back. It was now or never.

  Mercifully, the man waited with the door opened, someone at his side leaning out and firing at whoever was chasing us.

  My heart pounded, catching up to the chopper just as it was lifting off. I threw Tristan in first and jumped inside. As I turned to close the door, a sharpness tore through my upper arm. The pain was so searing that it was almost unbelievable. I cried out, panic surging alongside the agony.

  “You’ve been shot!” A gruff voice called as I stumbled further into the chopper.

  “I’ll be okay.” I winced, holding my arm. The pain crawled into my
bone, deep and reaching. “Any chance one of you has some green on you?”

  Nobody answered. I turned, absorbing the looks of a dozen astonished and weary expressions. Honestly, they didn’t look much better than I did. Their uniforms were filthy with matted soot and blood, faces bruising. But at least they didn’t have gunshot wounds!

  “I didn’t think so,” I muttered, straining on the words.

  I looked down to the blood pouring out of my arm. It was bad, but it was nothing compared to what Tristan was enduring. His entire shirt was soaked crimson, and he was still passed out, body slumped awkwardly beside me. If we didn’t get him help right away, he would die.

  The chopper flew over the blurred landscape, gaining speed.

  “Land!” I yelled, lumbering to the front of the chopper.

  The pilot didn’t seem to notice me. Or if he did, he didn’t care enough to glance back in my direction.

  “We need to get to land,” I said again, gritting my teeth against the pain. “Somewhere green.” My breath caught. “Please.”

  No response. I could overtake him. I could fly this thing. But that wouldn’t happen with all these soldiers here; they’d stop me.

  “We need land!” I chocked back a sob. “Please, just really quick so I can save my friend and anyone else on here who needs help.” I pointed to a field of sprawling green grass in the distance. “There. Land there!”

  “Are you trying to get us all killed? Get out of here!” the pilot replied. “I have orders.”

  I turned back to the men behind me, eyeing three more injured bodies crumpled in on themselves.

  “I can save people if you land this thing. I can heal them. Please!”

  Should I use red alchemy on him? I don’t know if I can with so many witnesses, but Tristan needs me. I’ll do anything to save him. No question, I’m desperate.

  Resolved, I reached toward the man.

  “Fine!” The pilot relented, just before I touched him. “But you’d better make it quick.”

  “I will. I promise!” Pure relief cascaded through my breath as I exhaled.

  We descended quickly, landing in the middle of the glorious green.

  Using my good arm, I swung the door open. Landing on both feet, I reached down and tore at the grass, fistfuls of it.

  “Come on!” someone called out to me. “We need to go!”

  In the distance, several jets circled the base, much lower than they were earlier. A black speck fell from one of them. I stilled as I watched it, knowing what it meant. A bomb. It landed on the armory, the structure exploding and erupting into flame.

  I sprinted back to the chopper, scrambling to get to Tristan as quickly as possible. The other injured would have to wait, myself included. Tristan came first.

  We jolted into the air, flying low over the ground. I worked the green magic, the color twisting into the air. Saving my very best friend, my favorite person, wasn’t what I’d planned for today, but I was certainly grateful for the chance.

  After a few minutes, he woke, blinking up at me.

  “Thank God,” I breathed.

  He smiled, eyes dark as storm clouds, searching mine. “Yes. Thank God for you, Frankie.”

  Who was I? Was I the Frankie from years ago, in love with my unavailable best friend? Or was I Sasha, the warrior destined to start a new life? So many things had changed, starting with the introduction of my family. I didn’t feel like the same girl from all those years ago, but sometimes, I wondered if maybe I still wanted to be her. Maybe it was possible to meet in the middle, to be both.

  I looked away, sitting back on my heels, and tended to the wound in my arm.

  “I owe you. This is at least the second time you’ve saved my butt, you know?” Tristan teased, brushing the sweat from his brow.

  Shaking my head, I laughed. “It probably won’t be the last, either.”

  “I can’t believe we lost Nashville.” I ground out the words as I sat down next to Mastin. The dirt and rocks mixed uncomfortably with sparse grass, but I paid them no attention. I would endure much worse to spend time with this man. “And Jessa, I don’t know what’s going to happen to her.” I sighed, defeated, an emotion I didn’t know how to handle.

  Mastin sat on the crest of the hill that overlooked the endless horizon when I found him, his knees bent, elbows resting on top, and his hands cradling his face. Tense, he didn’t say anything in response. Frustration rolled off of him and I bristled. Was this all my fault? I’d convinced his father of the importance of rescuing Jessa, and when we’d failed the mission, everything had gone to hell. So there was that. There was also the fact that for the first time in years, I’d used red alchemy, and it just so happened to be on him.

  I stared out into the sunset, blinking back the tears. I was not going to cry! I was not that girl.

  I craned back to get another look at our newest home. We’d taken up occupation in a tiny town a few hundred miles west of Nashville. The residents had already evacuated, so we were able to start reorganizing ourselves in the homes and businesses. The place was quaint, a jewel in a field of vast grasslands.

  My head ached, a throb that pulsed in my forehead. The entire day had been terrible as we’d realized just how many people we’d lost back in Nashville.

  Guilt ripped through me. How was it that the sky could be so beautiful, a wash of bright pink and royal purple, and yet I could feel so hollow inside?

  “Are you in love with him?” I froze, Mastin’s question catching me off guard. He leaned back on his palms, staring off into the distance.

  I took in the firm set of his profile, turning the question over in my mind. I could pretend I didn’t know who he was talking about, but of course I did. “I love Tristan. I’ve loved him for years. But I don’t know if I’m in love with him.”

  He winced, eyebrows drawn. “You don’t know? How can you not know?”

  I shrugged. “But I do know how I feel about you.”

  “And what’s that?”

  Was it love? I hadn’t gotten to there yet, but I was close. “I feel like you and I are the same, like we get each other. I feel like we’re supposed to see where this goes.” I reached out and placed my palm on top of his, intertwining our fingers. This level of vulnerability was hard for me. I wanted to jump up and run away, but I forced myself to stay.

  My heart, usually so guarded, was opening for him, and quite honestly, it hurt. But wasn’t love supposed to hurt?

  He sighed, closing his eyes and breathing in deeply. “How are we going to do that if you’re more concerned about your friendship with Tristan than you are with your relationship with me?”

  I started pulling away from him. “That’s not fair.”

  “Isn’t it?”

  “Is this because I went back for him? I couldn’t leave him there to die. You can’t get mad about that.”

  He twisted his lip, nodding slowly. “It’s not that you went back for him. I understand that and I would have done the same. Even though it bothered me, I know that’s a selfish reaction and I don’t want to be that guy.”

  I laughed coolly. “What? The jealous boyfriend? It’s kind of too late for that, don’t you think?”

  It was a mean thing to say. But I was too stubborn to take it back. And actually, he wasn’t my boyfriend, was he? We’d never defined it that way.

  “I’m serious.” He looked me up and down with his piercing green eyes. They traveled slow, landing on my lips. I tensed in anticipation. “And it’s not because you went back for him that we’re having this conversation.” He paused, twisting the words around in his mouth before speaking, “It’s the way you look at him. It’s the way you are around him. I didn’t want to see it at first; it was easy when you were staying at my house out west and he wasn’t there, but I can’t help it now we’re all on this base. He’s always around.”

  “No he’s not. He’s been avoiding me ever since you and I got together.” I sat back, folding my arms over my chest. Why was I being so defensi
ve? I could just tell Mastin that I had zero feelings for Tristan and this conversation would be over.

  “And the fact that he’s been avoiding you hurts you. I can tell.”

  “Because he’s my best friend.”

  “Nothing more?”

  I bit my lip. We’d circled back to the burning question. The truth was, even if somewhere deep inside I still wanted Tristan, he didn’t want me. He’d told me to date Mastin. And that was fine. Mastin and I were the same, we belonged. I’d chosen him and wanted to keep choosing him, if he’d let me.

  “Nothing more,” I said.

  He watched me carefully, guardedly.

  “Please, don’t do this,” I said, letting out a stilted breath. “I can’t choose between my best friend and you. I want you both in my life. I need you both.”

  He sighed, anger leaving his expression only to be replaced with sadness.

  “Fine,” he relented. “I guess it’s better than the alternative.”

  I stilled. What did he see as the alternative?

  “If it’s not you and me,” he continued, “it’s going to be you and him. And I’m selfish, I guess, but I want it to be you and me. I–I really care about you, Sasha.”

  I leaned in, scooting closer. “I feel the same way about you.”

  Tentatively, our lips met. The argument was quickly lost to the passion that overtook us. As he held my face in his rough palms, I knew I’d meant what I’d said. I did care about him. I wanted this moment to go on forever, to live in this place where we could save each other.

  13

  Lucas

  “Start with the inner circle.” I leaned against the wall, looking down at my father. We’d been arguing his reasons as to why I wasn’t allowed out of the bunker. They all made sense, but that didn’t make it any easier for me. My hope in coming here had been to get Richard to let me go back to the way things were. If I’d known that helping him with Jessa would result in being confined underground, I wasn’t sure if I’d have done it.