by Becca Andre
A woman a few yards away gave a cry of alarm at our sudden appearance. The man with her wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into the nearest room. The door slammed behind them.
“Perhaps you should have tried to be more discreet,” I said.
“Why?”
I shook my head. Ian might pretend to be ignorant of the world around him, but I suspected he just liked to mess with people.
Someone stepped into the hall a few doors down and I looked up, meeting James’s green eyes. He took a step toward me, then stopped, his gaze on Ian.
I glanced over at my companion. “Ian.”
“I’m not going to do anything, but if it makes you feel better…” He pulled open the portal. “Call if you need me.” He stepped back and vanished.
I hurried to James.
“Still consorting with necromancers?” His eyes dropped to my clothing and he frowned. “Why are you wearing that?”
“It was Neil’s idea.”
“Neil?”
“I might have killed him. I need to go back and look for a body to be sure.”
James’s brows climbed his forehead, but I was too anxious about Rowan to stand and chat. I walked into his room.
Rowan lay in the bed. The sight of him in a hospital gown, skin pale and an assortment of monitors hooked to him, stopped me more than Cora stepping into my path.
“I don’t want you here,” she said.
“Cora.” Donovan stepped up beside her.
“What are you doing, Cor?” Era left Rowan’s bedside. “Addie can fix him, just like she fixed me.”
Cora never took her eyes from mine. She pressed her lips together, and I knew she wanted to tell Era the truth, that she would tell Era the truth one day. I’d have to beat her to it, but not today.
“My antidote was designed to suppress the magic in the bullet, but I didn’t understand just how magical he, or any of you, are.” I pulled a vial from one of the tiny pockets worked into the scrunched fabric along my ribs. “This is Emil’s, though I’ve blended it into a paste. I used it on Rowan once before. It ramps up his power. I speculate that bringing back his power will bring him back.”
“That’s too dangerous.”
I pulled out a second vial. “A refined version of his remedy. The original formula worked well to bring his power under control last time.”
“Don’t you need his blood for that?”
“It’s a refined formula.” I slipped out a third vial filled with a fine white powder. “If that doesn’t work to bring his power back under control, I have Extinguishing Dust.”
“Why do you still have that?”
“It was left over from the original batch. I hung onto it. Just in case.”
“In case what?”
“In case you decided to kill me?” Or in case Rowan ever got so bad off that I’d need to remove his power completely, but I didn’t say that.
Cora turned to Donovan. “We can’t do this here. It’s too public. If he loses it…”
“He didn’t lose it last time,” I said. At least, not in a significant manner. “This time, I’ll give him the remedy immediately.”
“And we’re all here,” Era said. “We’ll balance him.”
While they continued to debate, I moved to Rowan’s bedside. It really, really bothered me seeing him like this. Though it was far better than seeing him in a casket.
I sat down on the side of the bed.
“Addie.” Cora moved over beside me. Did she think I’d start without her consent?
“Have you decided?”
She glanced at the others, then nodded. “Do it.”
“Let me,” James said, sitting down on his other side. “I’m not flammable.”
“I did this, I’ll fix it; but you can help. Once this paste takes effect, lift him up so I can get the remedy in him.”
James pulled him up with ease, holding Rowan so his head leaned back against James’s shoulder.
I lifted Rowan’s sleeve and rubbed a pea-sized dollop of paste into the warm skin of his upper arm. Then we waited.
“How long?” James asked.
“It was instantaneous last time, but he’d been semi-conscious and I gave him more. I’m not sure—”
Rowan gasped, his eyes opening to reveal irises of rolling flame. He immediately squeezed them shut and doubled over. The IV stand beside the bed went up in a flash of light.
“Rowan, don’t!” Cora shouted. They all moved closer to the bed.
“Easy.” James wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “We’re in a crowded hospital.”
I pulled the lid off his remedy. “Here.”
Rowan didn’t look up.
“Addie has a potion for you,” James said. “It’s your remedy.”
A pause and Rowan straightened. Once again, I stared into eyes of flame.
I wordlessly brought the vial to his lips, indulging myself by cupping his cheek. He drank it down, then bowed his head. Was he—
“What happened?” Rowan whispered.
I bit my lip. It worked. Thank God, it worked.
“You were shot.” My voice wasn’t much stronger than his. I swallowed and made myself continue. “The antidote was designed to subvert the magic in the bullet, but I didn’t take into account the magic in the person. It knocked you out. Sorry.”
“The antidote worked.”
“Yes.” I rose to my feet and walked away from the bed. Era took my place, followed by Cora and Donovan. I walked to the window, giving them a moment to reassure themselves that Rowan would be okay. I gripped my hands and stared out at the snow-dusted parking lot below us. I needed a moment, too. Then it would be time to tell it all. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, yet I looked forward to having no more secrets between us.
“Addie?” Rowan’s voice broke into my thoughts.
I took a breath and turned to face him. “Ian was sabotaging my potions—at Neil’s request.”
“So Neil was involved.”
“He was behind the shootings. I destroyed the bullets, maybe Neil, too.”
Rowan didn’t bat an eye. “How did you find Neil?”
“Ian took me to him. It was his job to break me.”
A muscle ticked in Rowan’s jaw. “Apparently, he failed. Where is Ian now?”
“Waiting around to give me a lift back to the shop.”
“What?” A slim band of fire reignited in Rowan’s eyes. “After…everything, you’re still working with him?”
“To control him, I had to temporarily blood bind him to me. But I had to swear a blood oath to get him to fall for it.”
Rowan blinked.
“You blood bound the dead,” Cora said. “As a necro does?”
“I am not a necromancer. It was alchemy.” I turned back to Rowan. “I had that vial of necro essence on me.”
“Why don’t you start at the beginning?”
So I did. I told them how Ian had delivered me to Neil. How Frank had locked me in the cooler. How I freed myself and took care of Frank and the other liches. And finally, how I took control of Ian to destroy the bullets and Neil’s lab. I did leave out the part about my blood being the azoth. I still hadn’t fully come to terms with that. My tale was met with silence.
Rowan frowned.
“What?” I asked. “Look, I’m sorry I used your blood without your permission, but I had to work with what I had.”
Era cleared her throat. “What you had? That would be two blood samples, and with them you animated the dead, blood-bound a lich king, and used elemental fire to destroy everything threatening us.” She stared at me with wide eyes.
“In other words,” Donovan spoke up. “She kicked ass.”
“In ot
her words,” Cora butted in, “she is truly a blood alchemist.”
“I thought you knew that already.” I held out the vial of Extinguishing Dust. “Here. It’s the X Dust.”
Cora studied it a moment before she took it. “You could make more.”
“Yes.” I didn’t look away.
“Why are you wearing your robes?” Rowan asked.
“Neil thought it would shame me.”
“Does it?” Cora asked.
“For the bad things I’ve done in my past, yes. I want to make amends, but I’m not so sure if I can.”
“True. You get in trouble, and you see what you fall back on?”
I crossed my arms. The split sleeves of my robes fell open revealing my tattoos.
She frowned at my arms. “Once a blood alchemist, always a blood alchemist.”
According to Ian, the blood alchemist. I considered telling her that, telling her about all the good I could do with this skill. The things I’d done before paled in comparison. Look at my burn salve. Why I could—
“Oh!” I dropped my arms to my sides. The formula I’d been working on for the third-degree burns. If I could tap into my own regenerative properties. God, why hadn’t I ever considered that before? Because I’d been afraid, ashamed to use blood alchemy.
I headed for the door.
“Addie?” James stepped in my path.
“Where are you going?” Rowan asked.
“To see Albright.”
I looked up at James, aware that I was grinning like a madwoman. “The possibilities.” I patted his chest and stepped around him.
“What about your robes? You don’t want to go out like that.”
I glanced down, then shrugged. “Why not? I’m sick of hiding—from the world, from myself. This,” I gestured at the black robes, “is who I am. Maybe I’m not proud of how I got here, but the fact remains that I can do a hell of a lot of good.”
“But—” James tried again.
I gripped his forearm. “The third-degree burn formula. I think—no, I got it now. Can you imagine?” I squeezed his arm and released it. Not waiting for his reply, I headed for the door once more.
“James, go with her,” Rowan said.
Rowan, the control freak was back. I smiled.
Dr. Albright shook my hand, a smile spreading across his wrinkled face. Rowan had already convinced the hospital board to give me another chance. Oddly, showing up in my robes reassured Albright. I wasn’t some hack off the street, but a trained alchemist. When I explained how my potions had been sabotaged by a rival alchemist, and the problem had been resolved, he was more than willing to give me another go. Especially when I told him about my new formula.
“That went well,” James said as we left the office.
“I thought so.” I laughed. “What a relief.”
James gave me a tentative smile.
“Are you still pissed about the necromancer?” I asked.
“I won’t be able to come see you, help you make some salve.”
I was about to declare that nonsense, that Ian wouldn’t try anything, but that was naive. He had already proven what he was capable of.
“It’s just until I find his daughter, then the blood oath is fulfilled.”
“How will you find her?”
“Hit Xander with a little truth serum?”
“And start an all-out war between New Magic and Old.”
“It won’t have anything to do with New Magic.”
“Will Xander see it that way? You are the Flame Lord’s alchemist.”
I didn’t get to comment as we turned the corner and found the hall before us blocked.
“There she is!” someone shouted.
I didn’t seek the speaker. My eyes locked on the news crew and the familiar reporter.
“Do you want to leave?” James asked, his voice pitched low.
“That’s okay. It’s time to end this.”
“Addie.”
“Let’s see what she has to say.” I gave him a wink and started forward. “Megan! So good to see you.”
She had her mouth open, about to speak, but my welcome silenced her.
I closed the distance, James a step behind. “Have you come to see the work I’ve been doing? We can go speak to—”
“No. That’s not why I’m here,” Megan cut in. She glanced at the camera, her expression oddly nervous. “I’ve, I’ve been looking for you everywhere. I need to apologize.”
I blinked. That was the last thing I expected.
“Those bullets you made don’t kill the magical.”
I struggled to compose myself. What was going on?
“You designed them for animals, right?”
“That’s right. I thought it a more humane end for those unfortunate creatures who are dealt nonlethal wounds, but suffer and die from infection or disability later.”
“Sounds…noble.” She gave the camera a smile.
“Thank you, though I’m not sure noble would describe it.” I took a step toward her. “I’d be happy to tell you about the new burn salve I’m developing.”
“Maybe at a later date. Thank you for your time, Ms. Daulton.” She turned and practically sprinted away from us, leaving her camera crew to stare after her. They quickly gathered up their gear and hurried away.
I glanced up at James. “What just happened?”
“I have no idea.”
“Well, I hope it does some good.” I looked down at my robes. “Everyone will have no doubt that I’m Alchemica alchemist now.”
James smiled. “True, but once word gets out about what you can do, I don’t think you’ll have to worry about it. You may not be able to keep up with demand.”
“Then go get your degree and come help me.”
He glanced over. “Be an alchemist?”
“Sure, why not?”
He considered this in silence.
“If things get too crazy, I could pick up a few apprentices.”
“Start a school?”
It was my turn to lapse into silence. That wasn’t a bad idea. More alchemists meant more people available to the medical field. I could train anyone with a little skill to make the basic burn salve.
“What are you thinking?” James asked. He sounded concerned.
I smiled. “I’m thinking that isn’t a bad idea.”
“As long as it doesn’t produce another Neil…or Emil.”
“Mm, good point.” I reached over and took his hand. “We’ll just have to hope they all turn out like you.”
Epilogue
I sat on a stone bench beneath a pair of leafless trees, the branches scraping against each other in the wind. The sky threatened snow, but so far, it had held off. I pulled my coat closer, and watched the crowd depart. Soon, the only car parked along the winding cemetery road was a black Camaro with orange flames across the hood and front fenders. I’d been hesitant to approach with so many people around. Some might take exception to my presence at Lydia’s memorial service. But now that he was alone, I felt like I was intruding.
Pushing to my feet, I turned away from the family plot and started toward my rendezvous site with Ian.
“Addie.” Rowan’s voice pulled me to a halt, and I turned back to face him. He hadn’t changed position. He still stood facing the large monument with Brant carved on the surface.
My steps hesitant, I walked over to stand next to him.
“You came. Why?”
I couldn’t decide if he was annoyed or curious. His bland tone gave nothing away.
“I admired her,” I said. “And though I didn’t know her well, I felt I should come.”
He grunted.
“I didn’t mean to intrude.” M
y eyes drifted over the headstones surrounding the family marker. Some were older, perhaps Rowan’s grandparents or other relatives. But there were five with the same death date on them, and a smaller headstone dated a few months after. Apparently, Lydia had wanted her ashes buried with her brother and his family. Or had a plot been purchased for her along with the others? Maybe she hadn’t been expected to survive.
“Also,” I continued when he didn’t say anything, “I wanted to let you know that my new formula was a success.” I could accelerate the healing of third-degree burns. There were limitations, but it was a start.
“I know.”
Had Albright contacted him, or someone from the hospital board? Or had Rowan been keeping tabs on me again? That should have made me angry, but standing here with the evidence of his lost control, I couldn’t muster any indignation.
“Shriners called,” I said instead. “I’ve been working over there, too.” Seeing badly burned adults had been bad, but the kids… My eyes drifted to that small headstone. “It’s been going well.”
“I’m glad.”
I couldn’t think of anything else to say. God, I shouldn’t be here. Those headstones were all dated December twenty-fifth. That was only six days from today. Christmas must be a hard time for him.
There was so much I wanted to say, but not here. Not now.
“I should go.” I started to turn away.
“Where’s the necromancer?”
I guess Rowan hadn’t said all he wanted to say. I braced myself for what was to come. “Elsewhere.”
“I don’t want him anywhere near here.”
“Jesus. Do you really think I would—” I didn’t know how to finish that. I took a deep breath. “You think so little of me?”
“You lied to me.”
“Yes. All I can do is say I’m sorry and promise to never lie to you again.”
He didn’t look at me. “It’s not that simple.”
“Yes, it is. If I’d told you I was working with Ian, you would have shoved me out of your life. Just like you did when you learned about my past.”
“You don’t know that.”