The Final Formula (5 page)

Now what? I didn’t have anything on me of value. “You can have a glass, too. I don’t mind.”

He snorted. “No, I’m sure you don’t.” He still looked like he wanted to laugh. I didn’t get what was so funny.

“What?” I asked.

“You really are a little dense.”

A little dense! “Excuse me?” I flexed my wrist, adjusting the tube of Knockout Powder.

He straightened and closed the distance between us. “It’s simple. Offer me a kiss for the glass.”

I blinked. “You want me to kiss you?”

“Don’t give me that. You’ve been flirting with me since I pulled you out from beneath that island.”

I might have flunked inept, but this guy did clueless with style.

A protest rose to my lips, but I hesitated. Here was a way out. I glanced at the clock on the microwave. If I didn’t meet James as we’d planned, he’d come looking for me. And he’d probably be furry. I doubted that the man would mention tricking a kiss out of an intruder, but he’d definitely tell his master about meeting a hellhound in the kitchen.

I looked up at my current obstacle. Damn, his height had me at a disadvantage. If this scenario failed, I’d need that Knockout Powder. I hopped up on the counter beside the glasses. “If we’re going to see eye-to-eye on this, I want to be eye-to-eye.”

Speaking of eyes, his were interesting. Pale gray near the pupils shaded to a rich charcoal around the perimeter. They once more twinkled with amusement.

“Wouldn’t want you uncomfortable.” He leaned over and picked up a glass, turning it so I could see the etched flame. “Do we have an agreement?” He rolled the glass between his fingers, and the crystal bent the low light into rainbows.

“It’s just a glass.” My voice came out in a shaky whisper, and I became aware of a quiver in my joints. Strange. I hadn’t been remotely nervous until now. I gripped the edge of the cool granite counter in an effort to steady myself.

“A rather fancy glass,” his eyes dipped to the crystal, “with the flame and all.”

“Pretentious as hell.” I caught my lip between my teeth, but it was too late to call back the words. Damn, I blew it.

“You think?” The laugh lines made another appearance.

“You don’t?”

He turned the glass and studied it. “Maybe a bit.” He met my eyes, waiting for my answer.

“Okay.” I gave him an exaggerated sigh. “For the glass.” I leaned up and pressed my lips to his. I squeezed my eyes shut, aware of his warm mouth moving against mine. What a bizarre turn of events—almost as weird as meeting the necromancer outside the Alchemica. Who knew I’d end my day kissing a complete stranger in the Elements’ kitchen? At least he smelled better than the zombie.

“Mmm, not bad,” he said when I leaned back. “But this isn’t an ordinary glass. For sheer pretentiousness alone, I’m going to have to ask for more.”

“You said a kiss. As in one.” I held up a finger for emphasis.

“That barely qualified.”

Oh for heaven’s sake. I didn’t have time for this. “Fine.” I looped my arms around his shoulders and gave him an encore. I took my time, exploring his mouth as he explored mine. He braced his hands on the counter to either side of my hips and leaned into me. I had to admit, the man could kiss. Should I be noticing that? And how did I know? Did I have a boyfriend? A lover? Oh God, what if I was married?

I pulled away with a gasp.

He leaned back. “What is it?”

I didn’t have an answer. My heart pounded and I had to get out of here. “Do I get the glass?”

He smirked. “And if I said no?”

“Then I’ll leave without it.”

He studied my face, trying to gauge my truthfulness, and then straightened with a sigh. He held out the glass. I wrapped my hand around it, but he didn’t let go. “What’s your name?”

Good question. I couldn’t answer that either. “Addie.” He couldn’t trace that name to the Alchemica. But then, why would he even think to? Lord, he had me rattled.

“Addie?” He paused, waiting for me to offer more. “That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

He released the glass and stepped back, allowing me to slide from the counter. “And you are?” I had no plans for the information, but I’d be foolish not to get his name.

He watched me intently, and I began to wonder if he’d answer. “Rowan.”

“That’s it?”

He smiled. “That’s it, unless you’d like to meet again sometime. Perhaps we could haggle over a dinner plate or a piece of cutlery.”

The heat rose in my cheeks. “I figured you’d suggest a whole place setting.”

He leaned against the counter eying me. “I’d like that.”

I was pretty sure I would, too. Not the dinnerware, the haggling. This scheme had taken a turn I hadn’t anticipated. Time to go. “It was nice meeting you, Rowan.”

I turned away, expecting him to say something, but the only noise in the kitchen was the sound of my footsteps. I stopped with my hand on the doorknob and glanced over my shoulder. He still stood where I’d left him, watching me.

“If you change your mind, you know where to find me.” He left the room without a backward glance. Cocky bastard. Guess being the personal servant of the most feared guy in the Midwest made him think he was something special.

I looked at the glasses still on the counter and considered finishing what I’d started. No. I’d better not press my luck. Time for plan B.

Chapter
5

“T
his is completely insane,” James
whispered as soon as we were alone. We stood in a small, but expensively furnished waiting room just off the foyer in the Elemental Offices. Morning sunlight shone through sheer, floor-length curtains and gave the room a warm, soft glow. I eyed the half-dozen leather chairs arranged in pairs around the room, but made no move to sit in one. In minutes, my audience with the Flame Lord would begin.

“Explain to me why you chose to wear that.” James gestured, not at my cloak, but at what I wore underneath: the black, slit-sleeved robes of an Alchemica Master. The same robes he’d found me in—except they smelled of fabric softener now instead of smoke.

“We’ve been over this.” And over it, but he couldn’t dissuade me. I wanted the Flame Lord to know how easily I could get to him. Last night’s slip-up had become an opportunity. “The interrogation loses its punch otherwise.”

“This isn’t an interrogation.” James leaned closer. “Come on, this is the Lord of Flames.”

“Is the fancy title supposed to impress me? His Grace, Archbishop of Radiant Matter and Lord of Flames.” I rolled my eyes. “Some newsman came up with the archbishop thing as a joke. He thought radiant matter sounded like a religious term.” I snorted.

“Radiant matter?”

“The original name for the plasma phenomena.”

James frowned at me. “You have no respect for the powerful.”

His comment sent of bolt of fury right through me. “Because I’m a magicless human?”

“That’s not what I meant. Don’t put words in my mouth.” He ran a hand over his face. “The point is the guy can ignite anything—you included. If he’s responsible for the Alchemica’s destruction, he’s not going to be pleased to see you.”

“I’ve got it covered.” Through the door, I caught a glimpse of a man in black livery moving our way. “Trust me.” I gripped his forearm and gave it a squeeze.

James didn’t look convinced, but he’d run out of time to argue. The servant stepped into the room and gestured for us to follow. I stood straighter, my pulse accelerating in anticipation of the coming confrontation. Alchemist versus Element. Maybe I did lack the sense to respect power. We’d see.

The servant led us down a long corridor decorated in gray banners. Each banner bore its corresponding symbol in red, blue, yellow, and green—like the designs on the glasses. Tacky. The oak-paneled walls and stone-tiled floors needed no further embellishment to declare the Elements a class above the rest of us.

The servant opened a set of double doors and stepped inside. Double doors? I glanced up at James and rolled my eyes. It wasn’t like the Flame Lord couldn’t fit through a regular door. I knew that much about the man. Though, that’s where my knowledge ended. The guy went around cloaked in those robes, hood up and face in shadow. Photographers always swarmed whenever he made an appearance, hoping for a shot of his face. But two could play that game. My hood hid my features. A subtle jab at His Grace, but also a precaution against running into Rowan, his friendly servant from the night before.

“Your Grace?” The servant stopped a few paces inside the door. “The last petitioners of the morning.” He gestured at James and me.

I stopped beside the servant, my eyes riveted on familiar gray robes hemmed in black triangles. I didn’t hear the Flame Lord answer the man. I lay in the smoldering ruins of the Alchemica again, watching those robes in the flickering light of my burning home.

The doors closed with a click, and I realized the Flame Lord had dismissed his servant. I pulled myself back from the night I lost everything and focused on the man who might be responsible.

He stood before one of several bookcases in the room, an open book in his hands. The room looked more like a library than an office. I’d expected a massive desk, but found an oblong table instead. Several high-backed chairs were arranged around the polished expanse of oak. The Flame Lord stopped beside the chair at the head of the table and laid his book beside it.

“What can I do for you?” He gestured at the other chairs, inviting us to sit.

I took a deep breath. Time to see if I could play with the big boys. “I have a few questions.” I closed the distance between us. “And a gesture of good will.” I could almost hear James groaning behind me. I’d told him about the servant and the glass. Well, not all the details, but enough.

I hadn’t been able to spike the Flame Lord’s glasses the night before, but I now had evidence that I could get close to him. He’d have to respect that.

“A gesture?” The Flame Lord’s voice sounded from the depths of his hood. “That’s not necessary.” My nearness didn’t seem to upset him. Over-confident bastard.

I didn’t answer. Instead, I pulled the glass from my pocket and held it up for his inspection, rotating it so he could see the stylized flame before I set it on the table beside his book. I took a step closer, an alchemically-altered bang snap between the thumb and middle finger of my opposite hand. I held the novelty firework gently. It had been an adventure to get the correct ratio of explosive silver fulminate, but this delivery system provided better accuracy than blowing an alchemic powder in his face. Good thing I’d taken the trouble; the man stood a good foot taller than me.

“Addie?”

I looked up into this hood. “Oh, shit,” I muttered as I understood.

He chuckled and pushed my hood back. “Decided to return it?”

“Rowan?”

He pushed his own hood off his head revealing the man I’d met in the kitchen the night before, except in this brighter light his hair wasn’t brown, but a dark shade of auburn.

Oh, hell. I resisted the urge to start gagging like a cat with a hairball.

He grinned at me.

“Addie?” James sounded confused.

I remembered my purpose, and before Rowan could do more than glance in James’s direction, I raised my hand and snapped my fingers. The paper-wrapped firework exploded and my Perfect Assistant Dust puffed up into Rowan’s face. I held my ground, watching his expression. The Dust had worked fine when I tested it on James, but not every magical person reacted in same way.

Rowan coughed and stepped back. Confusion lit his gray eyes, but not only confusion. An orange ring sprang to light around each pupil and began to spread through the iris. He’d called on his elemental power of fire.

Before I could give my first command, James leapt forward and caught Rowan by the front of his gray robes. The momentum carried them backward, and they slammed into a bookcase, books thumping to the floor around their feet.

“James!” Apparently, he didn’t respect the powerful either.

For a heartbeat, the pair stood toe to toe. I couldn’t see James’s face, but I could see Rowan’s. He didn’t look angry, so when he attacked, he took both of us by surprise.

A couple of rapid jabs knocked James back and a sweeping kick took the boy’s legs from under him. James landed on his butt at my feet.

“Stop!” I shouted.

Rowan froze and his eyes shifted to me.

“No magic.” My voice echoed in the sudden silence.

Rowan’s eyes widened and the orange faded away. It seemed that my Perfect Assistant Dust worked on an Element as well as it worked on a grim.

James sprang to his feet, but I stepped in front of him and passed him my cloak before he could do anything else. I expected a servant or two to come running, but none did.

I crossed my arms and the movement drew Rowan’s attention. It also caused my split sleeves to part and reveal the tattoos encircling my upper arms.

“Shit,” Rowan muttered.

“See? A gesture of good faith.” I waved a hand at the glass sitting innocently on the table beside me. “Have a seat, Your Grace. This won’t take long.”

The cords in his neck stood out, but he pulled a chair from beside the table, the legs scraping across the floor. “What did you give me?” He settled into the chair.

“Do you want the formula?” I asked. He answered with a glare so I continued. “It’s just a little something to encourage your cooperation. I didn’t think you’d be willing to chat with me otherwise.”

“Aren’t you a brilliant girl.”

“Well, brilliant is stretching it.” I gave him a smile. “But I can see where a one-trick pony like you might think that.” I pulled a slim vial from my bodice and unscrewed the lid. A floral scent rose from the viscous liquid. “Drink this.” I offered the vial to him.

A muscle ticked in his jaw, but he took the vial. “What—” He didn’t get to finish as he tipped back his head and drank the dark blue liquid.

“Truth serum,” I said. The unique properties of my formula opened options not available with other brews. A basic truth serum left the subject able to respond only to direct questions. Otherwise, they couldn’t speak. That wasn’t the case with mine. Rowan could question me, make statements, or cuss me until blue in the face. That freedom would allow for a more interesting exchange.

He dropped the vial and it shattered on the floor. “I won’t betray my brethren, alchemist.” He gripped the arms of his chair and a flicker of orange appeared in his eyes once more.

James stepped forward, but I caught his arm. “Would you quit?”

He stopped and turned his frown from Rowan to me.

“What have you done to him?” Rowan demanded. “He’s magical.” The orange had faded again.

I glanced up at James. His look of surprise shifted back to a frown. “She’s given me nothing,” he said, his voice just this side of a growl. “I’m hers of my own will.”

Weird way to put it. “I didn’t come here to chat about who my friends are,” I said.

“Why are you here?” Rowan’s knuckles whitened as he tightened his grip on his chair.

“To ask a question. Why you were at the Alchemica the night it burned?”

“I received an invitation from your…,” he glanced at my arms, “Grand Master.”

“What?” He couldn’t lie to me, but his answer made no sense. “The Grand Master invited
you
to the Alchemica?”

“He invited all four of us. Shall I summon the others to vouch for me? They all saw the invitation. White linen embossed in gold. Talk about pretentious.”

I frowned. “I don’t need verification. At the moment, your word is enough.” I tried for a confident tone, but his revelation put a dent in my armor. “You’re certain the invitation came from the Grand Master?”

“You mean Aemilius Archimedes?” Rowan snorted. “You know, if you alchemists insist on hiding behind a false name, you might want to consider a more plausible one.”

False names? I didn’t remember that.

“Though he did scrawl Emil across the bottom of the invitation,” Rowan said.

If he said anything after that, I missed it. Emil. The name echoed in my head, and I pictured the sleeveless white robes and graying-blond hair. Thick fingers with neatly trimmed nails. A kind wrinkled face and an expressive mouth.

“Addie?”

I discovered James’s hand on my shoulder. “I’m okay,” I whispered. The ricochet of memories settled.

“Too many potions over the years?” Rowan asked.

I gave him a glare. “What happened to the Alchemica?” No need to drag this out.

“The papers said an explosion in the lab took down the building.”

“I’ve been there. The labs are intact. The explosion took place in the auditorium.” I suddenly realized he’d diverted the question without lying. Impressive under a truth serum. The Flame Lord was strong willed and no idiot. I wished I had more time to argue with him. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“No, I didn’t burn down your Alchemica. If not for my brother Element throwing up a wall of earth, we would have been among the injured.”

“Injured? There were no injured. They all died!”

“You didn’t.”

I clenched my fists. “I saw you there when I lay in the rubble. What happened?” I hated the pleading note in my voice, but those images of Emil had hit me hard. I now had someone to mourn.

“All I know is that there was an explosion.” His eyes met mine, and I prayed he couldn’t see the depth of my despair. He didn’t know anything. This effort had been for nothing.

I turned to James. “Let’s go.”

“That’s it?” Rowan sounded surprised.

I faced him again. “Would you prefer I stay and question you some more?”

“Until this potion wears off? Yes.” He smiled and I resisted the urge to step back. Clearly, he found it amusing that he could turn me to ash with a thought.

I refused to let him intimidate me. “That’s not the only potion on my person.”

His eyes slid down over my black robes, lingering on the snug bodice. Heat rose in my cheeks as I remembered the night before.

“I may be a one-trick pony, but it’s a doozy of a trick. Are you certain you wouldn’t like to stay?” His lips curved into a smug smile.

Why hadn’t I recognized what that cocky attitude meant last night? The man hadn’t been remotely concerned about my presence in his kitchen.

“Tempting, but no thank you, Your Grace.” I turned away and James dropped the cloak around my shoulders.

“You thought I burned the Alchemica,” Rowan said.

I glanced over my shoulder as I hooked my cloak.

“And if you’d been right?”

I turned to meet his stare. “I would have avenged them.”

“By killing me.” He looked more amused than concerned. Bastard.

“You don’t think I would?”

He studied me a moment. “I think you’d try.”

“Ah, you don’t think I could.” I snorted. “Tell me Rowan, are you immortal?”

He gripped the arms of his chair. “Yes.” The cords in his neck stood out again. He hadn’t wanted to reveal that.

I blinked. Whoa. How could that be? “Magic hasn’t been back long enough for you to know that.”

He glared at me, and the orange ring ignited around his pupils. A muscle in his jaw ticked and then the light winked out. I still had him under my control, but with the strength of his will, he’d probably break free before the potion wore off.

I gave him a smirk of my own. “Thank you for your time, Your Grace.” I didn’t bother to curtsy before I led James to the double doors. Hand on the knob, I looked back, “Don’t move, and don’t call for help.”

“This isn’t over, alchemist.” He glared at me from his seat.