The Blood Alchemist (The Final Formula Series, Book 2) (28 page)

“You’ll thank me later.”

“Gratitude isn’t usually expressed with curse words.”

“Behave.” His warm breath brushed my ear as he leaned over my shoulder. Goosebumps rose along my forearms. I was wondering what he’d do if I let the sheet drop. Then he dabbed some ointment on my raw flesh. I sucked a breath through my teeth.

“Damn it, Rowan. You’re next on my list for the explosive diarrhea.”

He chuckled, but didn’t stop dabbing. “That was brilliant, by the way.”

“I didn’t have many options.”

“And yet you still won the day. You don’t need alchemy.”

He sounded pleased. Of course, he probably was. If I couldn’t do alchemy, I couldn’t do blood alchemy. No need to worry about me backsliding into my ways of old. If I ever regained my memory, the threat of me becoming what I was had been negated.

Rowan ripped open a bandage, the sound loud in the silence. A moment later, he began to tack it down around the wound. Finished, he trailed a finger along my ribs.

The air stilled in my lungs.

“You’ve lost some weight,” he said.

I shrugged and reawakened the pain in my shoulder. “Don’t make me shrug.”

“Since when can I make you do anything?”

I turned so I could see him.

“What?” he asked.

“Do you want me to be an alchemist?”

He frowned. “What kind of a question is that?”

“An honest one.”

“You seem to think you’re nothing without it, but I don’t think that’s true.”

So was that a yes, he didn’t want me to be an alchemist, or a no? Maybe I shouldn’t have asked.

I thanked him for the doctoring and slid from the bed. He’d found me another set of oversized pajamas. I gave him my back and busied myself pulling them on. Getting my arm into the sleeve proved more painful than I expected.

The bed creaked. “Here.” Rowan stepped up behind me and helped guide my arm into the elusive sleeve.

“Thanks.” My cheeks warmed, and I fumbled to close the buttons. This was so silly. The guy had seen me completely naked before. He’d done a lot more than just see.

Rowan cleared his throat. “I need to go speak to James about his brothers.”

I glanced back over my shoulder.

Rowan’s eyes met mine and a faint glow surrounded his pupils. “They can’t be allowed to run loose with your bullets. I’d like him to turn them over to the PIA.”

“Okay.”

He held my gaze a moment longer, then reached up and touched my cheek. “Don’t ever do that again.”

“What?”

“Take a bullet for me.” He turned and left the room.

I studied the empty doorway until I heard the front door open and close. I bit my lip and hurried to finish dressing.

Chapter
22

J
ames got the old pickup running and a bumpy hour later, we met Donovan at the Park and Ride just outside Cincinnati. That was as far as we’d made it before running out of gas. I let James and Rowan recap our adventure while I dozed in the back seat. The manor was a welcome sight when it rolled into view. I suffered through Cora’s begrudging examination of my shoulder before a hot shower and a collapse on my bed for a brief nap.

I didn’t heal as fast as an Element, but the wound had sealed and there was no sign of infection. Rowan’s ministrations had proven effective—or I was sure he’d believe so.

Snug beneath the covers, I remembered how gentle he’d been…and professional. Neither of us mentioned the kiss on the porch, but it felt like we’d finally surmounted some hurdle.

I fell asleep with a smile on my lips.

Movement on the side of the bed pulled me from some very nice dreams. I opened my eyes to find Era grinning at me. Heat warmed my cheeks and I sat up, hoping I didn’t talk in my sleep. “Good morning.”

“You mean, good afternoon.” She gave me a tentative smile. “I’m so glad you’re back. I didn’t mean to wake you, but I wanted to talk to you. I—” She stopped, then threw her arms around me in a fierce hug. “God, I was so worried.”

“It’s okay.” I had a hard time drawing enough breath to speak. The girl was strong.

She released me and wiped a tear from her eye. “James told me what happened. His asshole brothers. Lydia.” She finished in a whisper, and now I understood the tears. I flashed back to those last moments in Lydia’s lab. How she’d thrashed in Rowan’s arms. How he begged me to help her.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t save her.”

“No. No. I’m not blaming you.” She sighed. “Tonight’s my premiere.”

Oh. I’d forgotten. Well, not so much forgotten as lost track of the days.

“It just doesn’t feel right celebrating,” she added.

I took her hand. “Lydia would want you to enjoy your big night.” Of that I was certain. “She was so proud of you.”

Era sniffed and rubbed her eyes again. “I know.” She took a breath. “Flowers arrived from her today. She must have called ahead.”

Oh God. I pulled her into another hug. I wasn’t one for big displays of emotion, but the last few days had hit me hard.

A knock interrupted. I released Era and rubbed a hand across my eyes. “Yeah, come in.”

The door opened and James stuck his head inside. “Hey, Addie, are you—” He pushed the door open and stepped into the room. “What’s wrong?”

I took a breath, noting how it shook. “Lydia had ordered flowers for Era. They arrived today.”

“Oh.” James crossed to the bed and sat down on her other side. “I’m sorry, Era.”

She sniffed and rubbed her face. “Thanks. Lydia was like family. The fun aunt I got to visit for sleepovers and horror movie marathons.” She sniffed again. “The premiere won’t be the same without her.”

“I know.” He put an arm around her, and she slumped against his chest, wrapping an arm around his waist with a sigh.

I thought her sigh sounded a bit too contented, but maybe I was reading too much into it.

We sat that way for several minutes, no one speaking. Oddly, the silence wasn’t awkward, and I wondered if this was what it felt like to be part of a family. I looked up and met James’s eyes. What was he thinking?

“I’m sorry.” Era straightened and offered me a tentative smile. “I didn’t come in here to cry on you.”

“That’s okay.” I patted her arm. “I rubbed a little snot on your shirt, too.”

“Addie!” She laughed.

“So why did you come in here?”

“First I wanted to check on you. Rowan said you’d been shot.”

I rolled my shoulder. “All better now.”

“And second, your assistant called the Offices yesterday. He was really worried about you.”

Crap. Ian. “I should go over—” Wait. “He called? As in, by phone?”

“Yes.” Era looked puzzled.

James looked equally curious, so I hurried on. “He doesn’t have a phone. He must have used a pay phone.” Did he know about the pay phone at the corner convenience store?

“That surprises you?” Era asked.

I shrugged. “He’s not one to be bothered with such details, usually. Bit of a lab rat. I’d better go see him before this evening’s festivities.”

“I’ll give you a ride.” James stood. “I have yet to meet this guy. I’m especially curious after Era described him as edible.”

She rose to her feet and punched him in the arm.

I didn’t pick up on much of the exchange. My mind had stalled on the part where James wanted to meet Ian. No way in hell.

“Addie?” James asked.

“Um, yeah. Let me change into something less wrinkled. I’ll meet you downstairs.” Maybe I could come up with something.

They agreed and left me to my own devices.

Crap. Why hadn’t I ever asked Ian how far he could be from the dead and still recognize them as such? He could animate the dead in the mausoleum from the bowels of the crypt. If James just dropped me at the door, would he still be safe?

I climbed off the bed and headed for my wardrobe. How was I going to get out of this?

The time I wasted pretending to get ready didn’t help me come up with a solution. Perhaps I’d just go for honesty. I needed to come clean with James. Rowan, too.

My stomach squirmed as I headed downstairs. Would learning the truth about Ian negate everything that had happened during our ordeal with James’s brothers? I didn’t think I could take that.

I found James in the sunroom. He sat in one of the wicker chairs near the wall of windows reading a book, but as I walked in, he closed it.

“There you are.” He got to his feet. “Are you well?”

“Yeah, why?” I moved closer, glancing at the cover of the book he’d been reading. It was a college catalog.

“You don’t normally take so long to get ready.”

“I was still half asleep.” I nodded at the catalog, needing to change the subject. “You pick a major?”

“Not yet.” He tucked his hands in his front pockets. “I was leaning toward chemistry.”

“Really? Cool?”

He gave me a sheepish grin, reminding me of the old James.

“Good, I caught you,” Rowan said from the doorway.

I turned and blinked in surprise. He wore the gray robes of the Flame Lord. I’d never seen him wear the robes while at the manor.

“What’s up?” I asked. Shouldn’t he be resting before Era’s premiere? He’d had a rough couple of days, too.

“Xander will be at the Offices this afternoon.”

“So, you’re giving me the day off,” James said.

“Exactly.”

“Why does Xander want to meet you?” I asked.

Rowan’s eyes met mine, then he held out his hand, offering his phone as if he’d been waiting for me to ask. The screen showed a paused video. Last time Rowan had handed me his phone, there’d been pictures of murder victims. I hit play with trepidation.

Reporter Megan Fields’s smiling face filled the screen.

“Shit,” I whispered.

James moved to my side, and I angled the screen so he could see it.

“…the rash of murders around the city. We’ve learned that every victim was magical and each died from a wound that should not have been fatal. Inside sources suggest that the bullets were laced with alchemy. We tracked down an expert to see if such a thing were possible.”

The scene changed, and Megan stood before a loaded bookshelf, perhaps a library somewhere. “Thank you for agreeing to speak us.”

The camera panned out to show the person she spoke to. He wore black robes with split sleeves designed to reveal the tattoos encircling his biceps. Five on the right, four on the left. The mark of an Alchemica Master alchemist. I couldn’t actually see his upper arms, but I knew they were there.

“How the
hell
did she find him?” I demanded.

Neil Dunstan gave Megan a big smile. “No problem.” He must have put in his contacts for the interview. His eyes appeared brown, not their natural white. I wondered what Miss Megan would say if she knew he was a necromancer.

“So,” Megan’s expression turned serious, “is it possible to use alchemy in a bullet?”

“Absolutely. I have an example right here.” Neil turned a little and retrieved a box of ammo.

“Damn,” James whispered. It was easy to see the big red letters on the side of the box.
Heart Seekers
. My bullets.

Neil pulled out one of the bullets and offered it to Megan. When she hesitated to take it, he smiled. “The alchemy is inert until it mixes with your blood. And this particular bullet is only effective on the magical. Is there something you’re not telling me, Miss Fields?”

Megan laughed. “No, no.” Though her actions were still hesitant as she took the bullet.

Neil pointed out the Nosler tip and explained how it hid an empty cavity beneath—perfect storage for an alchemical formula.

“Do you know who made these?” Megan returned the bullet.

“Yes.” Neil smiled at the camera. “My colleague, Amelia Daulton.”

I gritted my teeth, but forced myself to remain silent and hear the rest.

“The Flame Lord’s alchemist?” Megan asked.

“One and the same.”

“I believe we’ve met.”

A short clip of the river rescue footage replaced Megan’s smiling face. I lay beneath Rowan on the riverbank, my tattooed arms looped around his shoulders. Then he leaned down. I remembered him whispering in my ear, but with my jacket covering his head, it looked much more intimate.

I handed James the phone, freeing me up so I could pace. Shit, shit, shit. I listened as I moved, but there wasn’t much left of the interview. Megan thanked Neil for his time, then spent the wrap-up speculating on what the Flame Lord would think when he learned that his alchemist designed bullets to kill the magical.

The clip ended, and I turned to face Rowan. “I’m going with you to see Xander.”

“He may not want to speak in front of you.”

“In front of me? He’ll be speaking
to
me.”

Rowan cocked a brow. “What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking he sold you out. Miss Megan had to get her information somewhere.”

“Neil knew about the bullets.”

“The bullets, yes. But how did he find out about the magical deaths? Not to mention, he covered up the necro death.”

“Xander disowned Neil. He wouldn’t have sent Megan to interview him.”

“What makes you so certain?”

“We’ve been to Neil’s lab. It was dismantled.”

“Looking back now, it seems rather convenient that Xander chose to meet us there, don’t you think?”

Rowan frowned, his eyes never leaving mine. Okay, maybe I was grasping at straws here, but why wouldn’t he ever believe that Xander was up to no good?

“Very well. I’ll let you come, but on one condition.” Rowan held up a finger. “I do the talking.”

I crossed my arms. “Fine.”

“We’ll be leaving in ten minutes.” He headed for the door.

I glanced over and found James watching me. “What’s wrong?”

“Are you certain it’s Xander?” he asked. “That means he had his own grandson killed.”

I frowned at the door Rowan had just walked through. “Honestly, I don’t know, but I wish Rowan would consider the possibility.”

James nodded. “Keep him safe. I can’t do anything about necromancers.” A muscle ticked in his jaw before he turned and left the room.

I sighed. I couldn’t protect anyone without my potions.

I found Rowan in the foyer five minutes later. He still wore his robes though he hadn’t pulled up the hood. I felt a bit underdressed in my jeans and jacket.

The clack of heels on tile announced Cora’s approach. She stepped out of the hall wearing gray robes identical to Rowan’s —except the black triangles stitched along her hem were inverted: the alchemical symbol for water.

She came to a stop, frowning at me. “Why is she going?”

“She asked to,” Rowan said.

Cora crossed her arms, but to my surprise, turned and walked out the door.

“That went better than I expected,” I said.

Rowan made a sound of agreement, then led me out to the waiting limo. I climbed in ahead of Rowan and took the seat across from Cora. Rowan shocked me by sitting beside me.

“When did that story air?” I asked Rowan as the limo pulled out.

“Saturday evening.” The first night the Huntsman brothers held us captive.

“So, two days ago.”

“It’s been a circus ever since,” Cora said. “Fortunately, it was a weekend, or Rowan’s absence would have been noticed. As it was, the phones have rung nonstop with interview requests and reporters wanting to get the Flame Lord’s reaction.”

I wondered if it bothered her that they never wanted
her
reaction. Which, now that I thought about it, was probably a good thing for me.