The Alchemist's Touch (20 page)

“Then leave it behind,” said Kalem miserably. “Refuse to follow his orders, and keep your nose out of whatever is happening.”

“Too late for that,” said Theren. “His nose is already well stuck in.”

“And I cannot refuse him,” said Ebon. “He will withdraw me from the Academy. Mako said as much.”

Kalem seemed to know he was defeated. He folded his arms and pouted. “This is a terrible idea.”

“Mayhap, but it is the only thing I can think of to free myself. I think of you as a friend, Kalem. A true friend. Will you help me?”

The boy rolled his eyes and looked around. “Of course I shall. You idiot.”

Cheering, Ebon and Theren embraced him.

That night, Ebon met Theren in the hall outside of Kalem’s common room. He poked his head in the door and found Kalem sitting nearby. He caught the boy’s eye, gave a sharp nod, and retreated. A moment later the door swung open, and Kalem joined them in the hallway.

“All right,” said Kalem, looking thoroughly disgruntled. “If we mean to go through with this mad scheme, let us get on with it. How do you mean to sneak out?”

“Theren has a way.”

“And I shall not leave you behind this time,” she said with a grin. “But I do not think all three of us can approach the wall without being seen.”

“You need not worry for that,” said Ebon. “I have learned a new spell.”

He focused on the air around him, and the world grew brighter. Mist sprang from his skin, swirling about to surround him. Soon he could not see the others, though they stood only paces away. His chest swelled with pride as he threw back his shoulders—but then he heard Kalem and Theren burst into raucous laughter through the mist, which they swiftly hushed.

“What?” said Ebon. “What is it?”

“Ebon, you look ridiculous,” Theren managed to choke out. “Stop that foolish spell at once.”

He did not understand, but let the image of the mist slip from his mind. The world darkened, and the fog receded. Kalem still clutched a hand to his mouth, eyes bugging out from laughter, and Theren’s face had darkened as she fought to remain silent.

“Do you not think the Academy’s attendants would notice a perfectly student-sized cloud of mist scuttling about the halls?” said Theren. “It practically held to your limbs. You were as inconspicuous as a two-mast ship falling through the ceiling of the High King’s palace.”

“It looked like this.” Kalem’s eyes glowed, and mist sprang into being around him—but it held only inches from his skin, so he was like a small boy made of fog. He crouched and slunk down the hallway in a low run, head swinging back and forth as if in search of pursuers. Theren clapped both hands back to her mouth and nearly fell over laughing.

Ebon’s cheeks were burning, and he looked down at his shoes. “Stop laughing. It is easy enough for the two of you to mock me; you have been here for years.”

Kalem let the mists die away, and Theren put a comforting hand on his shoulder. But they could not hide their glinting eyes. “Indeed, it is unfair,” said Kalem. “I am sorry. And you should be very proud of how quickly you have learned the spell for mist. But on this outing, at least, I think I should be responsible for concealing our escape.”

“Very well,” grumbled Ebon. “Then let us get on with it.”

He led them through the halls and then down the wide staircase to the front hall. Mellie was by the front door. She straightened in her chair and fixed them with wide, suspicious eyes. But Ebon only gave her a little wave and turned around, heading back down the hallway to the white doors leading outside.

“Turn left,” said Theren. “We should leave by the eastern doors, for I need to use the sheds.”

Ebon did as she said, and soon they had reached the training grounds outside the citadel. A few older students stood here and there in pockets, scarcely visible in the dim light. There, too, Ebon saw Jia and the other instructor he had often spied on the training grounds, conversing as they strode down a path.

“Sky above,” muttered Kalem. “We shall have to wait for Jia and Dasko to pass. They are therianthropes; if I cast my mists now, they will detect it.”

Dasko.
So the instructor had a name.
 

Jia noticed Ebon and gave him a nod, which he returned, but the two instructors took no other notice, and had soon vanished around the citadel’s corner. Ebon waited a few minutes, just to be safe, and then nodded at Kalem.

The boy’s eyes glowed, and mist filled the air. Ebon heard a few muted sounds of surprise from the other students in the training grounds, but the three of them were already running for the wall. He would have run straight into it, had Theren not stopped him with a quick hand. She guided them all until they stood by the wall together, huddling against it in the fog. A few paces away, Ebon saw shacks built against the interior wall, perfect mirrors of the ones outside.

“I will go first,” said Theren. “The sheds are easy, and will give you a sense of how to make the landing. If I am atop them first, I can help to steady you. Then we try the wall—that will be the fun part.”

“I doubt it.” Ebon remembered his sick stomach while standing upon the library’s third floor balcony and shuddered.

“Up we go, then.” Theren crouched, eyes glowing, and then with a leap she vanished into the air.
 

Ebon gulped. Then he felt something under his arms where they joined the shoulders. He looked down, but saw nothing.
Theren’s magic,
he realized. Steeling himself, he jumped as high as he could.

An unseen force gripped and hurled him through the air. Then he was falling, with the shed roof beneath him, so quickly he had no time to prepare. He fell with a crash. Soon Theren gripped his arm and hauled him up.

“All well?”
 

Ebon nodded, a bit shaken. A moment later, Kalem came flying through the air to land beside them.
 

“The next leap will be harder,” Theren warned. “Prepare yourselves, and be ready to grip the wall with all your might.”

Again she leapt first, her glowing eyes vanishing into the mist above. And again Ebon felt unseen hands holding him up. He crouched low, and for a moment could not will himself to move.

“Ebon?” said Kalem.

“A moment.” Ebon drew two deep breaths. “Sky above, protect me.”

He leapt.

He launched through the air, the mist stinging his eyes and forcing him to close them. The cold kiss against his skin vanished. He opened his eyes to see the top of the wall rocketing towards him, and that he would not clear it. Panic seized and froze his limbs. But then his chest struck the wall’s lip, and on instinct he reached forth to grab it. His elbows barely cleared the edge, and his shoes scrabbled uselessly against the wall as he tried to help himself rise the final few paces.

“Ebon!” Theren fell to her knees and reached for him, just as he lost his grip and fell into empty space. For an instant, time stopped, and he thought his heart might leap from his throat. But then Theren’s hand closed over his wrist, and he slapped the wall hard enough to knock the breath from his body. She swung him one way, then another, and her eyes glowed once more. He felt another unseen push, and an invisible rope tugged him atop the wall.

He collapsed on his back, panting, clutching the granite beneath him until it scraped his fingers. Theren must have thought he was hurt, for she knelt above him and looked into his eyes.

“What is wrong? Are you injured?”

Ebon shook his head, unable to speak. She grinned at him.

“I will wager you never thought the Academy would be like this, goldbag. Come. Kalem is waiting, and likely wondering what we are up to.”

She stood and went to the edge. Ebon closed his eyes, willing the world to stop spinning.

“Aieee!”

Kalem screamed, clearing the lip easily and landing facedown. Like Ebon, he seized the wall’s top as though he might never let go.

“Sorry,” said Theren. “You are much lighter than either of us. I may have brought you up too quickly.”

“Yes, you may have,” said Kalem, voice shaking.

“I cannot go back down.” Ebon’s voice seemed to break on every other word.

“What?” said Theren.

“I cannot do that again. I cannot move. Please. Please, I cannot.”

Kalem pushed himself up to a sitting position and looked ruefully at Theren. “He does ill with heights. I had forgotten.”

Theren shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Come now, Ebon. It is only a little jump. Going down is much easier, for I do not have to lift you—only stop you from falling to your death.”

Ebon’s limbs shook harder. Kalem, still sitting, slapped Theren’s leg. “Leave off, Theren! Can’t you see how you are frightening him?”

“It is not her, Kalem,” said Ebon. “Look how high we are. I was mad to think I could do this.”

Kalem crawled to his side. “Come, Ebon. You must go down, one way or another. It may as well be on the outside, rather than into the training grounds again.”

“I cannot move. Tell one of the instructors I am here. They can lift me. I care not if they punish or expel me. I
cannot
move, Kalem.”

Kalem frowned and put a hand on his shoulder. “But you can. Because you must, and because you were right before. Your family has evil afoot. We can stop it, but not without you. Come, my friend. Sit up, first. Then we shall take the next step.”

Sit up. Sit up. That seemed easy enough. Ebon drew another deep breath and forced his hands to slide across the stone until he could lift himself. Soon he was half-sitting, though still he tried to keep himself low to the stone.

“Good, good,” said Kalem, speaking softly, as though to a wounded animal. “Now. Theren will go down first, as she did before. And I shall be here until you are ready.”

Theren shook her head, but did as Kalem said, stepping off the edge and vanishing into the darkness. They could only see her eyes, faintly glowing in the black ten paces below.

“It is so far,” Ebon said, trying not to wail.

Kalem squeezed his shoulders. “You can do it. Come now. You are older than I am.”

“That only means I am larger. What if she should drop me?”

“You heard her—going down is much easier than going up. If it helps, I will push you.”

“If you do, I will pull you with me.”

They both chuckled, though Ebon’s came forced. “All right,” said Kalem. “Whenever you feel yourself ready.”

Ebon forced himself to slide closer to the edge. It was just there now, right beside his hand. He did not even have to jump. He could simply fall. His heart still hammered in his chest, and spots of light danced before his eyes. He might faint.
That would get me off the wall in short order
. The thought invited a bitter laugh.

He slid his feet over the edge, and cast off.

Again, panic seized him—but this time Theren caught him. He could see her as he drew closer, the glow in her eyes brightening, hands raised as though
she
held him, rather than her magic. Ebon slowed the nearer he drew to the shed roof. Two paces above her, he was no longer afraid, for he moved slower than a brisk walk. He came down upon the roof easily, but still his nerves made him fall to hands and knees.

“Did I not tell you?” said Theren. “Easier than going up.”

“You were right.” Ebon forced himself up and embraced her. She started in surprise, but hugged him back after a moment. “Thank you.”

“Yes, well,” said Theren, clearly uncomfortable. “Leave off, or our little alchemist will dive into the abyss without me to catch him.”

A moment later, Kalem was down. He and Theren jumped easily off the shed roof. Ebon elected to climb down, hanging from the edge before dropping down to the street. Then they put their feet to the cobblestones, running until the Academy was out of sight behind them.

They looped around until they were heading west again. Kalem looked about them in excitement, his young face glowing with a silver tint in the moonslight.

“This is terribly, terribly stupid of us. We could get in a great deal of trouble, or even be expelled from the Academy. It is all rather exciting.”

“I fear we have proved a poor influence on our young friend, Ebon,” said Theren, teeth flashing in the dark.

“Perhaps, but he may be better for it. You are a bit prudish when it comes to rules.” Ebon ruffled Kalem’s hair. Kalem batted his hand away.

“Leave off. You speak as though you have done this often, instead of once, and only with the Dean’s special permission.”

“Lucky for you both, then, that I am an old hand at this,” said Theren.

“How many times have you snuck out?” asked Kalem.

“You mean this month?”

Ebon shook his head and smiled. In truth he was far more worried about this excursion than he had been the last time he was in the city after dark. But now the journey was his choice, and besides, he had his friends in his company. That was more comforting than wandering ignorant at his father’s bidding.

Before long, Theren had led them to the Shining Door, which looked every bit as dirty and irreputable as the last time. “Don your hoods,” said Ebon. “I would not have anyone here recognize Theren and me from before.”