The Catalyst of Corruption (The Final Formula Series, Book 4) (16 page)

“No, but blood gifts are extremely rare. You won't see them often.”

Bruner studied him. “Do you have one?”

“No.”

He grunted. “Then this isn't your work.” A hint of a grin creased his face.

“I would have to remove the heart,” Doug said.

Bruner had turned back to the corpse, but looked up on that one. “Are you telling me that you have, um…”

“Made?” Doug offered. “No, I wasn't telling you that I have, just how I would have to do it.”

“Ah.” Bruner nodded, looking relieved.

Doug looked up, his eyes meeting mine. Something in his gaze made my heart beat quicker. Unlike Bruner, I noticed the way Doug had skirted his questions. Had he known that Steadham had been Made before Elysia discovered it?

“Here's another curiosity of a more mundane variety.” Agent Bruner retrieved a clipboard from the cart beside the body. “I had requested Steadham's history and read over it before I began. If there was something unusual, I didn't want to blame it on magic.”

“Find something unusual?” Doug asked.

“It was more like what I didn't find.” He flipped through a few pages, then handed Doug the clipboard, tapping the page to draw his attention to something. Then Bruner pulled on a pair of gloves and opened Steadham's mouth.

Doug leaned over to look, then consulted the clipboard once more. “Huh.”

“What is it?” I asked, moving a few steps closer to the table.

“According to his medical history,” Bruner said, “Steadham was in an automobile accident a few decades ago. He knocked out most of his front teeth and broke his jaw in three places.” Bruner tapped Steadham's front teeth. “These are natural teeth, and the X-rays I took show none of the hardware that was present in his jaw eight months ago, on his last dental X-ray.”

I frowned. If he had been given the Final Formula, Steadham's teeth would have regenerated, as would the old fractures in his jaw. However, the hardware would still be present. I studied the dead man and his graying hair and beard. If he had taken the Final Formula, he wouldn't look so old.

“Are you suggesting this isn't Dr. Steadham?” I asked.

“It looks that way.” Bruner removed his gloves. “We're running this man's X-rays now to see if we can find a match.”

“But this is the guy I met when he first took over as director of the Burn Unit. His picture was in the paper.”

“I don't know what to tell you.”

I turned to Doug, but he was busy flipping through the other forms on the clipboard. Was it my imagination or was he avoiding looking at me?

A knock at the door interrupted us, and a man in green scrubs like Bruner's poked his head in. “We found a match.”

“That was timely.” Bruner waved him in.

The other man handed him a manila folder. “Lab work should be up soon.”

Bruner thanked him, then began flipping through the pages while the other guy showed himself out.

“You found a match to this guy's dental X-rays?” I asked.

“Yes.” Bruner stopped flipping pages to read. “Apparently, this is Dennis Everman.” He waved a hand at the body on the table.

I frowned. Why did that name sound familiar?

“It sounds like you have this one covered,” Doug said, handing Bruner the clipboard.

“Except for proving that he was a lich.”

“Not in any way that would hold up in court,” Doug agreed. “There's nothing I can do to help you.”

“It'll go down as another mystery.” He shook Doug's hand. “Thanks for stopping in.”

“Glad to help.”

I followed Doug into the hall.

“Dennis Everman,” I repeated, now that we were alone. “I know that name.”

“How?”

“I—”

Doug suddenly gripped my arm and pulled me back beside him. I opened my mouth to ask what he was doing when a portal opened in front of us.

“Addie!” Elysia stepped up to the edge of the opening that James held open with one clawed hand. “We have a problem.”

I was surprised to see them. We had left Elysia at my apartment, and James was supposed to be with Rowan. “What is it?”

“Someone decided that it wasn't fair for Rowan to represent all of magic at the parade, so they invited Alexander to join him. Alexander accepted.”

Rowan had been forced to ride with Alexander? “What happened?” I stepped through the opening to join them, Doug following behind me.

Rowan lost it,
James said.

Chapter 14

J
ames's description seemed accurate as
soon as he opened a portal just off Fountain Square in downtown Cincinnati. A plume of smoke rose in the air, emanating from something in the center of the street. It was hard to see what with all the people rushing around. Most were trying to flee, but their progress was hampered by those who wanted to watch—and film the events with their cell phones. Technology was certainly handy, but sometimes, it was a real pain in the ass.

“If Alexander is still here, we can handle him,” Doug said, stepping out beside me. “Don't confront him.”

I didn't answer. I didn't want to make any promises I couldn't keep.

James followed Elysia out of the portal, landing silently on all fours.

“Should you be joining us?” I asked him. “If Alexander is here—”

“I'd like to see him try to take James from me,” Elysia said.

“
I
can take him from you,” Doug said.

Elysia frowned, but didn't deny it.

Someone screamed, the cry quickly followed by another. We were on the outskirts of the crowd, but they had noticed James. I had been around James as the hellhound so much that the reaction always surprised me. Though I usually saw him indoors most of the time. I had to admit that seeing him in the bright spring sunshine seemed… wrong.

“I think we found a way through the crowd.” Doug watched with his usual indifference as the people scattered.

James sprang forward, and I decided not to debate the pros and cons of his method of crowd control. The people parted before us, and in moments, we reached the temporary fence that served as a barricade for the parade route. James ghosted through the metal bars, including the sign that read,
Do Not Cross
.

Doug vaulted the fence and hurried after James.

Elysia reached up and gripped the top rail before glancing over at me. “I could rip the sign down, if that's what's stopping you.”

“I'm not the goody-goody you seem to think I am.”

“Then what? Were you contemplating using dynamite instead?”

“I didn't tuck any in my bra this morning.”

She laughed and climbed over the fence, leaving me to scamper after her.

The source of the fire was the remains of a couple of parade floats. The fire surprised me. Rowan normally vaporized things.

I hurried around the burning rubble, following Doug's broad shoulders. I had lost sight of James and hoped he had taken a portal elsewhere. I didn't even want to think about Alexander taking him.

We stopped beside a large red van decorated with magnetic decals sporting the Reds' logo. Leaning forward, I peeked around the front. Rowan stood several yards away and in front of him, Alexander. They stood about twenty feet apart in the middle of the rubble-strewn street. It reminded me a bit of an Old West shootout.

“Easy,” Alexander was saying. He held up both hands, palms toward Rowan as if he threatened him. “Just calm down.”

Rowan didn't answer. Instead, he walked slowly toward him. Rowan's hood was up, preventing me from seeing his expression, though I did catch the faint glow of his orange eyes.

“You're lying,” Rowan said, his voice holding that scary calm that made me uneasy.

“You saw this morning's paper,” Alexander answered. “It was easy.”

Without warning, the closest float went up in a flash of blue-white flame.

“Shit,” Doug gasped as we all dropped to our haunches.

“Are we safe out here?” Elysia whispered.

“You two circle around behind Alexander.” I waved toward the other float, just in front of the van. It would offer them some cover. “That way Rowan will see you as you get close enough to take Alexander.”

“What about you?” Elysia asked.

“I'll get Rowan's attention and try to calm him down.”

“Sounds suicidal,” Doug said.

A whoosh from behind us, and the barricade we had just scaled vanished in flames.

“Go!” I whispered, then rose to my feet and hurried around the front of the van.

I opened my mouth to shout Rowan's name, then thought better of it. Across the barrier on the far side of the street, I could see a camera crew. The Findlay Market Parade was a huge event. Every station in town had a crew here.

Since I was a little behind Rowan, Alexander saw me first and smiled. “I knew you would come,” he said to me.

Rowan spun to face me. “Addie!”

“Hey. What's going on?” I spoke to him, but kept Alexander in sight.

Rowan gripped me by the upper arms, leaning down to look me in the eye. “Why did you come here?” His brow wrinkled as if he was worried about what I might say.

I stepped closer, dropping my voice to a whisper. “James said you… lost it.”

“You didn't feel
compelled
to come here?”

“With news like that? Of course—”

“I meant magically compelled?”

No, he meant necromantically compelled. Alexander must have told him that he took me just to rile Rowan up.

I looked over my shoulder and was alarmed to find Alexander only a few feet away. Why wasn't he afraid of Rowan ashing him? Then it hit me. Neil's potion, the one that made him immune to Elemental magic last fall.

I faced Alexander. “Are you aware that potion you're using was developed by your brother?” I pulled a vial from my pocket and showed it to him. “This is the counter to that.” Actually, it was a vial of alchemic mustard gas, but he didn't know that.

Alexander's smile faltered. I was right.

“That won't be necessary,” Doug said, stepping up behind Alexander. It was comical how quickly Alexander spun to face him.

“Hello, Deacon.” Doug smiled.

Alexander took a hasty step to the side so he could keep all of us in sight.

“Boo.” Elysia had stopped beside Doug and gave Alexander a big grin.

“Reap another soul, granddaughter?”

“Screw you, dead man.” She eyed him. “Or not.”

Doug chuckled, then his eyes went white.

Alexander took another step to the side—and vanished.
Nice try, boy
, his disembodied voice whispered.

“What the hell?” Doug demanded.

I knew how he felt. Alexander hadn't opened a portal. He simply wasn't there.

“He's in the veil,” Elysia said. Then she smiled.

“Why are you grinning?” Doug asked.

“James is in the veil.”

“Good,” Rowan said. “Perhaps he will chase the coward back to us.

A coward, Your Grace?
Alexander asked. He was still here?
For respecting the power of my descendants? I couldn't do this to them
.

Suddenly, Alexander appeared behind Rowan. Before I could even shout a warning, he grabbed Rowan by the shoulder and jerked him backward, tugging Rowan's hood off with the opposite hand. I reached for Rowan, but the air around them erupted in flames, forcing me to jump back. The flames roared skyward for a moment, then abruptly winked out, leaving a patch of empty asphalt. Oh God, Alexander had pulled Rowan into the land of the dead.

“James!” I shouted.

Nothing happened.

“He's no longer in the veil,” Elysia said. “He probably went after them.”

I ran my fingers through my hair, gripping the strands. “Should he be going after Alexander?”

“As long as they stay in the land of the dead, Alexander can't touch him.”

I pulled out my phone and called the lab.

“Incoming,” Doug said.

I looked up, expecting something necromantic, but saw the news crew coming toward us. Crap. “Turn on that Nelson charm. Distract them,” I said. “I'm calling Ian.”

“Female,” Elysia muttered, watching the reporter walk toward us. “This one's yours,” she said to Doug. “Make Alexander proud.”

Doug gave her a faint frown.

“Come on,” Elysia whispered. “I've watched you charm free drinks out of barmaids.”

Doug pursed his lips, but didn't comment.

“Miss Daulton?” the reporter called to me. She offered me a tentative smile and toyed with a button on her red blazer. It was the exact same shade as the Reds cap she wore. I suspected she was more at home interviewing professional athletes than the magical.

I held up a finger, asking her to wait and put the phone to my ear. I would probably be accused of being rude, but Rowan was far more important than public opinion.

“Please excuse her,” Doug said, giving the reporter a smile. “Things have gotten a little crazy.”

The reporters stared at him. “A little?”

“Yes.” He grinned.

“Um.” The reporter seemed at a loss.

“Excuse my cousin,” Elysia said. “He tends to be a bit understated.”

Doug twitched an eyebrow and Elysia grinned.

The reporter glanced between the two of them, a half-smile on her face.

“Addie?” Ian said in my ear. Thank God.

“Fountain Square,” I whispered. “Now. Stay in the portal. We're on TV.”

“You do have a gift.” The line went dead.

I took the phone from my ear, and Elysia glanced over. I gave her a nod.

“Miss Daulton?” The reporter noticed that I had finished my call.

“Hey, sorry about that.” I stepped forward and offered my hand. “Addie Daulton.”

“Melissa Porter.” She smiled, looking relieved. “Could you—”

“Addie?” Elysia said. A portal stood open a few yards to our right.

“I'm sorry, but I can't talk right now,” I said to Melissa. “Call me. I'd be glad to tell you what really happened here.”

“What—”

“Ad, come on.” Elysia stepped into the portal.

“Jesus,” the cameraman muttered.

“Gotta go,” I said and hurried after Elysia. I would clean up this mess later.

Doug stood beside the open portal, waiting for me. I stepped through and glanced back. Melissa stood with her jaw literally hanging open.

Doug took a step to the side, but didn't step into the portal. “I would advise you call Miss Daulton and get the real story, not the propaganda Alexander Nelson is spreading.”

“The Deacon?” Melissa recovered quickly. “What do you know of such things?”

“I'm the man he took the title from.” Doug stepped into the portal and it winked closed.

“Hell yes.” Elysia said, laughing. “Two can play that game.”

Doug frowned. “I think I just ousted myself.”

“From the Family?” Elysia asked. “You were already booted out—in case the knife in your chest hadn't clued you in.”

“I meant in a social sense. No need to bother with the robe anymore.”

“We'll clean it up later,” I cut in. “Where's James?”

Elysia gave me a nod, then closed her eyes.

“What's going on?” Ian asked.

“Alexander confronted Rowan during the parade,” I said. “Then he jerked him into the veil.”

“I can't believe Alexander can walk the veil,” Doug said, incredulity in his tone.

“So can Ian,” I said.

“I can?” Ian asked.

“Yes. No one is that good at eavesdropping.”

He pressed his lips together, a glint of amusement in his eyes.

Addie.
James was suddenly beside us.

I jumped in surprise. “James!” I stepped forward and reached for his arm. It wasn't until my hand closed over his furry wrist that I realized I had touched him while he was in his true form. “Where's Rowan?”

The Elemental Offices
.

“Take—” I didn't get to finish when a portal opened before us. I recognized the library room: the tall windows, the oblong oak table, and the banners representing each Element on the far wall. Two of them were smoldering, small flames licking their edges. Then I saw Rowan on his hands and knees beneath the banners.

“Oh God!” I took a step forward.

Stay
. James gripped my shoulder, his claws biting through the fabric of my shirt.
All of you. I'm immune to fire
. He jumped through the opening landing on all fours.

I pressed a hand to my mouth. I couldn't bear to just stand here. I jumped out of the portal after him.

James crossed the room on silent paws and just before reaching Rowan, shifted human and knelt beside him. “Rowan?”

That was just too easy.
Suddenly, Alexander was there, standing over them. “Hello, grim.”

James snarled, the sound giving me goosebumps even though he was human.

I glanced over my shoulder. The portal was gone, and so were Ian, Doug, and Elysia.

Alexander gave me a smile before returning his attention to James. “Change,” he muttered.

A shimmer of darkness, and James was the hellhound again.

“Release him.” Rowan tried to rise, but dropped back to his knees.

“Or what?” Alexander asked. “I could have killed you easily, at any time.”

“Back off.” I stepped forward, my vial still in hand.

“Go ahead, throw it,” Alexander said. “He'll be lucky to light a match now.”

Rowan lifted his head. “Try me.”

Alexander's lips curled, but his gaze never left mine. “You're bluffing.”

I fisted my hands. “Try
me
,” I echoed Rowan.

Alexander snorted, looking more amused than annoyed. “At least my arrogance is warranted.”

I lifted my chin. “That statement is false on so many levels.”

Alexander frowned. “You just don't know when to keep silent, do you?”

“I can't help it. You make it so easy.”

This time, he fisted his hands. “I have no need for you, alchemist.”

“Stay away from her,” Rowan said, his voice soft and winded, as if he'd just run a mile. He tried again to stand, but lost his balance and dropped to his hands and knees.