The Catalyst of Corruption (The Final Formula Series, Book 4) (18 page)

I held up my left hand to James, who still sat behind me. “Cut me.”

A pause, then a claw ran across the pad of my left ring finger. I bit my lip, ignoring the minor pain and refocused myself. I could not imagine a world without Rowan. I didn't even want to try. Whether I could be with him or not, he had to live. I slid my bleeding finger into his mouth. Come on, Rowan. Take what I'm offering you.

Do you want the words for the soul bond?
Elysia whispered in my mind.

That gave me pause. I wasn't a necromancer. I couldn't use my blood to bind a soul. Was she teasing me?

Rowan's lips moved, and I froze, afraid I had imagined it. Then his tongue brushed across my finger. He gasped, and I pulled my finger from his mouth. He blinked a few times, then gazed up at me with cool gray eyes.

I pressed my lips together, so relieved to see no fire in his eyes.

“Addie?” he whispered.

“Hey.” I could barely form the word around the tightness in my throat.

“Roe!” Era practically collapsed on top of him. “Thank God.”

Rowan raised his head from my lap to look down at her. He lifted a hand to pat her back as he glanced from Cora to Donovan. “When did you get here?” Rowan asked him.

“While you were napping.” Sadness dampened Donovan's eyes, but he smiled through it, then held out a hand to Rowan and helped him sit up.

Rowan looked around. “Where's Alexander… and Ian?”

“They vanished,” Cora answered, then pulled him into an embrace. An instant later, Donovan and Era did the same, and they collapsed into one of their group hugs. I didn't join in.

Feeling awkward about not being part of their family anymore, I pushed myself to my feet, then turned to Elysia to try to ignore it. “What was that all about?” I whispered.

She studied me a moment. “You didn't feel it?” she asked, her voice just as soft.

“Feel what?”

“You, in him.”

“Say what?”

“Your soul. In him.” She kept her voice low, but enunciated each word.

“It was just my blood.”

“That's how a soul bond works.”

“I'm not a necromancer. It was probably you and whatever this is.” I gestured between us, annoyed that she would even imply that I would do something so violating, that I would bind Rowan without his consent.

James was watching us, a frown on his face. No doubt he could hear every whispered word.

“I didn't
do
anything,” Elysia said.

“Are you sure? Maybe you've been possessed again.”

James walked over to us. “Ad?”

“Perhaps your ghostly friend gave you a new ability,” I said to Elysia.

“A ghost can't give you a magic you don't already possess,” James said, his tone soft.

“I didn't do anything,” Elysia repeated. “It was you. I felt it, through the link we share.”

The Elements were getting to their feet, putting an end to our debate. I was pleased to see Rowan standing on his own. He looked okay, though maybe a little pale. Had what I done helped, or was it just the presence of his family, balancing him and letting him return to us?

“What are you three whispering about?” Doug asked, joining us.

“It's nothing,” Elysia quickly said. She glanced at me before turning back to Doug. “Addie gets annoyed when I do the mind-speak thing.” I got the distinct impression that she didn't want Doug to know about any other abilities she might possess.

“Speaking of freaky magic…” Doug's gaze settled on me.

“I am not magical.”

He smiled. “You say that with such fervor, like you see it as something less.”

“Come on. Are you suggesting
I'm
a magical bigot?”

“No, but there's something.”

“It's pride,” Era said, joining us. She wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “If she were magical, then the things she can do wouldn't be so impressive.”

“Thanks,” I said, though I couldn't put any real anger into it.

“Well, it's true.”

“I'm really that full of myself?”

“Absolutely.” Era leaned over and kissed my cheek. “And for that, I'll be eternally grateful,” she whispered. “Sister.”

I sighed. Rowan wasn't going to be able to make a clean break if the rest of the Elements adopted me.

As if my thoughts had summoned them, the others joined us. Donovan was grinning, but Cora and Rowan didn't look all that happy.

“I told you that you could do it,” Donovan said.

“I'm not convinced I did much.” I shrugged.

Donovan laughed, his good cheer twinkling in his hazel eyes. “You are such a mix of confidence and self-doubt.”

I could feel my cheeks heating. Embarrassed, I looked away, my gaze settling on the blackened banners that still smoked a little here and there. I was very aware of Rowan standing a few feet away. He had nearly died, and I couldn't even hug him in relief. I needed to get out of here before I broke down.

“We should go,” I said, “and so should the rest of you. If Gerald's here, go back to the manor, where Alexander can't find you.”

“Maybe I want him to find me,” Era said. “I might not be able to suffocate him, but that's not my only option.”

“Era.” I wanted to smile at the fierceness of her claim. She was pissed about what Alexander had done to Rowan. But because of Neil's potion, her magic wouldn't work on Alexander any better than Rowan's had.

She opened her mouth to reply, but Rowan gripped her shoulder.

“What about you?” Rowan's cool gray eyes met mine. His expression gave away nothing. He was easily the calmest person in the room, though I wondered if it was a forced calm. After all, Rowan had worked for decades to control his emotions.

“I thought you agreed to stay away from him,” Rowan added.

“No, you said you wanted me to stay away from him. I didn't agree.”

A crack formed in Rowan's calm expression when he frowned.

“Besides,” I added, “he runs away anytime Doug or Elysia shows up.”

“Until he gets Neil to design him a potion to counter that.”

“Neil sucks at formula design.”

“He stunted Elysia once.” Rowan waved a hand at her, the gesture quick and jerky as he let more of his anger out.

“And I have an antidote for that, and as soon as I get back to the lab, I'll design a counter for what he used today. I'll give it to you when I finish, but until then, the four of you need to stay out of sight—and take James with you.”

“Addie,” James complained.

“We will not hide,” Cora said.

“Did you miss the part where he almost killed Rowan today? A few minutes more in the land of dead…” I stopped for a breath, unable to finish that. “Alexander can walk the veil. He could be here now.”

“I would know,” James said.

“He was in the veil when you stepped out here. You missed it. We can't afford a mistake like that. If he gets you, it's over.”

James frowned, but didn't argue with me.

“Please.” I looked Cora in the eye. “At least go home until I can develop a counter.”

She didn't look happy, but she didn't immediately tell me no.

“How long will that take?” Donovan asked.

I gave him a grateful smile.

“Don't give me that,” he said, his tone stern. “I'm not one to go stick my head in the sand, but I will listen to reason up to a point.”

Rowan frowned at him.

“She does have a point, my brother.”

“I'm not going to let him win.” A muscle ticked in Rowan's jaw, but thankfully, his eyes remained gray. He didn't give Donovan a chance to respond before turning on his heel and leaving the room.

Cora sighed.

I didn't stick around for the argument. I hurried after Rowan and caught up with him in the hall.

He turned when I closed the door behind me, but frowned when he realized it wasn't his family who had followed.

“He's not going to chase me away,” Rowan said.

“Ultimately, no. Today, yes.” I walked to him.

“Addie.”

“Stop it. Let the pride go. You're smarter than this.”

He frowned.

“So the bastard got the better of you today. He cheated. Next time, I'll take out his little shielding potion and you can ash his ass.”

A hint of a smile curled Rowan's lips. “Just his ass?”

“I'll leave that up to you.”

“Thank you for that.” His gaze held mine and his smile faded.

I wanted to hug him, and be hugged in return. God, this hurt.

“So, what happened?” I asked, trying to focus on the matter at hand. “What did he do to you at that parade?”

“He hardly spoke to me until we reached Fountain Square. Then he pulled out the newspaper and told me he took you with his blood gift.”

I didn't question why Alexander had waited until then. All the news crews had been gathered at Fountain Square. But I didn't get why the paper was significant.

“The newspaper?” I asked.

“Here, I'll show you.” Rowan turned and led me down the hall to the dark reception area. The Offices were closed today due to the Opening Day festivities. A stack of mail lay on the receptionist's desk, including a folded copy of the
Cincinnati Enquirer.
Rowan handed it to me.

I didn't have to look far. On the front page, above a picture of Great American Ballpark and a write-up of the Opening Day events, was a picture of Alexander and me from the day before. It was a nice close-up of him cupping my chin, his thumb brushing my lower lip.

“He said he had rubbed some of his ground flesh onto his thumb before touching you,” Rowan said.

Without blood, Alexander could only access his gift through his flesh. Elysia, Doug, and Neil had actually ingested a piece in order to be brought before him as applicants for the position of Deacon. Necromancers, even the ones I liked, could be a bit… different.

“Disgusting, and also false,” I said.

“But possible.”

“I suppose—”

“Don't let him touch you.”

“I wasn't standing there willingly. The picture doesn't show him crushing my wrist with the other hand. You could see the individual finger marks in the bruise he left.”

Rowan rubbed a hand over his face and turned away. “I guess you wouldn't consider hiding.”

“I don't have a public office I visit everyday. And besides, I have Ian.”

“Who left with his brother.”

“Hopefully, Ian has taken care of him, and this argument will prove to be pointless.”

“Then wouldn't Ian have returned?”

“Maybe. Maybe not. This is Ian we're talking about.”

Rowan faced me.

I held up a hand to stop whatever he might say. “Please don't. I can't do an Ian argument right now.”

A door opened and footsteps echoed in the hall, putting an end to our conversation. A moment later, the other Elements joined us.

“How long will it take to brew this potion?” Cora asked me.

“Not long.” Especially if Ian was back. The original potion was his, after all.

“I expect to hear word of your progress one way or another.” Cora turned to Rowan. “Come. Gerald is waiting upstairs.”

“Cor—” Rowan began.

“Don't argue with me,” she cut him off. “That damn lich has the advantage right now. We're going to take Addie's advice.”

“This is so surreal,” I muttered.

“Come along.” Cora nodded at Era and Donovan to include them.

Rowan gave me a frown, looking like he wanted to say more. After a moment's indecision, he followed Cora and Donovan to the hall. That's when I realized that Era still stood beside me.

“I think you just put me under house arrest.”

“I think I just put you all under house arrest.” I gripped her arm. “Help me keep all of them safe.”

“I'm not helpless.”

“I'm very aware of that.” I dropped my voice to a whisper, though the others had left the room. “I'm doing this for Rowan, but if I had singled him out, how well do you think that would work?”

“Not at all.”

“Then you'll help me?”

“Up to a point. I'm with Donovan on this one. I won't hide for long.”

“Nothing like a time limit to make lab work more fun.”

She gave me a grin, then hugged me.

“Era?” Cora called from the hall.

A final smile, and Era hurried after them. I stood in the dark room, listening to the sound of their footsteps on the stairs. Once I felt I had a grip on my emotions, I returned to the library where James, Elysia, and Doug waited.

“Gerald is taking them home,” I said. “We'll wait until they're gone, then I need to get back to the lab.”

“I'm beginning to reassess the power hierarchy around here,” Doug said.

“Master of the Elements,” I gave my hand a half-hearted wave in the air, “that's me.”

He smiled, catching the alchemy pun.

“But no need to reassess anything,” I continued. “That was an anomaly. Fortunately, Cora knows sense when she hears it.”

James was frowning at me. He was no happier about being put under house arrest than Era had been.

“You're mad at me,” I said to him.

“I want to be, but I also know sense when I hear it.”

I stepped forward and hugged him, relieved when he hugged me back.

“I'm sorry, Ely.” I looked over at her. “I know you were just trying to help.”

“Who knows, you might be right. I don't know crap about what I can do.”

Keeping one arm wrapped around James's waist, I held out a hand to her and was relieved when she took it. “One problem at a time, okay?”

“It's not your responsibility to fix everything that goes wrong.” She unknowingly echoed James's words from this morning.