The Catalyst of Corruption (The Final Formula Series, Book 4) (36 page)

I crossed my arms, blinking my eyes in a futile attempt to stop the tears.

Ian whispered something to her, but I didn't catch the words—nor did I want to hear them. This was between him and her. I already felt like I was intruding just standing here.

After a long moment, Mattie stepped back, breaking the embrace. “I think you're still needed here.”

“But—” He hesitated, then continued in a whisper. “I want to go.”

She gave him a sad smile. “You still have work to do. Atonements to make.”

He bowed his head. “I do.”

“We will meet again.”

He looked up. “I hope.”

“Farewell, Father. Do not be sad. I will tell Mother that it won't be long now.”

“Will you leave out the bad parts?”

“I'm sure she already knows.”

His forehead creased in concern.

“And she also knows how you have suffered for it.” Mattie reached up and cupped his face, rubbing her thumb beneath his eye as if brushing away a tear. She rolled up on her toes and kissed his cheek.

Ian closed his eyes.

She stepped back and held out her closed fist to him. “I love you, Daddy.”

“I love you, too, baby girl.” He placed his hand beneath hers.

She gave him one last smile and opened her fist. A slender white bone fell from her hand to his—then Elysia was falling.

Ian stepped forward and caught her and carefully lowered her to the floor. “Elysia?”

Her eyes fluttered open, revealing irises that were completely white. “Grandfather?” she whispered, then appeared to go limp in his arms.

“Elysia?” The panicked note in Ian's voice set my heart to pounding.

Doug dropped to his knees beside them and pressed his fingers to her throat.

“She's fading,” James said, human now. “Do something.” The words were more growl than speech.

“We need to get her to a hospital,” Doug said.

James sprang away from us, shifting into the hellhound by the time he landed and jumping through the portal he opened in the next leap.

Bring her
, he snarled, holding the portal open.

Ian rose to his feet, Elysia still clutched in his arms, and hurried forward.

“Wait for us,” I called as the rest of us rushed to follow.

Era. You can't
. James blocked her path.

“She can,” I said before she could argue. “She has.” I grabbed her hand and pulled her into the land of the dead. “I'll explain later.”

James released the portal and darkness swallowed us.

Chapter 32

I
paced the corridor outside the
intensive care room where they had recently transferred Elysia. It had taken several hours to get her to this point, and she was a long way from being out of the woods. At the moment, she was on full life support. Ironic that the baby she had been trying to adopt had been taken off his respirator yesterday, and today, they put her on one.

“I suppose it would be pointless to tell you to sit,” Ian said from where he sat on one of the four chairs that lined the hall. Livie was stretched across the remaining chairs, her head on his knee and sound asleep. James and Grams were keeping the vigil at Elysia's bedside.

“I think best when I'm moving.” And God knew I needed to think. Without the Stone, I had no idea how to help her. I guess I could create another Stone, but I wasn't sure I could look myself in the mirror if I did. Xander's death still haunted me, and I knew I would have nightmares for a while.

Ian didn't respond. He just ran a hand across Livie's golden hair.

The door at the end of the corridor opened, and I turned; hope making my heart beat more quickly. My wish was fulfilled when Elysia's doctor and Doug stepped through and began to walk toward us.

Doug had been invaluable in getting Elysia the help she needed. Since her illness was magical in origin, her doctors had been clueless as to how to treat her. With his medical background and knowledge of necromancy, Doug had practically taken charge. The strange thing was the way they had let him. It was just one more example of how much the world still needed to change to accommodate the return of magic.

“Well?” I stopped before them, aware of James and Grams leaving Elysia's room to join us. Ian stayed where he was, but in the empty corridor, he would have no trouble hearing our conversation.

“All our tests came back normal,” her doctor answered. “She's as strong and healthy as you'd expect a twenty-six-year-old woman to be.”

“So, no clue as to how to treat this,” I said.

“None. Unless you have a suggestion.”

“Me?”

“I've followed your work in the Burn Unit. You are truly a miracle worker. Do you have a potion for this?”

“I've been working on it,” I admitted. “You would let me try?”

He glanced toward the door to Elysia's room. “There are regulations, but… I wouldn't stand in the way.”

I smiled. Here was another Dr. Albright. Unfortunately, he was probably even younger than I was, which meant he most likely didn't have any clout among his peers, or more importantly, the hospital board.

“Thank you, Doctor. I'll try my best.”

He gave me a nod, then moved into Elysia's room, James and Grams following.

“What exactly are you going to try?” Doug asked.

I didn't want to tell him I had no idea. “I'm still working out the details.”

“Plotting another murder?”

“I…” I didn't know what to say.

“It wasn't her idea,” Ian spoke up. “It was Neil's.”

“She went along with it.” Doug turned back to me. “I thought you were different, but I guess you really are an Alchemica alchemist, just like my cousin.” A final glare, and he followed the doctor into Elysia's room.

“Addie,” Ian began.

“Don't.” I waved away whatever he might say. “Doug's right.” I left him sitting there and headed for the door at the end of the corridor.

No, I definitely couldn't create another Stone. I could barely live with what I had done already. I had to find another way to help Elysia… and Rowan. I rubbed a hand across my eyes and pushed open the door into the much more public area beyond it.

As if my thoughts had summoned him, I found myself staring into Rowan's gray eyes. It took everything I had not to break down right there.

“Addie?” He closed the distance between us, his expression concerned. Apparently, I hadn't been completely successful in hiding my emotions.

“Hey,” he whispered and brushed his fingers over my cheek. I guess I hadn't been completely successful at holding back the tears, either.

I gave up trying to fight it and collapsed against him, wrapping my arms around his waist. “You're well,” I breathed.

“Yes, I—” He didn't get to finish as a cacophony of voices suddenly surrounded us.

“Your Grace!”

“Dr. Brant, a question…”

“Is it true you—”

I stepped back and was stunned to find us surrounded by the media.

Rowan cursed beneath his breath and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, taking me with him through the door to the ICU. He stopped a few feet inside the double doors, but no one was brazen enough to follow us.

“Oh my God,” I whispered as I realized what had just happened. “They know who you are.” Rowan wasn't wearing his robes.

“Thanks to Alexander pulling down my hood before jerking me into the land of the dead.” Rowan's jaw was tight with restrained fury, though only a slim band of fire ringed his irises. Odd, with the current anger he displayed, they should be blazing. “The news broke this morning. Some reporter by the name of Melissa Porter managed to piece it all together.”

I raked a hand through my hair. That was the reporter I had brushed off at Fountain Square. If I had followed through and met with her, could I have prevented this?

“Where have you been?” Rowan continued. “And what's this about Elysia and Neil? Era tried to explain it over the phone, but—”

“The phone?” I asked. “She was supposed to go to the manor. Didn't she make it?”

“I was at the Offices.”

“You were supposed to be in the hospital.”

“I—” He lifted his head, looking up the hall.

I turned to follow his gaze. The light wavered not far from where Ian and Livie sat, then I was staring at the other Elements.

“Thank you, Gerald,” Cora said to the mousy man who stood beside them.

He pushed his glasses up his nose. “It was no problem, ma'am. Do you want me to stay?”

“No, no. We'll call if we need you.”

Gerald nodded, and just as suddenly as they appeared, he was gone.

“Why didn't you wait?” Cora walked to us, her question directed at Rowan.

“You know I'm not that patient.”

Era came forward and without a word, wrapped Rowan in a hug as I had earlier. “You
are
well,” she said against his shirt.

He returned the embrace, kissing the top of her head. “I am,” he lifted his eyes to meet mine. “Better than well.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Whatever you did for me worked. I'm back in control.”

“But the hospital kept you. They wanted more tests.”

“That was my fault,” Cora said. “When they told me his test results were abnormal, I insisted he stay and get things checked out. I didn't realize the results were abnormal in a good way.”

“Apparently, they didn't expect a fifty-six-year-old man to have the heart of a twenty-five-year-old,” Donovan said.

“But you went into cardiac arrest,” I said to Rowan. “Era and Doug had to do CPR to bring you back.”

“You brought me back.”

“For the moment,” I said, “but you're not cured.” Just like Elysia. Everything I had done had been for naught.

“And how do you know that, little alchemist?” Donovan stepped up on my other side.

“I just… know.”

“Because you feel it, right?”

“I love you, Don. I don't want to shoot you down, but I just don't believe that I'm the Quintessence, your fifth Element.”

“I felt it,” Era said. “I was there when you saved Rowan, remember?”

Apprehensive, I faced her, still not sure what she thought about everything. “What do you mean?”

“When you gave Rowan your blood, I felt the balance shift. But just for a moment. If you could make that permanent…”

“As I told you all along”—Ian had left Livie sleeping on the chairs to join us—“this is what you should be studying.” He gestured at those standing around us.

“But I need the prima materia.”

“What do you think the Quintessence is?”

I opened my mouth and closed it.

“The moment the unmanifested becomes manifest,” Ian added. “Not the magic of death, the magic of creation. It would explain why you are so damn good at creating potions. At creating magic.”

I just stared at him.

Ian cupped my cheek, his fingers cold against my skin. “The ability has always been yours. You just need to figure out how to wield it.”

“Minor detail,” I muttered.

He grinned, then stepped back. “I have no doubt you'll get it.” He turned and walked back to his seat, leaving me surround by the Elements.

“You know what I did,” I whispered.

“Era told us,” Cora said. “This was what you were considering when you asked me how far I would go to save Rowan?”

“Yes,” I spoke to her, but I held Rowan's gaze. “I know it was wrong, but I couldn't see any other way.”

“I thought you promised not to lie to me.”

His accusation went right through me. “I didn't lie to you. You broke up with me, remember? You weren't around. I probably lied to Ian and maybe Elysia, but I never lied to you.”

“If I had been around—”

“If the Fire hadn't been killing you, I wouldn't have gone to Neil in the first place.”

“What's done is done,” Donovan cut in. “We must move past it. The lich put into words what I've been struggling to tell you.”

I caught Ian's smile in profile.

“Those alchemy texts are a real bear to try to decipher,” Donovan finished.

I smiled, loving him for trying.

“Are you ready to give up your dark ways and come back to where you belong?” Cora asked me.

“And where do I belong?”

“With us.”

This was so surreal. “Era?” I turned to her. “You must hate me.”

She sighed. “No, though I am upset with all of you for never telling me. It's just another chapter in the never-ending story of
Protect Era
. But I never thought you'd get on board with that,” she said to me.

“It was more shame on my part than protection.”

“Era,” Donovan began.

She waved him off. “Later.” Abruptly, she gave me a big hug.

I hugged her back, clinging to her in relief. “Thank you,” I whispered. “It would have hurt so much to lose you.”

“I'm still here.” She kissed my cheek, then released me.

Steeling my courage, I lifted my eyes to Rowan's. “I'm sorry.”

Wordlessly, he took my face between his palms. I expected a reprimand, but he didn't say a word. Instead, he leaned down and took my mouth with his own.

I gripped the front of his shirt and hung on. It wasn't a chaste kiss. We were each too hungry for the other for that. Oddly, standing here kissing in front of his family and Ian didn't embarrass me. All it did was make me want Rowan more.

All too soon, he took his lips from mine and straightened. Again, I expected some words, but he simply laced his fingers in mine and pulled me a short distance down the hall, away from the others. They moved off to talk with Ian, giving us a semblance of privacy.

Rowan reached up and touched my cheek. “I'm sorry, Addie.”

I frowned. “For what?” My heart thumped a quicker beat. Had he pulled me aside to tell me that he didn't want me to be part of his world as the others did?

“I'm sorry I pushed you away,” he whispered as he held my gaze. “I was afraid I would hurt you. I did hurt you.”

I released the breath I was holding, so relieved, my knees felt weak. “The burns hurt less than the pain of being away from you.”

“True.” He smiled. “I guess I should have listened to Ian.”

“Ian?”

“He told me I couldn't crawl off and die, that you wouldn't let me.”

“Was that what the two of you were discussing, before we took Blake to see the bones?”

“Yes. I knew you wouldn't give up, but I didn't expect you to damn yourself in the process.”

I studied my feet. “I keep telling you that I'm not a good person.
That's
why I won't take the Formula.”

“Addie.” His arms came around me and pulled me closer.

“I don't want to be her.” I pressed my forehead against his collarbone. “But I might already be.”

“No, that's not true.” A sternness entered his tone, making him sound like the Flame Lord I knew so well. “You may occasionally do the wrong thing, but you are not evil. You are just the opposite, and it is your goodness that gets you in trouble. That's something else Ian and I discussed.”

I looked up. “Huh?”

“You are compassionate to a fault. You are fiercely loyal, and when you love, you give your whole heart. Couple that with your confidence and your belief that the impossible was merely created to challenge you, and it's a deadly combination. Though usually deadly to whatever is standing in your way.”

I flinched. “True.”

“I'll let you in on a secret… If I had to kill Xander to save you, I would have done it in a heartbeat.”

“And what if you had to kill an innocent.” I glanced up the hall where the others were gathered. “Like Livie.”

Rowan frowned, following my gaze. “I…”

I pressed a finger to his lips, silencing him. “It doesn't mean you love me any less; it means you are a good person. You will do what needs to be done, but there's a line you won't cross. Whereas, I'm not so sure that such a line exists for me.”

“You don't know that.”

“True. And I hope I'm never forced to find out.”

He studied me, and I wondered if I had just damaged our relationship beyond repair. But I couldn't lie to him. He had to know the truth about me if this was ever going to work.