The Heir of Death - The Final Formula 3.5 (17 page)
Chapter 18
J
ames pulled on a T-shirt and heard the shower kick on down the hall. He tried not to think about Elysia stripping down and standing beneath the warm spray. If things had been different, she might have invited him to join her. But things were different. He had kissed her before sending her off to the shower, and even in that brief exchange, she had unwittingly fed her soul into him. He had told her they would find a solution, but he had no idea what that could possibly be.
Addie greeted him as soon as he stepped into the lab. “Where’s Elysia?”
“Shower.”
“Is she okay? You were able to heal her?”
“Yes.”
“What a shame you couldn’t do that for me. I was weeks healing.”
“I didn’t rip into her intestines or several any arteries.”
“I know. I was just whining.” She stopped in front of him, then reached up and laid a hand over his heart. “Are you okay?”
James glanced at where Ian stood watching them. Had he told Addie anything about Elysia’s magic? James’s gaze drifted to the framed picture Livie had given Ian. Specifically, the old 5x7 of Matilda’s two daughters, Bella’s sisters. Soul reapers both.
“I will be,” James said to Addie.
Addie didn’t look convinced, but she didn’t question him further.
Doug rose from the stool he had been sitting on. He wore an old-fashioned white shirt he must have borrowed from Ian. “You were able to remove Alexander’s influence?”
“Yes. A shame I didn’t realize I could do that. I could have done the same for you.”
Doug smiled. “Thanks, but your alchemy worked just fine.”
“His alchemy?” Addie asked.
“You and Ian were AWOL,” James explained. “I had to brew the solvent myself.”
“When Doug said he had taken the solvent, I thought he had taken the one I gave Elysia.”
“Neil confiscated her potions right off,” Doug said.
Addie gave James a frown. “But, how could you make my solvent? I use the azoth.”
“I had her finger. The one Alexander removed. I ashed it, along with a few hairs from my other form.”
“Soul solvent,” Ian said.
“How did you mark what you wanted to dissolve?” Addie asked.
“A hair from Ian’s brush. He and Alexander are
identical
twins.”
Addie gave Ian a glance, arching a brow before turning to James. “Dark, but brilliant. You’re going to be an amazing alchemist.”
“I had an amazing teacher.”
She laughed and hugged him.
“I’m not going to ask for clarification on any of that,” Doug muttered.
“Always the best course of action,” Era agreed in an undertone.
Addie released James. “If you know what Alexander looks like, I’m guessing Neil gave him the Formula.”
“Yes.”
“And Neil?” Addie asked.
“Neil took it, too,” James said. “He’s a necromancer now.”
“He’s a lich king,” Doug said.
“He’s Alexander’s sidekick,” James said.
“What does this mean?” Addie asked. “Where does this leave Old Magic?” She turned to Doug. “What of your father?”
“He will be Made.” He held up a hand at her horrified expression. “Don’t let it trouble you, he’s fine with that. He expected it as his reward all along.”
Addie frowned. “And what of you?”
“I wasn’t that comfortable with it.”
“So, I guess you’re no longer the heir of death.”
“Not anymore.” Doug looked up, his eyes meeting Ian’s. “I’m just another necromancer booted out of the Family.”
Afterword
Thank you for reading
The Heir of Death
. I hope you enjoyed it. If you liked it well enough to leave a review; that would be great! There’s more to come in The Final Formula Series. If you want me to notify you when I have a new release, all you need to do is subscribe to my newsletter at
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Acknowledgements
It’s time again to thank all folks who help me make my stories better. I’d to thank:
Kendra Highley, Lindsay Buroker, and Cindy Wilkinson for taking the time to pick out my typos and letting me know what worked and what didn’t.
Shelley Holloway for another great editing experience.
Glendon Haddix and the team at Streetlight Graphics for the always beautiful cover art and formatting. (Check out my gorgeous website. They did that, too!)
And you, kind reader, for letting me entertain you. I really appreciate the reviews, comments, and emails. Thank you!
About the Author
Becca Andre lives in southern Ohio with her husband, two children, and an elderly Jack Russell Terrier. A love of science and math (yes, she’s weird like that), led to a career as a chemist where she blows things up far more infrequently than you’d expect. Other interests include: chocolate, hard rock, and slaying things on the Xbox. She also finds writing about herself in third person a bit strange.
For more on the world of the Final Formula, upcoming releases, and random ramblings, stop by
http://beccaandre.com