The Catalyst of Corruption (The Final Formula Series, Book 4) by Becca Andre Read Free Book Online

printout, and I dropped onto the nearest stool to examine the report.
    â€œI assume you know how to read that?” he asked.
    â€œYes. I was a chemist before I became an alchemist.” I knew that was true even though I had no specific memories of those days. Just as I didn’t remember learning to read one of these printouts. That didn’t stop me from understanding what I saw.
    â€œFind something?” Rowan had stopped a few feet into the room and gave me a smile when I looked up.
    â€œNo, nothing.” I frowned at the form I held. “No evidence of alchemy.”
    â€œWhat about something more mundane, like a poison?”
    â€œI don’t see anything I recognize, but when the body breaks it down, there may be byproducts I’m unaware of. I need to ask Doug.” I turned to the technician and held up the printout. “Can I keep a copy of this?”
    â€œThe director said I should give you whatever you want.”
    â€œHow about the infrared spectrometer?” I nodded at the instrument.
    The man laughed. “I don’t think that’s what the director had in mind.”
    â€œDo you need one?” Rowan asked me.
    â€œIf I said yes, would you buy me one?”
    â€œOf course.”
    I gave the technician a grin. “And most girls can only expect flowers and chocolates.”
    â€œMost girls wouldn’t be turned on by lab instrumentation,” Rowan said.
    â€œShows what they know.”
    The technician smiled at our banter, giving Rowan a glance when he wasn’t looking. The newspapers had made a big deal about me being the Flame Lord’s girlfriend, so the guy probably suspected who Rowan was. But he wouldn’t be working here without the proper clearance, so I wasn’t overly concerned.
    The door opened and Waylon walked in. “How are things progressing up here?”
    I waved the sheet of paper. “Nothing alchemical.”
    â€œSo much for a lead there.” Waylon turned to the technician. “Thanks for staying over, Thomas.”
    â€œAll part of the job, sir. And getting to watch Miss Daulton work was…enlightening. I didn’t expect her to be a scientist.”
    Waylon cleared his throat. “Watching her work?”
    â€œJust a demonstration,” I said quickly. “I didn’t blow up anything, and I didn’t tamper with evidence. Mr. Thomas here,” I gestured at the technician, “didn’t believe.”
    He stuffed his hands in his lab coat pockets and shrugged. “It all sounded pretty incredible. Now I wonder.”
    â€œOh, I can bottle magic. I can even teach you to.”
    â€œBut I’m not magical.”
    â€œNeither am I.”
    He fell silent, seeming to consider that.
    â€œHow’s Doug progressing?” Rowan asked Waylon.
    â€œI was on my way to check. Care to join me?”
    â€œAre you done here?” Rowan asked me.
    â€œYes.” I exchanged a handshake with the technician, thanking him for his help.
    â€œIf you do get that alchemy course up, I might have to check that out,” he said, referring to the proposed curriculum the University of Cincinnati had approached me about.
    â€œI hope so.” I gave him a final farewell, and followed Rowan and Waylon from the room.
    â€œIt seems you have done a lot to turn alchemy’s reputation around,” Waylon said to me.
    â€œThat is the goal.”
    Rowan didn’t look over, but I caught his smile. We had come a long way since the days when he thought me just another power-hungry Alchemica alchemist.
    Doug was stripping off his gloves when we entered the room. He was deep in conversation with Agent Bruner and both of them wore white lab coats over a set of scrubs. Had Doug been allowed to do more than observe?
    â€œHave you finished?” Waylon asked them.
    â€œFor now,” Bruner said. “We’ll have to see what the lab finds, but Dr. Nelson was right. None of the men