The Final Formula by Becca Andre Read Free Book Online

“How’d you get in so soon?” We had the workshop to ourselves. He loaded bullets while I ground some dried datura flowers. The sweet aroma filled the room, masking the faint turpentine odor from an earlier experiment.
    “I said I was being harassed by the PIA.” It wasn’t a lie. Agent Lawson had called, but I’d been visiting the Alchemica at the time. “I guess the Elements don’t care for their arbitrary rules or regulations either.” The Elements’ receptionist wanted to schedule my audience the same day, but I had potions to brew and powders to mix. I moved it back a couple of days.
    James snorted. “And the rest of it?”
    “I told the truth.”
    “You said you were an alchemist?”
    “No.” Setting aside my pestle, I picked up a small glass vial and poured a quarter-teaspoon of pale green powder into my palm. “I said I could use magic. Care for a demonstration?”
    He eyed the powder and his nostrils flared. “It smells like grass.”
    Impressive. I couldn’t smell anything except datura flowers. “That’s the knotweed.” I rolled my hand and the fine powder coated my palm. “It’s Perfect Assistant Dust. One whiff and you will obey any command given to you.”
    His brows rose.
    “I’m going to make you do the Chicken Dance.”
    “Addie.”
    “I’m teasing. I’ll save that for the Flame Lord.”
    “You need to take this seriously. Even if this works on me, it doesn’t mean it will work on him.”
    “Since I know even less about your magic than I do his, I’ll have to go on my instincts.”
    “What’s to stop it from affecting you?” he asked, skirting my probe. He refused to go into detail about his magic.
    “I’ve keyed it to me. It won’t affect me, and those hit by it will only obey commands from me.”
    “You can do that?”
    “Yep. Master alchemist, remember?” I raised my palm toward my mouth hoping he wouldn’t question me further. “Ready?”
    “Wait.”
    I lowered my hand. Crap. He wasn’t going to let me off that easily.
    “How did you key it to you? Any physical ingredient, like a lock of hair would need to be ashed, but I don’t smell any charring.”
    I’d been concerned about his quick mind, but apparently I should have worried about his nose. He watched me, his expression open and curious. I couldn’t lie to him.
    “I used a drop of my blood.”
    His expression closed down, moving toward a frown. “But that’s…blood alchemy.”
    “I guess, but it’s my blood. I didn’t kill to get it. I didn’t torture anyone.”
    “What? Why would you torture someone?”
    “You know, to give the blood certain…attributes.” My words tumbled to a stop. I didn’t have a clue where that knowledge had come from.
    “You can do that?”
    “Personally? Of course not.” I smiled to reassure him, though my tight cheeks made it difficult. Using my own blood had been the natural, logical thing to do. Why did I feel guilty?
    “No. I didn’t mean—”
    “So I know a little blood alchemy. Master alchemist, remember?” I repeated. I brought my hand to my mouth again. “Ready?”
    He gave me a stiff nod. “Hit me.”
    “Thanks.” I realized I was thanking him for more than letting me experiment on him. “I won’t betray your trust.” I blew the powder in his face.
    He coughed and stumbled back, his eyes went on full glow, his pupils shrinking down to pin-pricks as he stared at me.
    “You okay?” I asked.
    He blinked a couple of times and the glow faded away. “Yes. For a moment I…”
    “Yes?”
    He shook his head. “Nothing.” He flashed me a smile that looked forced. “Your command?”
    “Sit.”
    He abruptly folded his legs and dropped to sit cross-legged on the floor. He stared at me with wide eyes.
    “A success?” I asked.
    “Absolutely.”
    I grinned. “Do as you will.”
    He slowly got to his feet. “How are you going to get the Flame Lord to inhale it?”
    “I have a couple of approaches. If I brew the potion as a liquid, I could