The Quest of the Prodigy (The Alchemist of Time Book 1) Page 20

  On the last click of the gear grind, she waved the wand above her head and pointed it at the center of the pool, where Richie had thrown the key. Power coursed through her as the Launcher fired, though it seemed weaker than Richie’s blasts had been. The pool was barely affected.

  “It’s all about the wrist!” cried Richie, yelling over the sound of the wind shooting out of her launcher. “How forceful you flick your wrist is how powerful your Element will release. Sometimes you only want a gentle burst of power. But in this case, I don’t recommend a gentle force.”

  She held her breath and flicked her wrist as hard as she could. A powerful gust of air shot from her Launcher toward the mercury, puncturing the dense quicksilver. The key shot straight out of the pool, landing on the golden floor with a clank. Mimi looked around. Puddles of mercury were everywhere.

  “Oops,” she said sheepishly, “that’s a mess.”

  “But you did it!” cheered Richie and pulled her into a hug of congratulations.

  Mimi beamed and accepted his kiss happily, feeling as light as air. Hand in hand they walked to the key.

  “It’s kind of anticlimactic,” she admitted.

  “What do you mean?” asked Richie.

  “Well, all that study, just to pop it out of the water. Not as cool as evaporating an entire pool of water and replacing it with mercury.”

  Richie laughed. “Hey, I had years to max out those skills of mine. You only had two days. Only one day with an actual Launcher. You did a great job on your first day, kid!”

  “Yeah, well, I had a great teacher.”

  “You need to give yourself more credit, too. You caught on real quick. Oh! I know. See this key?” he asked and placed the pool key in her hand. Its bow was in the shape of the sun, the alchemy symbol for gold. It was thin, with three uneven teeth like a traditional skeleton key, and twelve spokes for the rays of sun.

  “I want you to have this key, Mimi. Any time you feel that ugly doubt creep into your brave heart, look down at that key, and think of me. And when you think of me, know that I believe in you. I believe you can do anything, no matter what you’re up against, or what anyone else says about you. You’ve got real smarts, Mimi. You’re resourceful. And you have courage when you start to believe in yourself. So believe in me, believing in you, and gain courage when you’re drowning in doubt. Because the true enemy isn’t whoever you’re matched up against in a battle of Tai Chi. Sometimes the true enemy is your own self.”

  Mimi gasped at those sweet words and pulled him into a tight hug. She rested her head on his strong shoulder and leaned into his neck, trying to get as close to him as possible before she had to pull away. She kissed him on his cheek. He smiled down at her.

  “Do you see this key, Richie?” Mimi asked, pulling the Time Shifter from the collar of her shirt. “Bas would kill me for showing you, but I want to tell someone, and I want it to be you. I trust you. This is what lets me travel through time.”

  She strung the sun key he had just given her on the golden chain of the Time Shifter necklace. The togetherness of the keys made her smile. She would always be together with Richie in her heart, even if they couldn’t physically be together in person.

  “Now I have two keys around my neck. One controls time,” she said, holding it up, “and this one, this one controls my heart. Thank you Richie. Thank you for teaching me the beginnings of Alchemy and Tai Chi. But most importantly, thank you for changing me. You changed me for the better. Now I know anyone can have confidence if they just believe in themselves. You taught me how to believe in myself. I don’t mean to totally sound like a Disney after school special, but it’s true.”

  Richie hugged her tight, then asked, “What’s Disney?”

  Mimi gasped. “Okay, suddenly I’m not sure I want to live in your world. A world without Disney sounds awful!”

  They both laughed, though Richie looked confused. Their joyful merriment led to another passionate kiss. Mimi felt like she was soaring through the stars. She felt invincible. She could kiss him forever, if time would let her.

  She wasn’t sure how she could feel like this already. They’d only known each other two days. She was sure this was crazy, falling in love so quickly. But maybe, just maybe, she had found her one true love in the boy called Richie Stiles. And maybe she was crazy for leaving him behind by traveling with Bas and her brother. But she had a mission to achieve, and thanks to Richie, she was starting to believe she could become the Prodigy that Bas needed, and be the symbol of hope that the people of 4218 deserved.

  This was the new Mimi Mockel. A confident woman. Someone who had learned there was more to life than just reading; that there was life to live. Someone who wasn’t afraid of love. Someone who would change herself to fight to protect a future instead of wasting time with doubting she could. And she couldn’t wait to see what the new Mimi Mockel was capable of.

  The ride back was much more relaxing for Captain Deatherage than the ride to the REP. He had his dear Odette’s hands wrapped around his waist. It was just as cold, just as long and with just as many potholes to slow their journey home, but with a companion so happy to be with him, Deatherage was able to relax. Odette’s thin chin rested on his strong shoulders.

  She whispered to him, “I’m so happy tonight, Captain. And it’s because of you.”

  “You’re not afraid?” he asked worriedly.

  Odette huffed. “The way my mother treated me, sometimes only my room felt like my true home. And Knox my only friend.”

  “Well Princess,” he said as the castle came into view at last, “welcome to your new home.”

  “Oh Captain!” she cried, tightening her arms around his waist.

  AS AN Ambassador of Time, Deatherage found it quite easy to sneak Odette into the castle undetected. He knew every nook and canny of this castle, having spent much time here as a boy with his father, the Admiral in his day.

  He and Odette tried to contain their giggles of joy as they crept inside through the west moat entrance. It made him feel like a teenager, breaking in after curfew.

  “Why can’t I see father?” asked Odette in a giggling whisper.

  “Because,” Deatherage said, “it’ll be better if we surprise him. When the time is right. He has been so busy lately. Also, it gives me and you a couple of days to get to know each other first, before I tell him.”

  “Oh I like this plan!” she agreed.

  Deatherage led her to the hall of the Ambassadors of Time. He had secured a spare room he knew she could stain in undetected, until he was ready to reveal her to the King and receive ultimate praise, recognition and rewards. Deatherage would be the reason the King was at last reunited with his daughter.

  Odette let out a gasp when she saw the room. Deatherage had set her up with a queen bed secluded behind white, sheer curtains. Red and pink rose petals were scattered all over the room, even on the red blanket set up for a pasta picnic for two, with thin white candles and two glasses of champagne.

  “Oh, my Captain!” she said, her breath taken away. She pulled him into a deep kiss. He melted into it and held her closer.

  “THIS FEELS so good to eat. That REP gave my stomach a jolt,” confessed Odette as they slurped the last bites of fettuccini pasta.

  “Did you enjoy it?” he asked.

  She nodded. “Yes. But it was scary. Though it was worth it, knowing it would lead me to you.”

  He clinked his champagne glass against hers.

  “My Captain,” she said with a happy sigh. “I must tell you something. I’ve been thinking about it since I left my mother’s palace.”

  “Yes, what is it?” he asked.

  She took a deep breath, her hazel eyes studying him as if debating her confession.

  “You can tell me, my dear, I promise.” He squeezed her hand.

  “This might sound childish, as my mother always claimed it to be, but I’ve always believed in true love. My mother, having her heart tarnished by my father, said true love doesn’t exis
t. But I never gave up on it. And then...” she paused, her voice sounded weak again. “And then I found your letter a year ago. And replied. And you replied back! And I knew, I just knew it was a sign we were meant to be. Is that crazy?”

  “Only as crazy as me replying to your letter in the first place. If love is crazy, Odette, than yes...it is crazy.”

  “So you feel it too?”

  Deatherage hesitated. He wasn’t sure what he was feeling. He was glad she was there. It would make him look good in front of the King. He took a sip of champagne, allowing his mind to wander farther into the future.

  If she was this smitten by him and his letters, would it be so wrong to ask her to marry him? They had only just met, but they had been writing letters for more than a year. If he could marry a princess, he would no longer have to worry what the King thought of him. He could think him an idiot all he wanted. For how could the King kill the husband of his daughter?

  Deatherage refilled their glasses and smiled at his princess, liking the idea of climbing the royal ladder. “Yes,” he said, and she exhaled in relief. “I feel that way, too.”

  She crawled over toward him, nearly knocking over the glass of champagne as she did so, and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m so happy to be crazy with you, then.”

  THE NEXT morning, the sunlight poured in through the stained glass window of Odette’s private room onto the couple. Exhausted from their day, they had both crashed onto the bed fully clothed and fallen into a peaceful slumber.

  Deatherage awoke first and spent a few moments admiring the princess. She really was very pretty. It shocked him the Queen hadn’t tried to obtain her any suitors. Perhaps Odette was right when she said last night her mother’s heart was so tainted with heartache she didn’t even want her daughter to marry at all, for love or power. It seemed she wished to seclude her daughter forever. But she would need a successor. He wanted to be that person, but he wasn’t sure what to make of Odette.

  Moments later, the princess stirred. She let out a murmur, her mind not yet caught up with the body. He smiled at her. The pristine princess with messy hair and smeared makeup was a charming sight. “Good morning my dear. I have to attend to some business, but I didn’t want to leave until I said goodbye.”

  “I feel like we just united! Why can’t you take the day off?” she asked with a frown.

  He chuckled at that and then laughed louder. He couldn’t even remember the last time he had one of those. “Because, dear, your father would be very cross with me. And then I might not be alive much longer.”

  She frowned deeper and nodded. “I heard he had a temper. When will you return?”

  If he failed once again, he might not return. The thought scared him. “For you I will try my hardest to return swiftly. I obtained some books to keep you company. I think, at least for a couple of days, until we tell your father, it may be best to stay here.”

  Her eyes widened and she shook her head. “Please, Captain! Please don’t leave me here. Like my mother has always done, keeping me confined.”

  “I’m sorry. It’s just for a couple of days. Then your father will be so happy to see you I’m sure this whole castle can be yours to explore.”

  Odette suddenly looked very tired. “Okay, Captain. I trust you.”

  He held her hands in his and he kissed the top of them. “I will return for you. I promise. Then we will meet your father.”

  DEATHERAGE ENTERED an office in the Ambassador of Time hall. Bellator was waiting for him. Her arms were folded, her boot tapping against the stone floor as she studied a computer monitor on one wall covered with flashing green dots.

  In the middle of the room was a small SUV-style car, the Time Car. Its wings were curled to accommodate the space. Powered by steam and plasma energy, it was their method of traveling through time, tracing the Temporal Vapor of time travelers. Today they would hunt down Barkley once and for all and get his Diary, and his secrets.

  Although the Time Car could only trace Temporal Vapor and was unable to travel through time of its own accord, it worked to their advantage on this mission. Sebastian Barkley was the only one they were after.

  “What is it?” asked Deatherage.

  “It’s Barkley,” she said with a grin. “His Tracker has activated again.”

  “How come it disappeared for so long?” asked Deatherage.

  She shook her head. “I’m not sure. But we’ve got him now. Let’s not waste our lead.”

  He nodded and jumped in the driver’s seat of the Time Car. “Let’s destroy them this time. No second chances.”

  “His friends, that girl and boy, yes. But the King wanted Barkley alive, remember?”

  “Fine. But remember what the King says,” Deatherage said to Bellator as she strapped in. “Any friend of Barkley’s is an enemy to the King.”

  “For the King,” agreed Bellator.

  She looked down at her necklace and smiled as a date appeared on the back of the arrow. She entered it in the controls on the passenger seat dashboard.

  “The year 3000?” asked Deatherage curiously, watching her.

  “Yep,” said Bellator. “To the Academy of Alchemy.”

  The car beeped and hobbled as it began to shake violently while the plasma heated up. The Time Car was a very crude way of time travel, and not a comfortable voyage. But it worked.

  There was a hiss of steam from the outside exhaust pipe, and then steel wings popped out from the side of the car. The car began to spin in circles at rapid speed, hissing louder and louder. There was a flash of golden light, and the Ambassadors of Time vanished through the temporal portal to hunt down Barkley and complete the King’s mission.

  Aimon’s knock on the door woke up a very sore Mimi the next morning. She made a mental note to get in the habit of working out and stretching to avoid this misery. It hurt to sit up, and she had to push herself to walk across the room and answer the door.

  “I’m coming!” she yelled at the persistent knock. She needed coffee.

  Aimon looked less than impressed when she opened the door. “A true Sister of Alchemy rises to the challenge every day of starting early. It is best to meditate at sunrise.”

  “Sunrise?” she shrieked. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

  “I assure you, I’m very serious.”

  “Yeah, I bet you don’t even know how to tell a joke.”

  Aimon raised an eyebrow at her. “I’m going to assume you’re tired from your training and will overlook your less than impressive appearance at the moment. You have five minutes to get ready for the test. I will meet you back here then.”

  “Five minutes?” Mimi asked. She looked down at herself, spotted the Time Shifter, and smirked. “Five minutes, no problem, Aimon.”

  He nodded and left, looking doubtful.

  “Oh, I am so abusing my power,” Mimi said as she pulled out the Time Shifter. “With great power comes great responsibility and all that...but, five minutes! Get it together, Mimi, you can do this!” She inserted the key, closed her eyes, and a moment later found herself in the Bas House.

  “Good morning Miss Mimi!” cried the cheerful robot.

  “JAB, how do you always know when I am coming? You’re always greeting me!”

  “Oh, there was an indicator of the Time Shifter usage on Bas’s computer monitor.” She pointed to the computer screen on the wide window. “I figured it was either you or Master Bas, and he phoned me last night informing me he was staying at the Academy with your brother, and it is way too early in that time zone for Master Bas to be awake, so I deduced it was you.”

  “Smart robot,” Mimi praised. “I need a shower, some coffee, and a new top. Maybe a sweater. They keep the Academy so cold!”

  The shower felt like heaven to her sore muscles, and the blow dryer took only seconds to style her hair. Mimi grinned to discover her room at the Bas House now had bright orange walls, as if they were mimicking her energetic mood. JAB aimed the Fabric Materializer at her, and Mimi was
suddenly wearing a soft fleece sweater and a comfortable pair of jeans. Mimi downed a cup of coffee, thanked the robot, and returned to the Academy.

  Aimon was knocking at the door. Mimi opened it.

  “Hmm, you’re quick and punctual. I can respect that. Thank you for not wasting time.”

  “Ah, so you are capable of compliments.”

  “And you’ve been spending too much time with Richie. I’m afraid you’ve caught his snark.”

  Mimi laughed, surprised he had made a joke. She followed him, thankful for a guide in this maze that was the Academy.

  “I’m glad you agreed to get this test out of the way, Mimi. Are you certain you wish to do this? You can still back out now, and return home.”

  Mimi glared at him, their moment of teasing clearly gone. “No way. I have worked too hard to leave now.”

  He nodded, but didn’t smile. “Very well. It’s right through this room. Let us get started, then.”

  She nodded and held her head high. She was determined not to show him just how terrified she was. It made her think of Richie’s nightmare; it was scary not knowing what to expect. The unknown factor truly amplified the dread.

  AIMON LED her into a gymnasium-style room, with stadium seating and a soft blue mat covering the entire floor. Mimi set her gym bag on the bottom bleacher and pulled out her golden Elemental Launcher.

  “How did you get that?” demanded Aimon.

  “Richie gave it to me.”

  “Only Second Years are supposed to have one. Hand it over.”

  “No way! It’s not my fault the pressing fate of the year 4218 is limiting my time of learning Alchemy. Are we going to get on with the test or what?”

  Aimon’s mouth curled with disapproval. “Very well. I’ll only allow you to have it as a favor to my friend Richie. Now, this test is unique to all who take it. Because no student is the same, so shall no two tests be the same. There are microchips all over the walls of this room that capture, not your image, but rather your memories. The room will adapt accordingly. You will understand the point of the test only if you are ready to learn Alchemy.”