The Quest of the Prodigy (The Alchemist of Time Book 1) Read online

  “It’s okay,” he soothed. “Our time is over, Mimi. But your story has just started. Be the best Prodigy the Barkleys could have ever hoped for. Do that for me. I believe in you, kid.”

  “I’ll never forget you, Richie.”

  With that last promise, as the Ambassadors continued their relentless firing at the bubble, she forgot about his bleeding mouth and kissed him.

  The kiss was as strong and powerful as it was weak. His lips were cold, and tasted like blood. She didn’t care.

  It may have been immature. It may have been desperation. She found herself wishing it anyway; she wished her kiss would resurrect him. She wished her love for him could give him life, like she’d read about in Snow White. As she finally pulled away, she looked down and knew.

  He was dead.

  Richie Stiles was dead.

  Bellator and Deatherage circled the bubble, firing as they tried to find a way in. Mimi stood up, feeling murderous as she stared at Deatherage. “You will regret this day, Captain, this I can promise you.”

  Pulling the Elemental Launcher from her pocket, Mimi chose Fire and Wind. As confidence returned, the golden bubble began to disintegrate slowly, as if giving the Launcher enough time to charge. As a clear shot emerged, Mimi fired.

  The hallway was suddenly consumed in a whirlwind of fire. There was a whoosh as the flames circled the wide hall, like a fire tornado torpedoing down the golden hallway. Giant flames hid her from view as Deatherage and Bellator took off running, their Photon Lasers standing no chance against the elements.

  As they disappeared from view, Mimi reached clumsily for her Time Shifter, her hands full of the Launcher and Diary. Her eyes lit on Aimon running down the hall, looking panicked at the sight of fire. Their eyes met over the flames.

  Anger filled her. “I’m coming back for you, Aimon. Deatherage killed Richie. I tried to save him. Get Richie a proper funeral. And I will return. And when I do, we will begin our training, and you will be my teacher. Now look away, this secret is not safe with you.”

  Horror filled Aimon’s face as the flames died down and he saw Richie’s crumpled form. He turned away. In a flash of light, Mimi vanished.

  Mimi, you’re hurt.”

  She didn’t know how long she had been sobbing on the tiled kitchen floor when Bas’s voice startled her. Behind the crimson-clad time traveler the wide windows exposed the ultraviolet purple Bubble Universes swirling peacefully around each other. A few days ago this scene had mesmerized her. Now her heart was an aching hole, and she felt nothing but unbearable sadness.

  “What happened?” he asked. “Where’s Deatherage and Bellator?”

  Mimi took a deep breath. Saying it out loud in the Bas House, removed from the world of Alchemy, seemed too final. She wiped tears from her eyes and whispered, “Deatherage killed Richie. I loved him, Bas. I didn’t have time to tell him, but I did. He was shot with a Photon laser.” She dissolved into a fit of tears.

  Bas did not move, waiting while she sobbed. Mimi looked up at him again. “I think the Ambassadors are gone. I saw them run away. I don’t know where they went. I don’t really care. Richie said not to avenge him.” She sniffed. “I won’t, but I want to. I want them to suffer.”

  “So, how are you feeling?” Bas asked with genuine concern, his voice soft. “We should be safe in the Bas House. The Bubble Universes are only accessible via a Time Shifter or Time House.”

  Mimi looked at him, sensing a change in his usual demeanor that both reassured and alarmed her. They were all being forced to grow up, and it was yet another painful reminder of their loss to see a dark, foreboding look replacing the usual spark in Bas’s eyes.

  “Bas, I feel like I lost my best friend. Does that make sense?”

  “Yeah. Although she didn’t die, that’s how I sometimes feel about Sara Rogers. Sometimes it’s good to let them go, Mimi. It’s healthier to move on.”

  “Richie said that, too,” she sniffed.

  “Then perhaps that’s exactly what you should do,” he suggested.

  A wave of anger consumed her. Move on? How could he make it sound so simple? He had no idea how much she was hurting. How much she despaired at the idea of moving on right now. She wanted to go back, to undo everything that had happened.

  Her eyes widened. “We are in a time machine, yeah?”

  “Yes...”

  “Then take me back! Take me back to the start of this night. Let me warn him. Let me stop Deatherage before he kills Richie!”

  “Mimi, stop,” Bas ordered. He dropped to his knees and clutched her shoulders. “It doesn’t work like that. We can’t go back in our own time stream.”

  “Why not?”

  “It’s not easy to explain. It’s dangerous and wrong, Mimi. It’s wrong to be able to so easily solve all of life’s problems. That’s not what life is about. It’s about the pain and struggle. Because without the pain and struggle we also wouldn’t know the moments of joy and love. You can’t have just live in the good moments, Mimi, without the bad moments to compare them to.”

  She didn’t care about philosophy. She wanted Richie back. “But I only want to delete one mistake!”

  “One mistake can change everything, Mimi! It’s dangerous. That’s why you can’t go back in time to bring Richie back. It’s not safe. What you can do now is move on. Move on like Richie asked you to. Move on for your brother. You can do this, Mimi. You’re stronger than this. And honestly, I’m sorry I ever doubted you as a Prodigy. Aimon said you did really well in the test.”

  “But, Bas, why did he have to die? It’s not fair!”

  “Death is unfair,” Bas agreed, wrapping his arms around her in a hug. “You’ll be able to think better after a good night of sleep.”

  “Sleep doesn’t solve all of life’s troubles, Bas,” she said, recalling that this had been his solution when she found out about being the Prodigy, too. She slid out of his hug, sad to be in anyone’s arms but Richie’s.

  “No. But it helps clear the mind.”

  “Yeah, right. Like I can sleep after all of that.”

  “JAB can give you something to help you sleep. She is an excellent nurse. You need to rest tonight, Mimi. It’ll help your grief. I’m sorry I wasn’t around. I should have been there. But I was making sure Albert was safe; I figured that’d be your top priority. I’m even sorrier it was because of my tracker that they were able to find us at the Academy.” He looked sorry, his eyes full of regret.

  Mimi sighed and wrapped her arms around herself, feeling the soft, cozy fabric of the sweater JAB had made for her that morning. That seemed a lifetime ago. Before the Fear Test. Before the party. Before Richie was killed. The image of his body hitting the floor was all she saw when she closed her eyes. She frowned and looked at Bas.

  “I told Aimon I would return for training, Bas. But I need more time before we go back. We can stay here, in the Bubble Universe, and return back like no time passed...right?” she asked hopefully. She was starting to understand the Bas House was in a different time zone, though she didn’t know how their brief disappearance from the Earth’s time stream would relate to the others once they returned.

  He nodded and placed a hand over her shoulder. “Take all the time you need, Mimi. In fact, as we were talking, I was thinking. You said Richie told you to continue your journey as the Prodigy, but I realize now how dangerous that journey really is. And your brother is with us. I can take you back home, Mimi. You have a choice. You don’t have to be the Prodigy if you don’t want to. No one will think badly of you if you and your brother return home. I will take back my Diary, the Ambassadors will continue to chase me and forget about you and Albert. Heck, I’ll even help you repair your room with JAB so it’s fixed before your parents return so you don’t get in trouble with your family. What do you say, Mimi? You can return home, and pretend like none of this ever happened. And I will find a new Prodigy. And it could all be okay for you and Albert.”

  Mimi was tempted. Bas was offering the perfe
ct escape. Albert would be safe back home. She could return to her life, see her family, and resume her quiet lifestyle. But then what would happen to the year 4218? What would happen to her era and the others if time really did unravel? The overwhelming repercussions of the decision required of her numbed Mimi. She could save herself and Albert, but possibly affect their futures in a negative way by her inaction. Or she could endanger herself and Albert, and likely still affect their futures in an irreparable way. It was too much to consider.

  “You don’t have to decide now, Mimi. That offer will never expire. Any time you wish to return home, you let me know. I just want you to know, you have a choice in this.”

  Mimi nodded and hugged him. It didn’t compare to Richie’s hugs, but she appreciated his offer, and she knew hugs said more than words ever could. “I will think about it, Bas. And let you know in the morning.”

  Bas nodded and patted her back. “Take all the time you need Mimi. And again, I’m sorry I brought this on you. All of it.”

  “It’s the fault of those creeps,” she said through a wave of fresh tears, recalling Richie’s words. “Not yours, Bas.”

  “Thank you,” Bas said.

  THE NEXT morning felt like it came too soon. Mimi’s body ached like someone had toppled a bookcase on top of her.

  Her room at the Bas House looked different. The walls were now covered in wallpaper, thin velvety red stripes against a deep goldenrod yellow.

  There was a knock on the door, and Bas entered carrying two mugs of steaming coffee. Coffee. The answer to most life’s troubles, according to Ursula. She accepted the gift with earnest thanks. Inhaling the comforting steam, she could see the milky brown hue meant the morning beverage had already been improved with sugar and milk. She wondered how Bas or JAB knew how she liked her coffee. This place seemed full of secrets.

  “Thank you,” she said and took a sip. “Bas? How come the walls always are changing colors in your house? It’s weird.”

  He laughed and took a sip of his own coffee. “Mood Décor. Pretty cool, huh? There’s sensors throughout the house. Everyone sees the rooms differently, depending on how they feel. Except the foyer, because I like giving a fancy first impression. But every other room reflects your mood. Like I see this room dark crimson red, reflecting my guilt that I couldn’t have helped you with Richie,” he said grimly. “How are you feeling?”

  His voice was so normal it surprised Mimi. There was no excitement, no annoyance, just genuine concern.

  “Grief’s still strong. I don’t want to go back to the Academy. I don’t want to be a Prodigy. But I promised Richie I would.”

  Bas handed her some pills. “Painkillers. I’m sure you’re going to need them.”

  “Do they work for broken hearts?”

  He chuckled and his merry laugh made her smile. “There’s a much stronger medicine to mend broken hearts.”

  “What’s that?” Mimi asked hopefully.

  Bas winked. “Distraction. Work hard as the Prodigy. Or go home, and work hard for a normal life. But distractions are the best option for a lonely heart.”

  The smile he gave her was a knowing one, and Mimi wondered. She wondered if he had cared so much for Sara Rogers that he grieved her loss like death. Bas had lost someone through time and distance, and that must have hurt him deeply. She recalled back at the Academy when he’d said he hated time. Did he hate the time that he and Sara Rogers were apart? And speaking of time, how much did she need to give herself before returning to the Academy? It wasn’t going to be easy, to return to the place where Richie had died.

  As if sensing her need to think, Bas patted her shoulder and left the room. Mimi barely heard the door close behind him and tightened her grip on the coffee mug. What was the best course of action? Should she continue to become the Prodigy and save the future? It was too much to handle.

  Mimi buried her face in a plush pillow and cried. Part of her didn’t care what happened to the people of 4218, but part of her insisted on honoring Richie’s dying request. She also had Albert to consider: what was best for him? He would be safer at home.

  Thinking back over the last few days, Mimi decided that it should be Albert’s choice.

  “ALBERT. WE need to talk,” she said in between sniffles.

  Albert gave her a shy smile and nodded, as if he was trying to be comforting by being agreeable. “Bas told me what happened,” he said quietly, sounding much older than thirteen. “I’m so sorry, Mimi. I don’t know how close you were to Richie, but it had to be scary.” He wrapped his arms around her, and Mimi found it the most comforting alleviation from her pain yet.

  When he pulled back, Mimi hugged her stomach. “Very scary. And,” she said with a deep breath, “I loved him. I never got to tell him. But Albert, there’s something else that we need to talk about. Bas made us an offer.”

  Albert looked confused. “What do you mean? What kind of offer?”

  “The going home kind.” Mimi gave him a sad smile. “We can go home, Albert. He offered to help repair our home with JAB so Mom and Dad won’t freak. What do you say? We can go back to school. You can go back to your friends. What do you think? I don’t know what to do. So I’m leaving it up to you.”

  Albert’s eyes widened. “My choice?”

  Mimi nodded. “Yep. Your call, Ali.” The nickname usually reserved for moments of torment or anger now sounded as endearing as she had meant it. She sighed deeply before continuing, “I can’t think straight. All I can think of is Richie and keeping you safe. So what should we do?”

  Albert bit his lip.

  She felt guilty for putting this big of a decision on someone so young. She knew Albert understood the consequences of her being the Prodigy. But she also understood the appeal of home. Her heart pounded.

  Albert laughed.

  “What’s so funny?” she asked.

  He chuckled again. “You are, Mimi. Do you remember when Teagan wanted to quit her singing classes because she was scared she wasn’t as good as her friend?”

  Mimi nodded. Thoughts of their family made her want him to choose going home.

  “He told Teagan that Mockels don’t quit. That’s what Dad said. I feel like, if we left for home, it’d be like if Teagan quit her singing lessons. And now she loves it, and is in a big role in her elementary school’s performance of Frozen! So don’t you see, Mimi? We can’t go home. Not yet. Besides, we’re in a time machine! A real life time machine! How many people get to say that?” he asked with a genuine smile.

  Any thoughts of sending Albert home without her disappeared. She had to chuckle at his enthusiasm and pulled him into a hug. “Hey butthead, I’m really glad you broke into my room and used my computer the other night. If you weren’t in my room, you might have not joined me for this crazy trip. But I’m glad you did. I couldn’t have done this without you, Albert. Thanks.”

  Bas had had a point after all. Good things did come from bad. Mimi had never felt more in synch with her little brother before. It wasn’t worth the cost of Richie’s life, but it was a balm to her aching heart.

  Albert smirked at her. “You know what, Mimi?”

  “What?”

  “You look awful.”

  Mimi laughed out loud at his teasing. “Oh, shut up.”

  It was good to know that whatever Universe they were in, they would always be brother and sister.

  MIMI TOOK the rest of the day to think and meditate on all that had transpired. JAB drew her a hot bath, and Mimi sat in it until the water turned ice cold. Grief still consumed her. At the end of the day, Mimi knew she couldn’t waste any more time. It wasn’t fair to them that she had stayed locked in her room, hiding under covers and crying all day. She knew it wouldn’t be how Richie would want her to spend her time. If Richie was here, beside her, he would tell her to move on. To move on for him.

  She frowned and looked at her sun key around her neck and clutched it. “I’m sorry you’re gone, Richie. And I wish I could believe you when you said I didn�
�t need you.”

  After JAB created a mourning outfit for Mimi, she headed for the Maintenance Bay to speak to Bas. The robot had said he was checking plasma levels. I will never understand all of this, she thought, wondering what exactly the plasma levels were for.

  Reaching the control panel, she stared at the Foucault pendulum now hanging at a new angle above the exposed control panels than the first day she had seen it. Her brain felt heavy, and she found she didn’t really care how this ship worked. There were too many other things to deal with.

  Leaning over the brass railing of the ship, she found she understood why Bas called brass boring. All the gears and mechanisms clinking away looked dirty somehow, not as magnificent as the gold of the Academy. Spotting a red coat in the brass, she called out to him, offering to help.

  “Sorry! Just about finishing up. Ah, here we go. Lefty loosey, righty tighty, and there we go!” he said, and gave another gear a kick for good measure. It gargled and he kicked again. This time there was a hissing noise, and Bas let out a pleased laugh.

  Is he crazy? wondered Mimi.

  Using a small brass ladder, the time traveler climbed out of the pit. There was a hiss of steam and the gears he had left began to grind together. Bas smiled and wiped his oil-covered hands on a handkerchief. Mimi wondered if the steam was causing the gears to grind or vice versa.

  “You’re an engineer?” she asked him, amazed he could understand such a complicated vessel.

  “My father taught me the basics. Of course, with how brilliant my dad is, the basics for him is advanced for most. So then, what’s on your mind?”

  She nodded. Right, it was best to get to the point. “I’ve thought about your offer, and talked it over with Albert.”

  His face fell a little. “Oh? And what have you decided?”

  “We decided to stay,” she said with a smile. “We’re staying, Bas. And I’m ready to see Aimon again, to resume my training.”

  Bas cheered. “Oi! You scared me! Thought for sure you’d return home. Right then, back to the Academy. JAB!” he cried.