The Fake Heart (Time Alchemist Series) Read online

  “Em, its okay, Em, just breathe,” Jack’s voice was soothing, like warm honey and it flowed through me. One of his large hands massaged my back while the other gripped my upper arm, probably afraid that I would tumble over again. Minutes passed. I counted how many exactly while I was hunched over trying to gain my breath and dull this pain in my chest. Four minutes and seven seconds.

  I lifted my head, slowly, hair brushing over my shoulder. I took another breath—a good, deep one, before I met Jack’s eyes. I could see how amazing his eyes were—gray, like storm clouds but with tiny specs of white, like snow. His eyes bore into mine, glazed with concern and confusion.

  “Are you alright?”

  I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.

  “C’mon, let’s go back to the nurse—”

  “No!” the words were out before I could think. I didn’t want to go back there—what if the Headmistress found some other stupid reason to make me look like a fool? God, I wanted to slap myself. It wasn’t a good reason at all, but…

  He said nothing, but helped me up. His hand tightened around my arm and I could feel the warmth from his palms seep through my jacket. “Fine,” he said, holding me in place, “Let’s get you back to your room then.”

  He didn’t ask why I refused to go to the nurse. He never really pried the real reasons I was in the woods. He didn’t even know me, yet he carried me to safety, and stayed by my side, even now.

  His grip was firm, but gentle as he led me in the direction of the girl’s dorm. The clock tower of St. Mary’s chimed out five long, reverberating rings that glided through the grounds. His grip tightened ever so slightly as we walked.

  Maybe he really was a Prince Charming character.

  My Prince Charming…maybe?

  CHAPTER 5

  The junior and senior girl’s dorm loomed over head. A simple four story brick building that was in much worse shape than the other dorms. Unlike Campbell Hall, the freshman and sophomore girl’s dormitory, plus Jordon and Presley, the dorms for the boys; this dorm was one of the original buildings on St. Mary’s grounds. It was used to house many of the orphans during that time.

  Despite the gloomy outer appearance—ivy vines creeping along the outer walls (looking so thick and sturdy that someone could even use them as makeshift ladders), creaking window panes that needed a fresh coat of paint, and an entire floor that was completely cut off from the rest of the house (the second and third floors were boarding, while the first was a lounge area with a small kitchen. The basement held laundry rooms and the baths—the inside was pretty sweet. Sure, the stairs creaked a lot and the building would shake and moan during the night; but it was renovated a few years ago with new rooms and even an elevator and the inside was a lot cozier and warmer than most people thought. The entire building was just like one huge book—you couldn’t judge it by its appearance. Plus, there were many mysteries about it to solve. Each nook and cranny was its own chapter.

  My room happened to be a single at the very end of the third floor, and despite the light, it looked pitch black. But I could see the pale blue curtains flap in the wind from the half open window.

  I—wait. Did I leave that window cracked open? True, the dorm room could get a bit stuffy and dusty, but I would have remembered if I left it open…

  “Here’s your stop,” Jack said brightly, stopping at the end of the stairs that led up to the double door entrance. He whistled, “Damn, stuck in Moore, huh? I hear it’s haunted.” He nudged my side playfully and I grinned a little, trying hard not to blush at his touch. “But I thought you said you were a sophomore. Not trying to lie about your age to impress me, are you Em? I can handle a sophomore just as easily as a junior.”

  I flushed crimson, failing to hide my smile, which Jack took notice of. “My transfer was really last minute. They had to put me in the only spare room left, which is in Moore Hall.” It wasn’t really easy trying to get around all of the babbling upperclassman, who eyed me with distain when I first entered their doors. But I soon learned that if you keep to yourself they won’t bother you.

  “I love it,” I said, changing the topic. But I meant it about Moore Hall. What luck to be able to stay in one of the oldest buildings on campus! Maybe it was just me, but I loved being near anything old and historical. It was like this campus and this entire city itself—you just walk and breathe and feel the history flow through your veins and seep into your bones. There’s no escaping it.

  His laugh broke through my train of thought. It was a nice, low rumbling kind of laugh. My heart couldn’t help but flip flop at it. “You’re a strange girl, Emery Miller.”

  I gave him a mocking glare before shoving him, “It takes one to know one.” There, my lame comeback of the day. I adjusted the bag’s strap again before continuing, “But really. Thank you for today. I just, you know, it’s kind of…”

  He waved his hands and grinned, “Don’t be. It wasn’t a big deal. That’s what St. M’s is all about. Helping each other, through thick n’ thin.”

  “Really?” I smiled, “I thought it was all about punctuality and following the school rules to a ‘T’.”

  “Only if you eat nails for breakfast every morning, or sleep in a coffin.”

  He smiled, showing teeth and everything. Even his nose crinkled up slightly, which was so damn cute. It was almost like a little flaw that made him seem…better.

  I blushed. “Jack—”

  “Jackson Alexander!” a shrill, southern voice said, “Why, what a surprise to see you here!”

  I turned to see a beautiful, tall girl bound out of the door. She had dark chocolate colored hair tied in a loose pony tail and smooth, perfectly tan skin, like she spent every waking moment basking in the summer sun. She bore a very tight looking black top and a red skirt that showed off her legs as she bounced down the stairs in chunky black heels and shoved herself between me and Jack. Quite rudely, I might add.

  She flung her arms around his neck and pulled him down to plant a kiss on his cheek. For someone who looked as thin as a toothpick, she sure was strong. Jack didn’t blush at the smacker, but he didn’t look to comfortable, either, glancing wearily from me to her.

  He coughed a bit before grabbing her shoulders and pushing her away. “Still haven’t changed, have you Mallory Wells?”

  “Still as delicious as always, aren’t you Jackson Alexander?” she cooed, stroking his arm with her ruby red nails. I stiffened at the sight, suddenly aware of how hot it was outside. A tiny stab of jealousy hit me, quick as a paper cut. “But where have you been all day? You were supposed to meet up with us for brunch today!”

  “Er…it’s a long story. I—”

  “Well, come on! Everyone’s having a party at the Old C to celebrate the beginning or another boring school year!” she tugged on his arm, pulling him in the same direction of the pathway I had taken just that morning. A heat flash washed over me as I watched them go.

  Jack stopped and turned, giving me a weak smile “Sorry, Em, I gotta go. See you around?”

  The girl, Mallory, turned and saw me, her light brown eyes widening as if I had just appeared out of thin air on the steps. And then I recognized her—she lived right across from me in the dorms. Great.

  She looked me up and down before asking, “Who’s the girl, Jack?” her eyes ran over me like a person looking at the nasty road kill on the side of the road. “And is she seriously wearing our school uniform today? She does know that classes don’t begin until tomorrow, right? And those flower hairpins? Honey, how old are you, five?”

  I flushed. I had assumed that uniform was mandatory in orientation, although the pamphlet they had distributed to every new student’s mail boxes never said anything about it. But what really hit me hard was her talk about the hairpins. True, they looked a little childish, but they were a farewell present from my sweet natured friend Rachel. Even if her taste was a little childish (in my opinion) it was still important to me.

  Jack scolded her before turning to me,
“Sorry, Em, she’s—”

  “Nah, it’s alright,” I said, waving him off, wanting to stomp on that girl’s foot for scooting closer to Jack. “Thanks for looking out for me today. I had so much fun getting to know you.” Then I turned to Mallory with a smile, “Have fun at your party. Be careful not to puke your guts out; wouldn’t want to get your hooker clothes dirty, would you?” I turned on my heel and stormed through the door before I saw her look of surprise. Stupid! That was so, so stupid! And I broke two new records today: talking back to a teacher and a Queen Bee. The old me would have just walked away, not meddle.

  But…I couldn’t let her get away with being so…close to Jack, like he was her property. And I certainly couldn’t let her get away with insulting my friend’s (bad) taste in fashion.

  I brushed past all of the flocks of girls in the break room (ignoring the heated stares and whispering of being the only soul in the room dressed in uniform garb) and shoved open the stairwell door. My footsteps pounded on the metal grates like gunshots. My brain felt overloaded. Why was I getting so stupid and jealous and hurt over that girl hanging like a monkey around Jack’s neck—and let’s not forget I just met him less than an hour ago (okay, well, he had been around me the entire day, but technically we started talking less than an hour ago). Students at St. Mary’s have been together since they were in diapers, probably, so it would make perfectly good sense that Jack would know all of the pretty girls everywhere.

  “Ugh!” I paused halfway up the third set of stairs and grabbed at my chest. My heart was beating like crazy and hurting like hell. Slowly, I made my way up the rest of the steps before I entered the third floor. A few giggling girls lingered outside the hallway and some doors were open, letting the happy sounds of laughter and music play through.

  I rushed to the end of the hall where my room was and shoved open the door. I pulled the door close with a soft click and sighed, leaning against the wooden frame. I didn’t have to worry about forgetting a key because none of the rooms had locks on them (safety reasons, I guess) but I had long ago been prepared to take what little valuables I had and keep them with me.

  Not that it was much—just my money and my bracelet…

  My bracelet! How could I have forgotten my bracelet! A small wave a panic shifted through me, and I was about to throw my bag down and turn it inside out when a calm voice startled me.

  “It’s about time you came back.”

  I froze.

  A familiar voice came from the other side of my room. Young. Probably around my age. My heart pace quickened slightly as I looked up to see a girl with the short, icy blonde hair and the beautiful blue eyes staring at me intently as she sat comfortable on my bedspread.

  It was the girl from the woods. The same girl who I thought was dead. The same girl I jumped in front of to try and help.

  She was real.

  As was everything else: the boy with the black sword and me being stabbed through the heart. Everything that I was starting to convince myself just to be a crazy dream or an illusion came sinking in.

  I really had been killed.

  TICK. TICK. TICK.

  ◊◊◊◊◊

  “What have you done?!”

  That voice. Whose voice was that? I tried to open my mouth, but only a sickening, coppery taste slipped up my throat. I wanted to cough it out, but I couldn’t move. I could feel something—blood? Was that my blood?—trickling down my chin.

  The girl had stood up over me, and I could see how shimmery her blonde hair was in the light. It was so pretty, like an angel. She blocked out whoever was standing in front of her—no, I knew who it was…it was the boy she was fighting with. I could hear some sort of sobbing coming from him.

  “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Why did this happen—”

  Was he crying? From…killing me?

  Killing…no, did that mean I was going to die?

  My mouth opened, but nothing came out except blood. Why couldn’t I say anything? Why couldn’t I move?! My hands clawed the wet grass beneath me. Wet…why was the grass wet? It hadn’t rained recently.

  The disgusting smell of blood exhumed me. I didn’t want to think that the grass was slick with my b-blood.

  “Hey!” the girl called. She was kneeling right next to me, clutching her own side. Her breath was ragged and her skin was as pale as death, but her vivid blue eyes shone with such life I almost cried. She grabbed my hand and squeezed gently.

  “Listen carefully;” she said slowly, “I’m going to make you a deal. I can stop your death…temporarily if you agree to help me find the Elixir of Life.”

  Elixir of…Life? I almost wanted to laugh. What was this, some sci-fi movie or a bad TV drama? But the pain in my chest stopped me short.

  “It’s going to take all of my power to save your life,” the girl continued, “And there will be very serious consequences to what I’m going to do. But this is all my fault…you wouldn’t have gotten involved if I wasn’t so careless…”

  No, I wanted to say, No, it was my fault for butting into this mess when I didn’t need to! But why was I trying to comfort some stranger when I was dying?

  “You’ll become an alchemist in my place. It’s not going to be easy, but we won’t have much time.”

  An alchemist? Is she insane?! A dream. This is all just some crazy dream!

  She brushed the side of my cheek, slick with blood and tears. Tears….was I crying? Really? “I’m sorry,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “If you choose to accept this, your life will change. For the better….I’m not sure. It’s not going to be the same after this. But in exchange for stopping your death… you will help me search for the Elixir. That in itself will be the only way to truly save your life. Do you accept?”

  What should I do? Was all of this really happening? No….

  Even if this a dream…I wanted to come to St. Mary’s to be someone amazing, someone my father will be proud of, to show off how much his hard work had paid off.

  I was going to be someone amazing. But not if I was dead.

  Even if this is all some insane dream…I…

  “Do you want to live?” she choked out, “Do you want to live?!”

  “Y….es,” I gurgled, clutching the girl’s hand like a life line. I gasped again, “Yes!” I said more firmly, and she smiled; the kind of sad smile that you give a little girl when you can’t truthfully explain why her mother wasn’t coming home again anymore.

  The girl reached for her shirt and pulled out a small golden clock attached to a thin chain. She yanked it off—I could hear the small snap of the clasp being broken—before she placed it on top of my chest, where the bloody, gaping hole was. She mumbled a few words in a foreign language before closing her eyes.

  I remember a warm pressure on my chest, and a bright light before everything blacked out.

  TICK. TICK. TICK.

  CHAPTER 6

  “Hey! Calm down! Calm down!” someone hissed in my ear.

  I let out a startled gasp, feeling as if I had been underwater for hours before struggling to sit up. Except someone’s thin arms had pinned me down on the floor. The scratchy carpet rubbed against my heated cheek, and I caught a musty smell coming from the floor also.

  My heart couldn’t stop racing. The blood was pounding in my ears so hard and it felt like my chest was going to split open. My lungs felt like they were shriveling up like raisins and I gasped, hard, as I tried thrashing about to no avail.

  “Calm down!” the same voice whispered with a panicked ferocity.

  But instead of doing as she said (who would?!), I struggled harder, kicking my legs like a wild animal caught in a trap. My foot somehow caught the back of her knee and she stumbled just a moment. But that was all I needed before I took a deep, heavy breath and shoved myself upward.

  The girl let out a cut off cry before I felt something blunt—her chin?—hit on the back of my skull. Stars exploded, but I scrambled upright, crawling backwards towards the door, trying to igno
re the throbbing pain on the top of my head as well as the ache in my chest that seemed to pound harder and harder with each breath.

  It was like my heart was trying to rip my chest open and jump out. I clutched the fabric of my jacket, wishing my heart would stop hurting so I could think rationally! Why hasn’t anyone come to check on me? Didn’t they hear this entire ruckus?! No, I thought bitterly, surprising myself, Everybody’s probably at that girl Mallory’s little party. With Jack.

  “Who—” I gasped out, but it sounded like a dying breath. A horrible sharp stab like a knife cut in my chest every time I spoke, “Who are you?! Get out—!”

  The girl rubbed her red chin, sending a small, irritating glare in my direction. Oh yeah, sure, glare at the girl whose room you broke into! Gee, sorry about almost breaking your chin! She sat up, almost in…slow motion, but stayed where she was near the edge of the bed.

  “Li….sten…”

  Strange. Her mouth was moving so slow, and her words were being slurred. Did I really butt heads with her that hard? I squinted my eyes as I saw her stretch her hand out at me—but it was so slow, like watching a video of a car crash slowing down so you can see every little detail of the accident. She looked as if she were moving through clear syrup, and I wondered, as my heart pounded inside me with such force it felt like it was bruising my chest, if the pain killers that Nurse Alexandra had leant me had a serious side effect of hallucinations.

  Because why else would some strange, slow moving girl be in my room? Then…whoa…everything started to tilt—

  TICK. TICK. TICK.

  ◊◊◊◊◊

  I was lying on the carpet again, except this time the strange girl wasn’t holding me down—she was hugging me. She was even stroking the spot where her chin and my head had collided. It was awfully comforting.

  “Calm down,” she said softly, “You need to calm down. Your alchemy is already too much for you to handle. If you don’t calm down your fake heart will—”

  But I couldn’t really concentrate on her words. The only thing I could think of was my mother comforting me like this when I was three, rocking me gently in Grandmother’s wicker chair as I drifted off to sleep, safe and sound away from any kind of scary monsters and pain. It was almost like I could still smell her vanilla scented soap and hear the lulling rhythm of her heartbeat.