Alchemist Academy: Book 2 Read Free

either,” Mark said, and Jackie nodded.
    “Absorb stone?”
    “Not all stones have to touch skin to work,” Mark said. “Throw it against the wall over there.”
    I chucked it at a nearby wall. Hitting the surface, it cracked into small pieces and melted, creating a white, sticky substance that stuck to the wall and also covered the shovel leaning against it.
    “Oh, that’s nasty,” Jackie said, and laughed.
    I took a step closer and inspected the shovel. “Let’s make more stuff.” My mind raced just as it had when I’d made that first stone with Mark in the tree fort. I glanced around the room, trying to find anything to mix. If lime and water made that goop, what if I added sawdust? What if I added the plumber’s glue Jackie had found, or broke a light bulb and crushed it into a powder?
    “Look at you,” Jackie said.
    “What?”
    “You look downright giddy.”
    “Aren’t you two amazed by this? I mean, we just can mix stuff and create stones.”
    “I’ve made ten thousand stones. The wonder has been pounded out of me,” Jackie said.
    “I get you, Allie,” Mark said. “But after watching what stones did to my mom, I distanced myself as far as I could from it all.” His gaze met mine. “They can become an obsession for people who can’t find restraint, and they ultimately go insane. It can be like a drug, finding the perfect stone.”
    “The philosopher’s stone,” Jackie said.
    “Yup, that one caused wars and destroyed much of alchemy, and there’s no proof it was ever even made,” Mark said.
    I took a deep breath and smelled the chalky, dry smell of the lime in the air. It calmed my excitement down. I still wanted to grab every material around me and see what I could make with all of it, but I ditched the grin. I didn’t want Mark to feel his speech had landed on deaf ears.
    “Yoo-hoo,” a voice from outside called.
    A wave of fear quenched my excitement. Someone was outside and knew we were in here. I had jerked toward the door when I heard the clatter of someone climbing the fence, maybe several people.
    “Grab the bucket,” Mark ordered, picking up the bag of lime.
    I snatched it, while Jackie grabbed one with water.
    “I know you’re in there. Why don’t you come out, and we can talk.” The man’s voice was filled with coy humor.
    “Come on,” Mark said, and ran up the stairs.
    “Who is that?” I asked as Jackie and I followed. I glanced down at the dark front door before turning the corner and running up the next set of stairs.
    “Dark alchemists,” Mark answered. He stopped at the second floor and ran down a hall to the back of the building. He opened the last door and darted into the apartment, holding the door open until Jackie and I passed through.
    “Great,” Jackie said. “Can’t catch a freaking break in this town.”
    The main room wasn’t much bigger than my bedroom, and it had a tiny kitchen attached to it. Mark dropped the bag of lime and I waved the dust cloud it created away from my face. He bounded to the back window.
    “I think we can jump. There’s a haul-away dumpster back here.” He left the window and moved to me. “I’m sorry for this, Allie. I didn’t think they’d find us this quick. I was stupid, having you make that stone.”
    “Stop the pity party and let’s make some stones real quick,” Jackie said.
    “You two make a couple of stones. I’ll wait by the hall.” He ran to the door and peeked out.
    I grabbed the ingredients needed for the sticky stone and swirled. The stone clunked around soon after.
    “How many of you are there?” A man’s voice called down the hall, still full of amusement. “I see three sets of prints in this powder trail you left for me to follow.”
    His voice stopped my heart: a mixture of whimsical and crazy that didn’t seem fitting under the circumstances. Something told me we wouldn’t live through an encounter with this guy.
    Mark winced and stared at the trail of powder leading into the