Fragments of Alchemy: The Code Breaker

Chapter Forty-Eight ~ The Giver ~ Part I

'Okay,' Owen said, breaking the hug first by drawing back and pointing at Chadwick. 'Someone please tell me, who is this kid, and why should I be so lucky to have him here right now?'

Thea laughed. 'This is Chadwick MacNamara, my Mentor.'

Owen's eyebrows went up in shock. 'Isn't your Mentor the Alder boy?' Then he stopped and made an apologetic face. 'When Todd died ...'

Chadwick nodded. 'The Keeper Paired us together the night you were trapped in the Eternity Prison. We've only been working together for three days, trying to get ready to come rescue you. But ... well, like I said, the Keeper left, and the Breaker attacked Blackthorn, and we've been on the run from the Shadows for hours. It took us a while, but here we are,' he said happily, holding his arms out. 'Come to rescue you.'

'Well, I thank you kindly, Chadwick,' Owen said. Then his eyes flashed with recognition. 'MacNamara!' he said, snapping his fingers. 'Broderick is your father, right?' And Chadwick nodded. 'That's right; he came along on our rescue mission, because his son had also been kidnapped. Well, I always knew I liked MacNamara. His wife has served the Keeper for years and years, and he's a trusted Elemental Sparring Master at Blackthorn.'

'He's a Keeper's Corporal now, actually,' Chadwick said, rubbing the back of his head.

'Of course he is! The more the merrier,' Owen said with a laugh. 'So you say the Keeper has left Blackthorn?' Owen made a worried face at Thea.

'Yeah!' Thea said in a rush. 'The Magisters voted him out, but they told everyone that the Keeper left so he could focus on the Trinitas War.'

'And you said the Breaker infiltrated Blackthorn while the Keeper was away?'

Chadwick answered this question. 'He downright attacked the Halls! Tons of Alchemists died, including my godfather.' Chadwick felt his throat go tight, and he tried to swallow.

'I'm so sorry to hear that,' Owen said with a heavy pat on Chadwick's shoulder. 'My, a lot has happened in three days...' Owen rubbed his head as though all the news was giving him a headache.

'You haven't even heard the worst of it,' Chadwick put in. 'The world is literally falling apart; nearly all the Recreants know about Alchemists now, because the Code Breaker and his Shadows told 'em. And the Shadows are acting like they're on the Recreants' side! If we're not careful, the Breaker will turn all the common people and their technology against us!'

Owen let out a low whistle. 'You don't say.'

'And the Breaker's Shadows are still holding Blackthorn hostage,' Thea added.

'Is that what he was talking about when he threw that notebook at you?' Owen asked.

'My Compendium!' Thea said, pulling the notebook out. She opened the book to the page marked with a red thread, and what she saw made her eyes go big.

'What is it?' Chadwick asked.

'He wrote me a note,' she said, and she proceeded to read aloud: 'My dearest Allie, (yuck!) It has been like a dream to finally see you again. I can't stop thinking about you. I've grown impatient, waiting for you to come back to me. I hope you can forgive me for coming to visit you.'

Chadwick scoffed. 'What a loony!'

Thea kept reading. 'I was disappointed to see you had left the Halls before I got there. I hope you won't hold it against me for convincing you to come see me. I hate to do this, but I am not going to let the Halls of Blackthorn and Burtree go free until you do me a favour.'

'Here we go,' Chadwick muttered. 'What does the barmy bloke want you to do?'

'You're the only one who can do this for me,' Thea read on. 'I need your help to recover the Lost Insignias. If you bring them to me, your fellow Chemists at Blackthorn will go free.' Thea stopped reading and looked up at her father.