The Tower's Alchemist (The Gray Tower Trilogy, #1)

  ***

  We painstakingly snaked our way through the cavernous tunnels. When I knew I couldn’t hold on any longer, I released the Sublimations, and a large explosion quaked the caves. As we neared the tunnel that would take us straight to the Ruinart cellars, I noticed a trail of blood on the floor. The amount wasn’t copious, but it still made me anxious, and I asked Gabriel to take my place while I ran ahead to find Heilwig.

  I entered the cellar and scanned the floor, following the drops of blood to a corner not too far from the stairway. Heilwig sat on the floor, breathing with his mouth open, and leaning against a rack of champagne bottles. He had placed the case across his lap, and held his hand over his left side, trying to stem the blood flow from his wound. Praskovya’s third bullet had hit him, and I cursed her, hoping that she had died in the explosion.

  “Come on, let’s cast a Circle of Healing together.” My body ached with exhaustion, and I knew I couldn’t do it alone, but if we combined our energy to cast the Circle, we could both be healed of our injuries and weakness.

  He shook his head. “It’s too late for me.”

  I knelt beside him. “My father said we needed you. I need to take you to him and, with your help, we’ll be closer to winning the war. Please, hold on.”

  “Take the formula, Isabella.”

  “Why don’t you hold on to it? You’re coming with me.” I could taste my salty tears. The more he slipped away, the more I felt I was losing my chance of finding answers and of helping my father in any significant way.

  He winced and moved his hand away from his wound. He activated a symbol in his lab coat, an upside down triangle within a circle, with a second circle and triangle within those—the symbol of Secrecy.

  “You don’t need me, Isabella, but you do need this.” He reached into his coat where he activated the Secrecy symbol, and pulled out his diary. It was the same one I saw him use at the university.

  I took his diary with trembling hands. “Please don’t die.”

  “Your father knew the risks, as well as I did. Tell him to gather the others.”

  “What others? I don’t understand.”

  “Do you think he orchestrated this all alone?” He coughed up a handful of blood.

  “Is there anything I can do for you?”

  “Marcellus?”

  “He’s dead.”

  “Then tell your father...” His facial expression relaxed, and his mouth fell open as he exhaled his final breath. I placed my palm over his eyelids and shut them before slowly removing the case from his dead grasp.

  “Isabella...” Brande still had to be carried by Gabriel and Ernest, but he was at least conscious again. He looked like he wanted to rush toward me, but he could hardly move.

  I took the case and diary in my arms. I slowly approached them, trying to hide my own disappointment. “I couldn’t save him.”

  “At least you have the formula.” Lucien’s eyes were filled with pity. “You’ve just saved many lives.”

  I glanced at Dr. Heilwig one last time. “I think he would’ve wanted it that way.”

  I hoped that he was finally at peace—him and his Rosa.