The Final Formula Read Online Free PDF Page A

wants.”
    I ignored George and kept my attention on James. He frowned, but wouldn’t meet my eyes. I didn’t expect him to be so shy about this magical ability of his.
    “But what about the interview?” James asked the floor. When I didn’t immediately respond, he looked up.
    I shrugged and hoped it didn’t look as stiff as it felt. I no intention of going for a little tête-à-tête with Agent Lawson, but I didn’t want to discuss that in front of George.
    “I don’t trust him,” James said.
    “Nor should you,” I said. “He’s PIA.”
    “And that means what?” George demanded. “You got a problem with authority?”
    It took me a moment to gather my wits. “You make and sell magic bullets, and you’re defending the PIA? Do you want them to regulate every move you make?”
    “We are fully sanctioned by the PIA.” George took a step toward me. “I don’t want to hear anything out of that smart mouth of yours. If I do, you’ll be out on your counterfeit ass.”
    “The ass is legit.”
    George fisted his hands, and the cords in his neck stood out in stark relief. Not overly tall, but packed with muscle, George made an imposing figure. I doubted he had any qualms about striking a woman. I should probably shut up.
    “As for the PIA,” I began.
    “Addie’s not going to discuss them in this household.” James stepped between George and me. Taller than his brother, James had the lean, athletic build typical of his eighteen years. George made him look like a malnourished child. “Isn’t that right?” James asked me.
    Whatever James’s magical talents, I knew he wouldn’t stand up to George as he had Henry. I couldn’t let my sidekick get pummeled for my inability to shut up. “Yeah, sure.” I clamped my jaw closed to prevent further elaboration on the subject.
    “She better not.” George glared at me.
    I managed to stop an eyeroll. I needed to get out of here. “You want to go for that drive?” I asked James.
    “Sure. Let’s go.”
    “You love birds got a hot date?” George snorted and eyed James. “Where do you take an alchemist?”
    “The cemetery,” I answered before James could. I grinned at George’s scowl and patted James on the shoulder. “You pack the shovel?”
    “And I remembered the crowbar this time.”
    I might be a bad influence.

Chapter
3
    J ames parked in the municipal lot across the street from the Alchemica and shut off the engine. Neither of us spoke as we stared through the windshield at my former home. Night had fallen, but several streetlights and a nearly full moon provided enough illumination. Surrounded by a chain-link fence and Do Not Enter signs, the Alchemica looked like a construction site. Only the crumbling shell of the three-story building remained. I stared at the rubble, looking for something I remembered. Maybe it was the destruction, but I didn’t recognize a thing.
    “You okay?” James asked.
    I picked up one of the flashlights he’d brought and put it in my jacket pocket. “Let’s take a closer look.” I opened the door and stepped out into the dimly lit lot.
    We hadn’t talked much on the two-hour drive from Portsmouth to Cincinnati. The agent’s reaction to James had clearly bothered him. He’d spent the trip twiddling with the radio, rather than talking with me. I didn’t mind. Preoccupied with our destination, I’d watched the Ohio farmland slide past my window, lost in my own concerns. Would the ruins of my former home awaken any new memories, or would this prove to be a wasted trip?
    With James at my side, I started across the street. Behind a clump of bushes, we found a gap under the chain-link. James slid beneath the fence with ease, and I hurried to follow. Small stones ground into my stomach, and the fence snagged my jacket, but I managed to wiggle through. Between the moon and the streetlights, I didn’t need to pull out my flashlight.
    “I don’t think it’s safe,” James said.
    “What? Exploring a burned-out