The eternity elixir, p.19
The Eternity Elixir, page 19
“We were just about to conclude,” Esmeralda continued. “Why don’t you take a seat and watch? I’d be interested to know any sensations you feel as your abilities are swept away.”
“The destruction of the Vessel will only affect a select few of B.R.E.W.,” Wanda said, lowering herself to the ground. “The others will come after you for what you’ve done. They won’t stop until they’ve captured you.”
“Yes, but I’ll be long gone by then, and I’ll have company.” She squeezed Gordy’s arm. “Gordy, if you don’t mind, it’s time to pour in the Elixir.”
Gordy looked down once more at the vial. There really wasn’t much to it. A simple glass container and some liquid. He had no idea how it could do all the things Bolter said it could do. Gordy rolled the vial between his fingers, making the potion swirl. Could the Elixir do anything by itself?
Gordy glanced up at his mom. “I’m sorry.” His voice caught in his throat.
“It’s not your fault, dear,” she said. “I’m so proud of how brave you’ve been. You know how I said you would become a great Elixirist one day? Well, I was wrong. You’re already there.”
“But I don’t want you to lose your powers.”
His mom smiled warmly. “It won’t be all that bad. Maybe you could teach me again. That would be fun. And besides, it will give me more to talk with your father about.”
“Come on, boy.” Esmeralda forced Gordy to face the cauldron. “Hurry up!”
Gordy’s shoulders slumped. He took a deep breath, lifted the Eternity Elixir, and poured the potion directly into his mouth.
The next few moments passed by in a blurry haze. Gordy heard screams from both Esmeralda and his mother. He felt the sting of the needle at his throat, but then it fell away as his mom launched a gleaming, golden potion across the room. It hurtled end over end, and Gordy watched it tumble as if it was traveling in slow motion. There were so many sounds. The clatter and splashing of the overturned cauldron. The hissing of noxious steam rising in the air. And through it all, Esmeralda never stopped screaming. Then he blacked out.
When Gordy woke up, he was in a bed. But not his bed. His bed had a fluffy down comforter and an X-Men movie poster above the headboard. Still, the bed felt warm and safe. He blinked his eyes several times and stretched.
“Hello,” a soft voice said next to his ear.
“Ah!” Gordy belted out in surprise. “You’re not my mom!”
“No, I am not,” the man answered. He was wearing scrubs and a pair of wiry glasses that rested halfway down the bridge of his nose. He looked like a doctor, but something told Gordy that he wasn’t a regular doctor. The man pressed the end of a stethoscope to Gordy’s chest and listened to his heartbeat.
“Who are you?” Gordy asked.
“The name’s Parley. And I’m not a doctor.”
“I didn’t think so.”
“However, I do study Dire Substances for a living. Like the one you ingested two days ago.”
“Two days ago!” Gordy sat straight up. “I’ve been sleeping for two days?”
“Yes.” Parley removed the earbuds of his stethoscope. “From what I can tell, you seem to be faring better now.”
“What does that mean?” Gordy asked.
“I don’t know,” Parley said with a halfhearted shrug. “Could mean the effects of the strange potion you drank had no lasting impact on your insides. Bizarre as that would seem.”
The door to the room suddenly burst open, and Gordy’s mom and dad appeared.
“Oh, thank heavens!” His mom closed her eyes and pressed her hand against her chest.
“Hey,” Gordy said, his voice shaky and unstable. Both parents looked on the verge of tears, and Gordy was about to join them. Gordy’s mom threw her arms around his shoulders and hugged him tighter than he had ever been hugged.
“Hey, Gordo,” his dad said. “How are you feeling?”
Gordy was glad to know his dad was safe. The last time he had seen him, his dad had been mummified in Bolter’s Tranquility Swathe.
“Fine, I guess.” Other than disoriented, Gordy felt good, actually. Maybe the Eternity Elixir did that to you when you drank it. “What happened?”
“We almost lost you. Several times.” His mom looked at Parley. “How are his vitals?”
“Yeah, is he showing any side effects?” his dad asked.
“Everything seems shipshape,” Parley answered. “Excellent blood pressure. Normal temperature. Breathing is regular, though he does snore.” He winked at Gordy.
“That was an incredibly stupid thing you did,” Mrs. Stitser said to Gordy. “You’re lucky to be alive. I don’t ever want to go through something like that again.”
“I didn’t know what else to do,” Gordy said in his defense.
“You were to do exactly as you were told. Trying to be a hero was not the instruction.”
Gordy stared at the sheets, not wanting to make eye contact with his mom’s intense gaze. He’d definitely put her through a lot. “I’m sorry, Mom.”
His dad reached over and squeezed Gordy’s foot. “You were very brave, and you dealt with more than a normal twelve-year-old would ever have to deal with.”
“Yes, that’s true,” she agreed with a sigh. “If it wasn’t for you, Gordy, we would be in worse shape.”
Gordy glanced up at them and smiled weakly.
“But, I’m afraid we’re going to have to ground you,” his dad said.
“Ground me?” Gordy asked, but then nodded, not surprised. “I guess I knew that might be coming.”
“Yep, you can no longer go down to your mom’s lab ever again.”
“Are you serious?” Gordy’s eyes widened. That seemed extreme even considering all the trouble Gordy had caused.
“Have you seen our house lately?” Gordy’s mom asked, smiling. “The whole thing burned down. There’s no lab left. I suppose we can make an exception for the lab we build in our next home. Whenever that happens.”
Gordy exhaled and slumped against the headboard. His dad whispered something to Mrs. Stitser and she nodded.
“I’ll be there shortly,” she answered.
Mr. Stitser turned to Gordy. “I have to go, pal. I have a meeting with our insurance company. They want details about the gas leak explosion. At least that’s what we’re calling it. There had to be some sort of gas used in the attack on our house, right?”
Gordy grinned sheepishly at his mom. “That was definitely not my fault,” he said. “You’re the one who sent Bolter and Zelda to help.”
She sucked back on her teeth. “I guess I did set us up for disaster. Hopefully the insurance company will cover some of the damages. But we’re going to have to move, unfortunately. We’ll stay with Grandma and Grandpa Stitser for a while.”
Gordy’s dad leaned forward and kissed Gordy on the top of his head. “I love you, Gordo,” he said. “I’ll be back in a few hours.” He said good-bye to Gordy’s mom and to Parley and then exited quietly out the door.
“What is this place?” Gordy asked, staring around the room.
“This is my home,” Parley said. “I’m Parley, remember. We just met.” He held out his hand and Gordy shook it. “I’ll leave you two alone. If you need anything at all, I’ll be downstairs.” He excused himself from the room.
Gordy’s mom glanced at her fingers. “Parley’s a very skilled Philter—someone who can remove ingredients and potions from inside you. There are only a handful in the world, and he’s the resident Bio-Philter at B.R.E.W. Headquarters. The Elixir shut down your body completely. Normally, we would have given you something to counteract the potion you drank, but there was no way to make an antidote to help it work its way out of your system or even stabilize you while it remained. The Eternity Elixir was different from anything we’ve ever dealt with. Even after the glass vial refilled with the liquid, we could detect trace amounts still in your bloodstream. So we had to remove the dangerous ingredients from inside you.” She paused to collect her emotions. Her jaw clenched, her voice trembling. “We had to work fast and without making any mistakes. We were fortunate the best Philter in the country happened to live so close by.”
“Who’s ‘we’?” Gordy asked.
“Everyone. We’ve all been here for the past two days, watching over you. Your father, Bolter, and Zelda . . .”
“And let’s not forget me, Mrs. Stitser.” Max poked his head through the doorway.
“Hey, Max,” Gordy said, relieved to see his boisterous friend.
Gordy’s mom smiled and nodded. “I have to admit, Max definitely impressed me with how concerned he was for your well-being.”
“I practically held your hand the entire time,” Max added.
Though he looked a little tired, Max appeared to be alright, as did Adilene. She was standing behind Max as if debating whether or not she should join them.
“Why are you hanging out in the hallway?” Gordy asked her, motioning for Adilene to join them.
Adilene stared at her shoes, but slid into the room.
“She thinks everyone’s still mad at her for getting kidnapped by Esmeralda,” Max said.
“I do not!” Adilene protested.
“Yes, you do.” Max rolled his eyes. He cupped his hand around his mouth and leaned close to Gordy. “And for good reason too.”
“Now, now, Max,” Gordy’s mom said. “Adilene did a pretty good job taking down Yeltzin all by herself.”
Gordy remembered Adilene fighting Yeltzin just before his mom appeared in the Vessel room. “Yeah, what happened? One second you were being held hostage, the next you were standing over the Russian, kicking him.”
Adilene grinned. “I can’t take all the credit for that. Your Aunt Priscilla told me what to do, and then she took care of the rest.”
“My Vintreet Trap could’ve never dropped someone as big as Yeltzin without some help.” Aunt Priss stood in the doorway, leaning against the jamb. “And Adilene was brave enough to heed my instruction without any hesitation. You have great friends, Gordy. Loyal and strong. The best kind there is.” Aunt Priss looked just how Gordy remembered her, a slightly younger and wilier version of his mother. She had auburn hair and wore a long black sweater that ended just above her knees. “Hey, buddy.” Her eyes glistened as she looked at Gordy.
“Your Aunt Priss showed me a shrunken head!” Max said with a cheerful grin.
“She did?” Gordy asked.
“It was awesome!” Max rubbed his hands together. “I threw up a little.”
“Max, don’t we need to be somewhere right now?” Adilene prodded Max in the ribs.
“I don’t have anywhere to go,” Max said with a shrug.
“You’re seriously impossible!” Adilene grabbed Max’s sleeve and tugged him toward the door.
Once they were out of the room, Aunt Priss moved slowly to the side of the bed. She looked at Gordy’s mom for a brief moment and then timidly rested her hands on Gordy’s pillow. “You’re mad at me, aren’t you?”
Gordy opened his mouth to answer her, but then closed it abruptly. Was he mad at her? He didn’t know the story behind her decision to send the Eternity Elixir to his home, but it had to be due to circumstances beyond her control. The Aunt Priss he knew wouldn’t want any harm to come to him or his family.
Gordy shook his head. “No, I’m not mad. But you owe me.”
She smiled and tousled his hair. “Big time. Do you want a shrunken head as well?”
“Two shrunken heads.” Gordy held up his fingers.
“Two?” She laughed, and then narrowed her eyes. “What about Max’s shrunken head?”
Gordy snorted. “No way! That’s as small as his head could ever get.”
Everyone was safe: Gordy’s family, his best friends, and his two new Elixirist friends Bolter and Zelda. He couldn’t have asked for a better result. Yes, his family would have to move and start over, but seeing his mom standing beside the bed smiling down at him made everything just fine.
“What happened to Esmeralda?” Gordy asked.
“She’s been banished,” his mom answered.
“Really?” Gordy nibbled on the inside of his cheek. “You banished her? Where?”
Wanda frowned. “It wouldn’t be safe to tell you, but rest assured she is far from here and will not be doing any more damage to our home any time soon.”
“There were others too. Yeltzin and those other creeps.” Gordy recalled being held captive by Dieter and Burke in their living room. “What happened to them?”
Gordy’s mom exchanged a tired look with Aunt Priss. “They’re on the move, but B.R.E.W. should be rounding them up soon enough.”
“Don’t worry about them, Gordy,” Aunt Priss said. “They were just Esmeralda’s hired help. Without her at the helm, they’ll want no part of B.R.E.W. or any of the Stitsers for that matter. I can’t stop thinking about what could’ve happened had you not been so levelheaded, Gordy.”
“Or had you not shown up when you did,” Gordy added. “That was lucky.”
“It was close,” his mom agreed. “But it was more than luck. We had a little help.”
“From who?”
Wanda looked at Priscilla as she pulled out the familiar glass vial containing the Eternity Elixir. “I made a promise, Gordy, one I suppose I should keep. And I’d like to take you on a trip with me, as soon as you’re up for it.”
Gordy leaned forward, resting his hands on his legs. “A trip where?”
“I think it’s time for you to meet your Grandpa Rook.”
“Are you nervous?” Gordy’s mom asked, coming to an abrupt halt beyond the narrow entryway into the cavern. They had been walking for quite some time, and Gordy’s feet ached. Both of them wore warm parkas and heavy waterproof boots with laces ending just below their knees.
Gordy glanced behind him, noticing the two rows of deep footprints in an otherwise seamless white landscape.
“A little, yeah,” he said. There was no point in denying his fear. The whole atmosphere of the location screamed creepy. It started with the barbwire fence guarding the mountain range. His mom had passed him a pair of glasses to decode the words posted on the sign.
Be warned!
This is the Forbidden Zone of Mezzarix,
Scourge of Nations.
That didn’t seem too inviting.
“What does ‘Scourge of Nations’ mean?” Gordy had asked her.
“It means he wasn’t very popular among the civilized,” she had answered.
Then there was the eerie blanket of snow covering everything. Gordy counted exactly three birds as they walked. Only three! He saw nothing else living. And now they were about to enter a crack in the mountain, headed for his grandfather’s cave. A grandfather who had once tried to overthrow B.R.E.W.
“Are you nervous?” Gordy asked.
His mom took a breath and held it. She stared into the cavern, twitching her nose back and forth as she contemplated the question. Slowly, she exhaled. “No. It will be just fine. Dad’s not a . . . horrible man.” She removed one of her gloves and blew into her cupped hand. “He was always kind to Priss and me. Family means a lot to him.”
“Then why did he do all those things?” Gordy asked.
“In his mind, he believed he was doing right.” She squeezed Gordy’s arm. “But he was wrong, Gordy. So very wrong. No matter what he tells you in there, remember that. He can be convincing when he wants to and that could be dangerous. You don’t want to let him influence you in any way.”
“He won’t, Mom.” Gordy nodded reassuringly. “I don’t even know the guy and I probably won’t like him.”
His mom smiled, but her eyes revealed sadness. “I wish that were the case, dear.”
The first thing Gordy noticed about his grandfather as he stood in the mouth of the cave was his hair. There was so much of it that it seemed to flow out like the mane of a white lion. He was dirty and old, wrinkly and skinny. He wore a tuxedo, at least that’s what Gordy thought it looked like, and he was barefoot. In a word, Gordy initially thought his Grandpa Rook looked evil. But as they drew closer, and Gordy received a better look at his face, he noticed his grandfather’s eyes. They seemed kind, thoughtful, and maybe even a little timid.
Grandpa Rook moistened his lips and clasped his hands together. “Well, hello, Gordy. How do you do?”
Gordy glanced at his mom for confirmation, and she encouraged him with a reassuring nod.
“I’m okay,” he said. “How are you?”
Grandpa Rook narrowed his eyes. “Freezing. Should we gather around the fire? I’ve prepared a meal.” He held up his hand. “No worries, Wanda. This particular batch of gruel won’t be tainted.”
The inside of the cave was simple, a few pieces of furniture, chairs, a bed, a bookcase or two. A warm fire burned in the center of the room, heating a black pot. Gordy could smell potatoes and savory herbs and started to feel a hint of hunger. They had a good meal on the flight, but their hike up the mountain had only allowed for trail mix and fruit.
“No Caribou Moss?” his mom asked, pointing to the pot. “Where did you get all that?”
“This is a special occasion, so I pulled out all the stops,” Mezzarix said.
After dinner, Grandpa Rook requested to speak with Gordy alone. To Gordy’s surprise, his mother didn’t object.
“So tell me what you know,” he said to Gordy once they were seated next to each other around the fire.
“About you?” Gordy asked. “That you died in a farming accident in Idaho before I was born. At least, that’s what Mom told me until recently. Now, I guess I heard you were a very powerful Elixirist who kind of went crazy.”
