Chadwick MacNamara slumbered in his dorm when an emergency announcement came across the halls of Blackthorn and Burtree. The disembodied harsh voice of Bookkeeper Tenebrous suddenly started speaking, making him jerk awake with such force, he found himself on the floor beside his bed.

'Attention all Alchemists and Chemists.'

'Bugger!' Chadwick exclaimed. Once he realised the voice wasn't coming from an intruder in his room, he sighed heavily and slumped against the cold stone floor of his dormitory. Then he sat up and rubbed his throbbing ribs, suddenly remembering how, just last night, a Shadow Alchemist had kicked him repeatedly. His chest was likely covered in bruises now.

'Attention all Alchemists and Chemists. There will be a mandatory emergency meeting at eight o'clock this morning in the Chamber of Trials. I repeat, there will be a mandatory emergency meeting at eight o'clock this morning in the Chamber of Trials. All Alchemists and Chemists are required to attend for an important announcement.'

Immediately, Chadwick started speculating on the purpose of the announcement. The Code Breaker had been set free last night; he knew, because he had been there. He had seen it himself, but most Alchemists at Blackthorn wouldn't know that he was free. That had to be what the Keeper was planning to announce at the meeting.

Chadwick pulled himself to his feet and touched his sore ribs with a groan. He stumbled around his small dorm to get ready, checking the time dial on his shelf to see that it was 7:30 in the morning. Too early for the weekend, when Chadwick was actually allowed to sleep in a bit.

'Chadwick?' came the familiar voice of his father, Broderick MacNamara, coming from the Divination Mirror on the bookshelf. 'Are you awake?'

'Morning Dad,' Chadwick said with a lazy yawn.

'Chadwick, listen to me,' his father said in an urgent tone of voice. 'I have bad news, and little time.'

Chadwick pulled a chair from his table and sat down in front of his Divination Mirror, so he could see his father through the looking glass. His father was actually in another room in Blackthorn and Burtree, down the twisting halls where the instructors' quarters were located. 'What's wrong?' he asked, noticing the worried look on his father's face. His long dark blond hair wasn't pulled back in a bun the way he usually wore it, making him look rather harried.

'There's been an emergency. Your mother and I are leaving Blackthorn. We don't have a choice. There are dangerous times ahead of us, Chadwick.' He ran his hand over his mouth, smoothing down his goatee.

Chadwick's brain started reeling. He tried to make sense of what his father was saying, but before he could ask why his parents had to leave, his father started talking again.

'It will be very important for you to focus on your schooling and prepare for your Joint Trial, no matter what happens. Keep your head down, do you hear me? And look after your Protégé. Heaven knows the Breaker will try to get to her again somehow. You need to be like an older brother to her. Guard her with your life.'

'Dad!' Chadwick finally found his voice. 'What are you on about?'

'The Council of Magisters has removed the Keeper from Blackthorn and Burtree. They have a list of Alchemists they believe work for the Code Breaker. I'm on it, and so is Thea's father. We have no choice, son! We need to flee before the Constables come for us.'

Chadwick's stomach suddenly went cold. He shook his head and stammered, 'What? But why?'

'I don't know, son. Just ... go to the meeting. I'll contact you again later, when we are safely away.'

'But you're not working for the Breaker,' he said, finally coming to his senses. 'Can't you stay and clear your name?'

'I wish we could, honestly I do,' he said as he hastily tied his hair back into a bun.

'But if you run, it'll make you look guilty,' Chadwick insisted.

'All the Keeper's Animarum are leaving now, and as a Keeper's Astral Dreamer, your mother must leave with them.' He spoke so quickly, Chadwick had to concentrate to comprehend. 'If I stay, I'll be separated from your mother, and I won't be able to protect her. I'll not have your mother out of my sight, not with the Code Breaker free and targeting the Keeper. Heaven knows I'd bring you with us if it wasn't against the Keeper's orders. Besides, your lessons are so important, now more than ever.' Chadwick's father looked up as someone came into the room.

'Broderick? Is that Chadwick?' It was his mother, Lillianna MacNamara's voice.

'Mum!' he called into the mirror.

Suddenly his mother's honey-coloured face filled the looking glass. 'Chadwick, I'm sorry we can't say goodbye properly,' she said with tears in her hazel eyes. 'I'm going to miss you terribly!'

'Me as well,' Chadwick said. 'I'll worry myself to death.'

'Don't say such things,' his mother chided. 'You'll not be dying of worry, or of anything else, you hear me?'

'I hear you,' Chadwick said with a smirk. His mother often talked to him this way.

'Your godfather has promised to look after you.'

Chadwick nodded; his godfather was his father's Mentor, and a Praeceptor of the Seven Forces. He happened to be in charge of beginner level Elemental Sparring lessons at Blackthorn and Burtree.

'Be sure to listen to him,' Chadwick's mum went on as she put her long chestnut-coloured hair up into a French twist. Her hands moved almost in a blur as she hurried to prepare for their departure. 'I know he's not your favourite person. But as your father's Mentor, Kazuo is your family. And family is all we have in this world. You know that even though you can't choose the people in your life, you can choose how you treat them. Remember the Golden Rule, please.'

Chadwick shrugged wordlessly. His first thought was that he didn't need a babysitter. Then he couldn't help but roll his eyes as he imagined moving in with his godfather. The man was simply unreasonable most of the time.

'You must protect your Protégé like she's your little sister,' his mum added hastily, repeating what his father had said.

'I know. She's family now, right?' Chadwick smiled, thinking about how he was an only child, but he had gained an older sister in his Mentor Tajana six months ago and now, a younger sister in his Protégé Althea. It was kind of nice in a way. When he was younger, he'd always wanted a brother to play with, but now he found himself thinking a sister or two was much better.

'Oh, another thing,' his father said. 'Do you remember how the signal words work?'

'You think we'll need the signal words?' Chadwick asked; his heart rate jumped up.

'Of course! This is the exact kind of situation for signal words,' his mum said in a rush. 'I want to make sure you remember. Go on and show us. Just pretend that you just called us, quick now! Start by signalling that all is well.'

Chadwick sighed and tried to jog his memory. 'Do we really need to do this, now?' Chadwick asked.

'Yes, of course we need to review the signal words,' Chadwick's father said. 'Hurry now. Let's pretend I called you. Chadwick?' he said in a mock conversational voice that made the whole thing feel positively ridiculous.

'Erm...' Chadwick shook his head, trying to remember. 'I respond with: Yup, it's me, right?' he said.

'To show that all is well, yes, and if you're in trouble and unable to speak freely, you say, Of course it's me, or who else would it be?' his father reminded him, speaking so quickly that it put Chadwick on edge.

He nodded. 'And then I say, Are you busy, or can we talk?' Chadwick recited; these signal words were to check and make sure his parents were safe.

'Sure,' his father said. 'What does that mean, Chadwick?'

'It means you're safe. If something was wrong, you woulda said, Of course I can talk to you right now.'

'Very good!' Chadwick's mum flashed a bright smile. 'Always use the signal words, and don't tell anyone how they work. Not even a friend. They only work if they're a secret.'

Chadwick nodded. He had never dreamed they would actually need the signal words, but now he was glad his parents had created them. The signal words were a subtle and reliable way to let someone know you needed help, even if Shadows were right there in the room with you.

'We'll talk again soon,' his mother went on. 'We have to go now. Promise me you'll be good while we're away.'

Chadwick tried to smile, but he grimaced instead. He wanted to protest, to beg his parents to take him with them, but he simply loved them too much to argue. 'I'll keep my head down and watch out for my Protégé,' he promised.

'And focus on your lessons!' his father put in hastily.

'Yeah, yeah, and my lessons,' Chadwick said. 'Now you promise me. Stay safe and make sure to scry me every day, morning and night, you hear?'

'We will,' his mother said in a rush. 'We love you, Chadwick.'

'Love you both too!' he said, and just like that, the images in the mirror faded away.

Chadwick bit his lip and looked up, breathing unevenly. He pushed his black hair back from his forehead with both hands, leaned back in his chair, and squeezed his eyes shut. 'Calm down, Chadwick,' he told himself. 'Loads of Chemists attend Blackthorn without their parents around. Don't be a wuss.'

But the little pep talk only made him want to run away from the Halls of Blackthorn and Burtree all the more. He wasn't just any old Chemist. He was one of three Spectrum Scholars at Blackthorn. And just yesterday, all three Spectrums had been kidnapped by the Code Breaker's Shadows. Thinking about how the leader of the Shadow Faction had an interest in him and his Mentor and Protégé made Chadwick go lightheaded with panic.

Finally, he checked the time again to see he had only twelve minutes to make it to the meeting. He jumped up and ripped off the tunic and slacks he'd worn to bed, and he threw them on the floor.

He took the time to clean up a bit. He went to the sink in his alcove and gathered up bottles of arrowroot, liquid geranium and lime and poured the Components into his hand. The first Conversion of the day was always the hardest because he had to unlock his Spiritual Essence. Chadwick readied himself as best as he could, standing still and focusing hard.

He said, 'Infundo!' and his Kundalini stirred at the base of his spine. He focused as he silently chanted the Code Word, and his Spirit snaked up his back, swelling at each Chakra until it reached the crown of his head. Then with a rush of bliss, the powerful Energy burst forth and funnelled into one of the many Conversion Circles tattooed on his hand. He aimed the Conversion at both his armpits, infusing the Components into his skin. The geranium and lime were simply for the scent, but the arrowroot would keep him from sweating, just like Recreant deodorant. Actually, he thought rather smugly, better than Recreant deodorant.

Then he pulled on clean linens. His uniform was rather simple: a white long-sleeved tunic embroidered in silky white leaf patterns on the cuffs and neck, as well as a pair of white slacks with the same embroidery around the pockets.

Chadwick took up a mouth probe and scraped just one of his teeth, gingerly gathering up a small amount of plaque and grime. His Kundalini responded rather quickly when he said, 'Separo,' while holding the plaque on the tip of his finger. His Kundalini funnelled into the Extraction Conversion Circle on the tip of another finger, which he held to his mouth. The Conversion removed the plaque from all his teeth. To finish up, he took out a mint leaf and liquefied it with the Dispersion Conversion and then used the Infusion Conversion to Infuse his mouth with the liquid mint.

Chadwick snatched his comb from his sink and ran it through his hair. He took a single hair from the comb's bristles and then pulled out a lock of clean hair that he kept in a cloth bag on his sink. He used the clean hair as a Component in an Extraction Conversion that separated the dirty hair from all the oil and grime. Then he used what was left behind as a Component to perform an Extraction that removed all the oil and dirt from the hair on his head. It was just one way to clean hair if there wasn't time for a bath.

Chadwick opened a bottle of ether and let the gaseous Component spill out over his hair. He used the Infusion Conversion again as he waved his hands over his black hair, making it stand up in the back where it was shorter, and making it pull forward over his forehead on the top where it was longer. He swiped his hair slightly off to the side and snapped his fingers, freezing his outgrown hair in a rather spiky punk hairstyle. He smirked at his reflection in the mirror. Finally, he sat down at his table and pulled on his black knee-high leather boots.

Chadwick was in such a hurry to leave his dorm, he nearly forgot to grab his waistcoat. He skidded to a halt and went back to reach for the hook on his bookshelf, but his hand grasped the empty metal. That was when he remembered that the Shadows had taken his waistcoat when they kidnapped him. 'Bollocks!' he swore.

Thanks for reading everyone! Vote, share, add this book to your reading list, and leave a comment or two if you would like! Who's excited for a book from Chadwick's point of view? I know I am!

~A.C.