Free Keepers & Killers (The Alchemy Series) by Donna Augustine

universe. The ground was slightly springy, covered with a moss-like surface that was a turquoise color. Trees, or what would've been trees on Earth, hovered higher than I'd ever seen, bigger than even redwoods, like sky scrapers. But the thing I noticed the most was the sweet, cloying scent on the air as I breathed deeply.
    Cormac stood close by and watched my slow adjustment. "You 'll get used to it. The oxygen level is lower, but it's not dangerous."
    I nodded, not willing to waste my air on speaking yet as the feeling of not being able to get enough was threatening a bit of a panic. He grabbed the backpack off my shoulders and threw it over his, now carrying two. I would 've argued but I was too grateful to pick a fight about my independence.
    "Come on, I want to get deeper under cover. The area isn 't occupied but that doesn't mean we can't be spotted."
    I followed him sluggishly as he moved around the larger trees.
    "Do you know where we 're going?" I asked as I realized I had no idea.
    "You just thought of that now?"
    He annoyed me just enough to waste my oxygen. "I wouldn't talk. If your people hadn't been paranoid freaks and destroyed every ounce of history, we wouldn't be here."
    He stopped in his tracks. "How many times do I have to remind you that they 're your paranoid freaks as well? And yes, I do know where we are going. I don't need a map. I've been there before."
    "So where is it exactly?" I looked ahead, nothing but trees as far as I could see.
    "We've got a two mile hike ahead of us." He started back in the same direction we'd been going.
    "And you don 't think the place is guarded?" I asked, staring at his back.
    "This isn 't one of the main settlements. They'll have people in the area, but I don't think too many. The Fae have no interest in their records and wouldn't bother. I don't think they'll have any idea that we would try to take them."
    "Are you sure asking wouldn 't have worked?" I asked. I tugged on the backpack he was carrying and we stopped. I dug through my pack and grabbed a water bottle, taking a swig.
    "I know you haven 't talked to too many of them, but what do you think?" He raised his eyebrows.
    No answer was needed. I stopped talking, not wanting to waste anymore of my air on it and we started back through the trees . Suddenly, the area cleared. When he had said hike, he'd really meant it. The ridiculously wide trees had blocked the rocky hill that lay ahead of us.
    As we started to climb a craggy surface, I bit back a small yelp which turned into a larger squeal as my foot slipped on some moss , interspersed here and there just to make traveling the rocks that much more unpleasant.
    "You okay?" Cormac asked, as he doubled back a few feet to check out the nasty gash that bled down my leg. The sharp rocks had cut right through my jeans.
    "Yeah, I'm fine." I looked up at the rest of the way ahead. "Can't we float or something?"
    "Alchemists can float but it 's an up down thing, we don't move forward."
    "That just sucks."
    "At least I can float." He seemed a bit insulted over my comment.
    "What 's that supposed to mean? I've floated. You've seen me."
    He took a step back and stared at me. "Go ahead, float. I dare you."
    I shrugged. " Maybe I don't feel like floating right now."
    "Not to take anything from you, you are exceptional at opening wormholes, but you seem to have deficit s in other areas." He kept moving forward as he talked and I had to scramble to keep up.
    "Are you calling me slow?"
    "More like an idiot savant." I couldn't see his face but I could sense the smile on his face from the change in the tone of his words.
    "Then what are you? You needed me here to be able to make sure you could even get back."
    "I also didn't get stuck to a ceiling."
    I opened my mouth but he beat me to the punch.
    "I know why you carry that nickel around."
    "That, sir, was a low blow." I raised my chin to the air and pushed past him up the slope without looking back.
    I could feel him behind me. I