AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I glanced around, amazed. It reminded me of Sylvie’s workplace, and also of Khalisa’s store and back room, but it was even more crammed and lively.
Shelves lined the walls, filled with all kinds of plants and ingredients, and a large wooden table took up the remaining space. It was piled high with books, mortars and pestles, a heating element, and there were even boxes underneath it. Two empty cauldrons stood on the left side, near a small window.
Heidi rounded the table. “I’ll probably need to use most of this to find out what is in it. Is that okay?”
Shit. What if she used it and then found out she didn’t have the other ingredients? Or that she couldn’t do it?
I let out a long breath. “Sure.”
She tipped the vial and let three drops fall in a white bowl. She took the bowl to the heating element. After a few seconds, an acrid scent filled the space and even the open doors didn’t help. The liquid bubbled with the heat, and suddenly, it parted in seven.
Heidi lowered her head and took a big whiff. “Oh, I have everything.”
Relief washed through me. “That’s good.”
She smiled at me as she grabbed a blue cloth from under the table. She placed it on the table and unfolded the cloth, revealing the Mage Bloom. “And here’s the main ingredient.”
“Was it hard to get it?” I asked, worried it would cost me a fortune.
“Hard? No, not really,” Heidi said. “It isn’t a common plant, but if you know where to look, you’ll find plenty.”
I frowned. Sylvie said it was a rare plant, expensive, and her supplier couldn’t get more. She had even contacted other witches. Unless she, her supplier, and the other witches had really bad contacts, this didn’t make sense.
Lacey took off her jacket. “Should we start, then?”
Heidi nodded. “It’ll take us a couple of hours to prepare the ingredients, and then another handful of hours for the potion to brew. You should go back to the house, Ariella. Rest, watch TV, eat. Oh, there are two guest bedrooms upstairs, and they are ready for you.”
“You and I can stay in the one with two single beds,” Lacey said. “Levi can take the other one.”
My shoulders sagged. I kinda guessed we would be here for a while, but it seemed we would have to sleep here and the potion wouldn’t be ready until next morning.
I really hoped the ward around the house held.
“Can I help in any way?” I asked. I had no idea what it entailed, but they could give me directions. Anything to make it go faster.
Heidi leaned closer and half whispered, “Four hands is already too many, but I know Lacey won’t let me shoo her away.”
“Damn straight,” Lacey said, bobbing her head once.
As if I wasn’t there anymore, the pair turned to each other and started working like a well-oiled machine.
Slowly, I retreated.
Levi was still on the bench on the porch, his beer empty on the table beside him, and his phone pressed to his ear.
“I know,” he said. “But you better have it done by the time I come back.”
He didn’t look at me as I walked by, and I didn’t look at him. His words faded as I entered the kitchen and closed the door behind me.
I glanced around the kitchen as I had done before and my eyes found the casserole on the range. Should I eat? I was a little hungry and the witches had mentioned it would take them a couple of hours to prepare the potion.
There was Levi, but I wouldn’t ask him.
I opened the cabinets, looking for plates, cups, and utensils. When I had grabbed one of each, Levi entered the kitchen.
“What are you doing, sweetheart?” His gaze found the plate and utensils beside the range, and the casserole. “Look, Heidi is great at potions, but horrible at cooking. Whatever that is, it probably tastes like cardboard. I’m not eating that.”
I shrugged. “Then don’t.”
