Page 27 of The Noldrin Witch

“You can’t trap the duke with that, honey,” Morgaine chuckled. “Unless you only want him for a night, and I suspect you could manage that without my help.”

Elise’s body quivered for a moment at the memory of Kurt.

“I’m not interested in using it for myself,” she said. “But I was thinking the Love Potion is among the most popular remedies you mentioned.”

Morgaine smiled. “You have a good memory, don’t you?”

“I try,” Elise said carefully. It was one thing to be clever, and another to let people measure one’s full wit. Some grew wary when they sensed one could see too much. Fortunately for Elise, people had always taken her for kind and little more.

“As I’ve told you, magic has to claim you. You’ll be my pupil for now, and when one of the Four Winds finds you, we’ll see what can be done. It all depends on how generous they choose to be with you.”

Four Winds?

Elise nodded. As she had done these past weeks, she kept her lips sealed and her ears sharp. It seemed the most reliable way of ensuring Morgaine shared her wisdom in abundance rather than in dearth.

“May I finally enter the Potion Room?”

Morgaine hesitated, then, as if remembering something, muttered, “Give me a moment. Magic is finicky. I must prepare the place before bringing company.”

The witch took up a broom and went to the famed chamber with more caution than concern. It seemed she was indeed readying herself for dangerous work.

As the witch disappeared behind the magic door, Elise wondered about the function of the broom in all this. She braced herself for something grand or obscure. But after just a few moments, the mystery was solved as a faint trail of dust began slipping from beneath the door. Elise blinked and promptly convinced herself it would be wise to lower her expectations…if only a fraction.

*****

Morgaine was coughing after just a few sweeps around the room. She didn’t remember the floorboards being golden brown, nor that the hinges were made of silver, nor that dust settled on the tongue like gossip of an uninvited pregnancy. This chamber was her most valued room in the house, but as is often the case with one’s most prized possessions, one grows neglectful with use and time.

She cleared her throat with a sound that she hoped Elise didn’t hear. The pleasantries of cleaning had never come easily to her, and she barely remembered the last time she had used a broom to sweep instead of fly. But one needed to make an impression when showing an aspiring witch the powers of the craft. Her throat seemed to grow drier at the mere thought of Elise joining the fairies. The girl was not as smooth as she fancied herself to be. Morgaine could see how she had used her leverage, but still, she had to give her credit for securing her apprenticeship.

“We don’t need another fairy to come and disturb the Shield of Ravenon,” Morgaine grumbled.

It had been a long time since she had taken anyone under her ward. Francella had been clever, but she could not find her calling. Morgaine rested her old broom in one corner as she recalled how Francella had never been called by any of the Four Winds. Morgaine had tried to help her to the point of spoiling the wicked girl. That had been the last time she called upon a favor from Devon.

It was true Morgaine had lived longer than most, but she had no intention of wasting her time on pointless drivel. She resolved to be more restrained in her expectations of her new apprentice and let things unfold as they would. After three hundred blissful springs, the only thing she knew was that she knew nothing about mortals.

After spreading a measure of Harbord Dust over her cauldron, in hopes of restoring the cast iron to its natural, handsome dark, Morgaine went to the door to finally allow Elise to see what passed for the modest interior.

When the wooden door creaked open and Elise stepped inside, however, Morgaine couldn’t tell whether the girl was feigning surprise or was genuinely taken aback by the dusted shelves, books, and glass containers.

Morgaine waited, watching as Elise twirled about the chamber with parted lips, as though the dried herbs and Wormwood hanging from the low ceiling were part of a diamond chandelier. A rising suspicion that the girl had gone mad entertained Morgaine for a moment, but it was not until Elise began to caress the cauldron as if it were fine porcelain that Morgaine concluded this was no deceit but pure admiration.

“What are we going to prepare first?” Elise asked with pleading eyes.

Morgaine swallowed hard and looked around. She had expected Elise to be eager, but it seemed the girl was about to take charge, touching every herb and leaning in for a few sniffs.

“Let me show you one of my most coveted potions,” Morgaine said. “This one keeps me out of work. A couple of ladies from the court purchase it every month, and that’s enough to pay for food, clothes, and a bit of leisure.”

“Ah,” Elise gasped. “It must be a wonder. What does it do? Does it make them more beautiful? Does it make them younger?”

Morgaine grunted. There was no surprising Elise. The girl’s mind was set on absorbing every little piece of information about witchcraft, and she had to recognize it was making it harder to make a good impression.

“It does all that…in a way,” Morgaine replied cautiously. She was not sure whether to reveal the success of her potion so quickly, since her secret had earned her such good coin for the last one hundred years.

“How can I help?” Elise moved closer to Morgaine, and by reducing the distance, she could smell the sweet perfume of youth emanating from every pore.

“Pass me some lavender and some of those black flowers hanging to your side. It could become steamy here once I mix everything, but fear not. I’ve made this a thousand times.”

“A thousand times?”