Chapter Twenty-Three Edith
Nils and I leave History of the Sagas together.
Right now he’s probably the only friend I have.
Tala hasn’t spoken to me since Heightened Senses.
She ditched me and Kris at lunch, sitting with Isaac instead, and wouldn’t even say hi when we passed each other in the hall. A lot of good warning her did.
There must be some way to get Isaac to admit the truth… Wait. That’s it. The potion Helga used on me. If only I could get my hands on a truth-teller potion, then I could make Isaac confess to killing Emilía. Tala would have to believe me. But how am I supposed to get one?
Maybe I should tell Nils—and ask for his help.
We walk through the hall together, surrounded by students. There are plenty of berserkir and hunters around, which means someone could easily overhear us. My gaze darts around the hall, looking for somewhere secluded we can talk alone.
I open the first door I can find.
A broom closet. Perfect.
Nils stares at me. “Edith?”
I grab his hand and pull him inside before closing the door behind us. “Nils, I—”
As I turn around, Nils leans forward, bringing his lips to mine—
I recoil before he can kiss me.
He looks wounded.
I flatten my back against the door, reaching for the doorknob.
Why did I do that? Sure, Nils is cute, and it’s not like I haven’t kissed plenty of boys. But I only kiss ones who aren’t interested in dating any more than I am. Somehow I suspect that isn’t the case for Nils. He’s sweet and thoughtful and kind.
Maybe I should like him. And I do, but only as a friend. I haven’t thought of Nils as anything more than that, but I guess he’s thought of me that way. My stomach dips. Did I accidentally mislead him? Did I somehow give him the wrong idea? What if he hates me now?
“I-I’m sorry,” I say, fumbling for words. “I just—I wasn’t expecting that.”
“Isn’t that why you brought me in here?” He looks around the broom closet with raised eyebrows. “I thought you—”
“I only wanted to talk.”
“Oh.” Nils flushes. “Oh,” he repeats, seeming to grow more embarrassed. He drags his hands down his face, swearing under his breath. “I totally misread the situation. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that.”
“It’s okay,” I reassure him quickly. “It was just a misunderstanding. Don’t worry about it.”
Nils nods, but he still looks disappointed as he offers me a tight-lipped smile. “Yeah. Okay.”
Awkward silence settles over us. I fidget with my skirt, not sure what to do with my hands or what to say. I look around the broom closet, at the shelves crammed with books, the bucket of dirty water, the mops and brooms, and the small desk in the corner—anywhere except at Nils.
He clears his throat. “What did you want to talk about, anyway?”
“Oh. Right.” I blow out a breath, trying to focus. “I found who that scent from Emilía’s room belongs to—it’s one of my classmates, Isaac. But my friend is dating him too, so I tried to warn her, but…”
“I’m guessing it didn’t go well,” Nils says heavily.
I frown. “She wouldn’t believe me. It’s not like we’ve known each other for long, and with Emilía’s death being kept under wraps, it’s my word against Isaac’s. Worse, I’m pretty sure she’s going to tell him what I accused him of.”
“So he knows you’re on to him. Which means you could be in danger now.”
I’m pretty sure I already am, but I decide not to mention being stalked through the halls of the seer school by the potential killer this weekend. “Yeah.”
Nils runs a hand through his curls. “You should have come to me first, Edith.”
“I know, but I-I panicked. I was worried Tala was in danger.”
“It’s okay.” Nils reaches for my shoulder, only to lower his hand. “We can figure this out.”
“Actually, I already have an idea, but I need your help.”
“Sure,” Nils says. “What do you want me to do?”
I nibble on a fingernail. I know firsthand what it felt like to be given the truth-teller potion without my knowledge or permission. But if Isaac really is the killer, isn’t it better to find out before he hurts someone else?
“Do you know where I can get a truth-teller potion?”
His eyebrows shoot up. “What? Why?”
“If I slip some into Isaac’s drink at the dining hall, I could get him to confess to killing Emilía in front of everyone.”
Nils rubs his chin, staring at the floor. “You won’t find any truth-teller potions on campus. They’re forbidden here.”
“Well, Helga used one on me.”
He seems lost in thought. “I would say I’m surprised she even has that, but… well, Aunt Hel can be a bit ruthless when it comes to protecting Skallagrim. And if she’s been keeping the recipe for it somewhere…” He meets my gaze. “I might be able to get a peek at it without her knowing.”
“Really?” I practically squeal. “Are you sure?”
“There’s never been a potion I can’t make.” Nils grins. “Let me search Aunt Hel’s spell books later this evening while she’s eating. As long as I can find the list of ingredients, I should be able to finish brewing one for you by tomorrow night. Come by the greenhouse before dinner.”
“That’s perfect. I’ll invite Tala and Isaac to dinner, saying I want to apologize.”
“And instead you’ll get his confession,” Nils says slowly.
I nod. “Exactly.”
As soon as classes are over, I head for the witch campus. It’s pouring again today, but this time I’m prepared. Now I’m really glad Patricia insisted I bring an umbrella with me. I double-check the text from Nils, my screen already damp with humidity. Should be ready soon. Swing by after class.
I look around the witch campus, searching for the greenhouse. Witches are everywhere: on their way to the library, the dining hall, or their dorms. For a moment, I see Emilía walking among them. As soon as I blink, she vanishes.
I haven’t been back here since the séance.
Nibbling on a nail, I spot a familiar face among the witches.
“Irina,” I call, jogging over to her.
“H-hi, Edith.” She clutches her umbrella so hard her knuckles turn white. “W-what brings you here?”
“I’m just looking for Nils,” I say. “Where is the greenhouse?”
“Over there.” She tips her chin to the left, opposite of the way I was heading. “S-Sorry, I have to go.”
Before I can even thank her, Irina dashes toward the library. She must really believe I’m the killer. Shaking my head slowly, I head for the greenhouse.
Once Isaac confesses, I’ll be able to clear my name.
I should hurry, but I’m nervous about seeing Nils again after he tried to kiss me. Should we talk about it? It didn’t seem like he wanted to yesterday. He apologized and quickly changed the subject. But I should make sure he knows I only want to be friends.
A relationship is the last thing I want.
I start chewing on one of my cuticles while I walk. What if I accidentally offend Nils, though? If he likes me, rejecting him could hurt his feelings. Or worse. I can’t help but think of Jason and how he reacted when I told him no.
The greenhouse glass is fogged and gleaming wet with the downpour. Humidity dampens my cheeks as I step inside. Raindrops pelt the roof, pinging off the glass and trailing down the sides of the greenhouse like tears. Everywhere I look, plants blossom and grow wild, but I don’t see anyone around.
“Hello?” I say.
“Edith?” Nils pops out of a side room and smiles. “You’re just in time. It’s nearly done.”
After shaking out my umbrella, I join him, grateful there’s no lingering awkwardness between us.
The glass beakers and vials on the table remind me of chemistry class, but everything else looks strange and unusual. A slip of paper is next to Nils. There’s a mortar and pestle, an assortment of bottles in varying shapes and sizes, and bundles of herbs covering the wooden table.
“Um, I wanted to apologize for yesterday,” I say, feeling suddenly awkward. “It wasn’t you. It’s me. I just don’t do relationships.”
“No worries.” Nils reaches for some delicate white flowers. “I get it.”
He seems unfazed as he grinds petals with the pestle. The muscles in his arm tense while he works with determined focus. He seems so in his element. He looks happy and unbothered by what anyone else thinks about him here.
His brow is knit as he carefully funnels the powder into the beaker.
Not wanting to disturb him, I start reading over his notes. Truth-teller potion, the page reads. Will make its drinker speak only the truth, whether they wish to or not. Depending on dosage, effects can last anywhere between thirty minutes to three hours.
“One more thing,” Nils says, wiping his forehead.
He reaches for the row of bottles, his hand hovering over ones labeled left breast and right palm and little finger until grabbing the one labeled root of tongue. The bottles seem so small. There’s no way they could actually contain those, right?
I swallow the lump in my throat. “What are those?”
“Blood,” Nils says. “Different mixtures require blood from specific body parts. Since truth-teller effects speech, it requires blood from the tongue.”
“Right,” I say, feeling queasy as I watch his dropper fill with red.
Carefully, he transfers a few drops into the vial.
Blood swirls through the potion like ink.
Nils corks it and then gives the vial a good shake before handing it to me. “One truth-teller potion.”
I examine the dark liquid. “Will this be enough?”
“Once he drinks it, the effects should last about an hour.”
I carefully tuck the vial into my pocket. “Thanks.”
Nils hesitates, looking me over. “Are you sure about this, Edith? If you’re caught, you could get expelled.”
“I don’t have any other options,” I tell him, and mean it. To prove my innocence, I need to prove Isaac is guilty. If it turns out he really didn’t kill Emilía, then at least I can knock him off the suspect list. Either way, I’ll be one step closer to catching her killer.
“Why don’t I come with you?” Nils offers.
Before I can respond, the door springs open, and Eva, my Reading the Runes instructor, steps inside. I feel suddenly queasy. So much for not getting caught.
“There you are, Nils.” A smile spreads across her lips when she notices us together. “Now I see why you were late for dinner again.”
Wait. Eva is his mom?
Which means she must be Amund’s mom too.
And Helga’s sister. Not good.
Nils steps in front of the table, hiding the copied recipe behind him. “Actually, I was thinking of eating with Edith tonight.”
“No, no, go have dinner with your mom,” I say quickly, reaching into my pocket to make sure the vial is still hidden there. “Isaac and Tala aren’t expecting you.” And they might get suspicious if you show up, I silently add.
“Right.” Nils rubs the back of his neck. “Okay.”
I clear my throat. “Thanks for your help.”
Eva nudges him. “What did you help her with, hmm?”
“Oh, just something for her headaches,” Nils says quickly.
I’m surprised how easily he lies to his mom. Then again, she is the headmistress’s sister, and also one of Skallagrim’s instructors. She’d be just as likely to punish him for making a truth-teller potion as anyone. He casts me a hesitant, sheepish look that suggests as much.
“Well, I’d better get going,” I say before hurrying outside.
Time to get the truth out of Isaac.