Chapter 9
Lukas
My eyes kept glazing over my work, which I wasn’t proud of.
But I couldn’t help thinking about Elsie and the way she pulled me behind her to “help” her throw the skee ball.
The way she stared at me as she threw the next ball with no care sent what I thought was a pretty clear message.
I could barely breathe in that moment as I watched her eyes glint with interest. The beast in me wanted to pull her closer and plant a kiss on those perfect pink lips, but I wasn’t sure that would have been welcomed.
So I refrained and just stared like an idiot, instead of doing anything remotely helpful. I could have complimented her and really deepened the moment. Told her she was stunning. Expressed my enjoyment of her company.
But I just stared until she ended the moment by finishing her game.
The rest of the night had been amazing, and we played until our game cards were empty. I’d offered to refill them so we could continue our date, but she was ready to go home.
When I attempted to walk her to my car and take her home, she told me she lived nearby and would walk home. My protests weren’t heard, and I respected her decision to walk, though I wished she had let me drive her or even walk her. Her desire to walk alone was firm, so I didn’t push it.
I kissed her hand and watched her walk away before I’d returned to my car.
That was nearly a week ago, and I’d yet to see her again. Finals had come and gone, and now I could focus fully on this case.
As I flipped through the lab notebooks that belonged to Aster, I couldn’t seem to focus, too tangled up in thoughts of Elsie.
How did your finals go?
I put my phone back down, hoping that by just texting her I could focus on the work laid out before me.
The second I began to read, my phone vibrated.
ELSIE
Great! I took a few of them before this week, so I thankfully only had to take two. How were yours?
Exhausting, but they went well.
I’d suddenly forgotten how to text a woman, because I cringed at myself the second I hit send.
I had a great time with you last week.
I’d love to take you out again.
Soon.
I was breathing heavily as I locked my phone, my brain again replaying the blush on her cheeks and the way her eyes held mine.
ELSIE
I’d like that
Clenching my fists repeatedly, I pushed my phone to the side. I was on the clock and needed to do my job.
Flexing my hands, I looked at the fourth lab book. I wasn’t as far along as I wanted to be, but this was only an internship, and before finals, I couldn’t work as many hours as I could now. Hopefully, I could compile a lot more information.
And watch Aster go down.
After a few minutes of failed attempts to focus, I finally locked in on the lab book.
It took only ten pages for mentions of the potion to come up.
I was flagging pages, jotting down notes, and rereading pages of the book that outlined the creation of this love potion.
I used the computer in my office to pull up a regular love potion recipe and printed it off. Then I began to compare the two.
For ten or so pages, everything seemed to match up. Aster had copied the meticulous ingredients list and the instructions for making the potion. Math off to the side showed her intent to multiply the recipe for multiple doses.
Turning another page, my breath caught as I noticed a second handwriting. I pulled out the second lab notebook and flipped to a yellow tab I’d placed, finding the second handwriting in that book as well. The handwriting matched.
In the second lab notebook, the mysterious handwriting said to add Thornwood for a quicker response. In the fourth lab notebook, it said Thornwood again.
I stood abruptly, taking both of the notebooks with me as I left my office. When I made it to Ed’s office, I walked right in since his door was open.
“There’s a second handwriting in her notebooks.
When I first saw it in the earlier ones, I didn’t think too much of it, because the added notes meant little.
But then I found this.” I placed the notebooks down on a surprised Ed’s desk, something in my gut insisting this was not something to brush off.
Ed leaned forward and looked at what I was pointing out, turning back a few pages in each book. After a few torturous seconds, I stepped back, ready to pace around the room as I considered the meaning of the second handwriting.
Aster could have asked for help from another potions master, even another professor, or someone with practice in illegal magic.
“Interesting,” Ed remarked, looking at me. “This might be something. Keep looking into this. Let me know what else you find.” He took his phone out and took a picture of the handwriting in the fourth lab book.
I nodded, unsatisfied with the dismissive answer Ed gave. But he was busy too, and I interrupted him for this. I grabbed the notebook and left his office, determined to figure out who the second handwriting belonged to.
I spent hours flipping the pages of the lab notebooks, mapping out page numbers and statements between the books.
None of the notes corresponded to the subject of the page they were on.
After reading the recipe for the love potion, I realized that all the added notes pertained to it.
Each note included a comment about an ingredient or a technique, but I would have to match them.
Just because finals were over didn’t mean that the campus closed. Many students lived on campus throughout the summer or worked on campus either in an internship or at one of the facilities.
Meaning that I could easily walk into the library during normal hours. But normal hours would mean that others would be near, and I needed the library to be empty.
I walked through the large wooden doors at the front of the library, my eyes scanning the atrium for the librarian.
Slowly, I walked through the library, continually hoping to catch sight of her.
Low voices caught my attention, and I moved in that direction, spotting Mrs. Ellington with a student, discussing a book laid out between them.
I slipped past that aisle and quietly headed to the back where the washrooms were.
The washroom would be my hideout for the next fifteen minutes as I waited for the library to close for the night.
I pushed into a stall, sat on the closed toilet lid, and pulled out my phone while I waited. I looked through the pictures and notes I had stored for the case, trying to wrap my brain around the web of additions the second handwriting made.
As soon as I left Hildonbrand’s office, I headed here, knowing that I wouldn’t be able to rest unless I looked for answers. There were a concerning number of notes about the love potion in Aster’s book, and I just knew someone else was working on it with her.
Naturally, I had texted Ivy and asked her to send me a picture of her handwriting.
Aster had magically compelled Henri’s friend, Ivy, to create and distribute the love potions.
It was Aster’s first attempt to have someone else to blame.
If the handwriting had been Ivy’s, it would have made my night much shorter.
It could have eased the discomfort in my gut.
But her handwriting was loopy and bubbly, whereas the mystery handwriting was rigid and small.
I rested my head in my hands, trying to think of anyone who would be in on this and why. The evidence had already been submitted, so would this even make a difference?
And if Aster was working with someone else, why wouldn’t she expose them as well? I could think of only one reason, and it was a blood oath.
After twenty minutes had passed, I carefully emerged from the bathroom, keeping a sharp eye out for any sound or movement. The library was dark, with all lights off on both floors.
I carefully moved to the front of the library, still stepping quietly in case by some chance Mrs. Ellington was still here.
Last year, I had a project in one of my potions classes that included an essay on illegal potions. I had to use the staff library, which required a key. The project materials were restricted, and I was only allowed in with a signed note from a professor, so I had to ask Mrs. Ellington for the key.
That was how I knew it was in the second drawer of her desk, not even locked. Glancing around as I approached the desk, I pulled the second drawer open and pulled the key I recognized out, slowly shutting the drawer again.
I was confident that there was no one else in the library with me, as the only sounds I heard were those of my own breath.
The library at Forrestbriar was something I never appreciated before hearing Elsie talk about magical literature.
Now that I saw literature through her eyes, I took in the library's beauty more than I’d ever cared to before.
Honestly, it was impressive that there was so much history and mythology behind magic.
How our origins as a people were disputed and documented in different ways.
This library was vast and had every subject we needed for class research and projects, or even for pleasure.
According to Ivy and Henri, there was an extensive section of romance novels.
The dark wooden cases, arranged in dozens of aisles that lined the large room, stood at least twelve feet tall.
At the back of the library, close to the washroom entrance, there was a wooden spiral staircase that led to the upstairs, which was exclusively the staff library.
It contained documents, old tests, assignments, and, of course, books.
And I was hopeful that I could find documents with handwriting that matched what I found in Aster’s lab book.
Carefully taking each step up the creaky staircase, I winced each time the wood whined or squeaked, looking around to make sure no one popped out between shelves.
When I finally made it to the landing, I moved to the balcony that overlooked the library.
I kept my eyes on the first floor as I walked down the balcony to the entrance of the staff section.
Seeing no signs of anyone, I slid the key into the lock, letting myself in. I locked the door behind me just in case.