Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Evadine
“Don’t just stand there. Come in, come in,” the man said with a smile. “That cold will freeze your bits off.”
Branock and I exchanged a look before following him inside.
The doorway opened to a sitting room and a small kitchen to the left.
The cottage was dark, with blankets haphazardly covering all the windows, but it wasn’t gloomy.
A fire crackled in the fireplace at the center wall of the space, its flames dancing against a hanging cauldron and casting shadows across the leather rug in front of it.
My eyes instantly started watering at the strong scent coming from the cauldron—it was as if someone had dumped a garden inside of it.
I picked up on lavender, rosemary, garlic, mint, and others, all mixed together in an earthy, musty combination.
Potted plants hung from the ceiling, with vines snaking their way down the walls. There was a bookshelf across from the fireplace with broken glass vials, precious stones with chipped edges, books, stacks of parchment, and half-burned candles with wax still dripping from them.
“Would you like some tea?” the elderly Alchemist asked. “And how about some water for your furry friend there?”
Frosty wiggled from my grip, pushing against my arm with her front paws to get free. Before I could stop her, she leaped forward onto the kitchen island to my left and began sniffing the air with her little pink nose.
Branock looked just as taken aback as I felt. This wasn’t what we’d been expecting. “You do realize why we’re here, don’t you, Mr…”
“Oh, call me Zaro.” The Alchemist bustled to the kitchen, heating up a kettle with herbs on his tongue and a whispered spell. “And yes, I know why you’re here. The birds tell me all their secrets.”
I blinked once, then pinched my lips together to avoid laughing at the look on Branock’s face. The crease at his forehead deepened as his eyes followed Zaro—for once, the heir was speechless.
I think I liked this quirky Alchemist.
“I’ll take some tea,” I said brightly. I stood before the island, and Frosty rubbed her side against my arm.
“What? No, Evad—we’re here to bring you in for questioning, Mr. Zaro,” Branock said, voice heavy with exasperation. “About the sale of illicit spells without approval from the Veridian Alchemy Division.”
Zaro lifted a wrinkled finger in the air.
“Ah, would you like to buy some? I have my Mirror Glide powder—lets you travel via reflective surfaces, you see. Only a handful of incidents where people get stuck have occurred.” He waved a hand in the air like it was nothing, then rummaged in a basket on the island.
“Or I’m working on Hourglass Honey. One drizzle sends you back in time a week.
Although I haven’t quite figured out how to bring anyone back.
Oh, yes!” he shouted, making me jump. “Here are my tea bags.”
Branock scratched the back of his neck. “No, we don’t want to buy anything. This magic is dangerous, Mr. Zaro. You’re being ordered to suspend all production until you can get your brews tested and approved.” He tilted his head and glared at me, as if to say, why aren’t you helping me?
Zaro glanced between us, his smile widening and exposing two missing teeth. “How long have you two lovebirds been together?”
Branock’s mouth fell open, and I snorted. “We’re not together,” I said quickly.
“We’re getting married,” Branock responded at the same time.
“Well, yes,” I said, twisting my lips. “There’s that.”
Zaro’s green eyes practically bulged out of his head with glee. “Marriage? Why didn’t you say so! I have just the tea for that.” He whipped out two mugs from the cabinet against the wall, grabbed two bright red tea bags from a basket, and poured the steaming water over them.
“We’re not drinking your tea,” Branock said flatly, planting his hands on the island. I noticed he’d pushed the sleeves of his shirt up his forearm, highlighting corded muscle that strained under his grip. I jerked my gaze away as heat bloomed up my cheeks.
“It’s just tea,” I said with a shrug.
Branock rounded on me, dark eyes boring into mine. I hid a smirk—riling him up was becoming more and more fun. “Evadine, he just admitted to making unsanctioned potions. Do you want to drink his tea and wind up stuck in last year without a way to get back?”
I faced Zaro and shot him a friendly smile. This man may be eccentric, but I liked to think he wouldn’t intentionally hurt a fly. “Zaro, you’re not going to poison me, are you?”
He set the two mugs in front of us and let out a peal of laughter. Frosty nudged her nose against his hand as he said, “No poison. I promise, my dear, this will be the best cup of tea you’ve ever had.”
Branock gave me a look that would send a lesser man running for the hills.
He was all fire, this one—those onyx eyes like coal in the flames, his loose brown hair curling at the edges of his forehead, the muscles and veins bulging along his shoulders.
He could’ve been a Shifter, for all his passion and wildness.
Except for when he smiled. Like the way he looked at Frosty, with that hint of a dimple peeking through the rugged exterior.
Dimples. My weakness.
“One cup, then we bring you in. Right, Zaro?” I asked the Alchemist.
He crossed a finger over his chest. “On my honor.”
I lifted my mug by the handle, looking down into the murky water tinged with red, with tiny particles of herbs floating to the surface. It smelled like the familiar citrus and spice combination of bergamot, something herbal and bitter, and calming lavender, among others I couldn’t identify.
“Bottom’s up, Your Highness,” I said.
With a glower, he picked up his mug. “One drink.”
The tea hit my tongue, warm and fruity and strong, with a bit of a musty aftertaste. I took another sip and smiled at Zaro over the top of the mug.
“It’s wonderful, thank—” I blinked. The air around Zaro seemed to shimmer and glow. He cocked his head at me with a curious expression, and I looked down to see Frosty rubbing against my arm again. Her black fur was also glowing, like someone had outlined her body with faint sparkles.
I glanced at my hand to see it had the same effect, too. “What’s happening?” I asked, my words slurring at the end.
My head felt lighter as the world twinkled. It was quite beautiful, actually. I spun in awe to see the flames from the fireplace sparking like stars in the night sky. When I tried to move toward it, I stumbled into the couch.
“Zaro, what did you…” But Branock’s angry words were cut off as his head fell onto the island, and a great snore erupted from him.
Zaro approached me, his form blurry and gleaming brighter than ever. His final words sounded like they were coming through a fog, and I felt my body slowly falling.
“You’ll thank me later, my dear.”
And the world went black.