The Zero Blessing

by Christopher Nuttall

  The door slammed closed as Magistra Loanda turned and stalked back to her desk. “We shall be brewing something more complicated today,” she informed us. “Regeneration Potion. I have been informed that the infirmary is running low after the last set of potions disasters, so I have been asked to brew more.”

  She gave us all an unpleasant smile. “And I have decided that anyone who manages to brew it perfectly on their first try will have access to a potions laboratory.”

  I exchanged glances with Rose. If we could win, if one of us won, it would make our lives a great deal easier. Rose needed more practice brewing. If we had access to a lab, if we were allowed to work unsupervised ... Magistra Loanda clearly believed we could be trusted, if we could make Regenerative Potion on the first try.

  Magistra Loanda launched into a long and complicated lecture about the potion, forcing us to scramble to take notes. I’d taken the precaution of reviewing the potion ahead of time - it was another habit Mum had drilled into me - but Magistra Loanda still managed to say things I didn't know. I felt my wrist starting to ache within minutes. Magistra Loanda was clearly far too fond of the sound of her voice.

  “Now,” she said, nodding toward the blackboard. The recipe appeared in front of us. “As you will see, the potion requires you to add one of several possible ingredients just before it is completed. Alana ... which one would you chose and why?”

  I glanced back. My sister looked trapped.

  “Elderflower Seeds,” Alana managed, finally. “They are good for counteracting the effects of a number of curses.”

  “Interesting choice,” Magistra Loanda said. “Would anyone care to comment?”

  I hesitated, then raised my hand. “Yes, Caitlyn?”

  “Elderflower Seeds have two problems,” I said. “First, in order to be effective, they have to be harvested at precisely the right time. A day too late will render the seeds actively poisonous. Second, while they do counteract a number of curses, they also counteract protective magics. You might accidentally make the effects of the curses worse, even if you removed the curses themselves.”

  “Very good,” Magistra Loanda said. She didn't sound pleased. “You actually gave some thought to the choice of ingredients.”

  Her eyes switched to Alana. “The easiest choice for ingredient is not always the best one, as I’m sure your mother taught you,” she added. “For homework, I want you to revise all ten possible additions and determine their strengths and weaknesses.”

  I could feel Alana’s glare boring into my back. Perhaps it had been a mistake to contradict her in front of the entire class. But it was the only way I could boost my marks.

  Magistra Loanda peered down at me. “What would you use? And why?”

  I took a moment to consider it. “I would use Dayflower Berries,” I said, carefully. “They don't have such a strong effect, but they do help the body to regenerate without provoking a fight with any remaining curses. And you can harvest Dayflower Berries any time you like.”

  “A poor metaphor, but understandable,” Magistra Loanda said. She looked around the classroom. “While the potion base is unchangeable, you do have some latitude in choosing the final ingredients. Just remember that you must make an accurate note of precisely what ingredient you added. Getting it wrong will not only cost you a detention. It may cost someone their life.”

  Rose nudged me. “Is she joking?”

  I shrugged. Magistra Loanda probably did want to resupply the infirmary. But I was sure she’d check the potions carefully before sending them to the healers. It was quite possible to do everything right, but mess up the potion so it decayed rapidly or turned poisonous. Only a stable brew would suffice.

  “Better be careful,” I muttered. “Getting access to a potions lab would be very useful.”

  Magistra Loanda’s eyes swept the room. “Start work,” she commanded. “I expect you to be finished by the end of the period.”

  I glanced at the clock, then nodded. “I’ll get the ingredients,” I said. “You start boiling the water.”

  Rose smiled, rather wanly. I gave her a reassuring smile, then hurried back to the potions storeroom. The other students were struggling over jars and bottles of ingredients, forcing me to wait until Magistra Loanda arrived to restore order with a few well-chosen threats. I met Alana’s eyes as I measured out the beetle legs and winced. My sister was furious. I half-expected to be hexed in the back as I walked to the desk, despite Magistra Loanda’s flat ban on hexing within the classroom. Tomorrow - when we had Protective and Defensive Magic - was not going to be fun.

  She could have studied, I thought, resentfully. Mum would have been glad to teach her.

  I sat down next to Rose and sorted out the ingredients. Two caldrons were already bubbling, just waiting for us to start brewing. Rose took her share of the ingredients, then opened her textbook so we could read the recipe without having to look at the blackboard. Magistra Loanda was striding around, looking murderous. None of us wanted to meet her eye.

  “That’s the first set lined up,” I said, shortly. Regenerative Potion needed a base, then additional ingredients. “Are you ready?”

  Rose nodded. “Go.”

  I tipped the ingredients into the caldron. Rose glanced at Magistra Loanda - she was focused on Henrietta, who’d managed to blow up her potion twice in the last two days - and gave my potion a quick stir. The liquid shimmered, then turned brown. I checked my watch, silently marking the time as Rose stirred her potion. The liquid had to boil for precisely fourteen minutes before we could add the next set of ingredients.

  There was a loud explosion behind me. I turned, just in time to see smoke rising from Isabella’s caldron. Magistra Loanda stamped past me, her expression darkening rapidly. I couldn't help feeling sorry for Isabella, even though she was a bully. Magistra Loanda looked as though she wanted to strangle her.

  “Detention,” Magistra Loanda snarled. “What were you thinking?”

  “I stirred twice,” Isabella said, softly. “I didn't think I infused enough magic ...”

  “Well, you obviously overdid it,” Magistra Loanda snapped. “You’re lucky the wards absorbed the blast.”

  She examined the caldron, then snorted rudely. “Dispose of this ... this mess, young lady, then start again,” she ordered. “You should have just enough time to complete it before the bell rings. And you can report to me on Saturday for a couple of hours scrubbing caldrons. It might teach you to be more careful.”

  I couldn't help a flicker of vindictive pleasure as Magistra Loanda strode back to the front of the classroom, her eagle eyes peering from caldron to caldron. Isabella was meant to have netball practice on Saturday morning. I didn't think she could convince the team captain to reschedule. She might even lose her place on the team.

  “We’re coming up on the second stir,” I muttered to Rose. “When I put the ingredients in, stir twice clockwise and once anticlockwise.”

  “Got it,” Rose said. She glanced nervously at Magistra Loanda. I silently prayed for a distraction. Maybe if I walked around the desk, I could block her view. “Now?”

  “Five seconds,” I said. I didn't dare move too openly. “Two ... one ... now!”

  Rose stirred the potion.

  “Hey,” Alana shouted. I jumped. “Don’t touch my sister’s potion!”

  Magistra Loanda swung around, just in time to see Rose stirring the potion. I swallowed, hard. Alana had taken a very effective revenge. It wasn't easy to share the task of brewing a potion - indeed, it wasn't really practiced below fifth year. And that meant ...

  “Sneak,” someone muttered.

  Alana winked at me as Magistra Loanda stamped over to us. I glared back at her, feeling my heart sink. Alana knew, of course, what we’d been doing. I’d brewed more than one potion for her, back at the Hall. She’d just had to stir the mixture to turn it into magic. And while some people might think of her as a tattletale now, she'd still come out ahead.

  “I trust,” Magistra
Loanda said, “that you have an explanation for this?”

  I wanted to bluff, to try to claim that Rose needed the practice. I’d get detention for cheek, of course, but it would be worth it. I could endure a couple of hours scrubbing caldrons or cataloguing the store. And yet, the moment I met Magistra Loanda’s eyes, the lie caught in my throat. There was no way I could lie to her. She’d know ...

  ... And then I’d be in far worse trouble for lying to a teacher.

  She held my eyes. “Rose, finish your potion,” she ordered. She jabbed a finger at my bubbling caldron, now slowly turning green. “Caitlyn, did you make this potion?”

  “I prepared the ingredients and put them into the water,” I said. It was true. “I ...”

  “Stay behind after class,” Magistra Loanda ordered, cutting me off. I wasn't sure just what she knew. “You can prepare the potion again, without anyone else around.”

  I swallowed as I heard someone titter behind me. Isabella, of course. Alana had shown her precisely what Rose and I had been doing. She’d probably wondered how I could work magic, but now ... now the answer was right in front of her. Rose had done the magical part for me.

  And when I can't brew the potion, I asked myself, what will happen then?

  Rose glanced at me. “Caitlyn ...”

  “Silence,” Magistra Loanda interrupted. Rose shut up, hastily. “Finish your work.”

  I shook my head. Rose couldn't help me now. No one could.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  The class filed out of the room silently as soon as the bell rang, leaving me alone with Magistra Loanda. Alana, the last to leave, shot me a nasty look and a wink before she hurried out. Rose hadn't even looked at me. And Isabella had followed her out, a wicked glint in her eye. I hoped that meant that Isabella was planning to trap Rose, rather than befriend her. She was sure, now, that I didn't have magic.

  “Remain seated,” Magistra Loanda ordered. “I have to check the other brews.”

  I closed my eyes, rubbing my forehead as I heard her moving from desk to desk. A couple of potions were marked as excellent, but the remainder were apparently not stable enough to meet Magistra Loanda’s exacting standards. The Healers wouldn't be pleased, I thought, yet they’d be even less pleased if the potions didn't last. I rather suspected that Magistra Loanda would have to brew some more herself.

  And she would be wise not to trust our work, I thought. We’re only students ...

  “Brewing is more than just preparing the ingredients,” Magistra Loanda said, drawing my attention back to her. I opened my eyes. She sat at her desk, her arms resting on the stone table. Her eyes were dark and cold and utterly merciless. “You need to learn to focus your magic to start the brewing cascade.”

  I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. Mum had said the same thing, time and time again. I knew that I needed magic to make the potion work, yet ... yet I didn't have magic. No amount of stirring with a wooden spoon would be enough to start the cascade. It was futile. Utterly futile.

  “Right now, all you are really doing with your magic is giving the brew a little push,” Magistra Loanda added. “Learning to shape your magic is necessary before you start on the more advanced potions. You must master the skill before you reach the exams. They will be testing you on your ability to save a failing brew.”

  I just wished she’d shut up. My head was starting to pound. Maybe I should just get myself expelled, somehow. If they caught me in one of the male dorms they’d expel me, wouldn't they? Or perhaps if I hexed the netball players before they took to the field. Rose would be far better off without me ...

  Magistra Loanda slapped the table, right in front of me. I jumped. I’d been so lost in my thoughts that I’d tuned her out completely.

  “Pay attention,” she snapped. “I have to attend an urgent staff meeting. You will remain here and brew the potion, perfectly. And after you have brewed the potion, you will write three hundred lines. I will listen to my teachers at all times. Do you understand me?”

  The Punishment Book suddenly felt heavier. “Yes,” I said. “I understand.”

  “Good,” Magistra Loanda snapped.

  She rose and strode out the door, banging it closed behind her. I heard the telltale hiss of a locking spell and flinched. There was no way to escape. Maybe I could dismantle or discharge the spell, with the right tools ... I shook my head. It was pointless. I was going to remain in the classroom until she returned, then get detention for not brewing the potion. If she didn't go straight to the Castellan and demand I be expelled ...

  I reached for the Punishment Book and froze as I touched a piece of paper. It was the formula I’d discovered earlier, the formula for releasing magical power. I hesitated, then pulled the paper out of my pocket and smoothed it out on the desk. The words I’d scribbled in a hurry seemed to mock me, yet ... yet what if it worked? I caught my breath. What if it worked?

  Glancing at the clock, I opened the textbook and hurriedly started adapting the formula for the brew. Everything seemed to make sense. The Regeneration Potion wasn't that complex, compared to some of the brews my mother made regularly. But if I was wrong ... I couldn't be the first person to think of it, could I?

  I stood and hurried to the storerooms. Dragon scales were kept out of sight, unsurprisingly, but I knew where they were hidden. Magistra Loanda really shouldn't have made me list all the half-empty bottles and jars if she hadn't wanted me to learn my way around the storerooms. Oddly, the thought made me smile. She might have been trying to do me a backhanded favour. My mother’s talent for brewing was well-known. And it wasn't uncommon for children to follow in their parent’s footsteps.

  There didn't seem to be a ward around the dragon scales - I tested with my sensor - but I still hesitated before reaching for the jar. My mother had booby-trapped her supplies, just to make sure we couldn't take them without permission. Nothing bit me as I touched the jar and removed it from the shelf ... I puzzled over it for a long moment before deciding that too many upperclassmen needed access to the storerooms to make wards practical. It wasn't as if dragon scales were rare. The beasts shed their skins regularly.

  I found the rest of the supplies, and carried them back into the classroom. I’d have to brew the formula in a separate caldron first, then start work on the potion itself. I glanced at the clock and then started to work, making sure to clean each of the red-gold scales individually before dropping it in the boiling water. In theory, the brew should start to glow of its own accord.

  And I’ll probably discover the flaw in my work, I thought. It defied belief that my mother hadn't stumbled across the formula. She had an instinct for potion combinations that I would never share. It probably won’t work.

  I prepared the rest of the ingredients anyway, then glanced at the brew. It was glowing with a faint pearly light that sent tingles down my spine. I felt a spark of excitement, even though I knew it was terribly dangerous. The magic reaction was uncontrolled. There was no way I could hope to direct it either, no matter what I did. All I could do was hope that my projections were correct.

  And yet ... it was the first time I’d made a potion that glowed.

  I clamped down hard on my excitement as I began to brew the Regeneration Potion, then reached for a ladle and carefully splashed some of the formula into the brew. If it exploded, I was far too close ... it didn't. Instead, it shimmered and turned green. I felt my heart stop, just for a second. I’d made it work! Somehow, I’d made it work! I sat down so hard I almost toppled over backwards. The rest of the potion might fail, but I’d already accomplished something great. I shouldn't have any trouble brewing potions that required only one surge of magic.

  As long as I don’t run out of dragon scales, I thought.

  I shook my head. I’d clearly stumbled on something. Robin could get dragon scales for me, although I would probably have to give him most of my allowance to pay for them. Or I could ask my mother, when I went home. She would be utterly thrilled with my discovery ...
<
br />   Don’t lose sight of what you’re doing, I told myself, sternly. The Regenerative Potion needed a second infusion of magic. You need to complete the potion before the teacher comes back.

  I kept a wary eye on my watch as the seconds ticked past. Part of me was sure that the glow would fade, but it didn't. The potion seemed stable. I waited, all too aware of my heart beating loudly in my chest, until it was time to add more formula to the brew. This time, it bubbled alarmingly for several minutes - I braced myself to dive under the table - before finally settling down into a shimmering blue colour. It was perfect. Or, at least, it looked perfect. I removed the flame from below the caldron and blew it out. In theory, the potion should cool rapidly ...

  There wasn't much of the formula left, I noted. There should be just enough for a single-stir potion, if my calculations were correct. I bottled up the remainder, stuck it in my pocket for later use, then sifted the potion before starting to clear up the mess. If I was lucky - if I was very lucky - Magistra Loanda wouldn't ask too many questions, once she saw the successful potion. I didn't want to share my secret with her until I’d told Mum and Dad.