Secrets and Alchemy

by Linsey Hall

  “Will he be all right?” I asked.

  “Yes. He’ll come back to himself in a few minutes. Let’s get out of here.” He turned and headed for the door, folding his wings back into his body.

  I followed him, confusion ricocheting inside of me. He had grown his wings to save me. But why had he climbed to the top of the tower? What had he wanted?

  Had he decided to take payment for my services from the sorcerers, stealing something for his potion business?

  But he’d said getting the wings back was deadly. Was I really worth that to him?

  With the alarm blaring and threats coming from all around, there was no time to ask. I raced after him, following him through the entry hall. The guards were still in their cage, shouting and cursing.

  Connor hurried down the corridor, and I followed. We were nearly to the exit when four guards spilled out of the hall in front of us. Connor didn’t even slow. He charged, colliding with them. He knocked one unconscious with a hard punch, then kicked another in the chest. That guard choked and slammed against the wall, drifting down.

  One of the remaining two guards managed to land a punch to Connor’s shoulder, but Connor didn’t even slow. He just returned the favor, hitting the guy square in the nose.

  I managed to grab the last one, slamming the hilt of my dagger down onto his head. He slumped to the ground, unconscious.

  “Come on.” Connor grabbed my hand, and we raced from the Sorcerers’ Guild, sprinting through the tiny door that was now missing and running up the stairs.

  As soon as we reached the grass, Connor dug into his pocket and pulled out a transport charm. He chucked it to the ground and dragged me inside. The ether sucked us in and spun us around, spitting us out in Magic’s Bend, right in front of Connor’s bar, Potions & Pastilles.

  I gasped and stumbled against him.

  He caught me, holding me steady. “Are you all right?”

  “Fine.” My gaze flicked up to his. We’d nearly been caught. I’d nearly died. He had his wings, which could apparently kill him somehow. Anger surged. “What was so important that you went rogue? If we’d just gone for the one ingredient, we wouldn’t have run into so much trouble. You wouldn’t have been forced to take the potion for your wings.”

  “It was worth it, I promise.”

  Memories of falling to my death flashed in my mind’s eye. “You saved me.”

  He gripped my shoulders gently. “Of course I did.”

  I swallowed hard. “What does this mean for you and your wings? You said it was deadly.”

  He ignored the question and released one of my shoulders, then reached into his pocket, pulling out a small glass jar of bark. “This is Rowenia bark. It’s an ingredient for the potion that will remove your curse.”

  Shock raced through me. “What?”

  “When you described the curse, I knew I had a potion recipe that could remove it. But there was one ingredient I’ve never had access to. It’s one reason your curse has been so hard to get rid of. Nearly impossible to get the supplies.”

  My gaze flashed between his face and the little glass jar. “But you found it? For me?”

  “Of course.” A smile tugged up at the corner of his mouth. “I wasn't going to let a golden opportunity like that pass me by.”

  I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him hard on the mouth, joy filling me.

  He’d done that for me.

  To help me.

  He’d had my back. Like really, truly had my back. More than anyone ever had since my parents died.

  I pulled back. “Thank you so much.”

  “Maybe save that until we see if I can really make the potion to remove the curse.”

  “Thank you anyway, even if it doesn’t work.” Tears pricked my eyes. “Knowing that you did that for me…well, it means a lot.”

  He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I wanted to.” He pulled back. “Now, come on. Despite the fact that this ingredient was hard to get, the potion to give you back control of your magic is easy.”

  Excitement made my heart race and my soul feel like it wanted to take flight.

  Connor unlocked the door to his bar and pulled me inside. Quickly, he flicked on the lights, illuminating the space in a warm glow that highlighted the art on the walls and the sparkling whiskey bottles behind the bar.

  His stride was fast as he moved toward the back, and I had to race to keep up. I followed him into a narrow kitchen. He headed toward a door at the rear. Before he walked in, he turned and said, “Could you scrounge up something to eat? I’ll get to work on this.”

  In the little kitchen, I beelined for the fridge, excitement thrumming through me. He might actually be able to get me my power back. And we had what we needed to pay off Vlad. Joy burst in my chest as I dug through the fridge, throwing together a couple sandwiches and filling two cups with orange juice. I wanted a beer to celebrate, but we still had work to do.

  Loaded down with my loot, I headed through the narrow space to the room where I could hear Connor working. The door was open, revealing a cluttered workroom filled to the brim with tiny bottles, jars, herbs, and tools. Every wall was covered with shelves, and every shelf stuffed full of ingredients. The big table was scarred and covered with various bowls and cauldrons, knives and spoons.

  Before entering the workroom, I set the sandwiches on the counter behind me and watched him.

  “Almost done.” His voice was low with concentration as he bent over a small bowl with a silver knife in hand. “This one just needs to be mixed together. No brewing time required.”

  I couldn’t believe I might be close to finally having control of my magic. It was all I could think about—an all-consuming idea that screamed through my head.

  Finally.

  A few moments later, he stopped stirring, then reached for a small silver cup. He poured the potion into it, then turned to me, his face tense. “This is it.”

  I sat up straight. “It’s done?”

  He nodded and held out the cup full of sparkling blue liquid.

  My heart thundered, and I stepped toward him. “Even if this doesn’t work, you’re my hero for trying.”

  “I wouldn’t mind staying your hero.”

  I took the cup from him. “I wouldn’t mind that, either.”

  He stepped back. “Go on. The suspense is killing me.”

  I nodded and put the cup to my lips, my heart pounding. The first sip tasted like apples, and I gulped it down. Adrenaline and hope zipped through my veins as I felt the potion go to work inside me. Magic fizzed through my whole body, and I felt like I’d been filled up with bubbles.

  “Well?” Connor asked.

  Everything in my body felt more…complete. Like broken pieces were being put back together. A sense of ease I hadn't felt in years swept through me. It was as if everything were the way it should be.

  I grinned up at him, hope and elation soaring within, making me feel like I was full of lovely, fizzing bubbles. “I think it’s working.”

  He grinned and hugged me close, pressing a kiss to my mouth.

  Magic kept surging through my sinews and muscles, putting me back together again. It was like I’d become so used to being broken I’d forgotten what it was like to feel whole again. Joy filled me up to bursting.

  I pulled back from Connor. “I have to test it.”

  He looked around, then found an old balled-up piece of paper. “Try this.”

  I took the paper, feeling the crinkly edges against my palm. It grounded me, and when I called upon my magic, the power rushed to life faster and more easily than it had since I’d been cursed.

  I set the paper on the ground, then pointed my right index finger at it. When I used to have control of my magic, I could send large or small blasts. This called for a small one. I didn’t want to void the floor of his workshop.

  The magic sizzled up my arm, and I directed the power toward the paper. It shot from my fingertip as a blast of dark gray smoke, enveloping the paper an
d sucking it into nothing.

  A half second later, the paper was gone.

  “It works!” I crowed. “I’ll need more practice with bigger things, but it works!”

  Connor pulled me into his arms and spun me around. I laughed, excited to try again with something bigger. When I could properly use my talent, I was immensely powerful. Like I’d promised Connor, I could void the weapons of entire armies.

  He pressed a kiss to my lips, and I let the pleasure wash over me. When he pulled back, his face was pale. Deathly so. Despite the joy in his eyes, his complexion was ashen.

  “Connor? You don’t look well.” My heart thundered, worry streaking through me.

  “I’m fine.” His voice was rough, and he had to reach for the wall to steady himself.

  “You’re not.”

  “I’m fine.” He staggered back toward his worktable, nearly going to his knees before he reached the edge.

  I hurried after him, panic lighting my heart on fire. “What’s wrong?”

  “Just a little—” He fumbled with a tiny vial of potion that sat on his counter.

  “Let me.” I grabbed it and uncorked it, then handed it to him. His hand trembled as he took it. He leaned against the table, his head dipped and shoulders heaving.

  I clutched his shoulders. “Connor. Tell me what’s wrong!”

  “I’m fine.” He raised the potion to his lips, staring at it briefly.

  “This is what you were talking about. It was deadly to get your wings back.” I hated myself for forgetting. My excitement over my own magic had gotten the better of me. Selfish.

  Connor swigged the potion, and I waited, heart thundering and prayers racing through my mind.

  Please let him be okay.

  9

  Connor

  Agony twisted my muscles as the potion went to work inside me. The pain concentrated at my back, where my wings had once lived, and it was so fierce that my vision had gone black.

  I’d known when I’d created the potion that it was dangerous. This was worse than I’d expected.

  I dragged a hand over my brow and tried to control my breathing.

  “I’m the reason you took the potion. Please, Connor. Please be okay.”

  I could hear the guilt in her voice, but my response was slow to come as the potion worked inside me, repairing the muscles, bones, and organs that were breaking down.

  “I just need a moment.” My voice was weak, but I could feel the strength slowly returning to my muscles.

  The potion wouldn’t work forever, but it would hold off the worst of the effects until I could finish the transition process.

  “Let me get you to a chair.” Sora tugged at my arm, but I resisted.

  “I’m fine.” My voice was stronger now, thank fates. I blinked, clearing my vision, and stood. Suddenly, my strength returned, and I felt normal. I drew in a deep breath, my muscles relaxing.

  “That was a fast-acting potion,” Sora said. “You look….fine.”

  “I feel fine.”

  “But you aren’t fine. Whatever just happened there”—she waved her hand at me—“that was not fine.”

  “Before…when I told you that I gave up my wings, I gave up the magic inside them as well. I never told my sister that my wings were unusual. We were teenagers then, and the whole…” I waved my hand. “Puberty thing. New magic was appearing inside me, but we were so busy dealing with the Court trying to evict her that I didn’t want to mention it.”

  “You’re the best brother.”

  I didn’t do so hot with compliments, so I ignored her words. “Anyway, I created and drank a potion that got rid of my wings and the magic within them.”

  “And now you’ve taken the potion to bring them back,” Sora said. “But you said that it was deadly.”

  I turned to her, catching sight of the worry in her eyes. Her brow was creased, and her mouth turned down, but she was still cute as hell. “The potion I took to get my wings back…it was just the start of the process.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked.

  “It’s a two-part potion. The first one gave me my wings back, but not the magic within them. Without that magic, I am incomplete, and the wings are destroying my body.”

  Sora turned white. “Destroying?”

  “Breaking it down to feed themselves. I have a potion that will hold it off, but not forever. The only thing that will fix me for good is the second potion, which will give my wings their magic back. When they are complete, they’ll stop destroying me.”

  “So you need to finish the potion?” Sora looked around as if she’d find the components here and wanted to whip it up herself. Despite the impossibility of it, something thudded in my chest at the idea that she would try to fix me.

  “Yes. But I don’t have the ingredients. Not because I didn’t want to be prepared, but because I couldn’t. The spell requires my newly transformed blood, plus an ingredient that has an extremely limited shelf life.”

  “So we have to go get this ingredient and combine it with your new blood, then you’re fixed?” Sora asked.

  “Basically.” It wasn’t as easy as that, but if I told her that, she’d insist on coming, and that would be too dangerous.

  An image of the burning village from my dreams flickered in my mind, but I shoved it away. I had no idea why it haunted me, and I didn’t have time to think of it now.

  “So let’s go get the ingredient. It’s rare, but surely the Sorcerer’s Guild must have it. You saw all that stuff!” Her brow furrowed. “But you went for my stuff first. To give me my power back.”

  “Of course. But the Sorcerer’s Guild doesn’t have what I need. No shop or Guild does.” I dragged a hand over my face. How much to tell her? How many of my secrets to reveal? Even Claire didn’t know all of them. “I’m going to go deal with this, and I’ll find you when I’m done, all right?”

  “Oh, hell no. You are insane if you think I’m leaving you like this to fix yourself.”

  “I’ll be fine. If I take a restorative draught every twelve hours or so, I’ll stay strong enough to finish this.” I didn’t mention that the draught would stop working at some point. Then I’d be dead in…oh, say two days. Maybe less.

  Either way, it’d be painful as hell.

  “You fixed me.” Her voice was hard as steel. “Now I’m going to help fix you.”

  “You don’t have to.”

  “I don’t freaking care.” She glared at me, sizing me up. “You said you haven't told your sister about this.”

  “Not quite.” There was a lot I hadn’t told my sister. Mostly to protect her.

  Sora nodded, appearing satisfied. “Exactly. So if you don’t let me help you, you’d better believe I’m going to rat you out to your sister in about two seconds flat.”

  I sighed, tilting my head back. Claire deserved to know. I couldn’t argue that point. But I didn’t need her worrying about me. Between her and Sora, their concern would crush me.

  I’d rather deal with one worried woman. And I couldn’t lie—Sora was powerful, and her magic was useful. If I only had a couple days left, I wanted to spend them with her.

  “Fine,” I said. “Thank you.”

  Her brows rose. “You’re letting me help?”

  “I’m not an idiot. You’re strong and smart. And I could use the assistance.”

  “And you don’t want me to tell your sister.”

  “I’ll tell my sister one day. When this is over and I’m safe. But mostly, I just want to be with you.”

  Concern flashed in her eyes. “Shit. Are you worried you’re going to die?”

  “No.” A little. “It’ll be fine. Just difficult.”

  “I can’t believe you did this for me.”

  The image of her falling replayed in my mind. I gripped her arms and pulled her toward me, meeting her gaze. “Of course I did. I couldn’t watch you die.”

  She swallowed hard, her throat moving. Something passed between us, a tension that tightened the ai
r and made me want to lean down and kiss her. But there was no time, and if I started, I wouldn’t stop.

  “Shit.” A horrible thought occurred. “The potion for the Devil of Darkvale. We need to make that.”

  “When we’re done with this.” Sora’s voice was firm.

  “He can wait?” It would take nearly a day to brew. We didn’t have a day.

  “He’s going to have to. We need to get started on fixing you. There’s no time to waste.”

  She was right. There just wasn’t time—not if I wanted to survive.

  I nodded, almost reluctantly, then pointed to the plants that we’d grown in the Sorcerer’s Guild. They were laid out on the table. “The main ingredient is here. If I don’t…make it, you can get someone to create the potion. There are some Blood Sorceresses in Darklane who should be able to help. My sister can find them for you.”

  She ignored my words and tugged on me. “We should go. Where to?”

  “London.”

  “Back there? Really?”

  “Yes. Not your part, though.” There were many magical parts to London. Guild City was just one of them. Fletcher’s Wine Bar was another, though we weren’t going for the wine.

  “Lead the way.” Sora gestured to the spot on the shelves where I kept the transport charms.

  I pulled my leather jacket off the post on the wall and tugged it on, then grabbed a bag and stuffed it with potions of all varieties. I had no idea what I’d need, so I filled it to the brim. Once it was ready, I stashed it in the ether and shoved some of the restorative draughts into my pocket, bringing all that I had.

  Finally, I grabbed one of the transport charms and turned to Sora. “I need to go lock the door to the bar. We can leave from there.”

  She nodded and turned to leave my workshop. Two sandwiches sat on a plate on the counter, and she grabbed them both. “Here.” She shoved one toward me. “I forgot I made them.”

  My stomach growled at the sight, and I took it. “Thank you.”

  She nodded. We ate as I led the way through the narrow kitchen, out to the main bar. Just as I reached the front door, Claire opened it and stepped inside.