Dragon Witch ✔️

36 - Full Moon

Eva dug her claws into my shoulder. I here. If recipe bad, I fix you.

"I'm sure it'll be fine." I swirled the water bottle in my hands, watching the goopy gray liquid inside sloop from one side to the other. It looked like swamp mud, and it didn't smell much better. "I'm supposed to drink all of this?"

Piper, crouching in front of me on the bathroom floor, nodded emphatically. "It's not as potent as magic. Just don't breathe through your nose."

"Uh huh." I raised the bottle to my lips. Trying not to look at or smell the foul thing in the bottle, I took a swig. It was like dirt and dried leaves and sewer water, all wrapped up in rotting fish. Gagging, I fought the urge to spit it back out. I swallowed. "Ack, how do people survive without magic?"

"You know, there's a small Otherworlder company working on making iron fever herbs into a pill. The problem is, You would have to take like ten pills to make up the same amount of herbs as one bottle. And sugar doesn't do anything for the taste." She waved a hand at her nose. "Or so I've heard. I'm glad I don't have to drink that."

"I wish I didn't have to drink it." I took another swig. It wasn't any better than the first.

Eva hissed. Stinky drink. Ew ew ew. She flew from my shoulder to sit on the shower curtain rod.

"Thanks for the support, featherball."

After ten minutes of forcing myself to drink the mixture, I saw Piper bring out a notepad.

"So, how are you feeling?" She tapped the notepad with her pen.

"I feel-" I was about to complain about the nauseating mixture, but I actually didn't feel too bad. My itchy rash, pounding headache, and churning stomach were significantly less painful now than they had been. "-not bad. I'll never get this taste out of my mouth, but I don't think I'll be throwing up anymore."

"Good, good." She scribbled something. "On a scale of one to ten, how would you describe your discomfort before taking the herbs?"

"Eight or nine, definitely."

"And now?"

I shrugged. Even the red rash was less visible. "Maybe a two."

Someone knocked on the bedroom door, and Piper jumped to her feet.

"I'll get that. You finish the herbs." She set her notepad and pen on the counter before sprinting out of the bathroom.

I tilted the water bottle and shook its contents toward the mouth. It was mostly empty. Hadn't I drank enough? I was feeling much better already. With a sigh of relief at my self-justification, I tilted the bottle back the other direction. Its contents sludged to the bottom.

"Where's Lilly?" Kyton asked from the bedroom.

"Bathroom," Piper said.

"Can you give this to her? It's another version of the healing potion. Silvestre thought it might help."

"Oh, I've got it covered. I gave her an old family remedy. She's feeling much better." Her voice was a little too high, too suspicious.

Apparently, Kyton heard it, too. "Tell me you didn't- You did. It's an Otherworlder mix, Piper. Half the ingredients are poisonous to humans." He charged in the bathroom, catching me before I could properly hide the water bottle.

I scrambled to my feet. "I can explain."

"I'm sure you can. You can't read Spritish." He grabbed the bottle and tried to yank it out of my hands. When I wouldn't give it up, grabbed my arm and dragged me toward the door. "Silvestre will have an antidote." Marching me past Piper, he brandished a finger at her. "You, on the other hand, should know better. What were you thinking?"