The greenhouse was positively frigid, despite the panels of glass that separated us from the biting wind outside. My chilled, tired body longed to lay in front of the fireplace in the commons. Brisbane fluttered into the room with her arms full of scrolls and books.
"I'm sorry to keep you waiting, class," she remarked with a hurry as she gently placed the load on the nearest table. Her skin seemed stretched thin across her facing, which only accentuated the crescent moons of darkness under her eyes.
"Do you need any help, Professor?" offered Isabelle, a bulky girl with small beady eyes that reminded me of a weasel.
"No, no. I am quite alright," she said with waving hands. "Now, if you would please take your seats, I will be pairing you in groups of three to complete today's assignment. We will be brewing a common healing potion which can be found in these resources," she motioned to the stack beside her.
"You may use any of the ingredients in this room. Please begin work after I call out your group." I prayed that I would be with Flora and Jade, although Flora would most definitely want to be with Kozui. The two of them were almost inseparable. I constantly had to remind myself that they had known each other for the duration of the school year, which happened to be only a few months.
Jade and I had watched them evolve from strangers to friends to well, whatever they were now. Neither would admit their feelings to the other; each time they were left with reddened cheeks and stammering sentences.
Brisbane called out my name in a thin voice. "Yes Professor?" I responded, focusing my attention on her rather than my wandering thoughts.
"It would do you well to pay attention. I have called your name three times already." I apologized with a sheepish grin and turned to Jade.
"All three of us were paired together!" Jade said with a large smile. Flora glanced back at Kozui, who had been paired with a thin boy with large hands and Isabelle, with a forlorn look. He smiled as if to reassure her. She nodded and turned back to us with her usual expression.
I joined the rest of the room and began to scour the stack of manuscripts that Brisbane had carried in. I picked up a pale blue book with a spindly design that wrapped around its exterior. She had written the name of the potion, Percurio, on the blackboard in the corner of the room.
It took a few tries between the three of us, but we finally found the instructions and ingredients for the potion.
Percurio
5 parts Tarragon
7 parts Mercury of the Living
3 parts Skullcap
4 parts Dragon Tears
3 parts Rose petals
6 parts Nettles
A six ingredient potion was child's play, according to Flora at least. I felt lucky to have her in my group, the obscure ingredients slightly confused me. How was I supposed to find something I had never seen, especially among Brisbane's numerous specimens; it seemed impossible. Flora, however, had grown up with a Potion Master, her father. She had been watching him every since she was a child, even helping him with the brewing process at times.
She carefully picked some dried tarragon from the bundles that hung from the ceiling while explaining what each plant looked like. I knew of roses, and nettles; I slightly remembered hearing of tarragon once or twice, probably from my mother. We brought the ingredients back to the table and observed the liquids that had been placed on the desk in front of us.
I picked up one that shimmered an iridescent blue and opened the lid, surprised by the bitter turquoise smoke that exited. I crinkled my nose and replaced the cork. Flora and Jade were beside me, experimenting with the vials as well. We each had our own separate cauldron for us to brew the potion in.
"This is a group assignment but you each much turn in a separately brewed potion. You may help each other, help is always welcomed, but there comes a point when you must learn to work on your own. You will not always be blessed with the help of others," Brisbane had said.
Flora had already begun the brewing process in her rust colored cauldron. A thick steam rose from the boiling liquid as she added her next ingredient. I wished that I could say I was as far along as Flora, but I had just lit my fire. Warmth seeped into the chilled room, allowing my muscles to relax.
I opened the book in front of me and gazed at the instructions about crushing the tarragon when I heard Jade's whispering voice.
"Astor," she nudged my arm with her cold fingertips, "have you heard any news?" I wanted to tell her yes, that I had deciphered Emerson's strange attitude and the even more bizarre riddle. The creature was gone and Aeren was in the process of being taken to solitary for dark magic. No such luck.
"No, no yet," I paused, wondering if I should elaborate. Both had been equally afraid. They had watched me lose sleep, anxiously tossing and turning in my bed before finally falling asleep, only to wake up from the horrible dreams that plagued me.
Bad dreams are just that, dreams. I will protect you.
I always tried to think of those words after jolting up. Flora had woken me up from countless nightmares, each more increasingly vivid than the last. She would stroke my hair while trying her best to comfort me, whispering that everything was okay. She told me not to worry, said that she didn't mind, that she was happy to help. Help. I felt weak. I didn't want to need help.
Flora offered me a small smile, as if she could read my mind. "I've given it some more thought," added Jade as she dropped rose petals into the mixture. "Maybe she didn't mean to come off so- oh what's the word- negative? She has a naturally defensive personality, right? What if it just got the better of her?"
Leave it up to Jade to see the positive in anything. Half of the time I wondered if her optimism was justified or just a surplus of naiveness. Nevertheless, I was jealous of her ability.
"You should have seen her face, heard what she said. That tone, it left nothing to be misinterpreted in her resentful voice." Despite our encounter, Emerson had yet to bring it up again. She acted as if nothing had happened. I didn't blame her. Maybe she had lashed out, but in the moment, she had been furious.
Flora stirred the contents in her potion and leaned in. "I have to agree with her on this, Jade. The way I heard it, she seemed as if she was about to burst. This isn't the first time this has happened either. She's an emotional person and sometimes that makes her a bit-" her voice trailed off. She shook her head with a shrug.
"She's still a friend," I interjected, pouring in the silver Mercury of Life. Jade slumped down in her chair in a dejected state, crossing her arms as if to barricade our ideas away.
"I hope for her sake that you two are wrong," she said sternly. A loud gurgling pulled our attention away from the situation at hand. In a matter of seconds purple goo and erupted from Jade's cauldron, covering her in the mysterious substance. Flora and I both backed away from the table as Brisbane hurried over with small stone shaped object in hand.
She dropped the stone into the cauldron which instantly stopped the liquid from spewing over the top. "Are you alright Miss Collins!?" she frantically asked as she wiped off the liquid.
"I think so. I don't know what could have happened." Jade's face was tinted purple from the potion, but no other damage had been done.
"Can one of you take her to visit Miss Cavette?" Flora, who had already finished her potion, offered to go with her. The rest of class went at a snail's speed. I could not focus or feel relief until I knew she was completely okay. Flora had returned soon after, but neither of us spoke to each other. I let my potion simmer for a few minutes, then added the final ingredient.
The liquid was a warm golden color. I bottled it and set it on the table. The girls behind us were snickering at Jade's 'incompetence'.
"Did you see her face? She looked ridiculous. Ha- I wouldn't be surprised if she failed out of Herbology. She's lucky potions are a fraction of the lesson." I balled my fists up and turned to Flora. Her eyes held the same anger that I felt swelling up inside of me.
I whipped open one of the books to distract myself. An exorcism potion- dread filled my stomach. There were small notes written in the margins of the page. Substitute Mugwort for Yarrow for more effective relief. Add St.John's Wort- The Devil's Scourge.
My mind drifted to Levi. I wished I could go back in time and save him from his painful experience. Even if he had known the ingredients, it was highly unlikely that he would have a potion ready quick enough to help. Would it have been enough?
I hated this horrid game my mind loved to play with the unknown, twisting every situation into a blaming game. I shut the book before I could think so anymore.
* * *
Jade had messaged me halfway through English saying that she was fine and that she would see me in Astrology. I felt a weight be lifted off my chest when I saw her. Her face was still a bit blue, but she assured me that it would wear off.
She had begged everyone to go study with her after class ended, and by everyone, I mean Flora, Emerson, Chisaki, and myself. No one could deny her after her experience in the greenhouse. Still, that didn't stop Emerson from scoffing when she suggested that we ask Chisaki to join us.
"You have got to be kidding me. She wouldn't leave if you paid her." I thought the same but knew not to argue with her.
"Em, she never goes out! I'm just asking you to give her a chance; is that too hard to do?" No one could deny her large, hopeful eyes.
"Fine," Emerson began, averting her eyes from Jade, "but don't come crying to me when she hurts your feelings."
"Oh thank you Em!" Jade giggled as she bounded towards her with a large smile. We entered the earth dorms which smelled of cedar. The corridor was a muted brown color, talk about minimalistic.
To everyone's surprise, Chisaki agreed to come with us. Jade turned and stuck her tongue out at Emerson with a defiant grin. Emerson rolled her eyes back.
The study session in the commons had been fun but difficult. No one could deny that the twins were both geniuses. Chisaki had been a great, and painful, help. She pointed out every mistake we made and misconception we had, yet I could have sworn I saw her smiling out of the corner of my eye when she tried to help Jade with the Astrology assignment.
By the end of it, Emerson and her had almost come to blows and Jade had cried at least twice, but she was an amazing teacher, even if her personality was comparable to a stone wall. I left the study session with a pounding head full of newly attained knowledge.
A good night's sleep sounded amazing right about now. Jade carelessly wiped off her eyeliner, or rather, smudged it even further around her tired eyes. Flora had reopened her book and continued to study. I flopped down onto the bed, ready to fall asleep in an instant. I opened my eyes one last time.
A letter. I flew out of bed and grabbed the letter off of my desk, ignoring the black specks that crowded my vision. I saw my mother's neat handwriting written across the top. I ripped open the letter without thinking twice.
My Dearest Daughter,
I hope that you are well and enjoying your time at your new school. I miss you dearly. The house is quite empty without you. I find myself calling for you only to remember that you are no longer there. It is a strange feeling- one mixed with sadness and pride. Part of me greedily wishes you were still here, but I know better. You are bound for greatest. Keep your head up and remember you always have a place in my heart.
Love, Mom
I felt my eyes sting with tears and wiped them away before anyone could see them. I shoved the letter into the drawer and crawled into bed with thoughts of my mother.