The Rise of Venus

Sky: The Damned

Song: sad playlist by Ivoryyy

My nails gave way to black claws as I growled lowly, slashing a random tree in the backyard. Four long claw marks were embedded into the dark bark. I halted my shift, watching through red crowded eyes as my normal hand reappeared.

"Well that's just rude," Pride mumbled. "What'd my great grandfather's favorite tree ever do to you?"

I huffed, turning around to find Pride crouched over one of his dangerous black cauldrons. Open books, spilled vials, and jars filled with too many things to list surrounded him. Whatever he was brewing smelled foul. It's brown bubbling placed a rancid scent in the air and I crinkled my nose as I breathed it all in.

"How'd you know this was your great grandfather's favorite tree?" I asked. Ignoring his question and raised eyebrows, I crouched beside him and looked inside. "What is this? It stinks."

"I read his diary. He planted that tree so it's his favorite," Pride replied. Rolling up his long maroon sleeves, he stirred the smelly concoction with a wooden spoon. The brightness within his green eyes remained while he wrote inside my journal. The same journal I hadn't seen in a while and now knew where it went. "And this was supposed to be a knowledge potion. Drink it and you're allowed the answer to one question. I was planning on using it to figure out the identity of the Two Lovers."

"Well, it looks-"

"Like shit," Pride laughed. His gaze twinkled with light-hearted cheeriness when he met my own petulant stare. Pride shifted closer to the cauldron, pursing his lips into a thin line. "I can't brew potions that don't end up in an explosion. Even on accident this shit still almost blows up."

I knew that. It was the main reason I'd banished him to the backyard when he practiced magick anyway. The amount of times Pride almost blew up the cottage with all of us in it were too high for comfort.

"Why are you upset?"

"Why are your eyes so bright?"

Yes, I was ignoring his questions. But I also wanted to know why his swampy green eyes were suddenly so enchantingly bright. I knew his eyes brightened when he practiced magick so I didn't notice at first. But during our day of lounging around, I noticed that they were consistently bright.

"Remember that gift Fergus gave me before he and Catherine left?"

"Mhm."

"It was his magick," he said. Pride distinguished the blue flame burning beneath the cauldron with a defeated expression. The failed potion cooled in its boiling as he made more notes in my journal.

"I didn't know you could just give your magick away like that."

"Well, you can't just give it away. There's a catch. The person you pass your magick onto has to be related to you by blood," Pride explained. "When you will your power away there has to be a bond already in place. Otherwise the transfer of magick won't work."

"So, even with Fergus's old magick you can't brew a potion?" I chuckled at his pinched expression, not at all expecting the small smile that graced his face to emerge.

"Apparently not," he said. "But, I guess it makes sense. Fergus's magick was mostly elemental based. He had affinities for a few other things like mind reading or portal traveling. But potions probably weren't his strong suit either. Thus, I don't think I'll ever be able to brew a non-explosive potion."

Pride sighed as he kicked the cauldron over, letting its failed contents spill out. The ailing grass darkened a decaying grey before shriveling up and dying. Once everything was poured out there was a rather large patch of withering and dying grass near our feet.