Night blood

Chapter 1

"Get the greenwood, I need to make a potion"

I hurry over to the old shelf in Kiyra's Hutt. After 15 years working as her apprentice, I know where everything is now, and I find the greenwood in seconds.

"What is it we are making exactly?" I ask her hesitantly, I always worry about asking her questions, because questions can lead to answers you can't handle. I learnt that the hard way a few years ago asking her about one of the potions the Night Lord asked her to make. One of his females had become pregnant with one of the townsmen's child, and he ordered a potion to be made to kill her, the child, and the man.

Kiyra explained that those potions were rarely used, and she turned to find me rather pale. I still received a slap because of my reaction, but she let me get the day off anyway.

"We are making a potion of instability for the Warums training" Kiyra explained, her soft accent calming me, as she gathered her equipment. Kiyra had raised me since I was 2 months old, which is when it happened, and my parents died.
When I was four I decided I wanted to be a witch like her, even if I couldn't do the magic part, I could still make basic potions and assist her in the more difficult ones.

The hutt we live in is pretty basic, it has three rooms. The main room, where everything is kept, like the table, stove, and shelves upon shelves of potion ingredients. The other two rooms are the bathroom and sleeping room. Everything always seems to be coated in a layer of dust, and is permanently tainted with smells of musk and pine because of an air potion I failed. The floors are creaky and the walls groan in light wind. However it's still as strong as a rock.

A soft pop brings my attention back to the potion. Kiyra has added the last ingredient, and the potion has taken on a soft orange hue.
"How do they use these potions?" I don't expect her to answer me, so I'm surprised when she does.
"They use them for tough concentration, like when they get injured, they need to know how to keep battling without a wound distracting their focus and balance"
Suddenly, there's a loud knock on the door, which makes me jump. I laugh it off and go to answer it.
I open the door and peep through
"Hello?"
"Is Witch Kiyra home?"
His voice scares me, and I just stare up at him in fright.
"Answer me'" the deceptively smooth voice snarls.
"Y-yes, she's home, I-I'm sorry" I quickly undo the spells preventing the door from being opened by unwanted guests, and soon the door has been flung open and a large male is standing before me. I get a surprise when I notice he is fae, as I have never seen a fae in person before, and I get an even bigger surprise when I notice it's a commander of the training camps.
Quickly, I invite him in, and in a few seconds, Kiyra rushes over, presenting the large potion batch, and offering a cup of tea.
"I have made a few tweaks to the potion, Flynn, it works the same way as it usually does, except now there is less potion required for a longer and stronger effect."
I can't move or speak, I just listen to Kiyra babble on about the potion. I never realised how big they were, and how absolutely stunning their wings are. He is at least two heads taller than me, and his wingspan looks to be almost three times his height judging from their current position.
"Iris?"
Kiyras voice brings me back to the room and I look up to see two pairs of eyes on me.
"I'm sorry, what did you say?" I ask her, the wobble in my voice causing a slight scowl to press at the corners of my mouth.
"Flynn wants to know who you are, dear."