A Questionable Quest

Chapter 5... in which I cast a spell, lie, and lie a little more

Powdered dragon tooth, 1 heaping tsp

Sea salt from a south-facing shore, 2 pinches

Water, 1 cup

White vinegar, 3 tablespoons (optional: for the smell)

Mix components (in the given order, DO NOT IMPROVISE) and soak chosen charm for thirteen minutes and thirteen seconds. Wear the charm at all times. To remove the spell from the charm, soak it in a bath of 1 part sea salt from a north-facing shore and 16 parts goat milk.

*warning* This charm only works if the user is not conducting other spells. It will subside during any periods of spellcasting.

I drew my bottom lip between my teeth as I measured out the powdered dragon tooth. My hand shook slightly. I didn't actually know what would happen if any powder dropped to the counter...

I watched (half-curious, half-dreading) as a few wisps of powder fell, in seemingly dramatic slow motion, to the stone vanity. Just as the granules touched the surface, a hole appeared, drilling all the way down to the wooden floor. I leaned over the counter and peered down the black pinprick of a hole.

... well then.

I would have crossed my fingers in hopes that no one noticed -- but I was holding a precariously heaped teaspoon of powdered dragon tooth in one gloved hand, and a dragon-treated beaker in the other.

My hands trembled ever-so-slightly as I moved them together (fortunately, no more powder fell). I swiftly dropped the teaspoon into the beaker.

The knot in my chest loosened. The hardest part was over -- with minimal mishaps.

Next came the salt, and the water. Of all the ingredients, white vinegar had been the hardest to find, but I quickly dropped the three tablespoons in and swirled the beaker with one hand.

My eyes ran over the neatly-scrawled instructions once more. I mentally ticked off each of the steps. Dragon tooth powder... salt... water... vinegar... mix...

Soak. Soak was next.

I carefully lifted my "chosen charm" -- a thin silver chain holding a rough-cut tanzanite gem. Tanzanite was the official gemstone of the Harvemor royal family, as its blue-ish purple color was almost exactly the color of the royal family's eyes.

(I actually had a theory that the stone came first, and then the eye-color, but no one else agreed with me.)

The necklace fell into the beaker with a clink. I set my timer for thirteen minutes and thirteen seconds. Then blew out a breath.

I loved potions, I really did. Especially considering it had been part of Mordrin's tutoring. But waiting for the potion to soak -- wondering if you did everything correctly, if the charm would burn your hand off when you took it out because you accidentally put in too many hairs of unicorn mane -- that was the worst part.

I lifted the handwritten spellbook (the small thing Mordrin had shoved into my arms before I left) and read the spell again. Then again. Then again.

It was on the third reading when I noticed a small scribble, nearly faded, at the bottom of the page:

**warning** Powdered dragon tooth powder will burn through any non-flammable surface. Use preferably over parchment or dry wood.

"Huh." I glanced at the counter -- and the small pinprick of a hole -- so that's what happened...

Well, nothing to do about it now. I shrugged, tossed a handkerchief over the hole, and closed the book. I carefully stuffed it into my smallest travel-sack, which sat propped up against the door.