Elixer of Feelings

Episode 8

Okay, Lisa, keep it together. The thought passes as I tell the teller that I need twenty thousand dollars of my hard-earned money. She gives me the usual sure and happy to help routine as I know she notices nearly all of what's in my account. She starts the clicking of her keyboard and looks over my finance. I feel nerves creeping up again. I begin to tap my fingers along the counter to give them something to do. She looks up at me from behind her glasses and tells me that she can process this for me, but she would need me to take a seat. "Is there something wrong?" I know I sound just as afraid as I feel. "No Ma'am, this is just our process when taking out large amounts of cash at once. If you just take a seat in the lobby, one of our bankers will be with you shortly." She says with the kind of smile that you get after years of training. I thank her and clutch onto my purse and find a seat in the lobby. I sit in one of the most comfortable chairs ever, but I can't calm down. What did I do? What did Jess do? Jess told me to keep quiet because I didn't know how to deal with that kind of man. But did she? Clearly not, why start a fight with him? Did she not think that he would kill her? Queen's breathe, I need a solution. A solution!That's it! Lisa, you have a master's in alchemy, surely there is a way out of this. Sure I only focused on the prettier magics, but I couldn't learn them without the basics. The basics were always the base of any good idea. Most spells, alchemy or otherwise, were only more advanced and modified versions of the original. Now, what would be the right spell for this? I couldn't possibly try to do any of the attack spells. I run the risk of hurting Jess, and that wouldn't do any good. The same goes for the defense spells. Sure, I could make us indestructible for a time, but I couldn't do it without the risk of him catching on to what was going on or giving him the same. So if I can't hurt him and I can't defend us..."Ms. Phillips?" a tall man with a neatly trimmed beard approaches me. "Yes," I say, grabbing my belongings and taking his lead. He walks us back to his office of not much to look at. He must have been newer. He pulls my chair out for me and takes his. "So, making a big purchase?" He inquires, folding his hands on the table. "Yes, I have the chance to buy a new location, and the asking price is twenty thousand. I do plan to talk them down, but I thought it would be best to bring it all with me just in case." Funny how easy I can lie to him. "Excellent, It's always good to hear that our business customer is doing well. Would you like some coffee?""I'd love some, maybe get a little energy before the long drive," I say, giving the same trained smile as the teller before. I slip my hands under the table and begin to make the hand motions for a minor charming spell. Most businesses, banks, especially, have a magic dampener protecting them. If you're good at magic, however, you should still be able to cast minor spells. The magic is readied within me, and once I give him my instructions on cream to coffee, he hands me a cup. I thank him and take a small sip releasing the spell. "Umm," I say, feigning burning my lip. "Could you get me a napkin?""Sure," He says and makes the trip back to the coffee pot at the end of the room. Once he turns his back, I dip my finger in the coffee and let a drop of mine go to his cup. If I did this right, things should get interesting. "Here, you are Ms. Phillips." He hands me a couple of napkins and takes his seat. "My apologizes, I didn't think that it was that hot.""It's quite alright, I just drunk it too fast. It's really alright." I say, and we both take a sip. He puts his cup down after a gulp, there is a flash of pink in his eyes. Once they go back to their original red, he looks at me then glances me over. Clearing his throat, he continues. "As I was saying, Ms. Phillips. May I call you Lisa?""Sure," I say, listening to his tone change. "Lisa, when our customers take out large amounts of money, we often think they may be leaving us. And I couldn't think of the possibility of you leaving me. You wouldn't do that to me, dear?" He says, taking my hand. I guess I still got it. "Of course not, sweetie. I'm all yours.""Great, now, if you need any help at all, here call me on my cell. I wouldn't want to miss your voice.""Sure thing," I say, winking and taking his business card with his cell on the back. Leaving the bank gave me an enormous boost in my confidence. The love spell had worked perfectly. The banker should stop being madly in love with me in about thirty minutes or so. Unless he was very trained in magic or mediation, he would never be the wiser. Even if it does come up one day, I can just say it was a slight prank to get out of the office as fast as possible. It's not like I did it to manipulate him to change the number on my account or anything. Before I made it back to the shop, I stopped at the store and bought a canned lemonade. Unlike the coffee at the bank, this was a level seven spell. Level seven spells are not the most powerful, but they are the strongest I can do of the charming school of magic. This would have him under my command for a month. Also, unlike the banker, who just started to flirt with me, he would be my thrall. Not that I need to command him that long. I just want absolutely no chance of him breaking my spell. Now the only hard part would be to get him to drink the spell. With the banker, it had been easy. He was going to drink his coffee no matter what. With the thug in my shop, it would be a tad bit harder. People already don't trust the things you give them as an alchemist.The good news is I just need him to drink a drop to get the spell to activate. I'm sure by the time I get there, I will think of something. I make the last turn down my street and see a couple of police lights coming from what looks like the plaza. My heart drops. Oh no! I speed up to try to get there, nearly ignoring traffic laws. I'm sure the cars sharing the road with me today will learn to hate my little blue putter, but right now, I need to make sure Jess is okay. Swerving into the parking lot, I jump out and run to the shop. The cops all look at me as I run by, and one grabs me. "Ma'am, I can't let you go in there.""That's my shop!" I yell, "Let me go!" Pulling from the cop, he takes a look and opens his mouth. "It's quite alright, mate. I'll take it from here." I snap to the other cop."Marcus?""Quite luv. What mess have you gotten yourself into now?" The other cop lets me go, and Marcus begins to guide me. "Is Jess okay?" I say frantically."Oh, I'll say she's better than alright. Well, maybe not. The crook is claiming to have been assaulted by her and causing quite the stir.""So, what's going on?""Well, I'll let you see for yourself." He says and opens the door for me. Queen's mercy!I kneel. "My lord, how great it is to see you this day. Why are you here?" I say in the presence of the last remaining God. The old God of Death. Ryziell Rouse. "Arise, Dona Phillips. I here for the same reason I do everything. The boy wants to help." He places his hand on the prince of the Underdark. Prince Simon Vrammagon. The prince was ten, but word has it, he is one of the most skilled rangers in the world. I guess it helps that his godfather is an actual God. He was a little taller than most boys his age, standing at five feet. His body hugged tight in his traditional black leather armor and a Compound bow on his back. His eyes are a soft lavender that went well with his low cut white hair. He also took after his father with the onyx skin and facial features. Lord Ryziell, on the other hand, was born a human and had bronze skin. Sun-kissed on the beaches of Los Mitichas, the coastal city he founded seven hundred years ago. He had stunning green eyes with wavy brown hair. The mage robes he wore hid his physic, but everyone knew that a body fit for a God was under those robes. His thick coastal accent would be very hypnotic if it weren't for him being feared from every being living and non-living thing. "So you've had two criminal here in the last two days. Do you have any affiliation with the local gangs?" The prince's voice is sharp. "Simon, that is no way to talk to a woman, less one that has been the victim of two great crimes. Has your mother taught you naught?" He says, pushing the boy at the shoulder. If there was one person who didn't fear Lord Rouse, it would be Simon. "Sorry, Godfather. Sorry ma'am," He bows at the waist. "Really it's no trouble at all. My prince." "Do not coddle the boy, Dona Phillips. He will be king one day, and if he can not respect the people, the people will not respect him." He gives me a look that makes my skin crawl but warms my heart—fear of attracting his wraith but glade that he is putting the prince on the right path. "Yes, My Lord," I respond and scan the room. I see that the cops are now walking the criminal out, and they are talking with Jess. "My Lord, if I may?""Yes, Dona?""What is to become of my worker?" He chuckles. "Aye Dona, that one is a good worker to have. La chica held her own against an armed man. She even managed to bruise his jaw. Which is why she may or may not be charged with assault.""It was self-defense. My lord" I say, nearly forgetting myself. "Claro, but you know the new rules. If you can let the police handle it, you should. You managed to not strike the Robber. Si?" Damn laws getting in the way of people defending themselves."Yes my Lord.""Then you see she was actually in the wrong. That brings me to the other thing she did."Queen's breathe, what else did she do?""She didn't call the police.""She didn't?""No, my trainer did. Simon, go get Master Colemann," he says and sends Simon to my office. Colemann is a common name. There is no reason for my heart to flutter so. Yes, I know that he is the trainer for the Royal Guard, but that could be anyone. He does have a large family. I guess it knows better than me. Andre emerges from my office, looking every bit as pissed off as he did this morning. He stays a step behind Prince Simon on their way here. I want to go to him and hold him, but that look tells me that it wouldn't be a good idea. Even if I wasn't in the presence of a God and a prince. "You called me my Lord?" He makes sure to stand on the other side of Lord Rouse and Simon. "Si, Dona Phillips didn't know who called the cops, I was telling her that it was you.""I see my Lord, will that be all?" Even in front of them, he's not afraid to show that he doesn't want to be anywhere near me. "No, you need to drink something after your ordeal today." I feel my purse shift as the lemonade from my purse flies out to the hand of Lord Rouse. I go to step forward, but I can hear his voice in my head. "This should be interesting," followed by his deep laugh. "Drink this mi amigo."