Mailee had gotten up at break of dawn and started brewing a health potion for Soveliss. She had gather the following ingredients and follow the recipe that she had practice many times before. The ingredients that she had lauded before her were Eucommia Stolonifera, Bumelia Monticola, Conopholis Arundinaera, Cyrilla Caerulea, and a tear of a phoenix...one of her's to be exact.
She grind the Eucommia Stolonifera and, while doing so, she got lost in her thoughts. Once finished she put the result in a container. Mailee then add a sprinkle of water to turn it into a messy mix, then add the Bumelia Monticola all at once.
Filling a hand-size cauldron with water, adding the mixture and putting a candle under to heat it up, then waited for the mixture to a boil. Mailee allowed it to reduce by half before adding the Conopholis Arundinaera and Cyrilla Caerulea, a quarter at a time of a mixture of both.
Mailee took the candle's heat away, dropping one of her phoenix's tears into the mixture, and then she allowed everything to cool down to room temperature. She stir everything a final time to thoroughly mix everything. It was ready for her unhappy patient.
"Maybe I should bring some honey with me too...this tends to be very bitter to most people..." Mailee's thoughts were interrupted when her chamber door banged open, and she was on her feet in an instant, a dagger in hand.
But Soren took no notice of her as he stormed in, his jaw clenched. Mailee groaned and slumped back into her desk chair. "Oh no, don't knock. Come right on in...Don't you ever knock?" She grumbled, finishing up cleaning her small mess she made in the desk. "What are you doing here at this time of morning?" He put a hand on his sword as he walked towards her and dragged her out of her chair by the elbow.
"Where were you last night? And what is that potion for?" She pushed away the fear that tightened her throat.
"There is no way he would know about that secret passage nor about Soveliss and Mira." She gave him a fake smile. "Here, of course. Sleeping in my bed with Nooroo. And looking this up about this treasure." She yanked her elbow out of his grasp and waved her fingers in front of him, displaying the serpent ring.
"And what about that potion there?" He pointed at the red glowing potion bottle on the desk. She refused to step back as he studied her face, then the potion, then the rest of her.
As he did so, she returned the favor. His black tunic was unbuttoned at the top, and slightly wrinkled-- and his hair needed a combing.
"For buxom. What's all the fuss about? Don't you have challenges to look for?" She picked at her nails as she waited for his answer.
"Never mind that I asked. Also those can wait for a moment. A candidate was found dead this morning. Both candidates from Mélamar." Mailee flicked her eyes to him, then back to her nails.
"And I suppose you think I did it?"
"I'm hoping you didn't, as the body was half-eaten."
"Eaten!" She crinkled her nose. She sat cross-legged on the chair, picking up the potion in her hands away from Soren's reach. "How gruesome. Perhaps a wild animal did it; they could have gotten in the place and could have done such a thing." Her stomach felt tight-- more candidates murdered. "Did it have to do with whatever evil Mira had mentioned? The cook, the maid, and the keeper? Each candidate killings hadn't been just a fluke, or a brawl. No, this was a pattern. I got to talk with Soveliss or Mira." Soren sighed through his nose.
"I'm glad you find great humor in others' murder or death." He ran a hand through his hair. "You should mind who you help, dear sister. While we are here going up against each other, you're still supposed to help me win." She straightened, staring into his eyes.
"I do not need to be reminded about that. You should remember more than anyone about what happens when I lose my temper. Unless you want some new buxom, I suggest that you leave and get to it with your challenges." Soren glanced at the potion in her hand, she his her smile as a faint line of color crept into his cheeks. "I got some reading to do." A lie, but he bought it.
She started to grab a book next to her before she could see the glare he gave her, and smiled to herself when she heard him stalk out of the room. It was only when she heard him slam the door did she looked up. "Last night in my dream--no, it hadn't been a dream. It had been real. And there had been those screeching creatures... Had the ones from Mélamar been killed by one of them?" She shuddered again, and leapt out from her seat. She needed a few more questions answered, and a way to break these bonds on her wrists.
Even as she readied her small bag, she kept assuring herself that it was none of her business. But with a few hours of freedom ahead of her, she brought as many weapons as she possible could as she locked the door to her chambers and slipped into the secret passages.
YOU ARE READING
The Mirror Guardian
Random((Book One of The Guardian Series.)) She was the Flame of Light craving peace... They say she is powerful. They say she is the Flame of Life. They say she instill fear into the hearts of many. It is even said that the Devil himself is afraid of her...
