Page 14 of The Misplaced Warrior

“It depends,” Bep said, striding over to the bubbling cauldron, peering into the contents speculatively.

“On what?” Jack questioned, giving Gen a curious expression.

“Oh, well…” Bep looked up, thinking. “The request, the day that I need a favor, how I feel that day and of course, what kind of hair day I’m having.”

“Of course,” Gen said, giving Jack a playful expression.

“Of course,” he repeated.

“Well, we need a Sneak’s Stain Solution,” Gen explained. “Do you have that? Can you give that to us?”

Bep spun around, looking at them pointedly suddenly. “You need that? For what?”

“For security,” Jack answered at once, not getting flustered. “We’re Rogue Riders. Our job is to catch sneaks and perpetrators.”

“I thought your job was to manage criminals,” Bep argued.

“Only once we catch them,” Jack countered, not missing a beat.

“Right,” Bep said, nodding, seeming to accept this. “Well, I guess that makes sense. Now do you know how this powerful defensive potion works?” She strode over to a nearby shelf and retrieved a small bottle of bright blue liquid.

“Yes, but remind us,” Jack said, discreetly winking at Gen.

She slightly smiled at him, knowing he was playing the potions maker perfectly.

“Well, you put it around an area where you need to protect something,” Bep explained, crossing the store with the bottle in tow. “Unfortunately, only half the time does it prevent criminals from trespassing into the area. But, the clever potion makes up for this shortcoming in other ways.”

“And that is?” Jack asked, taking the bottle of blue liquid when Bep handed it to him.

“One hundred percent of the time, the potion marks the offender,” she answered. “So although it won’t always prevent a crime, it will always help you to catch the person who did it.”

“That’s interesting,” Gen mused.

Bep nodded. “That it is. And it also has a nice aroma of peppermint and cloves that make a nice air freshener.”

“That’s a bonus,” Jack said with a laugh.

“And how does the Sneak’s Stain Solution mark the criminal?” Gen asked.

“Well, with blue hands, of course,” Bep answered. “The person who committed the crime will be caught blue-handed.”

“That’s perfect,” Jack chuckled.

“But be aware that the potion does stain some areas where you put it,” Bep explained. “So only put it where you need to guard something or catch a criminal who might be trying to do something nefarious. It will leave a small trace of blue in those areas, but it’s nothing that you can’t later use one of my cleaning potions to erase.”

“Well, that’s handy,” Jack said, smiling at Gen, seeming giddy from their day’s adventures.

“Definitely,” Gen replied. “So the price? Do you know what we’ll need to do to pay you?”

Bep shook her head. “I don’t need anything right now. But with two dragonriders at my disposal, I’ll definitely come up with something soon. I’m sure there’s a magical ingredient that I’ll need your expert hands to fetch for me.”

“Of course.” Jack bowed chivalrously to her.

She blushed, giggling and covering her mouth from the gesture. “I’ll let you know when I need your assistance.”

“Until then,” Jack said, looping his arm in Gen’s and leading her from The Rose Apothecary. The pair waved over their shoulders at the potions maker. Gen couldn’t help but laugh as Jack pulled her in close, escorting her from the shop.

It had been a fun day full of adventures with Jack. Gen was definitely sad to see it coming to an end. However, she was secretly grateful that their day had led to a series of favors that they’d have to repay—and together.

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