Page 59 of Queen of Vengeance

Whereas Jax knew that Zane would drive himself into ruin if he thought it would save Lea. He could never be so foolish.

No person was worth sacrificing all that he wanted to achieve.

His eyes then danced across the room to his desk, where Lea’s potion book sat.

He had spent the last few months pouring over every recipe. He even tried a few of them.

Saying “her talent was remarkable” would be an understatement. The intricacy of each recipe was magnificent.

Lea had managed to unlock properties from certain previously undiscovered ingredients. That was the kind of privilege one can afford when one’s parents grow and sell ingredients for a living.

“I might have become just as proficient, possibly even more, if I had such opportunities.” Jax stood up from his bed and walked over to his desk, picking up the book.

The spine had all but fallen apart from the number of times Jax had picked up the book, contemplated what to do with it, and closed it again.

“So many marvelous recipes filled the book. It would be such a shame for them to die with Lea. I originally intended for Lea to return to her life eventually… I never expected them to give her a life sentence for those potions.”

He clutched the book, determined to execute his next plan. He grabbed his coat and left his house before his mother woke up.

When early afternoon strolled around, he made it to the Potions Patent Office.

This was the place to go if you had new and innovative potions that needed protection from being stolen.

Jax noted the irony.

His stomach churned, standing before the office.

“Everything I have done so far has been for self-preservation, but this feels… cruel.”

His sights fell to the ground.

The heat from Solare burned at his cheeks, almost urging him to go inside.

“This is self-preservation. Nothing would greatly benefit me than having these potions attached to my name.”

Jax looked long and hard at the notebook in his hand.

A small part of Jax wanted to do the right thing. It whispered a plea to go and tell them the truth and have Lea released. Perhaps that action would even allow him to have his best friend back, but that part—that voice of Jax was so small and quickly silenced.

Jax tucked that feeling away into the deepest depths of his chest, where he was sure he would never find it again.

His feet led him up the steps and through the front door of the Patent Office as if his body made up his mind for him.

The small woman at the front desk, who looked bored out of her mind, suddenly perked up as soon as she saw Jax. “Good afternoon! What can I do for you today?”

Her skin had a purplish-pink hue to it and her hair was white.

Jax had determined that she was a flower nymph.

As if as easy as flipping a switch, Jax smiled, exuding charm and confidence. “You are far too lovely to sit in an office all day. It is a shame more people aren’t able to look at you.”

Her face began glowing red as yellow pollen rained down from her hair with a simple shake of her head. “My goodness, you are quite charming.”

“Among other things. I just need to authenticate my original potions, and then I’ll be out of your hair.” Jax slid Lea’s book across the desk to the flower nymph.

“Oh, please. There’s no rush.” She reached over, placing her hand on Jax’s.

After Jax spent the day authenticating well over two hundred potion recipes from Lea’s book, he went straight home to work on picking the best potion to show to the potions agent, Anzul Peigue. He was lucky that Anzul was willing to reschedule the appointment. He never expected Zane to back out of such an opportunity just for Lea.

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