Page 16 of Queen of Wrath

Now, where does one go in search of an undiscovered Potionist around here?

I figured the first place to check would be the library, but if I was being honest, I didn't have the slightest hope I was going to find anyone there. But it was worth a?—

“Look out!” I heard being cried out from the skies. I glanced up but couldn't see anything beyond the thin canopies hanging off of the sandstone buildings.

Suddenly, one of the canopies ripped right in the middle and something fell right through to the ground.

Panic and instinct overtook my body as I flung myself aside, narrowly escaping the falling object. I scrambled to see what it was, only to find that it wasn't a thing at all.

No way!

It was the boy I had met at the pier the other night.

“I know you!” I shouted, stabbing my finger at him.

He sat up and clutched his head tightly. “Sorry about—gah!” He flinched and pressed his hand onto what had to have been a sore spot on his head from the fall.

A flood of sympathy came over me and I moved closer, pulling my pouch from my side.

“Don't touch it. Let me take a look.” I always carried around an emergency kit, but this was the first time I actually made use of it.

I pulled his hand away and spread his hair apart, seeing a huge gash marring his scalp. Blood was gushing from it, already caking in his thick, jet-black hair.

“You got yourself pretty good, huh?” I hissed at him with disapproval as I pulled out a small glass vial for cauterization. “You need to be more careful. What were you doing up there anyway?”

“Flying,” he declared with a cheeky smile, showing off his pearly whites. “It’s the latest potion I've been working on.”

“That's pretty impressive for a kid your age.” I gave him a genuine smile back, and he seemed surprised. “What's wrong?”

“Adults don't normally take my work seriously. I just wasn't expecting a compliment.” He shrugged casually but quickly looked away from me, almost as if he was embarrassed about something.

“Well, if I was your mother, I might have reprimanded you for being so careless, but I'd be glad you’re not seriously injured at least.”

I poured the gold liquid over his head wound, and watched as his skin began to bubble before reforming together.

He grumbled that it was painful, but he managed to keep his composure.

I closed up the empty vial and placed it back in my satchel while grabbing the bigger one next to it, filled with a blue potion. “Here, now drink this. It'll help with the blood loss. You should feel right as rain tomorrow.”

His brows furrowed at me, but he complied and drank until the very last drop. As soon as he was done, he recapped the potion bottle and looked at me. “Why are you being so nice to me?”

The question seemed ridiculous to me. “Why wouldn't I be?”

“Never mind,” he pouted, turning away from me again.

That was when an idea hit me. It was crazy, of course, but I went with it.

“You say no grown-up ever takes you seriously? How about I change that? I would like to offer you an internship at a widely known potion-making company. I believe under the right tutelage your talent can really shine.” This was perfect. I didn't even have to fake someone having talent.

This kid was writing flying potions all by himself. He was a natural!

“Really?” His face lit up as he turned back to me. “You would do that?”

“If I'm being honest with you, I'm in a bit of a pickle and you'd be helping me out immensely, too.” I rolled my eyes up to the sky before standing up and offering my hand out to him. “My name is Uremma, but you can call me Emma. What's your name?”

He grabbed my hand and I helped him up to his feet. “Kiyan.”

“Well, Kiyan. Interested in making a deal to help each other out?”

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