Page 152 of The Keeper of the Kingdoms

“Look here,” he pointed to the wording of the recipe, “we missed this. He pointed to the word contra. We assumed it meant against, like in the recent translations. But I went further back and it used to be more commonly used to mean reverse or opposite.”

“Okay?” I frowned.

“Well, look at the vessels from a different angle,” he encouraged.

I picked up the Amber Vessel, the more translucent of the two. Where this was carved from a bright semi-translucent amber, the other was the deeper orangish-red of carnelian. I turned it all around, inspecting the tiny holes punched into the lid. I assumed these were just to allow in air, so the contents stayed dry. Some seeds and such had too much moisture left inside even after drying and would mold in a closed container.

“Now compare it to the other,” Emrys said.

I set it down and picked up the other, which I had dubbed the Carnelian Vessel to compliment the name of the other. It had the same holes in the lid, but the lid was different. It had a lip around it’s edge which I had originally assumed was where some kind of ornate topper once sat. Healers didn’t go much in for aesthetics, so it could have been lost and never replaced because it was just ornamental.

However, the more I looked at them together, the more I thought the lid of the Amber Vessel would slot in if turned upside down. I put the Carnelian Vessel on the table and picked up the amber one, turning it upside down, and it slotted right into the recess. I stood back and looked at them. With one vessel reversed and stood on top of the other, it gave the appearance of an hourglass. Emrys twisted the top vessel, and it clicked into place like he had already tested this out.

I looked at him, excited about this breakthrough. “So what now?” I asked.

“I think the potion needs to be mixed in this vessel. We make the two halves as we have been doing. But the half with the Lepid seeds go in the Carnelian Vessel and the half with the dried yarrow leaf in the amber one, then we follow this contra instruction and let one half filter into the other as we recite the spell.”

“And you think that will work?” I asked incredulously.

“It can’t hurt to try,” Emrys said.

We set to work brewing the two halves of the potion and we filled the vessels halfway each. Then carefully tipped the Amber Vessel over and slotted it onto the top of the carnelian one.

And nothing happened.

Then, once again, Emery reached forward and twisted the Amber Vessel until we heard the click. Suddenly, the liquid from the top chamber could be heard trickling into the bottom chamber.

I gasped.

Emrys grabbed my hand in his excitement, and then we both leapt back when the vessel started to glow a deep golden red.

“Blessed be the Goddess,” Emrys whispered. “I think we did it!”

“We must get the others!” I said, leaping into action

“Yes, summon them while I prepare.” Emrys directed, then set about cleaning the messy area we had spent days working in and collecting a clean fire and the crystals we would need, ready for treating Nyx with this potion.

“Jaxus?”I reached out to his mind.

“Yes, Firefly?”

“Bring Nyx and Zaria—quickly!”

“Have you had a breakthrough?”

“I think we have!”

“We are on our way.”

Surrounded by candles we gathered in the sitting area in my rooms. Emrys had drawn the blinds to create a calm atmosphere and was using a sound bowl to relax Nyx and bring on a meditative state. Zaria sat by Nyx’s side, his hand grasped in hers.

I swirled the glowing potion in the joined vessels and then unlocked the two with a click.

I set the empty Amber Vessel aside and removed the lid of the newly full Carnelian Vessel.

I handed it to Nyx, who sniffed it and grimaced.

“I want you to drink the potion, then breathing deeply, envision reaching out to Kol. I want you to imagine him reaching back and your threads connecting once more. Then when you feel as though your bond has been repaired, you can let go.”

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