Page 51 of Wrath of the Triple Goddess

“Citrus makes me sneeze,” said Grover.

A lot of things made Grover sneeze. It seemed to me he didn’t need to share that information. I was afraid he’d forgotten why we were here and we’d actually end up leaving with a Saturnalia gift.

“Right,” said Silbe. “Sneezing on her wouldn’t be very romantic!” Her eyes drifted to the case where I was standing and trying to eavesdrop without being too obvious. Silbe’s eyes caught mine. Her expression frosted over with suspicion.

“You look familiar,” she said. “I’m sure we’ve met.”

“Hmm?” I mumbled. “Mm. Hmm…”

Eloquence is one of my superpowers.

“Oh, he tags along with me a lot,” Grover said. “He’s no one important.”

Ouch, I thought. But his tone seemed to do the trick. Silbe returned her attention to the display cases. “Well, perhaps another wood scent, like cypress.”

“That sounds nice,” Grover agreed. “Though I’ve heard there’s something new on the market. Something very exclusive. I’m pretty sure a friend of mine bought a bottle here recently. Something called Miracle?”

Silbe recoiled. “We don’t sell that here. Cheap imitation magic. You must be confusing me with my sister Filomena. If you’re in the market for shoddy goods like that, you can find her shop just down the—”

“Oh, my mistake!” Grover said quickly. “Sorry, sorry. My friend told me toavoidMiracle. I remember now. They said you had something much better.”

Silbe wavered. I could tell she was battling several different feelings: resentment, suspicion, but also the need to show off and make a sale.

“Miracle is a love-potion hoax,” she grumbled. “I would never waste my time on such an inferior recipe. My newest product is much more exclusive. We only have a few vials left.”

She walked over to my display case, nearly backing me into the wall. Grover gave me a panicked look, then trotted after her.

From the lowest shelf, Silbe pulled a small blue box. The lid was embossed in gold:SPELLBOUND.

“Ooh,” Grover said. “Fancy.”

“Indeed,” said Silbe. “An ancient recipe from one of the finest alchemists ever to mix potions. Rediscovered…well, just this week, in fact. It’s a Fancy Water exclusive.”

“How did you rediscover the recipe?” I asked.

I knew immediately that I’d made a mistake by speaking. Silbe’s eyes narrowed.

“That’s not important,” she said.

The air between us started to shimmer, water droplets collecting into a fine mist. Before we could start a miniature rainstorm, Grover intervened. “I love this! How much?”

Silbe smiled. “For a Cloven Elder, I’m sure we can arrange the friends-and-forest discount. Only a thousand golden drachmas.”

Grover gulped. “What a deal.” He sounded like he’d been sucking helium. “Can you gift wrap it?”

“Of course,” said Silbe. “But first, you should really try the scent, to make sure your girlfriend will like it.”

She opened the box and produced a glowing blue vial with a spritz top. She aimed it at Grover, who stepped back instinctively. “Um…”

“Oh, you’re right,” Silbe apologized. “You wouldn’t have the right chemistry profile for Spellbound. Your friend here is a better test subject.”

Before I could sayBlue’s not my color, she spritzed me right in the face.

I admit it—she outplayed me. The stuff got in my nostrils, my eyes, my mouth. It tasted exactly like I imagined Gale’s weasel treats tasting, which wasn’t good.

“Look, lady,” I said. Then my mouth stopped working. My arms turned to sandbags. My legs crumpled. I crashed sideways onto the floor, completely paralyzed.

“Perfect.” Silbe knelt over me as Grover scrambled back, terrified.

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