Page 61 of Marked By Night

“My visions come to me in the form of drawings,” Bedi tells me nonchalantly. Like she doesn’t have the most perfect picture of my brother I’ve ever seen on her wall.

Skylar didn’t enjoy having his picture taken. In fact, he hated it and I don’t have any recent ones of him. This vision must’ve been from my perspective because he’s facing me with a smirk on his face and skateboard in hand.

I remember this night like it was yesterday. In reality, it’s probably been every bit of six years. We snuck out of our uncle’s trailer so he could go skateboarding with his friends at the park. Even though he was four years older than me, he never minded me tagging along with him. Never told me I cramped his style or anything, like most brothers would. But I guess we were closer than most brother and sister pairs.

Trauma tends to do that to you.

“What are the little bottles?” Dante asks, interrupting my thoughts, blissfully unaware of the gaping hole forming in my chest the longer I stare at Skylar’s carefree smile. I’d give anything to see it in person again. I choke back a sob; the grief threatening to pull me down with it.

Kaos squeezes my shoulder, bringing me back to the conversation at hand. “What’s the matter, Little Flame?” he asks.

Doesn’t he know that asking what’s wrong only makes women cry harder?

Skylar wouldn’t want me to cry. He’d want me to seek my revenge. He’d tell me to suck it the hell up, to be strong.I discreetly and very carefully take the drawing off the wall, before tucking it in my back pocket. If Bedi notices she doesn’t comment.

Although Kaos notices. He gives me a small frown, but I hold my hand up, cutting him off. “He’s my brother.” That’s all I can manage to say without breaking down in Bedi’s exotic living room. I can’t rehash the agony of losing him right now.

“Hmph, now where did I put that potion?” Bedi murmurs, rummaging through each bottle on her shelf before heading to the next one. “No, not this one. Not that one. That’s a disaster waiting to happen.” She laughs softly to herself, flying from shelf to shelf until she finds what she’s looking for.

“Aha!” She says in victory, clutching a small round vial.

She pops the cork and waltzes over to a cauldron. A real-life witchy cauldron. Then she starts cackling as she tosses the contents of the bottle into the bubbling brew like a madwoman. Hell, maybe she is. The potion pops and crackles like pop rocks as she stirs it with a large wooden spoon.

I raise an eyebrow as she closes her eyes, whispering words that seem like gibberish. She tosses other items into the pot from the table beside her. “What are you—”

Her eyes fly open, and she shushes me harshly before I can utter another syllable. When satisfied I will not interrupt again, she closes her eyes and returns to her work.

“Never interrupt someone casting a spell, Angel,” Dante whispers, watching Bedi warily.

“You mean this is normal?”

“Absolutely. Those who have an affinity for potion crafting learn it quite early.”

I swear my jaw hits the floor.

After what feels like an eternity, Bedi opens her eyes and dips a dropper into the cauldron. She hurries over to me, cupping her hand under it to catch any excess before she plonks the dropper into my teacup. Dante tries to intercept my cup again, but she stops him with a hand to his chest.

“You can’t,” she hisses. “These protections are for Sadie alone.”

“You can’t expect me to believe that shit.”

Bedi doesn’t back down.

“What’s in it?” I say, trying to ease the rising tension.

“A bit of Banderberries, Elderroot, and Moon Dust. Plus, one vial of Shadow Essence and...” she hesitates. “a pinch of sugar, but that's mainly for taste.” She smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes.

“Sounds like perfectly normal potion ingredients to me,” Dante responds, reaching for my teacup again, but I don’t allow him to take it this time.

Ash and I exchange a look like;this isnormal?

“Because when these ingredients mix, they create a powerful protection spell for a woman. Not for a man.”

“Where the hell did you get Shadow Essence,seer?” Elian asks, interrupting the conversation. “That ingredient is practically nonexistent, not to mention outlawed.”

Bedi smiles deviously. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

The guys explode into an argument, everyone speaking at once, but I ignore them all. It’s my decision, anyway. I don’t know how many times I need to tell them that. Bottoms up. I down the surprisingly tasty concoction in one gulp.

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