Page 75 of Lost Girl

"There's seven jars in there. Warm up one nightly and consume it in entirety.” The witch’s instructions break through my inner-turmoil, snapping my eyes up to their interaction. “If you can record in the mornings whether or not you experienced another episode, that would be extremely helpful and could increase our chances of finding pairings and ingredients that work faster."

"I can do that." Wendy nods, hugging the satchel to her chest. "So what do we do once I’ve drank them all? Come back in a week?"

Persia nods. "If you find that this works well for you, we can prepare more and slowly start reducing your intake until you’re sleeping soundly without it."

Armand aside, the question is: will she ever sleep soundly without them again? I want to trust Persia, but something about her aura doesn’t feel genuine to me. I’m not sure why, either, because if there were ever a witch to trust, it’s her—but there’s a hitch in her vibe.

She did say she hasn’t been feeling very well.

She also said illness can dampen magic, so if that’s the case, what does that say about these teas? Will they work? Are they nothing more than a placebo type of thing?

I don’t want Wendy to go through that. I’ve said it at least a dozen times before and I’ll say it a million times more: She’s. Been. Through. Enough.

And when I find out what that asshole did to her,he’s going to regret his whole entire life.

?Read Your Mind - Avant?

Tavi and I leave the Sanctuary in silence. Like most treks through the island, my hand is lodged firmly in his grip—something I’ve grown to love—but he hasn’t said a word.

And I think I know why.

From the moment I so much as mentioned Armand, I felt the shift in his demeanor. The way he tensed and almost zoned out on me, lost in his own head. The first thought that comes to mind is: Was Armand one of the vampires he assaulted all those nights ago?

I want to ask, but fear rekindling the topic might not be the smartest decision.

Not if it’s going to work him up.

“Think I’m stupid to be hopeful of these teas?” I question instead, peering up at his hard-pressed profile.

Tavi gives a little nod, dropping a much softer gaze on my form. “Of all the witches to trust, Persia’s your best bet. She’s a good egg.”

“She doesn’t seem to like me very much, though. Should I be worried that might compromise the integrity of her concoction?”

“That’s all conditioning, little wolf. These people, no matter who they are, hear Peter Pan and immediately the walls go up.”

“And I’m connected to him,” I sigh, prompting him to give another nod as he adjusts the satchel slung over his shoulder.

“Unfortunately.”

“Can’t they just link me with you? I mean, the only times they’ve ever seen me arewithyou.”

“I told you”—he chuckles—“Word spreads quickly around here and he’s still too fresh a fixture for them to realize that you’re not like him, or a product of him I should say.”

The place I immediately go to upon him uttering those words leaves me shaking my head at myself. “I’m such a bad person.”

He jerks back palpably, and it’s not because he’s holding my hand. He almost flies back. “Why on earth would you ever think that?”

“Because you said a ‘product of him’ and the first thing I thought was,I’m so glad I miscarried that baby.”

I’m going to hell, I know.

“I don’t think that makes you a bad person. I think it makes you honest. Besides, you’re completely justified. Who could blame you for feeling this way?”

“You don’t know my people.” I scoff an acrid laugh. “They fight for women’s rights, yet many crucify the same women for not wanting to bring a child into the world. Even the ones who hadn’t a say in the matter of how that baby was made, or those who truly just aren’t ready. A woman’s body is her choice and people often forget that. They shun you when you don’t conform to the norm—the expected.”

Tavi hums in correspondence. “Objectivity is crucial in life. If they can’t understand or view a situation without bias, they shouldn’t be weighing in on anything to begin with. That’s why, if you noticed, my tone was a bit harsher with Persia. I’m disappointed that she’d let my father’s views cloud her better judgement. She really is a good egg.”

“I can tell. Shewasmuch sweeter toward the end. Hopefully she realized I’m not Peter nor will I ever be like him. I guess all we can do is hope these teas work.”

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