Page 4 of Upside Down Magic

“What?No!”Ipushed him back. “WhywouldIdo this to you?”

“Yoursare the only potionsItake.”Heloomed again. “Didsomeone pay you to poison me?WasitLogan?”Helifted a hand until it was hovering next to my face, his eyes lit with an unholy fire. “ConfessandIwon’t burn you to?—”

Hebroke off as another bit of ice formed in his hand.Cursing, he threw it into the sink then shoved his hands into his hair with a growl of frustration.

Aww, was that how he usually intimidated his victims?Ifelt a pang of pity for the poor guy.Ipatted his back. “It’sokay,Jeremy.We’llfigure this out.”

Hepointed at me. “Youhave to figure this out.Ican’t go around like…Like…Like…”

“Likea snowman?”Isuggested helpfully.

“Argh!”

“Sorry, sorry, that was mean,”Isoothed.

Butpretty funny, if you ask me.

“Ithas got to be your potion,”Brimstonesaid. “Whatdid you put in it?Didyou change ingredients?”

“Itwasn’t my potion,”Isaid with all the certainty in the world since the fake dark magic potionsIgave him were basically energy drinks with red food coloring.

“Howdo you know?” he demanded.

“Imade it, didn’tI?Believeme, it wasn’t my potion.”

“Whatif your magic is affected?Whatif you passed it on to me?”

“It’snot?—”

“Howdo you know?” he all but yelled.

Athick tentacle coiled around his shoulders.

Brimstonejumped back with a yelp.Thetentacle prodded his chest, pushing him away from me.

Brimstone’seyes widened to a comical size.

“TinyKrakenis protective of me.”Ipatted the tentacle. “It’sokay,TinyKraken.BrimstoneandDestructionhere is a friend.”Iarched an eyebrow. “Right?”

Brimstoneglared at me like having his fire powers right now would be the best thingever.

Thetentacle retreated back into its usual tiny size and returned to playing with the lumps of ice in the sink.

“Itwasn’t my potions,”ItoldBrimstone, serious now.

“Howcan you be so sure?Itcan’t be anything else.”

Clearly,Brimstonewasn’t going to believe me untilIshowed him hard proof.Anduntil he fully believed me, we weren’t going to be able to get to the bottom of his problem and fix it.

“Stayhere,”Icommanded, then went into the shop and grabbed the fire extinguisher.

“What’sthat?” he asked suspiciously whenIreturned.

“Idon’t want you to set the house on fire.”

“Ican’t set anything on fire!”

“Justin case.”Whoknew if the shock of the truth would make his fire magic return?Ikept my hold on the fire extinguisher and looked him straight in the eye. “ThepotionsI’vebeen giving you aren’t actually dark magic.They’reenergy drinks with food coloring and a focus spell.”

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