Page 52 of Monster's Baby

I brought everything else back to my place and raised my hand.“The silver bowls aren’t in the cupboard.”

Professor Dunlop scowled.“Nothing has been in its proper place lately.Try the professor’s office.”He handed me a key.“Get ten, if you can find them.”

I nodded.

Professor Reynolds’s office was tidy, sparse, and exactly how I expected.I couldn’t believe I’d never actually been inside.

There was a neat stack of silver bowls on a bookshelf.I counted out ten and brought them back into the classroom after locking the door behind me.

Several other students were preparing their components as well.I hoped the professor was proud of us.He’d taught us well.

I took the nettle and started stripping the leaves into my bowl, mixing it with twice as many lavender petals.The aroma was heady, as intended.

I sprinkled the salt in a continuous circle around the bowl before sending a careful burst of power into the basin.

It glowed a light purple shade, emphasizing the lavender’s effects.

I hoped I hadn’t messed up on the calculations.

“Ready,” I said.

“Attempt one,” Professor Dunlop said, taking my paper and attaching it to his clipboard.“Let’s see what happens.”

“Professor Reynolds, I need you to smell this,” I said.“It’s supposed to help stimulate the memory centers of your brain.”

The child professor wrinkled his nose as he got closer.“It smells funky.”

“That’s the nettle,” I explained.“It’s to target the curse and try to revert it.”

“I don’t like it,” he said, pulling away.

“I think you’d like being an adult more than a child,” I tried to reason with him.

“Ugh, fine.”Professor Reynolds rolled his eyes.

Professor Dunlop chuckled.“Well, at least his attitude is maturing.”

“Not sure I’d use that word,” I muttered.

“Five going on fifteen,” Aiden whispered in my ear.

“Lean over the bowl,” I encouraged the child.“Breathe in while I count to two and then hold your breath for as long as you possibly can.”

Professor Reynolds followed my instructions until he turned red.

“You can breathe again,” I said with a sigh.“It didn’t do anything.”

“You did everything right,” Professor Dunlop said, patting my shoulder reassuringly.“It isn’t the correct curse, so the counter didn’t work.”

“At least I didn’t make things worse.”

“No, that’s true.”He smiled slightly.“Good luck tonight.”

“I don’t know if I’ll be competing yet,” I said.“Are you going to go?”

“That depends on Professor Reynolds, I’m afraid.”

“Right.”I wrinkled my nose.“I’m sorry you’re stuck with babysitting duty.”

---