Page 55 of Wings of Ashes
Nix picked off the blossoms of the two-lipped, tubular, purple-blue flower and measured out exactly four spoonfuls in a beaker.
That meant she either needed to fail the assignment and pocket an eighth of her team’s inventory, or she could ace thepotion but give up her chance at creating another reversal potion any time soon.
“Done.” Mara handed Nix the plucked agrimonia. “Exactly five medium-sized leaves,” Mara said.
Ryker pushed forward the correct amount of coriander.
Damn it. Nix gripped the beaker of hyssop. How was she supposed to pocket it without anyone noticing?
“Um.” Nix combined the coriander and agrimonia and a few ounces of liquid vampire venom. Stirring, she said, “Next, I’ll add the hyssop.” She took her beaker of the purple blossoms. “I read somewhere that it’s best if you grind them in your hand before adding them.”
Bael raised an eyebrow. “Where did you read that, Blondie?”
“In a book I am sure you’re unfamiliar with,” she replied smoothly.
“Idoread,” Bael defended himself and cracked a sexy smirk. “Lotsof smut.”
Ignoring the incubus, Nix poured the beaker of blossoms into her hand and squeezed them. She then slowly unclamped her fingers to allow the flowers to fall into the potion vial.
Slyly, she did not reveal a small bunch of blossoms she kept in her closed fist like a human magician experienced in deception and misperception.
She then stuffed her right hand into the pocket of her blazer. Pretending to read the recipe once more, she tried to nonchalantly wiggle her fingers and drop what was left of the crushed hyssop blossoms into her pocket.
“Only two more ingredients,” she said.
When she looked up, Ryker and Bael’s heads were tilted as they stared at her. Bael watched her with sneaky fascination, but Ryker’s golden eyes were narrowed on her.
Shit. Did they notice? Were they going to say something?
Ryker’s plush lips pressed together into a stern line as he glanced down at the other potion recipes.
Gods, even his frown was sexy. Nix’s brain thought back to how the combat work-out uniform fit him, so tight she could see every curve and ridge of his muscular build.
“Here,” Mara said, handing Nix a vial with a single eye of newt.
Nix cringed but dropped the eye into the liquid. She stirred it all together with a long, thin glass rod. “Okay, finally, the henbane—”
Ryker’s hand shot out and fisted one of the potion recipes. The paper crinkled under the clamping grip of his thick fingers.
“Um,” Nix nervously mumbled as she wondered if Ryker was pissed at her for sabotaging their potion. He did not know her valid reason.
Bael took the paper from Ryker’s stiffened fingers and flattened it to read. His red eyes widened and flashed with emotion at what he read. His head shot up at the same moment that Nix sprinkled in the henbane.
“What—”
Suddenly, a hard, naked, masculine chest slammed into her front.
Warm, thick arms wrapped around her, and wings shot out from behind the muscled body. The scent of sweet smoke, like blown-out birthday candles, gave his identity away. Ryker.
He pressed her face firmly to his bare, hard pecs and gripped her hips in a tight, possessive hold. From head to toe, he encased her. Her body flush against his, she felt every inch of him through her school uniform.
Much like Bael, Ryker radiated a stifling amount of body heat. Pressed to him, she was reminded of cozy winter nights where she stood directly in front of a heater.
“Fire!” Someone shouted loudly, snapping Nix out of her hazy thought.
A fire? Nix tried to peek around Ryker, but his wings twitched to block her vision.
His wings…
