Page 56 of Bound By Blood
Alrik removed a large knife and started to sharpen it. "You aren't going to cooperate this time, are you, kytobar?"
"Can't imagine why I would," Traelan said. "This won't work. And I don't want that one to die either. So, no."
"We have honored you, and we have warned you these past days," Ilvan said, "yet you still respond with such disrespect. Cut him deeper this time."
Traelan hissed in response.
A large black cauldron lay on its side before the cave entrance. Nowthatshe might be able to use.
Ilvan tugged her forward. "Start walking up those stairs. This won't take long."
She dug her heels in. "Hey, new friend. I have a thought."
He gripped her arm tighter. "You said—"
"Shh, shh." She put her finger to his lips. "You don't even know what I have to say. Now, my kytobar friend there and I are more than happy to help you get to this place you want to go, but there are easier and better ways. Taking his blood is just inefficient. The whole reason he doesn't want you to do it is because it isn't as effective. Surely you've noticed this?"
Disa and Nendri murmured their agreement low as Alrik gave a loud, "Aye."
Ilvan nodded slowly, his gaze hard. "Go on."
"Well, I don't want to act like I know everything because goodness knows I don't, but now that I see your staircase, I can tell you that the problem isn't with the summoning. It's with the people you're sending through it. If you're going to find a stable path through another realm by taking a magical path, you have to become magical yourselves, for at least a time. And the easiest way to do that is to consume all the components in a simple combination which I prefer to administer through soup."
"Soup?" Ilvan pulled back.
The murmurs of surprise spread throughout.
Disa strode closer, her arms folded over her blue wool gown.
"It must be your real true lucky day because guess what?" Erryn shrugged, then pointed to herself. "I'm the best soup maker there is."
"I think you lie," Ilvan growled, getting in her face.
"I would never lie about soup." She gave him her best and most innocent expression without pulling away. "Blood fae come for my soup all the time to restore their magic. My soup is so good I traded for a magic flying dog. Soup is my passion and my life. If you've been here for any amount of time, you might have seen me in the soup cottage over past the boundary markers right where the forest line and wilderness start."
"Oh, we do know her." Disa strode closer and nudged his arm. "That's the one that sells the chicken barley. Very good soup, dear. Almost as good as home."
"Thank you." Erryn pressed her hands to her heart. "Soup is my art."
"Go on and listen to her," Traelan called. "You all don't want to be murderers, or else you'd just be killing people to open up these portals. The fact you found me and are using my blood—much as I wish you would not—means you don't want this to be worse than it is. So give her soup a chance."
Ilvan contemplated this. Then he crossed his arms, releasing her arm. Red fingerprints remained on her skin. "Tell us how to make it."
She shook her head and fluttered her fingertips. "Part of the magic is in my hands and the handling of the vegetables and the roots. And it isn't precise. Sometimes it needs a bit more, sometimes a bit less. It's hard to explain."
"I still think you may be lying," Ilvan said. "What're the chances we'd have all the ingredients anyway? There's no way to prove it either way."
"If I am lying, you can always kill me, right? And most of these things can be found."
Ilvan scoffed, his eyes narrowing. "Fine. Build the cooking fire up on the top of the staircase platform. You can prepare it up there. If you're telling the truth, you live, and you can walk through with us. If you're lying, we'll take your friend's blood and push you through with a knife through your throat."
"Works for me. Just know you can't rush good soup." She folded her arms. "You get me what I need, and you'll have the best cauldron of soup you ever tasted."
A VERY SPECIAL RECIPE
For half a breath, Erryn thought Ilvan might change his mind and tell her to get up those stairs before he dragged her.
Then he blinked and called out over his shoulder, "Thurra, Nendri, start preparing a fire up there. You." He pointed at Erryn. "Tell us what ingredients you need."
