Page 55 of Drawn in Blood
“If brewed correctly,” she began, “pouring a drop of the elixir over this plant will create a bubble around it, protecting it from any water poured over top.” Without another word, she uncorked one of the bottles and poured one small drop on the flower’s petal.
Upon contact, it immediately turned to ash.
Ember’s jaw hung slack as Professor Flora uncorked each bottle and watched as each one had the same reaction. Soon, half the plant had turned to ash, and the room was completely silent.
“Well, it seems we are in a wee bit of a pickle,” Professor Flora said with a tilt of her head. “All of the elixirs were done incorrectly.”
“That doesn’t make any sense,” Ember said, as she furrowed her brow and shook her head. “I followed the instructions explicitly—to the letter.”
“Ah, yes, the instructions.” The professor nodded as she tapped her chin, the shadow of a smile playing at the corner of her mouth. “Perhaps I forgot a component.” She shrugged as she sauntered to her desk, plucking a piece of paper from the center, and mumbling as she read it over.
Fen furrowed his brow. “Forgot something?” he whispered, as he narrowed his eyes. “You wrote the damn lesson plan.”
Professor Flora raised a brow, just for a moment in Fen’s direction, and he quickly averted his eyes.
“Ah, yes, here it is,” she said aloud. “You seem to all be missing one drop of Kelpie blood.” She unlocked the cabinet behind her desk, quickly plucking out a bottle and walking it down to Ember’s group. “Would you do the honors, Miss Lothbrok?” she asked, as she handed over the bottle.
Ember nodded, uncorking the vial, and gently pouring one drop into the cauldron. A puff of smoke rose from the liquid, and it immediately turned a beautiful shade of turquoise.
“Lovely.” Professor Flora nodded, filling a vial, and walking back over to the plant in the middle of the room.
She poured the elixir over it, and this time instead of turning to ash, a small bubble surrounded it. The professor poured a cup of water over it, and the bubble deflected it with ease, protecting what was left of the flower within it.
“Even being off by one ingredient,” the professor said, as she looked down at the plant, “can change a potion in its entirety. This is why it is so important that you read over your instructions carefully and always double check that you have what it calls for. This is one instance where laziness could cost you your life.”
The class nodded silently, and Professor Flora gave them a smile as she dismissed them. The friends gathered their things as they made their way to the door, Ember’s brow still furrowed in confusion.
“Everything alright, Starshine?” Killian asked, as he held the door open for her.
Ember wrung her hands together as she bit her lip. “Do you think that will count toward my final grade?”
Chapter 16
A Mother Always Knows
Ember wrung her hands as she steadied her breathing, tapping her foot on the plush grass beside the Rukr pitch. As prepared as Killian thought she was for tryouts, she couldn’t help but think she would never be as ready as she needed to be. Students milled around in the stadium seating, most there to hang out with friends rather than watch the tryouts no doubt, but that fact did nothing to curb the anxiety pooling in her stomach.
“You made it!” Fen shouted, as he walked over to the bench, leaning his board against it to sit beside Ember. “Are you ready?”
“As I’ll ever be,” Ember breathed, as she scanned the stadium for the umpteenth time.
Veda and Oryn had just arrived and were currently strapping into the boards to warm up. Veda flew around the pitch effortlessly, like she had been born with wings. Her body bent with ease against the wind, a fluidity that Ember thought had to be a trick of the light. She looked just as graceful in the air as she did walking through the corridors of Heksheim, and something about that made Ember’s blood begin to boil. She flew like she knew a secret no one else did, and Ember couldn’t help but feel like not knowing was a liability.
Oryn was like a bomb, set to ignite at the slightest wrong move. He barreled around the pitch with speed and stealth like Ember had never seen, shoving past anyone who even seemed to stand in his way. Ember shuddered as she shook her head, focusing on putting her gloves on and not running out of the stadium, back to the safety of her bedroom.
“Don’t stress about them,” Fen said with a small smile, as he pulled on his gloves. “They’re all bark and hardly any bite. You’ll blow Veda out of the water.”
“Of course she will.” Killian smiled as he waltzed over, board slung over his shoulder. “She was trained by yours truly, of course.” He shot her a roguish grin and a wink, and Ember felt her cheeks flush as she rolled her eyes.
“Are you forgetting about me?” Fen said, as he scoffed.
Ember laughed as she patted his shoulder, standing up to strap into her board.
“You’re going to do great, Starshine,” Killian said, pulling on his gloves. “Just focus on what you’re doing and don’t worry about anyone else. Veda will try to get in your head. Don’t let her.”
“Easier said than done,” Ember sighed, as she shook her head. “She has a tendency to get in my head whether I like it or not.”
Killian walked over to her, brushing a stray hair out of her eyes, and straightened her shoulder pad. Ember felt goosebumps run down her arms as his fingers brushed her skin, her breath catching in her throat as she swallowed dryly.
