“How did it get into said system?”
“Sitting still also means not moving your mouth.”
I chuckled softly but obeyed, waiting patiently while she worked her magic. After a few seconds, the inner urge to get down and dirty with the nearest man eased; after a few seconds more, it fled altogether.
She sat back on her heels and sighed. “Right, you’re now safe from the procreation urge.”
“What the hell caused it?”
“A creative mix of Devil’s Breath and Damiana.”
I frowned, vaguely remembering Damiana being mentioned in one of the conversations I’d “overheard” between Carla and her boss. I’d presumed they’d been talking about drugging a council member, but what if it had been me?
Did that mean Eljin was indeed working with them? And if he was, was it willingly or unwillingly?
“I know Devil’s Breath can make you feel so drowsy that you can’t remember what was going on or what you were doing, but what does Damiana do?”
She picked up the teapot I’d left on the coffee table earlier, then rose and walked over to the kitchen. “It’s a herb that dates back to the ancient Mayans, who used it to improve sexual interest and desire. It’s quite powerful.”
“Yeah, it is,” I muttered. “But how does it get into the system?”
“Usually via food or drink, but it can be applied through transdermal administration.”
“Would that include a kiss?”
“Yes, although using such a method would affect the kisser as much as the kissee.” She made the tea and returned, placing a tray containing the refilled pot, two new cups, and an unopened packet of Chocolate Hob Nobs on the table. “Given where you were going today, I’m guessing Eljin is behind this whole misadventure?”
“I was perfectly fine until I got there and he kissed me, so yes.” I paused and frowned. “Can it work that fast? I thought it took time for a transdermal application to take effect.”
“There were some other smaller ingredients I couldn’t quite pin down, so it’s likely they used some sort of accelerant.” She poured the tea, then broke open the biscuits, taking two before offering them to me. “Why was he even home? He wasn’t due back until later tonight.”
I helped myself to a couple of biscuits and nodded my thanks as she slid my mug over. “Apparently his sister left early this morning, and he decided to come home.”
“On the face of it, that’s not suspicious.”
“Except for the fact that I did as you suggested and sent him a text last night saying I’d lost a brooch and was it okay if I went in and searched.”
“Instant guilty verdict,” she said darkly. “We should send Lugh and Mathi there, not only to knock some sense into him, but to get the name of whoever set him onto you.”
“While I like this plan, we need to proceed carefully. Or, at the very least, we should wait until we have more information about the Eljin in that article.”
“I see the sense in all that, but I still prefer my option.”
I chuckled. “Who knew you had such a vicious streak in you.”
“Bethany, I am Ljósálfar. We all have that streak—it’s just less pronounced in the middle and lower classes.” Her voice was dry, and her bright eyes danced. “But anyone with any common sense would not test us, especially when it comes to family and best friends.”
I smiled, raised my mug, and clicked it lightly against hers. “To bloody-minded best friends.”
“Indeed.” She took a sip, then wrinkled her nose and added a bit of sugar. “Are we certain that the woman he was meeting in London is actually his sister?”
“No, which is why Mathi arranged for an investigative friend to follow the two of them around yesterday, and then do a trace on the woman herself.”
“Mathi always had style.”
“And he’s as fierce as you when it comes to protecting his friends.”
“Yes, I noticed that when you went missing. Under that cold uncaring exterior there beats a good heart.”
