“Banning, we already knew things had advanced rapidly,” Torin reminded him.
“I know.” Banning slid a longing look my way. “I just can't believe we lost her this quickly.”
“We haven't lost her,” Torin declared, his stare going to me as well. “This isn't over yet.”
I closed my eyes and rubbed them.
“It's been a long day for us. It was late evening when we left the Azure Kingdom and we're both tired.” Verin put his arm around me. “If you're going to continue to upset Elaria, I'm taking her home to get some rest.”
“Her home is with us,” Gage said firmly.
Verin grunted as if he knew Gage was wrong but didn't care about him enough to argue.
“Maybe you should just cut out all of the relationship talk completely,” my mother suggested.
“I need a drink.” I stood up and headed to the kitchen.
“Sit down, Banning!” my mother snapped as I left the room. “You will all leave her be.”
I went through the doorway into the kitchen. A line of cabinets broken by a counter and sink curved around the banyan trunk. Across the room, a window gave a view of treetops and let in a breeze. Below it was more counter space and a stove stood next to that. The fridge was to the left of the door and a kitchen island, topped with a butcher block, stood in the center of the space. I knew every inch of the room. I'd chopped vegetables on that butcher block and baked cookies in that oven. I'd spent countless hours with my mother here, singing and cooking together. It was a type of sanctuary. And that sanctuary was even better because it contained alcohol.
I grabbed a glass from a cabinet, set it down on the island, then headed straight for my mom's stash of Greek wine. I poured a glass, chugged it, and poured another. While I contemplated time—in particular, how long I could stay in the kitchen and how long it would take before my ex-lovers fought with my new one—I heard Odin return.
I hurried back into the living room, my drink abandoned on the kitchen island. “Did you find out what the other ingredients are?”
“Yes, and we're in luck.” Odin grinned. “One of them can only be purchased on Sabban... from one proprietor.”
“That's a rare ingredient,” I noted.
“This is a special potion,” Odin shot back. “Whoever crafted it wanted it to be changeable.”
“Changeable?” Darc asked.
“One potion that can be used to cast many illusions,” Odin explained. “It allowed Scylla to become anyone, not just one specific person as is usually the case with these types of potions.”
“Which is why you were so impressed earlier,” Torin concluded.
“Yes. When Elaria mentioned its changeable quality, I immediately suspected that the potion would contain this ingredient and my tests have confirmed it. In addition to blood—which I assume belonged to the person Scylla impersonated—the potion contained nooten eyes.”
“I'm sorry, but did you just say 'eye of newt?'” Slate asked with a smirk. “How old school.”
“Nooten,” Odin corrected. “But nooten happen to be a type of chameleon from my home planet. So, in a way, you're close. The eyes of this changeable creature are used to impart that same quality to spells. It's an inspired addition to an illusion potion. If the situation were different, I would congratulate this witch on a brilliant accomplishment. The nooten eyes were doubtless the key to making the illusion flexible.”
“And you said that only one shop sells these nooten eyes?” Torin asked.
“Only one man on all of Sabban.” Odin grinned. “He's the only one willing to search the cliffs of Greahar for them—that's the only place the nooten can be found. They're impossible to catch alive and very difficult to find when they're dead. They blend in with their environment so well that they become invisible. The harvester must hang suspended over a cliff and locate dead nooten through touch alone. Even if he finds one, it may not be fresh enough to be preserved.”
“That's a lot of work for some eye of newt,” I noted. “Excuse me, nooten.”
“Which is why it fetches a hefty price—that and the fact that Alden is the only harvester,” Odin said. “He finds the payoff worth the trouble. Plus, I believe he enjoys the esteem of being the only purveyor of nooten parts.”
“I don't suppose you're willing to take us to this Alden?” I asked with a grin.
“As if I'd tell you all of that and refuse,” Odin huffed. He looked around at everyone. “But I'm not taking all of you to Sabban. Elaria and two others may join me.”
“Well, Verin will be one of the two,” I said as if it were a given.
Verin grunted in agreement.
