My mind hopscotched around. “I have no idea how to makepoteen,” I said. “And even if I did, what good would it do?”
“I heard you’ve taken it. A lot of it.”
“How do you know that?” I asked.
“I have my spies. And if you’ve had some, you understand how powerful it is. It makes humans open to vampiric suggestion.”
“It also makes a person crazier than a kite in a hurricane.” For me, it had been like taking a stupid pill. I’d been willing to go along with things I normally wouldn’t. However, it had been Stark’s voodoo eyes that held thereal control. “You will enjoy yourself…”
“Well, that’s the plan,” Charlie said. “We only have to administer it to a majority of the Senate. Shortly after, they’ll receive a directive from one ofourvampires, and then we win.”
I assumed he’d meant that the senators would vote down the bill. “Which vampires?”
“I can’t tell you that, Masie. Too risky. But they’re on our side.”
“How can you be so sure?” I asked.
“I just am,” he said curtly.
All right. He didn’t want to spill the beans, but I wasn’t going to jump all in without more details. “Let’s say your plan works. Are you aware that vampires will go to war if the bill fails?”
He nodded. “That’s what we’re hearing, but the possibility is decreasing every day.”
“How? And don’t say you can’t tell me that much. I’m either part of the plan, or I’m not.”
He glanced over his shoulder again and then looked at me with a gaze so intense, it sent shivers down my spine. “Those vampires will be dead before they have a chance to make a move.”
So Charlie and his people wanted to end all the vampires in favor of making humans into sangria fountains. This was good.
“I don’t know if your idea will work,” I lowered my voice, “but it doesn’t get around the fact that I don’t know how to make Grandpappy’s swamp juice.”
He reached into his pocket and produced a folded piece of paper. “This is the recipe.”
I glanced at the paper but didn’t take it. “The mixture needs vampire blood. How am I supposed to get a hold of that?” A week ago, I could’ve just taken some from the spa, but now? I was vampire enemy number one. I couldn’t go near the place, and it wasn’t like Daddy was going to help.
“It doesn’t contain vampire blood. Well, not exactly. But we can deliver all of the ingredients here. You just have to prepare the solution, mix with your whiskey, and bottle. We’ll take care of the rest.”
I couldn’t lie, I was incredibly excited to help, but I knew very little about running the distillery’s equipment. That department was Uncle Jimmie’s and Maybell’s, whom he’d been teaching. Slowly. Very, very slowly. Maybell was accident prone.
“I’m sorry, but the only two people around here who could do it are my uncle and sister, and they’re both on moonshine right now, thanks to my ex.”
“Isn’t there anyone else?” he asked.
I gave it some thought, my eyes drifting towards the bar. “Joe.” Joe used to bartend for us but then moved over to the distillery because he wanted regular daytime hours. He’d been out on vacation, traveling to all of Elvis’s historical sites, like Memphis, Tennessee; Tupelo, Mississippi; and Las Vegas, Nevada, with his new girlfriend, Elvira. I hadn’t met her yet, but she loved Elvis.Had to be special. “He’s on vacay for another week, but if I can track him down, he’s a maybe.” Joe was easily persuaded with extra vacation time. The man saved those days like a squirrel hoarded acorns.
“Let me know what he says by tomorrow.” Charlie hunched over a little, looking worried, and I couldn’t blame him. This situation was a powder keg rolling down a hill of lit matches. “In the meantime, I need to test our recipe on you. I could only get a small batch made, and we aren’t sure we have the potency dialed in.”
I cocked my head.Is he…?
He went on, “You’re the only person I know with significant experience drinking the stuff.”
“Heck no. I’m not going to be your guinea pig.” I started to get up. “Let me see if my sister—”
“No. If she’s already on it, that won’t work. You’re our only option. If our recipe isn’t powerful enough, it won’t function, and we fail.”
Charlie was asking me to purposely open myself up to the influence of moonshine. “I can’t.”
“You have to.”
