“I understand. But if it’s our only option…”
Liza’s pout deepened, but in sadness, not in petulance. “If it comes to that, then yes, I would tell you. But I should be going now. My people will be wanting to know I’m okay.”
I gave Liza a quick peck on the forehead before watching her vanish into the trees. I had the sneaking suspicion that Liza knew more than she was saying. I only hoped she’d share the knowledge in time, if it came to that.
As evening settled in for good, I headed south toward Lily’s bungalow, skirting around the edge of The Forest in favor of a more lit path. Even as a Fae Queen, I didn’t relish flirting withthe creatures of The Forest after dark, especially with so many unwanted appearances lately.
I found Lily in her storeroom, humming over vials larger than I’d ever seen—one nearly the size of a gallon jug. She seemed in better spirits than I would have expected, all things considered.
“When I get this right,” Lily announced at my arrival, “we’ll needa lotof it.”
I slid onto a chair in front of the table without a word, preferring to just watch and observe. I never tired of studying Lily’s movements when she was creating a potion. The way she moved through her storeroom with such intense focus and passion, shifting and corking and pouring liquids out of fragile glass vials and vases; she moved with such grace it looked like an orchestrated ballet. One that took no effort on her part.
“So this potion is basically a modified freeze ray. I mentioned before I had issues getting the spirits to freeze so our weapons could work on them, but I think I’ve resolved that issue.” Lily held up a vial for me to examine. “Now, this should work as intended. If the user is close enough to use it on a spirit enemy, it should freeze them long enough for our regular spells to work on their spirit form.”
“That’s helpful,” I said. “Not only for the freezing part, but because it lets us use weapons and defenses already at our disposal.”
“That’s the idea. It’s not perfect yet, and I wouldn’t deploy it in bulk.” Frustration tinged Lily’s voice, an unfamiliar sound coming from her. She was usually so upbeat and patient, so this was a sure sign she wasn’t immune to the stress pressing on all of us. “But it’s getting there.”
“You’ll get it. You’re brilliant,” I assured her. “And you have the best assistant.”
I heard Gus sneeze in the other room. I figured it was his version of sayingthank you.
“How are you feeling after today?” Lily asked. “It was a big day for you.”
“Hopeful and hopeless all at once.”
“I know exactly what you mean.”
“Can you teach me more about your potions?” I asked. “I want to help in any way I can. Plus, I could use the distraction.”
Lily blinked. “Teach the Fae Queen about my little potions?”
“They’re not little; they’re quite significant, based on all I’ve heard about what you’ve accomplished here.” I smiled at my friend. “Plus, I’m trying to learn a little bit about all different sorts of magic on the island. I’ve been hunting with Silas, baking with Millie, and listening to lore with Liza. It was only a matter of time before I needed to gather some insights from the Mixologist.”
“All right. If it’ll take your mind off things.”
Lily didn’t need much convincing to start talking about her work. As she dove into a series of explanations, her passion shone through like sunlight. There was joy and care in the way she handled her ingredients in potions and moved through her space, like it all worked in a particularly beautiful and complex harmony.
“My work is partly instinct.” Lily raised a bottle of something silver and squinted at it. It looked to me like pure mercury, but that couldn’t be right. “Even if I gave you the exact steps I used, your results would differ.”
“Sounds like Millie and baking,” I said. “A pinch of that and a stir of that. Something bubbles andvoila.Bread.”
Lily gave a laugh. “That’s a good analogy. When I work, I start with a simple base. I also take into consideration things like the flavor if it’s to be ingested. Side effects, and how to balance them appropriately with other ingredients. For example, silver is powerful but can be bitter and cause cramping in certain potions, so I temper it with aloe to soothe. Books help give mea basic understanding, but honestly, most of it is learned on the job. I’m sure you understand. It must be similar with your Fae magic?”
“Very similar. Even now, with my channels open to my ancestors, it’s not just a zap of power. I’m noSabrina the Teenage Witch—point and shoot—if you know what I mean.”
Lily let out a huge belt of laughter. “The way I’msopleased that someone else can understand that reference…” She shook her head. “I love my life here, but so many islanders have no idea about mainland television. Which is totally fair, but I’ve never realized how many references I make toFriendsuntil I came here.”
“I relate,” I said grinning, feeling the warmth of kinship flow between us. “Working with my magic has been frustrating. It feels like I’m not doing enough. I really thought it would be more of a flood of powers once the channels were opened, and that’s just not the reality of it.”
“As much as magic can be intrinsic and natural,” Lily said, “it’s also rewarded by hard work and diligence. I think it’s probably for your safety as much as everyone else’s. Maybe it’s a good thing that it’s nota simple zap of power. I imagine your ancestors have a boatload of magic. Can you imagine handling an influx of that all at once, as new as you are?”
“I’ve never thought about it that way,” I said. “But it’s a good point.”
“You’ve opened an access route to your ancestors, and that’s a great start. Your power will only continue to grow the more you practice, and as it does you’ll be better and better prepared to handle it.”
Lily’s point of view helped me feel less depressed about my lack ofzap. I hadn’t looked at it from that perspective before, but truly, it made sense. If I had experienced a rush of my ancestors’powers all at once, there was a very real possibility it would have been too much for me to handle.
