Bisma fought the urge to go down to her garden to start whipping something together. She knew that if she panicked, the girls would as well.
So Bisma ate her food and chatted with her sisters. After, she checked in on Mei, whose skin still had a bluish tint to it. Her condition had not grown worse, but it had not improved, either.
‘Time for bed,’ Bisma announced.
They all cleaned up and got ready for bed, and only after everyone was asleep did Bisma go down to the garden, lighting the hanging candles so that she might see in the dark.
She worked on a few different potions by candlelight, her mind running through possibilities. She grew a pashanbhed—the flowers pale pink with a deeper rose flush in the center—then crushed the rhizome; it was often used to cure internal infections. But what if it wasn’t an infection, and instead was something she had ingested?
Karu was used for stomach aches, so if this poisoning had been caused by something Mei ate, the root of the blue-flowered plant could be used to cure her.
Or perhaps the right course of action was to use yellow cobra lily? The plant itself was poisonous, but it was also used to cure certain snake bites. Could it work if Mei had been bitten by something venomous?
Alone in her garden, panic flared through her. She was running blind; she didn’t know what to do. She had a working knowledge of various plants and their uses, but she didn’t have enough experience, exposure, or education to know which would be correct, which would be best. Her work with curing potions was low-level: basic medicinal herbs, like peppermint tea for upset stomachs, or elderberry syrup for a cold, things like that, things she could easily make and sell.
This was not her expertise, but she knew whose it was.
Bisma clenched her jaw. She would rather chew off her own hand than reach out to Xander, but maybe he didn’t need to know. His family’s apothecary would surely have cure-alls more effective than hers, as well as other ingredients she could mix to create a cure of her own.
She looked up at the moon; it was night. The Apothecary would be closed. She could sneak in and grab what she needed and he would be none the wiser. Yes, that would work.
She quickly checked on the girls. Their home was quiet (well, Nori was snoring) and everyone was fast asleep. Grabbing her sweater and pouch, she snuck out, making haste through the dense trees until she was out of the Enchanted Forest, heading for Old Town.
The autumn night had a bitter bite to it, wind scraping against her, but she hardly felt it. Her blood was running too hot with worry for Mei, as well as rage at the thought of someone trying to hurt one of her sisters.
When she arrived in town, everything was closed, doors shut and locked. The square was empty and silent, dark save for the few lamp posts that stayed lit through the night.
She walked over to the Apothecary—one of the largest buildings—and slipped behind the building to the back door. As she did, it began to rain. Under the gray clouds, she broke off a little branch, infusing it with her magic, willing it to become what she needed it to.
Her magic came easier to her in the Enchanted Forest—as easy as breathing, really—but outside the Forest, it required more of her energy. Even so, the branch gave way and morphed. She used it to pick the lock, which gave way quickly.
Bisma crept into the shop, which was filled with rows and rows of potions and powders and salves. The potions were housed in the typical Chapman Apothecary special glass, which was made especially for them and imported in from Castletown. It smelled strongly of various herbs, though the one that stuck out most to her was the sweet, spicy scent of cloves, so strong she could taste it.Xander’s scent.
The thought sent a jolt down her spine. Shaking her head, she pulled a candle and match out of her purse and lit it, holding the light up as she made her way through the aisles, reading the different medicines.
There was an entire aisle dedicated to beauty products, which wasn’t shocking to her in the slightest; no wonder Xander’s cream-colored skin and copper hair were always immaculate. He probably tested all his mother’s potions.
After a little while, she heard a noise, but assumed it was just the wind outside, picking up intensity as the rain fell harder.Bisma continued down the aisle, turning bottles to read their ingredients. Allspice for relieving aches, arugula for fertility, nutmeg for colds …
Finally, she found the section of cure-alls.
She set her candle down and grabbed a few different ones, sneaking them into her purse. She held one up, about to open the cap to take a sniff when someone grabbed her from behind.
A hand clamped over her mouth to keep her from screaming out while an arm wound tight around her waist. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest.
Bisma whirled around, and her assailant immediately dropped his hand from her mouth.
‘Bisma?’ Xander said, confused. His arm was still around her, his grip strong. He held her in a near embrace, and she could smell the rain and earth on his sweet skin. Standing this close, she had to tilt her head back to look up at him.
His copper hair was a mess, as though he’d just woken up, but his green eyes were vivid and alert. He was in his shirtsleeves, the blouse open at the neck to reveal the long line of his pale throat, which was wet with rain, glistening.
She could feel his pulse racing and felt her own quicken in response.
Foolish. ‘Let go of me,’ she snarled. She struck him with her elbow, and he stumbled back.
Once he’d caught his breath, he straightened up. ‘What are you doing here?’ he asked, brows furrowed. ‘You’re not a thief.’
He looked at her with confusion, and irritation flashed through her. If it was anyone else catching her trying to rob their family’s business, they would have been livid. But not Xander. He only looked concerned, his emerald eyes warm.
