But the kiss did not come. Instead, she felt cool air on her cheeks. She opened her eyes to find Xander smiling fondly.
‘Your face was red,’ he said, his voice low. ‘Thought you might need help cooling down.’
She was flustered, but she did feel fresh, much better than she had in the past few days. She felt ready to think, and indeed she did.
‘Xander,’ she said, standing. ‘Do you think your mother might know?’
‘My mother?’ he repeated. He ran a hand through his hair. ‘Wasn’t particularly thinking of her at the moment, but do go on.’
‘I was just thinking … Well, she might have a recipe for a mixture that you haven’t thought of so far,’ she said, trying to keep her tone normal.
‘Unlikely, but I can ask her,’ Xander said. ‘I did offer to ask her for help before, if you recall. I spend most of my time here with you and talk about you often enough.’
Alarm bells rang inside her. ‘You haven’t told her what’s happened, have you?’ Bisma asked, her tone sharp. ‘What we’re working on?’
‘No, don’t worry,’ he said. ‘I do tell her everything, but not what isn’t my business to tell.’
Relief flowed through her. ‘Good. I don’t want her—anyone—knowing.’
He looked as if he was about to say something, then stopped. After a moment, he said, ‘What do you suggest then?’
‘I was thinking … what if we took a look at her notes for the Apothecary potions? Perhaps we might find something?’
Bisma was hoping she to find something relating to the poison, something that would connect Eleanora to it. She had snuck into Eleanora’s office at the mansion again in search of such material, but had found nothing, and wondered if Eleanora kept more sensitive files at the Apothecary.
Xander thought about it. ‘I know how most of the Apothecary potions are made,’ he said, ‘so I’m not sure there will be anything new. I grew up learning how to make those potions, and they are all entirely tried and true. My mother—like my grandfather before her—is meticulous about what she sells at the Apothecary.’
‘Yes, but isn’t she ever developing anything new?’ Bisma asked.
Xander considered this. ‘I suppose so,’ he said. ‘If you like, we might as well try. Those types of notes and products will be in her office at the Apothecary.’
Excellent.
They went over that evening, after Eleanora had left. The manager gave Bisma a harsh look, recognizing her as the Unwanted Witch, but because she was with Xander, he did not stop her as they strode directly into Eleanora’s office.
It was smaller than her office at the estate but overflowing with papers and far less tidy. There were also loads of vials of potions made of that special Castletown glass customary of the Chapman Apothecary. The space reminded her of Xander’s greenhouse in a sense.
‘Time to get reading,’ Xander said, taking a deep breath.
They started paging through piles of paper, looking at instructions for different potions, as well as handwritten notes for products that Eleanora was testing out.
Bisma searched for notes that might tell her how the poison was made, but found none, for of course it would not be that easy. As she continued her search, she understood where Xander got his affinity for diligent record-keeping from, but she didn’t find much else that was useful.
Until Bisma spotted the wordsEnchanted Forestwritten on a piece of paper.
Making sure Xander wasn’t watching, Bisma pushed the papers on top to the side, until she could see the file.
She froze. It had information on each of the Unwanted Girls, and at the very top was Bisma’s name.
‘Did you find something?’ Xander asked, looking her way.
‘No,’ Bisma said quickly, discreetly covering the paper. She cleared her throat. ‘I thought I did, but it’s nothing.’
Xander sighed, paging through more papers. ‘I don’t think there’s anything here that I didn’t already know.’
‘Yes,’ she agreed. ‘Let’s go.’
‘Oh, wait!’ Xander paused, pulling a sheet out from the pile. His eyes scanned it quickly, and Bisma came to read it over his shoulder. It looked to be a cure recipe.
