Page 42 of Treasured

Not even death.

Flourishing in Darkness

LUNA

“Any changes?” I peered over Odette’s shoulder as the witch ran yet another test on the small leaf we’d harvested from the plant. This was the fourth one we’d run tonight, and so far, it seemed to be going in the direction of all the others. The grimoires Odette had found were surprisingly unhelpful. Many of the spells were extremely confusing, and each potion took a long time to test.

Every failure was a step in the right direction, though. It gave us something to cross off our list. Eventually, we’d get there.

Odette sighed and shook her head as her red hair fell into her eyes. “Nothing yet.” She pursed her lips. “This is the right plant, but it’s not working.”

Frustration leaked into her tone, and I patted her on the shoulder. “We will figure this out.”

Science was one of the only constants in my life. It wouldn’t fail me. Not now, when Marius was depending on this. On me.

“I have faith in you.” Sebastian looked up from his perch on the wooden stool in the corner of the lab, using his finger to bookmark his place in the large leather-bound book he’d been reading for the past few days.

I’d snuck a peek at it yesterday. It was a textbook on ancient military strategy. Not exactly light reading, in my opinion. I much preferred romance. There was something about escaping to another world and immersing oneself in a fictional couple’s love story that delighted me every time.

I crossed the room, pressing a kiss to his lips. “Thank you, Sebastian.”

He was back in his signature black, our clothes having been laundered, and I had to admit it was good to see him in his normal shade.

Odette tapped her chin. “There has to be something we’re missing.” She frowned, flipping through the pages of the latest grimoire. “This one, we haven’t tried yet. I’ll need…” Muttering to herself, she darted to the nearby cupboard and rummaged through it.

I glanced at the page, but upon finding it written in a language I did not know, I returned to the table and added the tiniest bit of water to the plant.

Odette and I had been working diligently in the abbey’s laboratory for the past three nights. I would be lying if I didn’t say the lack of success was frustrating. There was nothing I wanted more than to help Marius. But science was like that. Trial and error were often required, and patience was needed in order to find results.

Still, I was acutely aware of the fact that there were only so many different tests that one could run on a single plant before running out of options. This laboratory was far better equipped for scientific study than anywhere else I’d been in Eleyta, but even here, we did not have a full set of equipment.

The space itself was fascinating, though. Located entirely underground, it was in a natural cave. Turquoise and emerald crystals illuminated the stone walls, a welcome change from the Light Elf magic I’d grown used to. Warmer than the abbey, the cavernous floor was heated by hot springs that ran beneath it.

The cave had always been here, Odette explained on our first night, and the entire abbey was built around the cave system. There were four others just like this one, but they were used for storage.

Though the cave lacked all natural light, Isvana’s plant flourished. It outgrew its original pot the first night we brought it down here, and now it was in a large planter in the middle of the table. It seemed to grow bigger each hour.

“Found it!” Odette exclaimed. She emerged from the cupboard holding a small vial containing a black, inky liquid and a small notebook. Setting the vial down on the table, she stared at the book. “If we… then… this seems like it might work.” She glanced at me. “It’s worth a try, right?”

I wasn’t sure what she planned to do, but honestly, I was up for anything. “Always.”

Odette smiled. “Alright then, let’s get to it.”

She flipped open the notebook, her gaze darting back and forth between that and the grimoire. Mumbling under her breath, she harvested a small leaf close to the stem of the plant. Knowing better than to disturb someone whose mind was firmly locked on their academic task, I stood back and watched as the witch worked.

A few minutes later, Odette glanced at me. “Could you please grab me a mortar and pestle, Princess?”

I hurried to the cabinet, finding the requested equipment before delivering it to the table. The witch’s brows narrowed in concentration as she mashed the leaf to a gooey green pulp.

“You should probably stand back for this part,” Odette advised.

My eyes widened, but I did as she asked. Moving next to Sebastian, I slipped my hand into his. He closed the book, leaning against me.

“I’m just going to…” Odette exhaled. “But… I can… Alright.” She looked at us. “Here we go.”

She placed the pulp in a long glass container, and her eyes narrowed in concentration. Over the past few days of working with the witch, I was getting to know her. Odette was an only child, born and raised in Eleyta, and she’d been with the Second Order of Isvana’s Chosen for a hundred years.

We’d begun to lay the foundation of a friendship, and I hoped it would continue to blossom. I missed Julieta every day, but part of me knew I couldn’t live in the past. Having a friend in my corner would be nice—especially one as scientifically inclined as Odette.

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