Page 45 of Charmed

“I seem to be able to sense your spellbook’s emotions. Is that a side effect of the spell you cast?”

“If so, it wasn’t intentional…unless I inadvertently made the spell more potent than I realized.”

And the man believed himself unqualified for the competition. Despite what should be a promising boost to his confidence, the assessment only deepened his frown.

I analyzed the spellbook’s emotions. It seemed frustrated as it repeatedly glanced sightlessly back and forth between me and the prince. When it noticed my attention, it fluttered about in excitement that it’d found an audience for whatever information it was trying to impart…only to slouch in disappointment when I couldn’t immediately understand it.

Though I sensedsomeof its soundless words much as I had during the entrance challenge when it’d given me the hint that had helped Alden enter, it wasn’t enough to understand whatever message it seemed desperate to convey.

It drooped as if in a silent sigh. After a moment’s consideration, it flipped through its own pages before tilting itself in my direction. It’d turned to a section of common errors in brewing potions, this one specifically focusing on the method of preparation. I’d no sooner began skimming when it drew my attention near the bottom of the list by illuminating a particular passage:

When brewed with an abundance of power, in specific circumstances a potion can take on a form that reflects the emotions of the caster.

I reread the words several times before its meaning and how it fit our particular situation settled over me. I gasped. “Absolutely not!”

My outburst drew Alden’s attention. “Are you alright, Mae?”

“I’m fine.” It seemed like the most grievous lie I’d ever spoken.

He remained unconvinced; tilting his head, he studied me with a confused air, a focus that caused heat to engulf my entire body. I felt something travel across our connected gazes, a deep emotion I couldn’t even begin to decipher but which set my heart pounding.

Whatwasthis feeling?

The magical connection between me and the spellbook seemed to work both ways, making it as attuned to my thoughts as I was to its delusional fancies. It ruffled the page bearing its startling conclusion to draw back my gaze.

When brewed with an abundance of power, in specific circumstances a potion can take on a form that reflects the emotions of the caster.

A form that reflects the emotions of the caster…but this had become alove potion, which meant it could only transform through an emotion oflove. I gave my head a rigid shake. There was no possibility…the idea was positively ridiculous.

Yet the realization haunted me long after Alden finally caused the failed potion to vanish with a wave of his hand with the dejected conclusion we’d have to start over. Discouragement lined his brow as we returned to the forest to forage.

Gathering the ingredients went much faster now that we’d already located them, allowing us to spend more of our focus on the prepping and brewing the potion itself. Alden carefully examined each measurement before adding them and continuously double checked the recipe to ensure his method of preparation was accurate.

Despite my own best attempts, concentration was difficult for me to firmly hold with the riddle niggling my focus:when brewed with an abundance of power, in specific circumstances a potion can take on a form that reflects the emotions of the caster.

Though Alden had done most of the work in creating the potion, I’d still contributed; though mine were currently suppressed powers, they remained part of me, likely just enough that our brewing the potion together had created the magic needed to cause the potion to transform. Yet it wasn’t as if I’d offered my aid with any romantic intentions, nor had he with his thoughts undoubtedly consumed by the competition.

Which meant there had to be another explanation. But no matter how much I silently cajoled the spellbook as it studiously watched us, it didn’t offer any additional possibilities for the peculiar phenomena than the ridiculous assertion it’d already made.

Despite our greater care and my intense determination to avoid any thoughts of attraction to Alden as I worked, the second potion we brewed ended with the same results. Discouragement mingled with Alden’s bewilderment as he stared at the simmering love potion before his shoulders slumped with a sigh.

“I don’t understand.”

“I’m sure you’ll get it right in our next attempt.” I wanted to supplement my encouragement with a reassuring pat on his arm, but the spellbook’s conclusions that my growing feelings for Alden had been what had tampered with his potion left me too embarrassed to touch him.

He managed a reluctant smile that was too tight to seem sincere and lifted his hand to erase this second failure…only to pause long enough to cast me a bemused glance.

“Though it’s a failed healing tonic, it’s a flawless love potion. It’d be a shame to waste it; are you sure you don’t want to bottle some up for any frog sweethearts you’re particularly interested in?”

I didn’t think it was possible for the fluster heating my cheeks to deepen. “Despite my current form as a frog, as a human I have no interest in amphibians.”

He chuckled. “Then you could save it for one of the humans you harbor feelings for?” He wriggled his eyebrows with a wicked glint. “Perhaps there’s a beautiful witch that has caught your eye, or some other maiden?”

Though he already stood in front of me in all his handsome glory, an image of him bombarded my mind with so much force I was left breathless, as if my heart was desperately trying to tell me something I’d ignored for far too long.

No, not him. Not only was he a prince, but he happened to be my mentor in an apprenticeshipandhe’d made it abundantly clear he had no interest in romance. If none of the noble women of the court had managed to capture his attention, a frog certainly wouldn’t…nor would his common apprentice once I transformed back into myself, especially after I’d spent the majority of our acquaintance riling him for my own amusement.

He tilted his head. “Are you alright, Mae? You’re rather…pink. That can’t be healthy for a frog.”

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