Page 86 of These Divided Shores
The steps to make Emerdian stonework. Cooking at the highest temperature the little fire could reach for four and a half hours, then five more hours on low, orange-gray coals. This preparation had taken Bright Mint’s effects from mental stimulation to insanity.
Mecht Visjorn bear blood. Such a small amount—Lu added all of it and prayed to whatever god would hear her. Mixing it with Eye of the Sun let the Mechts have permanent fire control.
Should Lu sing an Argridian hymn over it? No. She wouldn’t add Menesia to this potion. She wanted no part in controlling others if that was what Argridian hymns did.
Then she added plants. Powersage. Aerated Blossom. Cleanse Root. Incris. Lazonade. Croxy. Plants for strength, flight, healing, power, movement—their counter plants too, all broken down and combined.
For two days after the explosion, Lu hadn’t left the laboratory shack. She hadn’t gone to see Vex and Ben; she barely knew anything that was happening outside these walls, aside from Kari’s visit and her news that Elazar—with Tom and Teo—was heading for Port Fausta.
But after all her work, her careful monitoring of the various ingredients and preparation steps, Lu came away with a large enough amount of potion to fill five vials withpermanent magic. Well—possibly permanent. There was one way to find out.
Lu stood over the table, digging through her soul for the resolve to take one of the vials.
The shack door opened. A spurt of panic welled up. She didn’t want to relinquish control of this magic—it would be passed out onherterms. Lu swiped at the vials, trying to hide them. She managed to get only two into her pocket before Nayeli and Rosalia appeared.
Why? If this potion worked, they would need all five vials, every weapon possible to destroy Elazar.
Lu took a fortifying breath. If it worked, she would reveal the two remaining vials. All five had the same potion within them, and Lu didn’t have enough ingredients remaining to make more. No need to waste all the vials if the magic within was—or wasn’t—permanent.
“That councilmember has us moving out to Port Fausta later today. Have you finished?” Rosalia leaned around the table. “Those vials. Gloria! You did it!”
Lu slammed her hand over them as Rosalia reached around her.
Rosalia wasn’t deterred. “What’ll they do? Strength? Flight? Speed?”
“Lu—have you tested it?” Nayeli analyzed Lu with new purpose. She was wondering if Lu had taken permanent magic. If she had... abilities, now.
Lu shook her head.
Nayeli growled—but looked relieved. “Fatemah was right about that, at least—who are we going to test it on? It’s a bit... cruel. Isn’t it?”
“I can find some volunteers,” Rosalia said. “Grozdans aren’t afraid ofcruelty.”
“We’re well aware of Grozdans and their lack of standards,” Nayeli snapped. “But bycruelI meanruns the risk of giving someone Shaking Sickness.”
Lu stared, hearing aloud what she had been trying not to admit to herself. She saw Vex, grabbing the Variegated Holly bomb. Shaking as he threw it. His grimace of pain and fear.
These potions—that she had made, that she was responsible for—could give someone Shaking Sickness. Or worse. Was she any better than Elazar if she made someone else test it?
“Well,” Rosalia giggled, “it’s a good thing we have a disposable Argridian piece of shit.”
Lu’s blood sank to her toes. “You will not touch Ben,” she stated. “Or Vex.”
Rosalia’s grin soured. “Not them. That other one—the defensor.”
Lu had heard that the Tuncians had given Jakes magic to heal his wounds. He had awoken this morning and confirmed that Elazar’s plan was to host a gathering in Port Fausta before heading to Port Camden and, finally, New Deza.
Nayeli’s face screwed up. “You think he’ll volunteer? He’s a defensor of the Church—”
“Who said anything about volunteering?” Rosalia kept her eyes on Lu as she spoke.
Nayeli blanched. “You want totorturethis poor kid?”
Lu huffed. “Poor kid?He guarded us in the Port Camden prison. He stood by while defensors whipped Gunnar, while Milo torturedme.”
“So he deserves to be tortured too?”
Hesitation yanked on Lu’s chest. “That’s... that’s not what I said.”
