Page 42 of Do You Even Hex, Bro?
I eye the mysterious concoction warily without facing him, keeping my head turned slightly to hide my scars with my hair. "What exactly is it?"
Instead of answering, he takes a small sip himself, then extends it to me again. "Perfectly safe, I assure you."
I hesitate, then take the glass. My fingers shake slightly. I stare at the golden liquid, weighing my options. Kyle would have a fit seeing me accept a magical drink from a stranger, but Kyle isn't here. And Kyle just ripped away my magic and exposed my face to everyone.
Fuck what Kyle would think.
Just to spite him—and because I have nothing to lose—I take a sip when Villeneuve turns away to return the vials to their cabinet. The liquid tastes bizarre. Good, but bizarre. Honey and citrus and a metallic tang I hope to the gods above and below isn't a hint of blood. Some drops spill through the mangled part of my lip, and I quickly wipe them away, humiliation twisting in my chest.
Gods, I fuckinghatemy scars.
Then the effect hits. Energy floods my system, not like an espresso shot or adrenaline rush, but deeper. Like a dying plant finally receiving water. I take another, larger swallow.
"What's in this?" I ask, already feeling my extremities tingling with renewed life.
"An old elixir." Villeneuve returns to the chair opposite mine. "It restores energy in siphons and other beings who feed off external energy sources. It appears I remembered the correct proportions."
I drain half the glass, unable to help myself. "I can use elixirs to restore energy? No one ever told me that."
"I'm not particularly surprised." His eyes narrow slightly. "Your former coven leader strikes me as someone who thrives on others' dependency."
He's not wrong. Kyle never shared anything that might have given me independence. Why teach me to fish when he could control me by rationing the fish himself?
"Unfortunately, it's no substitute for feeding from a Bonded coven," Villeneuve continues. "But it will replenish you for a couple of days. Long enough to figure out your next move."
I finish the drink, savoring the way strength returns to my limbs. Not enough to cast anything significant, not even a glamour, but enough to feel less like a hollowed-out husk.
"Thanks," I mutter, setting down the empty glass. "Now I can actually focus on finding a way to break the coven bond."
"Yes, I imagine you're in quite a hurry to do that. The traditional method would be forming a new bond to override the existing one." He studies me thoughtfully. "Though I suspect that's precisely what you're trying to avoid, given your reaction to the wolf pack's claim."
"Those wolves don't know what they're talking about," I say, rubbing my temple with my knuckle. "Mates? That's ridiculous. Some witch just did a spell for them to find a Bonded. That's not the same as—" I cut myself off, unsure why I'm even explaining this.
"Isn't it?" Villeneuve raises an eyebrow. "The universe has a peculiar sense of humor. Sometimes it gives us exactly what we need in the form we least wish to receive it."
"I don't need wolves." My voice comes out harder than intended.
"I can't say I blame you for your hesitation." He leans forward slightly. "Tell me about the werewolf that marked you."
My hand flies to my face automatically. "I don't…"
"I apologize for the intrusion." He doesn't sound particularly sorry. "However, context matters when dealing with complicated magical entanglements."
I’m tempted to tell him to fuck off, but the energy from his elixir helpedwaymore than I expected it would. Not to mention he's the one with the power to say whether I can stay here or not, however temporarily. And I’d take this over getting stuck with a wolf pack any day, even wolves that look at me like the long-lost love of their lives.
Especiallythose wolves, actually.
"It was three years ago," I begin, staring into the fire rather than at him. "I was still new to Kyle's coven. I heard something in the basement. Whimpers, groans... I went to investigate."
For a moment, it feels like I'm there again.
The cold stone steps.
The heavy wooden door.
The stench of blood and fear.
"They had a werewolf chained in the ritual chamber. They'd captured one somehow. They were planning to sacrifice it for some spell." My voice sounds distant, detached, even to my own ears. "I didn't know. I wasn't allowed down there."
