Page 30 of In Between Darkness
“Yeah, maybe.” I shrug my shoulders, knowing deep down that River is not the one that I want.
“We did share a kiss though,” I whisper, lifting an eyebrow in her direction.
“Asha, you dirty dog, you kept that quiet.” She chuckles quietly.
“You’re one to talk. I saw you making out with Charlie all night,” I reply, making her gently tap my arm in jest.
“I thought you’d never ask…” She smiles up at the ceiling. “Charlie is amazing. I really like him.”
“That’s good Nala, I’m really happy for you,” I say with a genuine smile. She beams at me.
“What time did you get in?” Nala asks, turning her attention back to our professor.
“Hmmm, I’m not too sure. I don’t remember much past one thirty-ish. I’m hoping River can fill me in on the rest,” I whisper, trying not to gain the attention of the teacher.
“Wow. You must have been proper wasted not to remember getting home,” she says with concern.
“Yeah, it was that stupid love potion,” I whisper, still not facing her entirely.
“What?!” Her eyes bulge at me. Of course, she doesn’t know.
“Oh yeah, you didn’t know. The pink liquor pretty much makes you feel all loved up and aroused. River’s friends were practically feeding me that shit. He made sure to watch out for me though,” I whisper, trying not to alert the professor of our conversation.
“Ahhh. That explains a lot,” Nala says, and her eyes roll to the side of the room where Charlie is sitting and back to me. “Me and Charlie tried every bowl, and the pink one was the nicest, so we filled up on that.” She laughs. “I’m just glad you got home alright.”
“Yeah, same,” I say. “I’m sure I have River to thank for that. I’m going to try to find him after class.”
Nala nods in my direction.
“Miss Calloway and Miss Reed, care to share with the class what you’re talking about? It must be a lot more important than what I’m teaching,” the professor interrupts, his voice laced with sarcasm. He takes his glasses off and looks in our direction.
“Erm… No, sorry, sir,” I say insecurely as the whole class turns to face us.
“That’s what I thought,” he states, then clears his throat. “I’ll repeat the question: does anyone know what happens when you mix a frox wood leaf with a cazowe berry?” He motions to each object on the desk in front of him and looks around, waiting for a hand to fly up. Ciara’s hand shoots up in front of me.
“Does it create a chain reaction that kick starts the healing process?” she questions. Always healing with her.
“Not quite. You are right though, the cazowe berry on its own mixed with water from the valleys can quicken the healing in some bruises and small cuts. Anyone else?” His eyes land on me. “Miss Calloway, want to give it a go? You were so talkative earlier.”
My cheeks redden with embarrassment as the whole class waits for me to speak.
“Umm, a frox wood leaf and a cazowe berry, when mixed at a forty-degree temperature, can create a truth serum. The RHE use this mixture to question the enemies caught during battle.”
The class falls silent and turns to look from me to a very surprised professor.
“That is correct. Well done, Miss Calloway. You clearly have a good knowledge of potions, but don’t let me catch you disrespecting me again. I think this class may suit you well.” He smiles quickly and then becomes stern again.
Nala looks over at me.
“Wow, you’re literally a nerd,” she jokes.
“Shut up,” I mouth to her, and a giggle escapes her lips.
I still feel so rough. My eyes dart to the paper in front of me. I know a lot about potions due to my insomnia reading. I look at the diagrams of berries and natural remedies: ‘The blue shell berry can enhance your hearing.’I read about this; it is only found on the north side of Palidonia. ‘The little brick leaf only grows on one thousand-year-old tortoise shells; if ingested it can immobilise and paralyse. The seismic bulb when cracked open and inhaled is always fatal.’Why are most of them deadly?
If I could get my hands on a froxwood leaf and a cazowe berry, I might be able to get the answers I need about my mother. But who would know the truth? I need to get back down into those archives. Someone at Moon ought to know about Luca Thorncroft, and I know just the person to start with.
Nala and I head down the corridor overlooking the second courtyard after potion class finished. I’m not sure whether I am going to take the class or not yet. The professor seems a bit dark to me, and let’s face it, I didn’t make the best first impression. My head is still pounding, and by the look on Nala’s face, sois hers. The chatter of the school around us doesn’t have the same charm as it did when we first arrived. A few more students got their Gifts last night. Alex is one of them. He has been nonstop showing off at every chance he gets. Looks like he is a light worker. In potion class, he was juggling balls of light off his fingertips. They were only small, though. It’s going to take a lot of practice before he can control them properly. He hasn’t spoken to me since the whole combat situation, but he’s been throwing daggers with his eyes any time he sees me. It does not surprise me. If it weren’t for the healing quarters, he’d probably be on crutches or even in a wheelchair. Nala points out the window to the second courtyard.
