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“Floor saved,” she announced, then smirked when he remained close to the doorway. “Come on closer. It won’t bite. Sometimes I do, but you’re not my type.”
He watched her shimmering shield disintegrate into thin air. “Are you sure about that?”
“That you’re not my type? Yes. I’m pretty sure.”
The jest was light, her seductive tone not in place and cementing that while she used those words to flirt with others, she wasn’t flirting with him. Carefully, he navigated around wayward vial boxes and peered at the cauldron, which looked like it was ready to explode.
“Are you sure this is legal?”
She scoffed. “As legal as it comes. We both know only dark magic is illegal, and I would rather eat my foot than touch any type of dark magic.”
Surprise flitted inside him at her vehemence, but he could see that she was starting to spiral into a bad mood as she examined the cauldron.
“Is this your potion for the next step?”
“Supposedly. But I can’t seem to get it right.”
Before he could react, Pearl was already filling her palms with energy and using them to drag the cauldron to the side, then drag another one to the center. He inwardly winced as more black marks were created on the floor from all the movement.
“What exactly are you trying to get right?” he asked.
“You know how I attached my other potion to your throne room to memorize your family’s combined energies and detect any new ones? This one’s connected to that in the sense that it will latch on to a new energy, sniff it out, and trace where it’s going—a far more complicated process, but it’s your best bet at catching the thief.”
“You said yourself that it might not be connected to magic.”
“Every person has energy whether they have magic or not. My potions are strong enough to detect even the smallest sign of it even for just a short amount of time.”
Another burst of energy and the full cauldron was empty, albeit dirty. She moved on to the new cauldron, filling it with water and creating a fire underneath. Her hands worked deftly to pluck hanging ingredients and cut them up, then toss them in the powders and liquids she had already poured into the water. A second later, she pushed an iron staff into his hands.
“Stir,” she ordered. “You might as well use those hands while you watch me like a hawk.”
“You’re an investment, per se. I’m just watching my investment.”
She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Stop when the mixture hisses, then keep going when the sound’s gone.”
It was easier said than done, as the mixture hissed at random moments, catching him off guard multiple times. But Pearl was unfazed, her fingers flying at one point until he couldn’t tell which ingredient was which. But her words stayed in his mind.
“No one has ever created a potion like that before,” he said when she took over the staff.
Pearl snorted. “I’m flattered, but I’m sure someone has produced this one before. It’s a rare potion, though. Otherwise, we would be able to trace anyone and there would be no freedom left.”
“Hmm. It requires a lot of skill and raw talent to get it right.”
“Is that a compliment I hear?”
“You didn’t get it right yet,” he pointed out.
Pearl grimaced, but he could tell her mood was better. It boosted further when the hissing lessened…then, when it stopped hissing altogether. When she continued stirring and ignoring him, he backed away and looked around some more.
Despite the mess, there was no denying the charm in the place, its coziness reminding him of a childhood forgotten long ago when his parents were still alive. There had been a crackling fireplace, some hot drinks, and a low, pleasant conversation between the two while he and Gunther either joined in or got preoccupied with playing until they passed out on the couch. He had always woken up in bed after being carried sometime in the night. Now…it was just him and Gunther, their grandparents who stood as pillars, and the rest of the family who had been whipped into shape to be outstanding examples of the community.
The black marks caught his attention once more, and his fingers itched. Subtly, he directed some magic there and watched as the marks slowly faded away—
“Are you serious?”
His hand fisted and his magic stopped. He looked up to find Pearl with her hand on her hip and her lips pursed, and he tried to ignore the way the pose emphasized how tight her shirt was.
“I’m sorry. It’s a force of habit. My family hates messes.”
