Chapter Eleven: Cassie

Jerome. Cassie froze as she saw him approaching. It was bad enough that he was in this competition. She’d hoped to avoid him and Amelia, but now here he was, heading straight for her.

For them.

She glanced sideways at Byron. He looked as if he was about to launch himself over the table and wrap his hands around Jerome’s throat.

Maybe he’d picked up on her feelings toward Jerome. She’d wished to wrap her hands around Jerome’s throat herself on more than one occasion.

“Cassie,” Jerome said her name, but his eyes slid sideways to rest on Byron. Assessing him. Trying to figure out how to play him. He looked at everyone new like that.

How had she ever been attracted to this guy?

“Jerome,” Cassie replied.

“Hi.” Jerome ducked his head and grinned at Byron. “I’m Jerome.”

“So I heard,” Byron responded.

“And you are?” Jerome widened his grin, which faltered a little when Byron made no answer. “I didn’t know Cassie was dating. But good for you, Cassie.”

“You shouldn’t be here, Jerome,” Cassie told him.

“Shouldn’t be here?” Jerome’s expression darkened. “Are you threatening me, Cassie?”

Cassie rolled her eyes as Byron leaned forward, almost imperceptibly. “This is a competition. There are rules.”

Jerome grinned again, going for boyish charm as he whispered, “You know what? I don’t know if there are any rules.”

“You should go back to your table,” Byron said in a low tone.

“Are you threatening me now?” Jerome laughed. “Maybe I should call a judge or something…”

“No,” Byron said, “I was simply giving you some friendly advice.”

“Friendly advice,” Jerome said. “Listen, I don’t know what Cassie has told you about me…”

“Nothing,” Byron said. “Cassie has never mentioned you.”

“Really? That does surprise me.” Jerome pursed his lips for a moment. “Cassie and I shared a deep connection.”

“Thanks for stopping by, Jerome. I’m busy.” Cassie picked up the test tube containing the root and willed her hand not to shake.

“And that is the reason I came over,” Jerome began. “You are adding some interesting ingredients there.”

“You’ve been spying on me?” Cassie asked.

“Well, catching that little fellow with the gossamer silk caught everyone’s attention,” Jerome said, casting a glance toward the imp, still imprisoned, who was sitting with his arms folded. Cassie had no clue what the little creature was saying, but she didn’t have to understand the words to know he was not happy. “Especially since it means you are not putting it in your potion.”

“Yet,” Byron said.

“I’m sorry,” Jerome said, half-turning to look at Byron.

“We haven’t put it in our potion, yet.” Byron leveled his gaze at Jerome.

“Ah,” Jerome nodded.

“No, Byron, we should just tell him…” Cassie began.

“Tell him?” Byron tugged his brows together.

“Yes.” Cassie softened her expression. “You’re right. The gossamer silk doesn’t go in the potion.”

“That’s what we thought,” Jerome nodded in triumph.

“You use it to strain the potion.” Cassie held the test tube up and checked the color. It was done. “Now, if you don’t mind…”

“Of course…” Jerome glanced at the Horsho Pepper. “And this.”

“For the imps,” Byron said.

“The imps?” Jerome looked puzzled.

“If you put it around the edge of the desk, it wards them off. Make sure you get it all over your hands as well, so anything you touch is imp proof, just be careful not to touch your eyes after,” Byron said after a sideways glance at Cassie. “Maybe you should try it since they’ve already carried off half your equipment.”

“What?” Jerome said.

“I did try to warn you.” Byron smirked. “With my friendly advice.”

“Damn it!” Jerome snapped, spinning on his heel to race back toward his own workstation, where his mortar and pestle were being rolled away by a group of imps, to Amelia’s horror.

“Should’ve kept your eyes on your own work,” Byron muttered, watching Jerome disappear with a smirk.

Cassie chuckled, shaking her head as she poured a sprinkle of pixie dust into the charred roots. “Byron Fireborn. You’re incorrigible,” she said, her voice tinged with amusement.

“I don’t know what came over me.” Byron shrugged, a devilish grin spreading across his face.

“I do,” Cassie said.

“You do?” he asked.

“You want to win.” Cassie didn’t look at Byron as she reached for the eyebright solution.

“Oh…yes. I do.” Byron nodded. “Winning this competition is very important to me.”

Cassie gave him a confused smile. “Of course. Now, where were we?”

“Who is Jerome?” Byron asked.

Cassie looked back up from the table and frowned at him. “Why do you ask?”

“The way he spoke to you. Something about a deep connection?”

“He’s just someone from my past.” Cassie managed to keep most of the resentment out of her voice. Byron surely didn’t want to hear about her mistakes in her past. It wasn’t relevant to the competition, and she sure didn’t want to talk about it.

“Okay.” She blew out a long breath. “Where did that pepper go?”

“It should be right…”

Morwenna clapped her hands from the bar. “That’s half time everybody! Halftime. Did I mention when we’re finished, you’re all obligated to put this place back together?”

“Already?” Cassie looked at her watch. “How has it been that long already?”

“It must be because we’re having fun.” Byron produced the Horsho Pepper. “Right where I left it, in the fresh ingredients section.”

“Do I smell burning?” Morwenna yelled. “I better not, for your sakes. You do not want to meet my fire extinguishing service!”

Cassie adjusted the Bunsen burner. “Not us.”

“I think it’s that couple again.” Byron pointed to Kael and his partner, where they were frantically beating out a burning olive sprig. “They don’t seem to be having a good time over there.”

“No, and we won’t either if we don’t hurry. Make that paste up, Byron,” Cassie told him.

“Yes, erm,” Byron glanced around. “We don’t have a mortar and pestle, or a juicer, though.”

“We’re going to have to improvise then,” Cassie said but could see the indecision on Byron’s face. “Byron, it’s okay to break the rules, or convention if it improves the outcomes.”

He nodded and set his jaw. “You’re right, Cassie. How about this.” He picked up a cheese grater. “I can grate the starfruit into a pulp, we just need to strain it through something…” He looked down at the imp, pulling itself free from the gossamer silk plastered all over the floor. “I don’t think it would be hygienic to use that.”

“I know!” Cassie reached into her purse and pulled out her headscarf. “It was a good thing I brought this.”

“Perfect! I suppose this could work in the stead of a mortar and pestle.” Byron picked up a large, ball peen hammer, looking at it reproachfully.

“Let’s get to it then!”

Cassie picked the Giggliop Flower, adding the petals to the test tube she was continuing to heat. She found herself chuckling to herself as she watched Byron wrestling with the cheese grater and the starfruit. After a few minutes of trying to grate it, he seemed to be trying to force the fruit through the small holes of the grater by brute force. The cheese grater really was a poor tool for making pulp from fruit.

She had to admire his perseverance, however, as he eventually had ‘juiced’ the whole fruit into her headscarf, before tying it up over the cauldron for it to drip through.

“Now to grind up those last ingredients.”

“I think pulverize is the word you’re looking for.” Byron picked up the hammer. “Is there a chopping board or something I should use?”

“Let me just clear some space.” Cassie shoved the unused ingredients and tools to one side.

“My organization system!” Byron yelled, half-jokingly.

“It’s okay, we’re nearly done.” Cassie placed a hand on his chest. His very firm, very broad chest.

She looked up straight into his eyes. She had never realized just how much depth there was to them, and there was an intensity when he looked at her that she had never noticed before.

“Ten minutes!” Morwenna stood atop the bar as she yelled. “Only ten minutes until I get my lovely, lovely tavern back. And we’re closed for tonight once everyone leaves! Brushworth can’t take any more spillages.”

They separated, reluctantly, and got to work.

“I’m sure her watch is wonky,” Byron grumbled as he began laying out the spice and the dried pepper.

“Maybe time just works wonky in here. Or maybe Morwenna just wants us out.”

Byron took the hammer head in two hands and began grinding down the dried ingredients while she peered into the cauldron.

“I think it was good that we didn’t have a juicer for the starfruit.” Cassie squeezed the last of the juice out of the starfruit. “It’s much smoother strained. If we’d have just juiced it, there would have been a load of pulp in the mix.”

“Perhaps there’s something to be said about improvising after all.” Byron scooped up the ground ingredients and added them to the cauldron. There wasn’t much powder, but it sucked the moisture out of the starfruit juice, and with a brief stirring, quickly formed the paste they needed.

Cassie slid the burner beneath the cauldron, turning up the heat, before adding the charred ingredients from the test tube, along with the pitcher of moonlit water and rose petals.

“Is that it?” Byron looked around at the sound of popping and fizzling. “That Kael and his partner are really not having a good time.”

“But luckily we’re about to be.” Cassie held her hand over the bubbling cauldron and said a few words.

Nothing happened.

She bit her lip before repeating the incantation.

Byron peered over the rim. “Is there supposed to be an observable effect?”

“Yes.” Cassie gritted her teeth before holding out her hand again.

“Hold on.” Byron gently held her hand. “If you’re trying to imbue a potion with a magical effect, there’s an important somatic element.”

Cassie glared at him.

“I mean, a hand movement.” Byron gently manipulated her fingers. “Hold out both hands and make this gesture as you speak. And make sure you’re clear with your words.”

Cassie nodded. It felt strange when Byron let go of her, like taking off a watch from your wrist, but still being able to feel it. She held her hands up like Byron showed her, and repeated the incantation, slower and clearer. Sure enough, there was a soft puff sound, and a trail of vapor emanated from the cauldron.

“That was it!” Cassie clapped her hands together.

“You did it.” Byron beamed at her.

“We did it. I wouldn’t have managed without your help.”

“Only because you helped me get over the…chaotic nature of this process.” Byron grinned.

“If you had magic, you would have made a good witch,” Cassie said.

“Witch’s assistant will have to suffice for now.” Yon gazed at her for a moment before he turned back to the cauldron. “So…what potion did we make?”

Cassie placed her hands on her hips as she looked at the softly glowing cauldron. “I made the most romantic potion I could think of.”

Byron gulped. “A love potion?”

“Oh,” Cassie chuckled. “No, nothing like that. Those are almost beyond my skill at the best of times.”

“Right.” Byron crossed his arms. “So…”

“You’ll have to take a sip to find out.” Cassie took a ladle and scooped out some of the softly glowing pink liquid, filling up two shot glasses with it.

Byron eyed it dubiously.

“It’s not poison. I can tell you that much.” Cassie picked her own glass. “Come on, it’s no good if we don’t do it at the same time.”

“Together.” Byron picked up the second shot glass. “Should we clink them? Or say cheers?”

Cassie shook her head. “Not necessary. Let’s just go on three.”

Byron nodded. “One.”

“Two.”

“Three.”

They both raised their glasses to their lips.

The liquid was sweet and spicy and tingled over her tongue. Just as it should.

“I’m not sure what’s happening,” Byron said. “You’re…glowing.”

Cassie looked up at Byron, seeing a faint pale yellow around him. “You nervous?”

“Me? Well, a little. I don’t think that’s unusual after drinking a mystery potion,” Byron said.

“You don’t trust me?” Cassie joked.

Byron’s expression softened. “Of course I do.”

As he said that, his aura changed to a pleasant light purple, and Cassie’s eyes widened a little. “Huh, you’re really good at this.”

“At what?” The glow around Byron turned a pale gray.

“Your aura’s purple. And that’s the color of romance.”

“My aura? Ohhh,” Byron nodded. “That explains the glowing.”

“It was the most romantic potion I could come up with on the spot.” Cassie shrugged. “What do you think?”

Byron smiled. “I like it. Very romantic.”

“And it must be true.” Cassie placed her shot glass back down. “At least your aura says so.”

“Does purple mean I’m telling the truth?”

“No, it’s a romantic color for an aura. I’m not sure how you’re managing it…did you take a love potion?”

“To trick the…?” Byron looked around at the tavern. “No. No, I’m just…I’ve read extensively on method acting?”

Cassie eyed him for a moment, unable to stop herself from smiling at his innocent expression. “You’re a man of many talents, Byron.” Cassie began portioning the potion into more shot glasses.

“You’re not interested in what color your aura is?” Byron asked, stacking the shot glasses from where everything on the table had been shoved to one side.

“I’m pretty sure I know what it is—relief.” Cassie laughed weakly.

“Is that the light green?”

“Mm-hm.”

“What about a bright yellow?”

Cassie began ladling the potion out. “That could be optimism. And, as long as we interpreted the terms of this trial correctly, I’m feeling quite optimistic.” She looked over at him, noting a wry smile on his face. “Is everything okay?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.” Byron looked away.

“What? Is it my aura?” Cassie straightened up.

“It’s just that when you looked at me it was pur…”

“That’s time, everyone!” Morwenna shouted from atop the bar. “Put down your tongs and beakers, and stop mixing, shaking, or grinding. And if I see anyone add even a sprig of mint to your cocktails, you will be expelled!”

“That was good timing,” Cassie said over the clatter of utensils being put down, and the murmur of voices from the crowd.

“Now, everyone stay put while I come round and assess everyone’s creations. Don’t be afraid to hang your heads in shame if you have failed to brew anything.” Morwenna hopped down from the bar, gently gliding down to the floor. “And charges will be added to your tab if I see any breakages and spillages.” She looked meaningfully at Kael and his partner, who stood with the aforementioned hung heads as they looked at their table—a disarray of broken glass, slowly fizzling puddles of spilled liquid, and smoking ingredients.

Brushworth, along with the mop and feather duster, hung around their table, waiting for the next mess to clean up.

Cassie winced. She couldn’t believe how everything had gone wrong for that couple. She looked away as Morwenna approached their table and felt herself tense. This was it. They were about to find out both if they had managed to succeed in the trial, and if they were about to be disqualified for being in a fake relationship.

Though she felt much more confident after seeing Byron’s aura. For a self-proclaimed non-romantic, he wasn’t doing so badly.

“A potion of Aura Sight.” Morwenna nodded. “A nice choice. Not the most common potion outside of couples counseling, but provides a decent demonstration of brewing skill.”

“Thanks.” Cassie smiled. She was unsure how Morwenna could tell what potion she had brewed at a glance, but she felt a wave of relief at having her brewing complimented by such a powerful witch.

“What did you find was the greatest challenge during this process?” Morwenna peered into the cauldron.

“Probably the imps?” Byron glanced at Cassie, and she nodded. “Yeah, the imps. The recipe being misleading certainly didn’t help, either.”

“Misleading?” Morwenna picked up the slip of paper. “Oh, it seems to be missing the name.”

“Name of the potion it makes?” Cassie’s heart sank. If only she had been a bit more experienced, she would have been able to work out what potion they were supposed to brew. Had she blown it after all?

“Yes, I believe this recipe makes a nice gelee. I thought it was a nice touch for participants to take home to try.” Morwenna held the paper out to Cassie.

“I…thanks, Morwenna.” Cassie looked down at the scrawled list of ingredients.

Morwenna dipped a finger into the cauldron and tasted the residue. “Mmm. A nice heat to it. And very smooth.”

Byron and Cassie smiled at each other.

“Now, how did you find working together through this trial as a team?” Morwenna raised her eyes, her gaze piercing as she narrowed her eyes.

Cassie swallowed. This was going to be the make-or-break. Could they persuade Morwenna that they were a couple?

“We…”

“It was…”

She looked at Byron, seeing his aura turn a murky yellow. He was as nervous as she was.

“It was fine.” Cassie pursed her lips.

“Really?” Morwenna said levelly. “Because I couldn’t help but notice there was just a little friction earlier.”

“I think we found we are used to working in slightly different ways,” Cassie said. She could see Byron watching her out of the corner of his eye, his aura still denoting anxiety under the watchful gaze of Morwenna.

“But we overcame our different approaches. And I at least feel that I’ve grown as a person. Cassie taught me it’s okay to ‘go off-piste.’”

Cassie couldn’t smother the smile on her face as Byron’s aura turned deep purple once again.

“And Byron helped with my confidence. And I found that it’s okay to find yourself lost, as long as you keep searching for the way forward.”

“I see. It’s a shame that you didn’t keep the lovely organization of this table, though.” Morwenna looked between them before she nodded and moved on without another word.

“I think that means we’re good,” Byron whispered.

They watched as Morwenna approached Kael’s table. She merely glanced over at the mess, sighed, shook her head, and moved on.

“Well, it went much better than that,” Cassie hissed, her eyes moving over to Amelia, who stood with a flask of glowing liquid in her hands. It looked like they were going to pass this trial as well.

But it didn’t matter, Cassie was determined that she and Byron were going to fake it as hard as it took to make it.