Chapter 10

CHEMISTRY BEYOND THE CAULDRON

The Rose Apothecary, Roya Lane, London, England, United Kingdom

“Don’t come in, I’m not decent,” a woman croaked when Gen and Jack entered the potion shop. They’d followed Lee’s directions to The Rose Apothecary on the far end of Roya Lane where they’d been told they’d find Bep, the potion maker. Again, apparently they made the mistake of thinking that they could simply walk into a shop during normal business hours without a problem.

Gen and Jack both averted their gazes at once, shielding their eyes with their hands, blocking their view ahead.

“I’m sorry,” Gen said, looking down at the wood floors of the potion shop. “We thought you were open. We didn’t mean to catch you undressed.”

“The shop is open,” the woman replied matter-of-factly. “And I’m dressed, of course. It’s just that I haven’t fixed my hair yet.”

Gen, with her face still partially shielded, caught Jack’s speculative expression. She shook her head, wondering what circus she’d walked into this time. He seemed to share her confusion. Together, they both pulled their hands away, turning to look at the woman and around the potion shop known as the Rose Apothecary.

As Gen took in the strange place, her eyes focused on the center of the room. Occupying the space was a massive cauldron which bubbled and churned. Its contents were a mesmerizing swirl of colors that shifted from deep purple to vivid green, sending plumes of shimmering, iridescent smoke billowing towards the ceiling.

The walls of the Rose Apothecary were lined with shelves that seemed to stretch on forever. Each one was crammed with an array of bottles and vials in every imaginable shape and size. The labels on the potions were written in a dizzying array of languages and scripts that made Gen’s head spin from her attempts at comprehension.

The air was thick with the scent of exotic spices and herbs, mingling with the sharp, acrid tang of brewing potions. It created an aroma that was at once intoxicating and slightly unsettling. At the back of the shop, a worn wooden counter played host to an ancient brass cash register that seemed to have a life of its own, its keys clacking and whirring as if possessed by some mischievous spirit.

Beside the counter, a heavy oak door stood slightly ajar, offering tantalizing glimpses of the mysteries that lay beyond. Gen couldn’t help but feel a thrill of excitement and trepidation as she imagined what sort of other wonders and dangers might await her in this strange and magical place. Finally, her attention brought her to the tall woman standing on the far side of the shop, fixing her short curly hair in a mirror on the wall.

Turning around, the woman in a black cloak gave Gen and Jack a quizzical smile. “I haven’t seen the likes of you two on Roya Lane before. Who are you?” She sniffed the air. “And why do you smell like strange dogs?”

Jack snickered. “I think that’s dragons you’re smelling. And we’re Rogue Riders. I’m Jack Lane.” He motioned to Gen. “And this is?—”

“Genevieve Beaufont,” the woman said, bowing slightly, her hand on her chest, in a show of respect. She rose, giving Gen an intense expression. “I heard of your story and that you joined the Rogue Riders. Welcome. My name is Bep, the great and masterful potion expert.”

“Nice to meet you,” Gen said, bowing her head slightly. “And we’ve come for a special potion. Maybe you can help us?”

“For a price, I help most,” Bep countered and then wrinkled her nose in annoyance. “Well, not Lee at The Crying Cat Bakery. I won’t be supplying her potions anymore.”

“Ummm…why is that?” Jack asked, coyly.

“Oh, because she did the most wretched thing to me,” Bep said, bitterly.

“Really?” Gen asked, giving Jack a look of concern, wondering suddenly if they should trust Lee. She might double-cross them. However, Subner had sent them to her and surely he could be trusted, Gen reasoned. “What happened?”

Bep touched her hair, fluffing it. “She…well, she told me that I should grow out my hair. Can you believe it? Like how rude is that?”

“Wow,” Jack said, giving Gen a look of astonishment. “How dare she?”

“I know,” Bep said, nodding. “Like why don’t you just tell a woman that she’s ugly. I mean, she thinks I should cover my face with long hair. She’s insinuating that my present hair fashion isn’t good enough. The number of insults that she threw at me with that one suggestion are too numerous to even count. Can you even believe it?”

“Hardly,” Gen muttered, trying to keep the laugh out of her tone.

“So, I just cut her off entirely,” Bep said dismissively. “No more potions for her. And she needs them. I know she will. But I won’t help her. But I will help you. What do you need?”

“What’s the price?” Gen asked.

“It depends,” Bep said, striding over to the bubbling cauldron, peering into the contents speculatively.

“On what?” Jack questioned, giving Gen a curious expression.

“Oh, well…” Bep looked up, thinking. “The request, the day that I need a favor, how I feel that day and of course, what kind of hair day I’m having.”

“Of course,” Gen said, giving Jack a playful expression.

“Of course,” he repeated.

“Well, we need a Sneak’s Stain Solution,” Gen explained. “Do you have that? Can you give that to us?”

Bep spun around, looking at them pointedly suddenly. “You need that? For what?”

“For security,” Jack answered at once, not getting flustered. “We’re Rogue Riders. Our job is to catch sneaks and perpetrators.”

“I thought your job was to manage criminals,” Bep argued.

“Only once we catch them,” Jack countered, not missing a beat.

“Right,” Bep said, nodding, seeming to accept this. “Well, I guess that makes sense. Now do you know how this powerful defensive potion works?” She strode over to a nearby shelf and retrieved a small bottle of bright blue liquid.

“Yes, but remind us,” Jack said, discreetly winking at Gen.

She slightly smiled at him, knowing he was playing the potions maker perfectly.

“Well, you put it around an area where you need to protect something,” Bep explained, crossing the store with the bottle in tow. “Unfortunately, only half the time does it prevent criminals from trespassing into the area. But, the clever potion makes up for this shortcoming in other ways.”

“And that is?” Jack asked, taking the bottle of blue liquid when Bep handed it to him.

“One hundred percent of the time, the potion marks the offender,” she answered. “So although it won’t always prevent a crime, it will always help you to catch the person who did it.”

“That’s interesting,” Gen mused.

Bep nodded. “That it is. And it also has a nice aroma of peppermint and cloves that make a nice air freshener.”

“That’s a bonus,” Jack said with a laugh.

“And how does the Sneak’s Stain Solution mark the criminal?” Gen asked.

“Well, with blue hands, of course,” Bep answered. “The person who committed the crime will be caught blue-handed.”

“That’s perfect,” Jack chuckled.

“But be aware that the potion does stain some areas where you put it,” Bep explained. “So only put it where you need to guard something or catch a criminal who might be trying to do something nefarious. It will leave a small trace of blue in those areas, but it’s nothing that you can’t later use one of my cleaning potions to erase.”

“Well, that’s handy,” Jack said, smiling at Gen, seeming giddy from their day’s adventures.

“Definitely,” Gen replied. “So the price? Do you know what we’ll need to do to pay you?”

Bep shook her head. “I don’t need anything right now. But with two dragonriders at my disposal, I’ll definitely come up with something soon. I’m sure there’s a magical ingredient that I’ll need your expert hands to fetch for me.”

“Of course.” Jack bowed chivalrously to her.

She blushed, giggling and covering her mouth from the gesture. “I’ll let you know when I need your assistance.”

“Until then,” Jack said, looping his arm in Gen’s and leading her from The Rose Apothecary. The pair waved over their shoulders at the potions maker. Gen couldn’t help but laugh as Jack pulled her in close, escorting her from the shop.

It had been a fun day full of adventures with Jack. Gen was definitely sad to see it coming to an end. However, she was secretly grateful that their day had led to a series of favors that they’d have to repay—and together.