29. Saoirse

Saoirse

T he sun-drenched countryside was awash with a warm, golden light as Vane and I made our way to Maeve's house. She lived on the outskirts of town, which was a bit of a trek from the bakery, but it allowed her to keep a semblance of privacy in a town filled with so many people. We passed plots of wildflowers and rolling hills, a peaceful contrast to the tension that had become our daily lives.

Maeve's home was a quaint, charming cottage nestled among the towering trees of the forest. The air was filled with the scent of blooming flowers, bees flitting around from flower to flower. The house itself was small but welcoming, surrounded by a small gate that wouldn't do much to keep a serious intruder out.

Maeve greeted us at the gate, a warm smile splitting her face. Her eyes always seemed to catch me off guard, the intelligence behind them making me feel like she could read my soul, as if I'd written my thoughts out on my chest for only her to read. "Thanks for coming all this way," she tossed with a smile.

I returned it, calm washing over me in her presence. She'd been such a big fixture of my life when I'd left the castle with nowhere to go. I truly owed her my life. "It's beautiful. I can't believe I never come out here." I'd stayed a few nights here, before she'd cleaned up the bakery enough for me to live there, and it'd been one of the best sleeps I'd ever had, but I also respected her boundary to not take in strays and let them live with her.

Vane nodded in agreement, taking in the serene surroundings. "It's a nice change of pace. I've been stuck in that castle so much lately I was starting to feel trapped."

Maeve led us through the garden, pointing out various herbs and plans she used in her potions. On top of being an accomplished baker—but not as good as me—she was renowned and had made most of her fortune in potion making and spell work. Not every Lightlace witch had the ability to imbue pure essence into something, a skill that took a very deep level of control and understanding of your gift, but Mave was one of the best. Witches came from all around to buy wares from Maeve.

She led us around the back to a large wooden table covered in vials, scrolls, and large books. Maeve gestured for us to sit. "I figured we can go over the potions and spells today, so you know exactly what you're working with."

"I've never really understood how most of this works," I said, uncomfortably shifting in my seat. Vane looked on curiously, as if he was also learning this for the first time. Maybe Darkwings didn't have this ability, either.

She handed me a vial from the table, letting the cool weight of it rest in my hand. "This is an invisibility potion, one of my favorites to craft. It responds the best when I use the sun's energy at dawn, the most potent time for crafting. "

"So, it's all about the sun's energy?" Vane inquired, leaning forward, hanging on to her every word. The hint of a shadow teased from beneath the collar of his shirt.

"That, and intention," Maeve said. "The sun provides the raw power, and as the sun's vessel, I will turn it into whatever I want it to be." She gestured to a small collection of potions, some in traditional vials, and others in spherical, translucent balls. "I made a few different things for you."

She picked up a ball with a dark, inky substance lurking inside. "This is a smoke potion. When thrown, it will create a thick cloud of smoke and a loud bang, drawing attention away from wherever you need it, or perhaps hiding what you'd most like to conceal."

She handed it to me, motioning for me to use it. There was a meager wooden target that had been built up in the grass, looking like it wouldn't survive even the slightest bit of wind. "Just throw it and watch."

I threw the ball at the target, and upon impact it shattered, releasing a thick cloud of smoke, the loud clang the object made making me flinch. The noise was startling, but the smoke quickly enveloped the target, obscuring it completely from view.

"Perfect," Maeve said, nodding in approval. "Be careful if you venture through the smoke. You'll be just as unable to see as they will, and they'll still be fully capable of hearing you."

She picked up a crystalline blue sphere, the substance glinting beneath the direct sunlight. "A freezing potion. It will create a localized area of intense cold, freezing anything it touches."

She handed it over, and I wasted no time throwing it at the target, who stood in the now dissipated clearing. A burst of icy mist took over, a layer of frost clinging to the simple wooden target.

"Good arm," Vane commented, his gaze hooded as he watched me. Butterflies leapt to life in my stomach under his attention, but I closed my eyes against them, turning all my focus to Maeve. Looking at Vane too long was a very dangerous predicament I could easily get myself into. We'd kept away from each other, but it was a fragile truce, one I wished I could break just to push him down and have my way with him.

She pulled a vial filled with glowing, golden healing. "This one is for healing. If you or Vane get injured, this could be the difference between life and death. Your sister helped me with this particular one," Maeve's eyes shimmered with pride, and I no doubt assumed Xan had impressed her with just how strong of magic she had. It didn't surprise me one bit that she'd been able to imbue her magic into potions, too.

"It will speed up your body's natural healing process for a time as well, but don't push it. It is not to replace common sense." She looked down her nose at me, and I frowned back. I wasn't reckless. If anything, I was the opposite, more inclined to cower beneath a table than ever try to steal something. "Vane and you will take the invisibility potion, and when the distraction happens, steal the staff and get out of there."

"What if something goes wrong?" Vane, who had been relatively silent until now, leaned in closer.

"Then you run like hell," Maeve retorted, her expression grim. "Stick to the plan as closely as possible. If things start to go sideways, the priority is to get out safely. We can always get the shard another way, but we cannot replace you."

Vane's eyes met mine, a flicker of concern passing between us. "We'll be careful," he said softly, his pinky brushing mine where we stood, sending a small shiver up my spine.

Maeve picked up the potion I recognized as the invisibility one, handing it to Vane. "Drink up."

With little more than a grimace, he uncorked the vial and swallowed it in one gulp. Almost immediately, his body began to shimmer and fade, becoming opaque, and then completely invisible, my vision able to see clear through to the other side of the yard. I heard his footsteps rustling around, but seeing him disappear completely had thrown me off.

"Can you still hear me?" Van's disembodied voice came from somewhere to my left.

"Yes," I replied, turning my head in the direction I thought the voice had come from. "But I can't see you at all."

The air shifted, and suddenly a gentle tap on my shoulder, then my opposite shoulder as I whipped my head around. I spun, trying to catch a glimpse of him, darting out with my hands, but I only felt air.

"Vane!" I said, a laugh escaping my lips despite myself. The icy chill of his shadows kissed my skin, but even those too were invisible.

The low timbre of his voice chuckled deep in his chest. "Had to make sure it worked." Then, a warm breath near my ear, his voice low and teasing. "I won't let anything happen to you. Trust me."

Heat bloomed from my ear to my shoulder, all the way down to my toes, as I smiled. "I trust you," I said softly, not even caring that Maeve was suddenly making herself busy by organizing the potions that were already organized. I needed no hesitation, the words ringing true in the air as they flowed out.

When Vane finally reappeared, Maeve said, "Good. Now you both know what to expect. Oh, and before I forget," she tossed two leather contraptions on the table, and after a closer look, my mouth dropped wide. A pair of intricate garter belts, designed with adjustable straps to ensure it stayed in place. There were several small, padded pockets, each perfectly sized to hold a vial or sphere securely, and lined with a soft, protective material to prevent the glass from breaking.

"Easy access," Maeve explained, helping me fasten one belt around my thigh to make sure it fit well. Vane, pointedly, looked in the other direction as we tested it out. "Wear it under your dress, and no one will ever know. "

"They'll certainly know when I lift my skirts to retrieve it," I scoffed, but thanked her anyway.

"Xan will have a dress sent over for that," Maeve smiled, already three steps ahead of me. "Your mother will probably hate it, but it will help you when it's time to move."

We motioned to leave, but Maeve caught my hand, pulling me back as she let Vane get far enough ahead of us that he was out of earshot.

"Trust yourself, child," she said, giving my hand a soft squeeze as she dropped it. Her normally brown eyes were almost black, and inky deep that I imagined could hypnotize me right where I stood. "Embrace your shadows."

Before I could stop her, ask her what in Daer's name she meant, she'd already retreated, closing the cottage door firmly behind her.