Page 64 of Burdened Bonds

I glance at Phoenix who keeps his mouth shut.

“No, no, don’t tell me,” she says, raising her hand, “perhaps it’s best I don’t know. If those agents come knocking again, it’s probably better I know as little as possible.”

“You wouldn’t tell, Nonny.”

“No, Winnie, darling, but they were a tad,” she smiles flatly, “forceful.”

Winnie gasps and I ball my hands into fists. The chancellor had his flaws, but that would never have been allowed under his rule. My uncle really is a piece of shit.

“Will you help us?” Phoenix asks her. “I understand if you’d rather not. I understand we’re putting you in a difficult position.”

“Nonsense.” She waves her hand through the air. “Of course, I’ll help you. Rhianna is Winnie’s friend and besides, I like that girl. She has spunk.”

“She’s certainly had a lot of spunk,” Winnie mumbles.

I glare at the girl and she looks away from me, her cheeks heating.

“What exactly do you need me to do? It’s very flattering for an old woman like me to be asked for help but I’m not exactly sure how I can help you.” A yappy dog trots into the room and jumps up onto her lap, and she strokes her hands through his fur.

“We need you to brew us a potion, Nonny.”

“Winnie, of all my grandchildren, you are the best potion brewer. I don’t see why you need my help.”

“I do. It’s complex, really complex.”

“Ahhh,” the old woman says with some suspicion, “what exactly does this potion do?”

“Strengthen the fated mate bond – making it possible to communicate over vast distances.”

The old woman stares into my face. “We’re talking about manipulating ancient magic here.”

“Yes.”

“That’s dangerous.”

“Which is why we need your help, Nonny.”

“Are you sure you want to do it? I’m flattered you think I’m capable but I’m no academy professor.”

“I’m sure,” I say. “We’ve been separated from Rhi for long enough. We need to find her.”

The old woman tickles her dog under its chin and considers our request. “Okay,” she says at last, “do you have the recipe?”

Winnie tugs the piece of paper from her pocket and her grandma hooks the glasses hanging around her neck onto her nose and reads the words.

“You have the Tambric spice?” Winnie nods. “Hmmm. This is tricky, very tricky.”

“You think you can brew it?” Phoenix asks with a note of desperation.

“With Winnie’s help, I think so.” She pushes the dog gently from her lap and stands up. “We’d best get started. Most of the folk around here are blind as bats but someone may have spotted you arriving and if they did, there’s a chance they’ve already shopped you in to the authorities. We may have limited time to make the potion.” She turns to her granddaughter. “Fetch my cauldron – the silver-plated one.” She turns to us as Winnie scuttles from the room. “And you two,” she says, “will be our assistants.”

“Assistants?” Phoenix says with obvious disgust.

“Yes,” she says with a twinkle in her eyes. “Don’t expect to stand around while us women do all the hard work. Those days have long passed. You can start by brewing us a pot of tea. Kettle’s over there.”

Winnie’s grandmais true to her word. For over an hour, she has Stone and me fetching and carrying for her, using our magic to chop up ingredients, and providing her and Winnie with ample tea and snacks. There’s little time to stand and watch but in the moments I do, I can see her murmuring with her granddaughter as they hover over the silver cauldron, adding ingredients slowly, stirring occasionally and consulting not only the notes I’d made but an array of ancient-looking recipe books too.

The small kitchen soon fills with clouds of billowing steam – steam that morphs in color from white to pink to purple as they add their ingredients and the pungent smell of Tambric spice leaves is inescapable. My eyes water and the fumes tickle the back of my throat, making me cough.