Page 26 of Chosen Spirits (The Bartender Mage #4)

Guided by his intuition, Leif turned away and headed to where he and Rahul kept their gardening supplies. He gave a reassuring hug to both of his boyfriends as he went, Rahul gripping his shoulder encouragingly before letting him proceed.

Grabbing the herb snips, he returned to the plant.

Pini and Tithi had told him its name in elvish, but all he remembered was the colloquial name, sundrop, on account of the yellow color of its minty leaves.

As he pinched one of the leaves, he nearly jumped, feeling it as most of the rippling energy seemed to flood up through the plant's stem and into the single leaf.

"Oh, that makes this simpler," Leif said, making his cut.

He tugged on a second leaf, and the rest of that herb's energy entered it.

Two leaves per herb, with four herbs total meant a mere eight leaves.

"I was worried I'd have to make so much simple syrup it would've taken several liters of alcohol to brew it all, but nope. "

Holding the leaves gingerly in his cupped hands, he headed up to his bar.

"Anything we can do to help, cub?"

"Aye, yeah," Dane said. "Mina and I know a bit of magic, we do."

"No.Or, I don't think so? I always get a kind of gut feeling when making my potions. This is like that, but so much stronger, it all feels pretty instinctive."

"Hmm… that's actually something we can help with, though. Yeah, lovelies?"

Deirdre bounced on her digitigrade feet. "Yes indeedy so! Li, let's give him a blessing and help make this start out right.

Leif stood behind his bar, laid the leaves carefully down onto a dish, took a deep breath, then began.

While Tucker called Pini and Tithi, Rahul called Julia, and the actors started a blessing ritual, Leif reached out with his senses for the best way to make the Sundrop potion.

The leaves were the most important aspect.

Should he turn them into a simple syrup?

No. His hands were already grabbing a wooden muddler and a cocktail shaker.

Looks like he'd be mixing a drink, and straining it instead of muddling directly into a glass.

Binding a spirit back to its host… which alcohol? Too many possibilities to name.

"Mina, step over here?"

She complied, strangely silent compared to her normal high-spirited nature. As Leif looked between her and the leaves, he saw several of his liquor bottles shimmering, and he pulled them out.

"A Long Island alternative? Mountain gin, a smooth whisky… yeah. Fresh and citrusy. I'm going to make the sunshiniest cocktail imaginable!"

Burgeoning with gathered spirit energy, Leif muddled the all-important leaves into the shaker.

Lemon juice instead of lime, like he would have thought.

Then the pours. Instead of measuring, he let the resonance guide him.

Almost in a trance, he added in a bare dollop of gin and vodka, but heavy on the amber tequila and whisky.

He was about to pour in the liqueur, but felt a hiccup, like forgetting a name that was on the tip of your tongue.

He looked up at Mina, realizing what the block was.

"I don't have to make it, if you don't want me to. It's your call."

Mina grabbed the ends of her frizzy hair, giving a tug and blowing out her cheeks. "My mom worked so hard to make this moment happen… do it. Just flippin' do it."

The feeling of certainty returned to him, and he splashed in the last few ingredients. A small handful of ice, a long shake, and then into a tall glass he strained the shimmering, golden drink.

There it was.After two months, the job was done. One soul-restoring Sundrop potion, ready for consumption .

Yay!

While Mina closed in on it, Leif stumbled out from behind his bar and into Rahul's arms, feeling lightheaded and giddy. The sensation of being overwhelmed by his spirit senses was swiftly fading, replaced by deep contentment.

"Good work, cub," Rahul said, rumbling approvingly. "Proud of ya'."

Tucker was watching Mina, a frown on his face. Deirdre and Eve both had their phones out, recording the event, but Li moved forward and laid a hand on Mina's shoulder. Without looking away from the drink, Mina turned her body, accepting the hug.

"So I just drink this little thing, and I get my old personality back, is that it?"

"Possibly.All the emotions and habits, at least."

"How long do I have until I have to decide?"

Pulling himself away from Rahul, Leif went back behind his bar.

After studying Mina and her defensive posture, he reached beneath the counter and pulled out one of his new flip-top bottles, and a funnel.

Grabbing the completed Sundrop potion, he poured the cocktail into the bottle, then sealed it.

Taking one of Mina's shaking hands, he gave it a squeeze, then carefully put the potion into her grasp.

"I'd say maybe a few days," he said. "The energy might remain potent for longer than that, but I think it will lose effectiveness. So, three dawns from now, either drink it or don't. And the bottle is like, super sturdy, by the way. Don't worry about dropping it."

"Thank you for this," she said. "I'm just, um, I think I'm going to call my mom. Can you give me a minute?"

With the bottle clenched tightly in her hands, Mina darted upstairs to the second floor.

"Well, then!" Rahul said brightly, putting his hands on his hips.

He, like Dane, was just wearing a pair of underwear, satin boxers and green mesh briefs respectively.

Tucker was still nude, but didn't seem inclined to wear anything just yet.

"I know seven o'clock is a bit early after everyone's late night, but is anyone else hungry for breakfast? I'll make pancakes."

Li and Eve declined, saying they'd rather go back to bed, but both shifters perked up, and Tucker immediately went to the pantry to begin pulling out ingredients.

Dane looked a bit sleepy eyed, but Leif guessed that either the luck mage didn't want to miss out on socializing, or else he wanted the chance to see Tucker's cock swing about as he pivoted through the kitchen, grabbing bowls and utensils for Rahul.

For himself, Leif was entirely too keyed up after the potion-making to go back to sleep.

He took a seat on the couch, promising himself that he'd give himself several hours of a nap later, no matter what amazing fun things Rahul came up with to entertain their guests.

Dane soon joined him, snuggling up against him as they stayed out from underfoot.

Mina returned downstairs about the time that the first set of pancakes were being stacked onto a plate, freshly showered and dressed in a new outfit.

Studying her carefully, Leif saw that she seemed more composed and back to her usual cocky cheer, and she wasn't clutching the potion in a deathgrip.

Plus, Tucker wasn't rushing over to make sure she was okay.

"Mina, how many pancakes would you like?" Rahul asked her. "Three? Four? I could also make you eggs and bacon, if you'd prefer—"

Tucker whined.

"—which won't take any extra time, since I'm apparently already making a batch for a greedy puppy. "

Mina moved over to the kitchen island, watching as Deirdre ladled more batter onto the griddle. "I don't know if I'm all that hungry. Also, my mom didn't answer the phone, so I think I'm going to head over and visit her in person."

"Oh, but we were all hoping to spend more time with you!" Deirdre said, her nose twitching. "Will you be back after? We still need to talk about moving, and auditions, and stuff!"

"Maybe." Mina lifted the potion bottle up, letting its golden shine highlight the kitchen, then abruptly spun away to set it on top of Leif's bar before clasping her hands together.

"This is all heavy stuff, and I don't know how my mom's going to feel after I talk with her.

Or how I'll feel, or if I'll even still be the me that you know now.

My past self wasn't really big into hanging with the party crowd. "

"Well, poo."

Rahul set a plate on the kitchen table with two pancakes on it, and Tucker was not far behind with setting out butter, powdered sugar, and maple syrup.

"Eat first before you go, then," he ordered. "Bup bup bup! No arguments. Eat. And you might end up with some company during your visit."

Mina took a seat, then glanced over at Leif.

Giving Dane a last squeeze, Leif hopped to his feet, then turned around to drag Dane up off of the couch, leading him by the hand to the table. He sat down next to Mina.

"I wouldn't mind having someone else there with me," she admitted, then picked up her fork, poking at her food.

"It's a shame to be a poor host," Tucker said, setting out more plates. "But I reckon that today might be the best day to take advantage of Leif's invitation to see your mom. Rahul? "

"Yeah, I know. Damn it. But it makes sense.

It shouldn't take long, though. Two hour drive there, two hours back, maybe an hour for the visit itself?

We'd be back in the early afternoon, which still gives us tonight and tomorrow with our splendid new friends.

Dane and Deirdre, you four can make yourselves at home in the meantime. "

"See, Mina?" Leif said, nearly drowning his pancakes in maple syrup. "It's settled. You won't have to do this alone."

Dane was far more sparing with his condiments. "Aye, guess that means I get to sleep in after all, then? Your bed is going to feel so empty. Also, damn, what kind of bed is it? Are you expecting to host a behemoth or something?"

While Rahul gladly expounded upon the idea that there were some things in life you didn't skimp on, like an orc-sized, well-crafted bed that wouldn't kill your back, Leif started in on breakfast.

Once everyone had eaten and a dozen additional pancakes had been set aside for the sleeping girlfriends, Leif and Dane worked together to clean the kitchen, doing their share of labor.

Rahul busied himself with texting while Tucker and Deirdre availed themselves of showers.

Mina thanked Rahul for breakfast, then gathered her things.

"We'll head your way soon," Leif promised her at the front door, giving her a tight, tight, tight hug, trying to impart all the emotional strength that he could.

"Thank you, Leif." Mina hugged him back, her fingers digging into his bare shoulders. "I'm sorry about messing up today's plans with the others."

"It'll be fine," Rahul called out to her, putting his phone away.

"Julia's going to stop by in just a couple of hours and entertain them, then take everyone to lunch if we're not back by then.

By the way, Dane, if you couldn't tell, she's absolutely over the moon at the idea of being friends with you all.

So you'd better be serious about your idea of moving to the city—"

Leif watched Rahul repeatedly pound a fist into a palm as he loomed over the smaller man.

"—or else I'll have 'ta show some dirtbags what's what."

"No worries on that front, boyo," Dane said, holding his hands up in a heart shape.

"We were already thinking about moving venues, since there's so many more opportunities in Minneapolis than where we're at.

And besides, Eve's already sketched out a friendship bracelet that she'll be making for Julia.

Now tell me, is there a place where a man can get himself cleaned up and tidy for the day? "

While Rahul led the mage back upstairs, Leif looked over at Mina, catching her gaze.

"Do what you think is right for you," he told her. "We'll see you again soon."

◆◆◆

Leif found himself too worried on Mina's behalf to nap during the ride to I'ari's lake house.

Instead, he, Rahul, and Tucker discussed different game plans on how to approach the topic of trying to convince the lady to quell her chaotic activities.

They were about ten minutes out from her residence when Tucker's phone rang.

"It's Fang," he said, looking at the screen. "Maybe Julia told her what we're doing?"

"Fang's impossible to keep secrets from, pup, you know that."

"It's not her I'm trying to hide things from." He finally accepted the call."Hi, ma'am, what—"

" What are you doing right now?"

"I'm, well, we're on our way to see Lady I'ari. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I figured you'd have to report it to the mythic council."

" They already know, and they've got arbiters inbound. Tucker, I'm getting some bad vibes."

Leif didn't hear what they discussed next, because his own phone made a series of dings from received texts.

Mina the Magnificent: Call me.

Mina the Magnificent: Leif.

Mina the Magnificent: Please?

He clicked the call button. "Hey! What is it, did things go alright with your mom? We're almost there."

" Hi, so, I haven't talked to mom yet. It's kind of impossible right now.

But, so, you know, like… " Leif heard her take a breath, then continue on in an artificially bright tone.

" Hey, Leif! So, you know how my mom is like a super powerful mage, and that she's undone a lot of bindings these last couple of years?

Well, I think she's in the middle of undoing one right now, and it's a big one . "

A crack of thunder split the air, and in the next few seconds it went from cloudy skies to torrential downpour.

" See you soon, I hope ?"