Page 36 of When the Witch Met the Minotaur

“If you hurt her, I’ll warn you, sweet Kaya and sensible Laini will lose their minds and rip you limb from limb.”

“I have no doubt.”

“And that’s after Tully eviscerates you.”

I chuckle. “I didn’t expect disembowelment to come up this early in the day.”

Cyrus claps me on the shoulder and takes my empty cup. “Never know what you’ll hear in my pub, Master Minotaur!”

He strides out of the room, his spiked tail and broad wings swishing behind him.

I turn to check the distiller. Steam continues to shush through the piping. The water in the boiler gurgles and the cold water inlet drips into the vapor chamber. A bit of excess water drips from the waste pipe attached to the vapor chamber.

The familiar sounds of a makeshift lab soothe my nerves. I spent most of my youth avoiding my literature tutors and sneaking into the workroom my father and mother created for me. Sometimes, they even joined me in experimenting. Once, we grew soybeans without soil. Another time, I blew a hole in the wall trying out new fertilizers. They grounded me from the lab for a month. Longest month in my life. I grin, recalling my parents back when they were well and happy together. I rub a spot over my chest. There will always be a hole there. At least I have my memories and nothing can take them away. I whisper a quick prayer for my mother.

“I’ll try to be home soon,” I say to her even though she is far away.

I can’t return until I have the money though. She is safe enough, for now, staying with Hamish, our estate manager. She won’t be herself until we can move forward though, with or without the estate. But Mother wouldn’t have wanted me to leave Tully and Leafshire Cove without fixing the mess I stirred up with the khymeia.

I check the collection jar. No oil yet. It’ll take patience. An hour. Maybe two. I hope this dill oil works the way Delixian—the healer—assumes it will. I can’t let Tully sacrifice herself, even if it is for her dearest friends and this town she loves so much. I only met the witch, but I’m already head over heels. I wish I weren’t, but it is what it is. She deserves someone with a future, not a male drowning in debt.

But first things first. I will do what I can to help her protect her people and protect herself. I might not have magic, but I have my mind and my predisposition to tinkering with science.

Chapter 18

Tully

When I wake, I smell one thing.

“Pickles?” Why do I smell pickles?

I sit up and swing my legs over the side of the bed. I’m still woozy; the world is a touch blurry, but I feel much better. Nothing like a nice little pass out. I snort at myself and lift my wrists. Someone has given me bracelets made of twine braided with sprigs of dill.

A knock sounds at the door. “Come in.”

Halvard pops his big head in. “Tully, you all right?”

“I’m fine. Where’s Argos?”

“He’s in the kitchen. He just booked an event with the brewmaster’s guild. He impresses me if I’m honest. So much going on at the moment and he still has a head for a business opportunity.”

Heat creeps up my neck. “And just what did he promise to do at this event?”

“His illusions, of course. I’m sure you saw them lately, right? Amazing stuff.”

I stand and roar as best a witch can. Halvard’s eyes go wide.

“What’s wrong?”

I push past him. “Argos is what’s wrong. He knows he can’t use those stones anymore. For Blessed Stones’ sake, we don’t even have them in our possession!”

Halvard doesn’t follow me too closely. He used to be a warrior with the king’s army, but he gave that up and seems keen to stay out of trouble. Wise of him to give me a wide berth when I’m riled up like this.

“Argos!” I storm into the pub’s small kitchen.

The minotaur is there tinkering with some bizarre contraption of metal tubing, a pipe bringing heat from the pub’s wood-burning stove, and loads of large glass jugs.

“Hello, Mistress Witch. Are you feeling better? Unfortunately, we didn’t find out anything during our questioning of the staff. I heard you had a nap,” he says quickly, not turning around.