Page 22 of With the Potion in the Courtyard

"Seems so," Robbie said. We exchanged glances, none of us quite sure how to feel about the assistance from Hell's own ruler. "Seriously, why does he even have a library card for this school?" Robbie scratched his head, looking from the empty space Lucifer had occupied to the book on the table.

Jessie and I shrugged in unison, our eyes wide with the same confusion. "No idea," I reached for the book. It was weirdly warm, like it had been sitting in the sun, even though the library's gothic windows letin little more than a gloomy light that made the trees outside look almost sinister.

We flipped the book open and, wouldn't you know it, it fell open right to an earmarked page. My finger traced the list of ingredients we'd been puzzling over for hours, now neatly matched with their counterparts in the book. "Well, how about that?"

"Creepy guy," I said, remembering Lucifer's sly smile, "but he sure is handy in a pinch."

Robbie paled, his usual broad-shouldered confidence shrinking slightly. "You don't think... this means we owe him a favor, do you?"

Jessie gasped, her curly hair bouncing as she clutched at her chest dramatically. "Or our souls?"

For a moment, we all just looked at each other, the weight of owing something to the ruler of Hell pressing down on us. Then, the ridiculousness of it all hit us, and laughter bubbled up from my throat. Jessie joined in, her giggles high-pitched and infectious, and even Robbie cracked a smile, his blue eyes lighting up again.

"Imagine that, trading souls in a library," I managed between laughs, my earlier worriesdissipating like smoke. Maybe I was getting the hang of this magical world after all.

After I calmed down, I squinted at the title printed in bold, ancient script:

Veil Minimizer

(loose translation).

The book smelled of dust and old leather, its pages yellowed with time. I traced the words with my finger, trying to make sense of what it all meant.

"There’s something about going between worlds," I said slowly, trying to figure out exactly what that meant. "I’m guessing that’s kind of like using the portals?"

"Kind of, except you don’t need a spell for that," Jessie said.

Robbie smiled. "Just a portal, a letter, or a stone."

Jessie pulled the book a little closer, her eyes narrowing as she read. We stayed silent, watching her, wondering what she might beable to figure out that we couldn’t.

"Looks like this thing is older than the hills," Jessie said, scanning the cryptic text. "Says here the origin has been lost."

Robbie leaned over my shoulder. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Wait, there's a note," I pointed to the margins where someone had scribbled something in faded ink.

"For some reason this potion is really good to clear up constipation."

I blinked, not sure if I read that right.

"Constipation?" Jessie snickered, looking amused.

"Does that mean Jaylyn went to another world and... pooped when she got there?" The words tumbled out before I could stop them, and heat crept up my cheeks. I chanced a glance at Robbie, his expression a mix of amusement and surprise.

"Poop?" Robbie said, his broad shoulders shaking with laughter.

"Shut up." I swatted at him playfully, my face now blazing red. The three of us erupted into giggles, the sound echoing off the library'shigh stone archways.

"Only you, Cendi," Robbie managed through his chuckles, "could turn ancient potion research into toilet humor."

"Hey, I'm just reading what's there," I said, still red-faced but grinning. It was good to laugh like this, even if we were dealing with mysteries beyond our understanding.

CHAPTER TEN

After the giddinessof the library, we decided to go for a walk in the castle’s gardens. We stepped out into the cool evening air. The gardens stretched out before us, a labyrinth of greenery under the soft glow of moonlight.

"Let's check out the birdbath," I led Jessie and Robbie down the cobblestone path. Flowers bowed their heads as if to whisper secrets as we passed.