Page 47 of With the Potion in the Courtyard
"Barrier spell," I said, pulling out my wand and waving it as I swung my hips and moved my wand around. A shimmering bubble enveloped us, filtering the putrid air.
I took in a ragged breath, as did Jessie and Robbie. Clean air. Thank goodness.
"Stay close," I said, my voice muffled within our protective dome. We shuffled side by side, practically glued to each other as we made our way across the room. Every step was a trial in not stepping on toes or elbowing each other in the ribs.
"Whoever designed this place has a sick sense of humor," Robbie said, his face still comically smooth without his eyebrows.
"Tell me about it," Jessie said, her nose wrinkling even though the barrier kept out the worst of it.
Somehow, despite everything, we made it throughthe gauntlet of pendulums and noxious gases, ready for whatever came next.
We rounded a corner and walked into a chamber lined with crystals that glowed like eerie nightlights. They pulsed, casting shadows on the walls that danced as if alive. I instantly had a bad feeling about them. If we’ve experienced room after room of bad things, this has to be the same.
"Careful," I whispered, but my warning came too late. Jessie reached out, her fingers brushing against one of the crystals. She stiffened, eyes widening in shock before she slumped, paralyzed.
"Jessie," I cried, pulling a healing potion from her bag. I popped the cork and poured it down her throat. Her body relaxed seconds later, and she gasped for air.
"Thanks, Cendi," she said, shaking her head. "Note to self: don't touch the pretty lights."
"Let's get through here without any more touching," Robbie said, his voice strained. We navigated carefully, our bodies tense as we avoidedthe paralyzing beams.
Once past the chamber of crystals, we stopped, taking deep breaths.
"I feel like every step of the way in this lair is a warning to turn back," I said.
"A smart person would," Robbie responded. "But a smart person wouldn’t be trying to save someone in a dangerous lair in another world to begin with."
"Not to self. Stop touching crime scenes," Jessie said with a smirk.m
Robbie leaned back against the colorful wall… and fell backwards into darkness. I had to hold back the shriek of surprise that threatened to spill from my lips as I rushed forward.
"I’m okay," he managed, sitting up.
And he was. He’d simply fallen through some type of trap door.
"What should we do?" I asked.
Jessie shrugged. "Explore the hidden room?"
"Definitely," Robbie said, getting to his feet.
The trapped door led us to a room filled with fantastical artifacts. Everything was oddlyshaped, vibrant, and full of energy. This wasn’t a room full of dangerous things. This was a room of precious things that someone would likely prefer we not find.
"Look at this stuff," Robbie said, picking up an object that resembled a clay tree. "Feels... powerful."
"Powerful and bizarre," I added, examining a lopsided smiley face.
"It is." Jessie seemed to be coming to some sort of realization. "You guys don’t have a lot of experience with powerful objects, but this is a room full of them. At the academy, we have rooms filled with magical items similar to these, but they’re kept under lock and key, because we don’t want anyone to steal them. If we find the right items, they might help us find Jaylyn and get back home. Search around. Inspect everything. But do it carefully."
"Got it," I said, but then something else caught my eye, a key, ancient and ornate, resting on a velvet cushion. I stretched out my hand and touched it. Pain seared my fingertip, and I recoiled, a drop of blood welling up.
"Are you okay?" Robbie asked, concern etching his features.
"Yeah, just... surprised." Tentatively, I touched the key again. No pain. I didn’t know what the key did, but I liked it, and I wanted to investigate it further when I got back home. I slipped it into my pocket, feeling its cool metal against my leg.
"Hey, check this out," Jessie held up a badly drawn horse figure. It thrummed with magic, but she passed it off to me.
I held the strange artifact, wondering what it might do. Could I conjure a horse to gallop through the rest of this lair on? When I glanced over at Robbie, he was bent over, studying something. My thoughts wandered to Robbie's rear, muscular and rather nice to look at, if I was being honest.