He set the magnifier on the table then stood upright.
She drew in a deep breath. “I won’t go forward if you don’t want me to do this. I respect your position.”
He’d already gone through the process. He understood and valued her decision. Besides, his gut told him this was the way to set Kiara free.
“I’m in. And I know you’ve got the formula right.” The latter part of his statement was the deciding factor. That, and the infinitesimally small amount of the drug she was using. When Sheba meowed in support, Braden petted her which set her to purring once more.
A question surfaced. “If this is the right portion for you, do you have any idea how much Veyda was using? You think it would explain her powers?”
She shrugged. “I’m not really sure. I believe she’s an addict. Beyond that, I can’t speculate about why she’s as powerful as she is.”
She picked up the glass dish and watched as each granule slid into the mortar. With her pestle in hand, she took some time grinding all the ingredients together.
When she was satisfied, Braden watched her pull a small pewter cup from her shelves. She carefully coaxed the powder from the small mortar into the cup. She then took a feathery brush and swept the remaining powder in as well.
She lifted the cup to her nose and inhaled.
Her eyes shifted back and forth. Her nostrils flared. Finally, she released a deep sigh. “This is it.”
She took a glass jar from the small fridge. “Distilled water. And I’ll have to hold my breath until the drug dissolves. You should do the same or step a few feet away from the table.”
He wanted to see everything, so he stuck close, but did as he was told and held his breath.
She didn’t seem concerned about quantity of water, since she didn’t measure. She poured it straight into the pewter cup, then swirled slowly. He watched the powder blend into the water until all that was left was a clear green liquid.
Braden waited, but his heart had started thumping. A touch of flame with a few herbs and a witch’s power. What would happen?
She took a breath. He did as well.
“It’s ready.” She showed him the liquid.
“With only five grains of the drug, yet it’s emerald green, just like its name.”
He took a step back. Even he could feel the power latent in her potion. “You sure you want to do this?”
“I am. I need to. I know Kiara is running out of time.”
“All right. I’m with you.”
“Braden. Suddenly, I’m scared. I wasn’t, until just this moment.”
“That’s a normal reaction. You’ve never done this before and it might expose you to Veyda.”
“I think she’ll know.”
“I have no doubt she’s seen you as a threat from the beginning.” He might have been concerned at the outset because th
is was a flame drug, which often created unexpected reactions. But he’d come around to her way of thinking. “Drink it. Now. I’m with you and I’ll support you.”
She stared at the cup for a moment then lifted it to her lips. She tilted her head back and drank quickly.
He had no idea what would happen next.
Chapter Seven
The brew tasted like heaven, like she was swallowing everything fine and wonderful in the world and that she would always be okay from this moment forward.
A typical reaction to a mind-altering drug and it had worked fast. But she needed to experience it all even the addictive properties.