Chapter 25: Hesitate
"Here! This will take care of any lingering effects," Mango said, handing her a tall glass of murky green liquid.
Autumn and Mango stood side by side at the infirmary counter, the scent of herbs and crushed leaves hanging thick in the air. The late afternoon light poured in through the slatted windows, throwing golden stripes across the floor.
Autumn eyed the liquid warily. "It looks like something that crawled out of a swamp." She brought her nose near the glass like it might bite her,and sniffed slowly! " Yuck! It smells like somebody’s old socks ,rotting without a wash for months! You sure this isn’t just punishment for something I did in a past life?"
Mango gave her a pointed look, one brow raised. "And it will put your head back in its place too. Drink."
Sighing dramatically, Autumn pinched her nose and gulped it down in one go. Her face scrunched instantly. "Ugh! That is vile! Tastes like crushed weeds, pepper and....regret."
She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, scowling. "Small mercies."
Mango finished preparing the second potion, sealing it with a cork before handing it to her. "Now, take this to Kieran. Make sure he drinks all of it. Knowing him, he will try to dump it in a plant when you are not looking."
Autumn snorted. "Yeah, sounds about right." She hesitated, then added, "You think he is still pissed about the whole Selene thing?He hasn’t seen me...I mean I haven’t seen him in...awhile!"
Mango wiped her hands on her apron, glancing down at the half chopped roots on the table before looking back at Autumn." He’s got his hands full, child! Being an Alpha, is never easy!"
"I still can’t believe that woman jinxed me before I had anything to do with Kieran...Weird as fuck! How did she even know me? "
Mango did not look up as she began crushing another set of herbs into a paste. "Desire, my dear Autumn," she said, voice calm but edged with knowledge, "can make people irrational. And carrying witch blood in your veins, equals to constant temptation.We are always at the tipping point,fighting our own demons. That’s why they call us Balance! The fargone ones don’t just want what’s theirs... they want what they think should be theirs. Selene knew something even you didn’t. That you were his.How? I honestly don’t know! "