A Charming Cure (9 page)

The
cauldron had begun to boil which was a sure sign that all the ingredients had
been aligned.

One-by-one
I used the tweezers to drop Faith’s fingernails into the pot.

Swoosh!
The
cauldron glowed with a shiny potion that turned yellow with orange streaks
running through it like lightning flashes.

I
stepped back in case a few sparks flew with the other ingredients at the ready.
After a few more dashes of this and that, the cauldron shut off, letting me
know that the potion was complete.

With
my nose in the air, I took in a deep breath, hoping to catch a hint of a scent.
The potion was intended for Faith and knowing what she really liked would’ve
helped. But there was nothing out of the ordinary. I chalked it up to her
current state of the coma. She wasn’t probably in any shape to like anything at
the moment.

Dang
. I sat on the
edge of the bed feeling a little elated that I might have a cure, but a little
defeated in the fact that there was no smell. This wasn’t a guarantee, but
definitely worth a shot.

I
reached over and pulled my purse closer. I didn’t have to dig too far to grab a
Ding Dong. Having a little treat might jog my insight on what I needed to do.
When I bit into the yummy goodness, I realized I didn’t have anything but my
empty coffee cup to put the potion in. Like magic, the treat was gone in a
couple of bites.

It
was time to test my real skill and get the potion for the intended recipient. .
.Faith.

Chapter Eight

The
framed retired professors hanging on the wall seemed to never sleep. They
watched my every step as Mr. Prince Charming and I darted down the stairs and
out into the empty street.

It
was late, and hopefully no one would be around to see me or to tattle on me to
Aunt Helena. She was the last person I wanted to find out that I was making a
cure, let alone one for Faith. Especially when the rules clearly stated that
you couldn’t make potions on your own, or at least on University property.

We
slipped into the hospital and into Faith’s room unseen. Faith remained in the
same position since I last saw her. The tubes connected to her made the
machines beep at a steady pace.

Looking
at her, I’d sworn she was a goner. Dark circles under her eyes made her pale
skin appear as if she had two big black eyes. Her ashen skin was no longer the
gothic pale that made her features stand out even more, making her the exotic
looking creature that she was.

Even
her fingernails had grayed.

Mewl,
mewl
.
Mr. Prince Charming jumped up on her bed. He was as uncomfortable as I was.

“Sicko,
I know.” I hated to admit that this was not my finest hour. I ran my fingers
from the bag of the IV to where it entered into her hand and wondered how in
the world I was going to get the potion into the little tube.

If
only. . .my magic wannabe struck again. I wished I could just wave a magic wand
and bring her back. Unfortunately, magic didn’t work that way. At least mine
didn’t.

“Potion
maker, not doctor.” I whispered, reminding myself that this concoction probably
wasn’t going to work.

There
was no way I was going to inject something in her, so I stood over her lifeless
body and parted her lips with one hand. With the other, I tipped the used
coffee cup that was filled with the potion, into the opening of her mouth. The
thick liquid fell in one big drip.

A
zap went through my hand. An electric shock traveled through my body,
propelling me against the wall, and then down to the floor. Mr. Prince Charming
landed next to me.

Hiss,
Hiss.
Mr. Prince Charming batted at the door. The light underneath the door gave way
to shadows of someone’s shoes.

“Some
fairy-god cat you are. Come on.” I crawled to Faith’s bed, and then rolled
under. I couldn’t risk someone seeing us. Mr. Prince Charming ran under too.

The
door flung open, the lights flipped on, and two nurses rushed in. One punched
buttons on the machine that was beeping much faster than it had been when I
first got there, and the other did some sort of diagnostic test on Faith.

Please
don’t let me have done her in
, I thought with my eyes shut tight and
hands clasped in praying position. All sorts of thoughts began to flood in.

What
if I wasn’t a real psychic? What if I just fed her a deadly concoction? What if
Eloise really did do it? What if my intuition really isn’t that great?

“She
still has a pulse.” One of them said.

“This
is the strangest thing. Her fingernails. Look.” The other’s voice raised an
octave.

There
was a collective gasp between the two. The only thing we could see was the
shuffling of their feet as they went around the bed.

“We
need to get the doctor.” Their white nursing shoes proceeded to run out of
Faith’s room.

“Let’s
go.” I rolled out from under the gurney bed and Mr. Prince Charming followed.

The
nurses left the lights on. My body froze in place. I stared at Faith.
Speechless.

Mewl,
mewwl.

“I’m
coming.” I waved him off as I bent down to get a better look at the glowing hot
pink nails. It looked as if Faith had just step out of A Cleansing Spa back in
Whispering Falls.

My
eyes slide up her body and to her face. She still had the grayness and the
black eyed looked, but the nails. . .All my what if’s had flown right out the
door.

Chapter Nine

We
ran back to the cottage dorm before the nurses came back to Faith’s room with
the doctor. It was late and it had been a long day. I was tired, but the cure
was more alive than ever. I was going to have to wait until morning to see if
anything other than her fingernails coming back to life had transpired from the
concoction.

If
I didn’t get some sleep, I’d never make it to Intuition class. Now it was more
important than ever to be on time and fit in with the other students.

The
more I tried to close my eyes, the more my eyes refused to close. Haunting
images of Eloise in some Hidden Hall prison cell corrupted my mind along with
the unknown potion I had given Faith.

“You
know you can see her.” Madam Torres made her first appearance since our arrival
and since her little tantrum on our way here.

“Nice
to see you.” I sat on the edge of my bed. A smile formed across my face. “And
you fixed your hair. And I love the color choices.” I referred to her long,
curly red mane that took up most of the glass globe. The green glow illuminated
the ball, which made her red lips stand out on her purple face.

“Well.”
She shook her loose curls. “I’ve heard all about these college men.” She rubbed
her lips together, making them a darker shade of crimson.

Mewl,
mewl.
Mr. Prince Charming let us know he was there. He made three circles and plopped
down. He was having no problem sleeping.

“I’m
not surprised you aren’t sleeping. Especially after the potion you just gave
Faith.” Her left eyebrow cocked up in true Elvis Fashion. “I hope you brought
some concealer for those under-eye circles.”

If
she thought she was being funny. . .she wasn’t.

“After
all, the Dean’s niece can’t be looking. . .umm . . .nearly dead. Plus I can’t
be looking bad because of you.” She flung her hair to the back of the globe.
The water swooshed to the front.

“Whatever.
I still don’t get why it’s such a big deal that I’m related to that woman.” I
had no time to play pretty, pretty dress up. I had to find Eloise. “Let’s get
back to what you were saying about me seeing Eloise.”

I
had done all I could do for Faith, at least until I see how the potion affected
her. I did need a plan to help Eloise, but what?

“Hmm.
. .” Madame Torres disappeared. The green globe went from opal to orange, and
then brown. The drab color floated to the bottom and cleared the globe. “Your
wish.”

I
heard Madame Torres, but didn’t see her. The ball showed a picture of Eloise
hunkered down on a dirt floor with a chain around her ankle that was shackled
to the concrete wall. She was being treated like a cruel animal. That was
definitely one thing that needed to be changed…the way they treated their
prisoners.

Eloise
had already been through so much. For twenty-years she had been banned from
Whispering Falls and lived a life of solidarity. All because she was a
Fairiwick. She didn’t deserve this.

“Eloise,”
my hush voice dripped with sadness. Tears flooded my eyes seeing her in that
position. I didn’t realize I could see anywhere I wanted. I was under the
impression I could only see the places I owned, like A Charming Cure and my
home.

As
if she could hear me, she looked up. Her alabaster skin was even gaunter.
Almost ghost-like.

“Help
me,”
her lips mouthed. The ball went black.

“Where
is she?” I pleaded with Madame Torres. The globe remained black.

“I
have no idea. That is something you have to find out.”

“Thank
you.” I grabbed Madame Torres off her pedestal on the night stand and kissed
all over the glass. I was glad that she showed me Eloise, even if she couldn’t
give me her location. I was on a mission to find her.

“Pweft,
pweft.” Madame Torres appeared, and spit specks of silver out of her mouth.
“Listen, I’m your crystal ball. A cranky one. I didn’t sign up to be a kissing
ball.” The water cleared and it went back to black. “This is a professional
relationship.”

“Naw.
This is a great friendship.” I hugged her and held her tight.

“I’m
only here to guide you. Not give you answers.” Her voice echoed creating waves
in the ball. Like a light switch that had turned off, so had Madame Torres.

The
clock read two a.m. and I didn’t have to be at Intuition School until seven.
Seeing Eloise and knowing she was okay put me at ease. I had a couple of hours
to snoop around this University.

Who
needs sleep?

I
threw on my black jump suit and tennies before I grabbed Madame Torres and
threw her in my bag. I could hear a slight tantrum at the bottom of my purse. I
was going to ignore her. After al,l she
was
there to help me.

I
backed out of my door, and used the key to lock it.

“Where
are you going at this hour?”

My
heart nearly leapt out of my chest until I realized it was Hili standing in the
shadow of the hallway.

“Shh.”
I put my finger up to my mouth. I didn’t want to wake the retired professors on
the wall, but it was too late. All of the eyes popped open and darted between
Hili and me.

“Why
are you all dressed? Where are you going?” Hili had her short, tomboy blonde
hair matted to her head in a Michelle Williams kind-of-way, rolled up tight
blue jeans, black V-neck tee, and black high-heeled shoes.

“I
don’t sleep.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Where are you off to?” She followed
me down the hall, clicking as if she was a little girl playing dress up in her
mom’s shoes. I wasn’t going to tell her anything with the professors staring.

Walking
down the stairs, I reached in my bag and grabbed two Ding Dongs. It was obvious
to me and Mr. Prince Charming that Hili was going to tag along.

“Come
on.” I handed her one of the scrumptious treats wrapped in foil and headed out
into the dark night.

The
fireflies darted around us. Being nosey teenagers, no doubt. I ignored them and
Hili’s endless stream of questions.

I
really didn’t know where I was going. I was relying on my number one gift. My intuition.

“Okay,
Hili, how long have you been a student at Hidden Hall.” My intuition told me to
go the opposite direction of the field to get to Intuition School, so I set my
sights on the darker side of the University.

Briefly
stopping, I noticed it was also the more dreary side as well.

“Four
years.” Hili put her hand on me. We stopped.

“Four
years? But you are only eighteen.” I couldn’t imagine leaving home as a young
teenager.

“It’s
different for us.” She shrugged it off. “You were raised by a mortal, but if
you had two psychic parents, then you would’ve been here too. Where are you
going?”

“This
way.” I took a few more steps when I realized she wasn’t following me. I turned
around. “Well, are you coming?”

She’d
better be. I’ll be damned if I wasted a good Ding Dong on her.

She
ducked when a bat aimed at her head, teeter-tottering on her high heels, and
then started to plummet to the ground, only to catch her fall. “I don’t think
that is a good idea. That is where the darker side students live and the
professor dorms.”