The (sort of) Dark Mage (Waldo Rabbit) (57 page)

There was a seventh ingredient, Waldo was almost sure of it, but for the life of him he couldn’t recall what it was. Devil’s grass had been another of the things stolen from Roger. It contained strong magical properties and was used to strengthen the effects of other components. Since he didn’t know what was missing it seemed like a good choice as an alternate. Waldo also decided that since the potion was so far from complete that he would use two tears rather than one. Hopefully using more of the key ingredient would help make up for the other shortcomings.

Back in the castle he’d been quite skilled at brewing potions. He was meticulous and patient and could always see the logical order in things. Unlike with his spell casting, no one had ever questioned his competence when it came to potions or wards. Of course, he always had the correct recipes in front of him.  Waldo had never tried to improvise before.  Given some of his wretched failures casting he had enjoyed just getting the correct result.

“Well I guess I’ll experiment now. At least this shouldn’t accidentally poison her.” He paused to consider it. "Probably."

With his pestle he slowly, deliberately ground up the dandelions, mandrake, lotus blossoms, and devil’s grass in the bowl. Each was emptied into the small cauldron. He filled a spoon with the thick honey, and then watched as it slowly fell. A pinch of cinnamon and two of rosemary. In went a mug of well water.

“
Pyro
.”

There was no fireplace in the room, so Waldo placed an iron pan on the floor and created a magical fire within it. He then placed the cauldron on top of the flames. With a wooden ladle he stirred to mixture together as the water heated up. Just as it began to simmer he took out the glass vial that held Alice’s tears. Ever so carefully, he let one drop fall, and then a second.

“
Est lothanos carcao, est navarro carcao, aris monk nula
.”

Waldo felt the familiar warmth of drawing forth mana. He focused on the contents inside the cauldron and let the power flow out and into them. As the arcane power was infused into the stock it boiled over. Most of it was reduced to steam and was gone. What remained was as thick and gooey as syrup, and there was about enough to fill a shot glass.

He had made love potion before, and knew that when it was complete it was a very light, almost translucent, pink.

What he had was golden yellow.

Waldo took a clean cloth and strained it to remove the impurities. He gradually poured it into a glass vial, careful not to spill a drop. Then he pushed in a cork stopper.

He held it in his hand and stared at it. In the afternoon light it shined like liquid gold.

“Well… I made something.”

XXX

It was well after sunset when Alice went to the room they shared. It was early evening and the common room was filled with customers eating, drinking, and laughing. The cook was complaining about her missing utensils and had been after her to get them back. Alice was also curious to see how things were going. So despite being busy she hurried upstairs.

She gave a knock. “Darling? Can I come in?”

There was no reply.

Alice cautiously opened the door and stuck her head in. “Darling?”

He was sitting cross legged on the floor. The cook’s things were scattered in front of him. He was holding one of the glass containers they had stolen from Roger. He was just sitting there staring at it.

Alice stepped into the room and shut the door. “Darling?”

He finally seemed to hear her and turned in her direction. Through their bond she could feel surprise, and underneath that, a sense of worry.

“Alice? Are you done with your work? I hadn’t realized it was that late.”

“It’s not; I just came up to see if I could return all those things to the kitchen.”

Waldo nodded. “Yes, go ahead, I am done with them.”

She took a couple steps closer and peered at what he was holding. “Is that it? Is that the love potion?”

“I have no idea.”

“What is that supposed to mean? Is it love potion or isn’t it?”

“I don’t have the recipe with me, or even all of the proper ingredients. I had to improvise and use substitutes. What I made is something close, but not exactly what I was aiming for.”

She put a hand on his shoulder. “Sometimes I had to make chicken stew with rabbit or squirrel; it tasted different, but was good in its own way. As long as it works that is all that matters.”

“Assuming it works.”

“It’s going to, isn’t it?”

“I honestly don’t know. I used most of the correct ingredients, including your tears which are the most important component. I’m also sure I used the correct spell when enchanting the potion, but the fact is this is not proper love potion.”

“What is it then?”

“I don’t know.”

“You made it, how can you not know what it is?”

“Simple, because no one has ever made this exact potion before. It’s impossible to know beforehand exactly what its effects will be. I
think
it will act like love potion, with the effects being slightly weaker or slightly stronger than with the base formula. However it could have a completely different effect or no effect. There’s even a very slight chance it could be poisonous for human consumption.”

“It could be poison?”

“It’s very unlikely. None of the base ingredients are toxic, but it’s possible to mix different herbs, that are all safe individually, into something lethal.”

Alice could imagine the merchant woman gagging and clawing at her throat before falling over dead. She then imagined a whole host of guards dragging Waldo away to the nearest dungeon.

“In that case shouldn’t we test it first? Maybe we could give it to a horse or something.”

“You can’t necessarily tell if a horse is in love from simple observation. In any case, I don’t have enough mandrake to make a second dose.”

“Darling, maybe we should just forget the whole idea.”

“I’ll consider it, if you can give me an alternate.”

Alice clamped her mouth shut.

She had no trouble figuring out ways to raise enough money in just a day or two. The problem was they all involved letting strangers use her body or else using her Charm. During her years working for Elsa she had seen up close how people used each other.

Alice never wanted to be that sort of person. She never wanted to use others just to get what she wanted. While she loved her husband and was ready to do most anything for him, Alice would not deliberately hurt innocent folk.

“From your silence I take it you don’t have a different solution?”

“No I don’t,” she admitted. “Just what do you intend?”

“The gates to the Hill and the city all shut at sunset. I will want us to leave immediately, as soon as I have ownership. So I will invite her here early tomorrow to discuss the matter over some wine.”

Alice did not like the sound of that at all. Even if it was just a ruse, it had a romantic note to it. She did not want him having wine with any other woman. “We don’t serve wine, only ale.”

“I’ll buy a bottle and keep it behind the bar. You need to serve us and make absolutely sure the cup you give her is the one with the potion in it.”

“Right,” though she didn’t like it, she would do her part. “If she doesn’t fall over dead, what then?”

“Well, if this were normal love potion, she would fall in love with the first person she sees after drinking.”

“What if she saw another woman?”

“Then she would fall in love with her.”

Alice’s eyes widened, even with her background the idea was shocking.  “That must cause a lot of embarrassment.”

“Not really, at least not where I am from.”

Alice decided not to go down this road. “All right, say she drinks the wine, looks at you, and falls in love. Then what?”

“Well it depends on how strong the reaction is. Even with the regular potion the effect can vary from one person to another. If her response is weak, she may still not give me the ogre, but there is a chance she would be willing to lower the price to something we can afford.”

That was another thing she didn’t like hearing. “By that I guess you mean any amount we can actually pay? Even if it’s everything we have?”

“That’s right.”

He really has no respect for money
. “Fine.”

“If the effect is about what I hope for, she will be happy to do almost anything.  I’ll ask her to give me the ogre along with whatever coin she happens to have with her.”

“Wait! You’re going to rob her too?”

“Of course.”

“Isn’t it bad enough you’re basically stealing her ogre from her? Do you have to take her purse too?”

“I’m not taking everything she has, and we’ve already met so she’s not a stranger. That makes it all right doesn’t it?”

“No it doesn’t. Be satisfied with the ogre. Don’t you dare ask her for her purse too.”

Waldo looked defiant, but didn’t argue with her.

“There’s also the possibility that the potion may have a stronger effect than normal. In that case Carin may insist on some act of devotion on my part before she agrees to any favors.”

“So what, she’ll want you to give her flowers or tell her that you love her?”

“Well she might settle for that, more likely she’ll demand I physically pleasure her.”

Alice stared at him.
He could not possibly mean what I think he means.
“What exactly are you saying?”

“She may insist that I fuck her.”

Her jaw dropped and she could feel her heart stop. “Wh… what?”

“She may want me to fuck her,” Waldo said slowly and clearly. “You know, have sex with her, mount her, have my way with her, drive in the stake, make her fountain gush, put my sausage in her…”

“I know what it means!”

“Then why were you asking?”

Alice shut her eyes and fought hard against the urge to reach out and strangle him. “You cannot be serious. Didn’t you tell me you were a virgin? You even said that when you kissed me that was your first kiss.”

“What does my virginity have to do with this? I know the basics of the process, and if I need help I am sure she will assist me.”

Alice just stood there.

"Why are you upset?" Waldo asked.

"You're joking, you're about to give your virginity away to some ugly old woman, just to get your hands on a monster, and you need to ask why I'm upset?"

"Well... yes, so why are you?"

"I do not believe this! So you're actually going to whore yourself to get an ogre?"

"Did you not see how magnificent he is? I'd call it a small price to pay."

Alice pressed both hands into fists and ground her teeth together before she could speak again.

“Look darling, as your wife, it is not all right with me that you have sex with someone else. But it is especially not all right for your very first time to be with anyone but me.”