The Potion Diaries Read online

  Trina passes me the phone.

  Thankfully he picks up almost immediately, and his face appears on the screen. ‘Grandad – it worked!’ I say. ‘I was able to see inside the Palace.’

  ‘Fantastic. What did you learn?’

  ‘It’s the same symptoms that Tao Kemi described. And Stefan is putting the affected people to sleep. Do you have any idea why?’

  ‘You said that in the story Tao Kemi told you, the Talented person died once their Talent had drained away completely. The sleep might slow the drain of Talent from the affected. That must be how he’s keeping everyone in Gergon alive, too.’

  I shake my head, my mind spinning. This is so much bigger than anything I’ve had to deal with before. ‘Stefan wouldn’t tell me who the source was. Maybe he doesn’t know? But there must be someone – like Xi Shi in the story – who is causing all this.’

  ‘You can’t worry about that now. You have to make the cure.’

  ‘Yes. I wonder if the Waidan has made any progress finding phoenix flame . . .’ I shiver, and it’s then that I realise I’m still dripping wet.

  ‘I saw a towel in the back of the car,’ says Trina. ‘I’ll go get it, okay? I’ll just be a moment.’

  I nod. I shift on my bum so that I’m sitting propped up against the wall, the phone in my hand. ‘Grandad, there’s something else. The Queen Mother . . . right at the end, she was hit by several paralysing spells. Her magic failed her at the last moment. I don’t know if she—’ I can’t finish the sentence. When I close my eyes, I see her smouldering gown. I see the look on Stefan’s face, his whole expression lit with anger.

  Grandad lets out a sigh that says he understands. I pray that she managed to survive. But she was already ill, and with her defences down . . .

  Suddenly everything has just got more real. Twice this year already, real lives have been at stake. But we’ve always managed to get there in time.

  Maybe not now.

  ‘Grandad, did . . . something ever go on between you and the Queen Mother?’

  As his brows knit together, I can almost see the whirring of my grandad’s mind as he calculates how much of the story to tell me. It’s the silence that confirms it for me more than anything else. ‘It . . . it was a long time ago,’ he says, eventually.

  ‘What happened?’

  ‘It’s the same old story,’ he says, a rueful smile on his face. ‘We were too young. Too arrogant. And we thought we could break the taboo. But a Talented with Royal blood couldn’t marry an ordinary. That’s just one barrier that we couldn’t overcome, a forest of opinions and prejudices we weren’t brave enough to blast a trail through. Maybe one day someone can accomplish what Tabitha and I couldn’t.’

  ‘But first, we need to save the Talenteds.’

  ‘Exactly. Now, where can you get some fresh phoenix flames, and fast?’

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Princess Evelyn

  WHERE WAS THE DINING ROOM IN this place? She felt so hungry. All she wanted to do was sit down, have a nice meal and relax. But her stomach growled and she felt hollow with emptiness. She thought she heard signs of people eating and talking, the cheerful clink of cutlery against plates . . . but every time she turned a corner, there was nothing but the empty tables, not even a spare crumb for her to nibble. There’s plenty of food inside the walled city, she thought. I should just go . . .

  ‘Be gone!’ Molly screamed, her gloved hands splayed open, sending the oneiros that had been surrounding Evelyn flying away. ‘Get that one! And that one!’ Each of the children used their objects against the oneiros, Bethany pointing her wand, another using a ring, and with their combined power they managed to send them away in a swirl of trailing white cloud.

  ‘What happened?’ Evelyn shook herself and the gnawing hunger instantly went away.

  Molly stopped, her face flushed with exertion, breathing hard. ‘The oneiros were all over you.’

  ‘Thank you for stopping them,’ she said, shaken that she had almost been taken in. She thought they’d have a bit more time but the oneiros were just too strong.

  ‘Um, there’s something else.’

  ‘What is it?’ The look on Molly’s face was enough to give Evelyn shivers. ‘Molly?’

  ‘Well, we think there’s a reason why there are more oneiros than ever.’ The girl rocked back on her heels. ‘The King and Queen are here.’

  ‘They are? Where? I must speak with them—’

  ‘They couldn’t handle the nightmares that the oneiros brought, so they took refuge in the walled city – it is the only place they could get relief. Then our teachers and all of the people you knew from the Palace followed – including that beak-nosed guy. All the adults went. Our class wasn’t able to think enough good thoughts to drive the nightmares away. With every new person that comes, there seem to be more oneiros.’

  ‘My parents went to the walled city? That’s bad. That’s very bad.’ That meant there was only Prince Stefan left in the Palace. She paused. ‘What about the Queen Mother?’

  Molly shook her head. ‘I haven’t seen her.’ Her face was pale.

  That was one thin ray of hope, at least. Evelyn’s grandmother was strong. Maybe she could accomplish what everyone else had failed to do, and resist?

  There was a darker alternative reason to why her grandmother might not be here. But Evelyn refused to let her thoughts turn in that direction. She put them to the back of her mind, and returned her attention to Molly. ‘So who is left?’

  ‘It’s just you, me and the rest of my class.’

  Evelyn blinked, taking in the scene. Her and twenty thirteen-year-olds against the oneiros – and whoever was in that tower. She would worry about Prince Stefan once she’d figured out how to wake up.

  She forced a smile. ‘Well done, you guys. The nightmares would have been too much for me if it wasn’t for you.’ She pulled Molly into a big hug.

  ‘Oh my god, oh my god,’ said Molly.

  ‘What?’

  ‘I’ve just been hugged by a Princess!’ she squealed. Evelyn couldn’t help but laugh. Then Molly turned serious. ‘We’re all ready to help you. Whatever you need.’

  Evelyn nodded. ‘We need to get into the walled city on our own terms to find out who lives in that tower. And then we’re going to bring them down.’

  Bethany looked confused. ‘But there’s no way in – except through the iron gate.’

  ‘We won’t go that way,’ said Evelyn. ‘We don’t want to be stuck there.’ She didn’t know how much control the person in the tower had over the inhabitants of the city, but she didn’t want to test it. ‘How did you fight off the oneiros that were around me?’

  ‘The only way we could think of was to use our good thoughts and throw them at the oneiros as if they were spells. Our magic doesn’t seem to work the same way here, but if I point my wand at the oneiros and think about something good, like taking the first bite of a chocolate mooncake, it seems to work,’ said Bethany.

  Molly nodded. ‘Same with me – except I use my gloves and think about the time I rode a unicorn.’

  ‘That’s perfect.’ Evelyn clapped her hands together. ‘Okay, we had better move fast, before even more people arrive in the dream world. And besides, I have an idea. Do you trust me?’

  Collectively they nodded, and Evelyn’s heart threatened to burst with pride at her young citizens.

  The school group ended up being a safe way to travel – with their numbers, it was easier to form a protective barrier of good thoughts to ward off the oneiros. It wasn’t long before they’d left the Palace of their own making and were travelling through the blank white space of the dream-world towards the walled city. It loomed before them, a dazzling white-brick fortress. It looked as if it had doubled in size since the last time Evelyn had seen it. And there were the imposing iron gates.

  ‘Everyone, gather around and look at me. We’re going to have to use our imaginations for this one. Because I don’t want to go through the iron gates. I wan
t to go over the wall.’

  The children stared up at her in awe, and Evelyn took a deep breath. ‘Remember. If you can dream it here, it can be.’ Then she closed her eyes. And when she opened them again, she was sitting atop an enormous golden dragon, its wings flapping beneath her feet, her knees digging into its back.

  ‘Right,’ said Molly. She closed her eyes until she was riding on the back of a winged unicorn.

  Evelyn smiled. ‘That’s it! You’ve got it!’ One by one, the others followed suit, until Evelyn and Molly were surrounded by children on winged animals – from a fierce gryphon to other dragons. One girl was even riding in a miniature aeroplane, goggles on her face and a scarf sweeping out behind her.

  ‘Let’s go,’ said Evelyn. She urged her dragon up into the sky with pressure from her legs, and soon she was flying up, up and over the walls of the city. The oneiros came at them, their sightless white eyes hungry to bring them down to the ground below, but the group surrounded themselves with the very best thoughts they could muster – and the oneiros were repelled.

  ‘To the tower!’ Evelyn yelled, and as one unit they aimed for a small round window near the top of the tower, in the very centre of the city. ‘Come out and show yourself,’ Evelyn demanded as the dragon beat its wings to keep her in place.

  ‘All right, no need to shout,’ said a high-pitched voice from inside the tower.

  Evelyn frowned. It didn’t sound like the voice of a powerful magician. It was the voice of a little girl. She swallowed as the darkness of the window shifted, as if someone was approaching. She braced herself, in case the voice was a deception.

  And then, the person stepped into the light.

  Standing in the window in front of them was a young woman about Evelyn’s age, wearing what could only be described as a nightdress from a previous century. She had messy dark hair and eyes that were round and glassy, with bright green irises. Something about those eyes was more cat than human. Her features were sharp – too sharp, like she had razorblades under her skin rather than bone.

  She was familiar in a way that Evelyn couldn’t pinpoint.

  ‘Who are you?’ Evelyn demanded, trying to keep her voice commanding and strong.

  ‘I’m Raluca,’ answered the girl. ‘And soon I’m going to be your Queen.’

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Samantha

  BACK IN THE COMPOUND, TRINA AND I sit around the table. Mum, Dad and Grandad join us on my laptop. In front of me is my potion diary, where I’m examining the recipe that Tao Kemi passed on. Apart from the phoenix flames, the other ingredients are relatively common:

  The base – a mix of standard lotus water with purified spring water from the Hallah mountain range.

  Galium root and honeydew secretion – sticky to keep the phoenix flame embedded within the potion.

  Pixie dust – to help even distribution of the potion around the body and aid the body in recovering from the influx of magic. (I’m hoping if I increase the amount of pixie dust, it may help the affected Talenteds recover from the lack of magic, too.)

  Emerald and ruby powder – for easier absorption into the blood.

  The Waidan is already working on mixing the lotus-water base that Tao Kemi described. I’m glad I’m not doing this on my own. While the final mix will be down to me – especially as I have a sneaking suspicion Tao Kemi didn’t reveal everything about the recipe for the cure – I’m grateful I have experienced alchemists around me to consult.

  ‘So you think you can save Molly?’ Mum asks, after I explain what I saw at the Palace. The relief on their faces when they heard she looked stable was palpable, but so was the alarm when they heard she had been put into a magical sleep.

  ‘Yes,’ I say. ‘I have to believe it. And Mum, whatever you do – don’t leave home. I don’t want you getting sick too. It seems like all it takes is a single touch from an affected person for it to spread.’

  Mum shakes her head. ‘If they let me in to see Molly, no threat of a virus is going to stop me!’

  ‘But Mum—’ The look on her face stops me. It’s a battle I won’t win. I set my mouth into a firm line. ‘We know now exactly what’s wrong and we have a recipe for a cure. The cure is supposed to be for the source of the magic drain – but I can adapt it to help the Talenteds who are affected. Help them take their magic back. Then Zain can get our cure into the Palace.’ The thought of Zain makes my heart pang, but I have to grudgingly accept that maybe he was right. It’s good to have him back in Nova – as long as he can stay safe.

  ‘But first, you need to find that phoenix flame,’ says Trina.

  ‘Yes,’ I say, cringing as reality sinks in. Phoenixes are extremely rare creatures, elusive and also protected. Most phoenix ingredients are dried, not fresh, and we need the freshest – it will make the potion more powerful. We have the benefit of being near a volcano, their preferred habitat. But what I need is an experienced Finder to help. ‘Did you manage to track down Kirsty?’ I ask.

  Mum shakes her head. ‘She’s gone completely underground after the announcement about the ORA.’

  I’d feared as much. Thankfully, I have others I can ask who would rock this task. ‘What about Anita and Arjun?’ My elite team. Arjun is a Finder-in-training, but thanks to his help on the Wilde Hunt and the Royal Tour, he’s got more experience than most qualified professionals. If there was any justice in the world, he’d be a Master Finder just like I’m a Master Alchemist. And Anita could be an alchemist just like me and her dad, if she wanted to be. But she would prefer to be a doctor, administering the cures, than an alchemist, mixing them. Her diagnostic skills are invaluable to me – and so is her ability to keep me sane.

  ‘As soon as we knew Kirsty wasn’t available, we put them on a plane – especially once the travel restrictions were announced. They caught one of the last flights out.’

  Relief floods my body. ‘Things are escalating quickly in Nova, huh?’ I say, chewing my lip. ‘Be careful, please. Stefan didn’t see me at the Palace, but he knows someone was watching him through the Queen Mother. He might come to the store to find me.’

  ‘We will be careful,’ says Dad. ‘And you promise us the same. We know you have to do this and that you’re the best person for the job. But that doesn’t make us worry any less.’

  ‘I know.’ A lump appears in my throat and I can’t talk any more. Thankfully, Dad clicks off the screen.

  Mei and the Waidan walk into the room from the lab and I look up, hoping for good news. The Waidan smiles. ‘We have almost everything we need to help you make this recipe. It is just the phoenix flame left.’

  ‘You said that a phoenix lived in Yanhuo?’ I ask Mei.

  ‘I said there were rumours that a phoenix lived in Yanhuo – once upon a time.’

  ‘But with the volcano getting more active – that’s a sign that there might be one there again, isn’t it?’ I say, wincing inwardly at how desperate I sound.

  ‘It’s at least a place to start,’ Mei says, trying to boost my spirits.

  I stare down at my diary. For once, making the potion is going to be the relatively easy part. I have the recipe, and the expertise and resources of the Jing labs at my fingertips. Soon Anita and Arjun will be here, and I have a lot to prepare before they arrive.

  Dai comes running in, muttering something in fast Zhonguoan. The Waidan raises an eyebrow and reaches for the television remote. Mei translates for our benefit. ‘We need to turn on the cast again. Apparently there is news from the Novaen Palace.’

  Once more, Prince Stefan’s face appears on the screen. I hate how it looks as if he is staring directly at me. I wrap my arms around my stomach, daring myself to watch.

  ‘We have tragic news from inside the Palace tonight. The ORA continued their assault, this time with a brutal attack on the Queen Mother. She is in critical condition now, and we ask the nation to pray for her recovery. I hope that the next time I address you, I will have news of the successful capture of her attacker. Good night, Nova.�
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  A broadcast journalist with an expression of pure shock takes the screen next. ‘Well, there you have it, folks, breaking news from inside the Palace. Wait, hang on a second.’ The journalist puts her hand to her ear. ‘Ladies and gentlemen, here at Nova National News, we have been given an exclusive photograph of the Queen Mother from inside the Palace. I am warning you now, this photo may be disturbing to our viewers and we advise if you have young children to ask them to leave the room now.’

  A few moments later, we gasp as a picture of the Queen Mother flashes up, her body lying crumpled on the floor.

  ‘Stefan is the only one who could have leaked that photo!’ I say. ‘I can’t believe he’s blaming the ORA for her attack, when he’s the one responsible.’ I feel my hackles raise and my determination grow. He needs to be stopped before it gets even more out of control.

  ‘I can’t listen to any more of this,’ says Trina. ‘He’s trying to divide Nova between ordinaries and Talenteds. But Sam – you not only have the cure, but you can do something else to stop him.’ Trina’s fingers fly over her keyboard. ‘His photo is spreading like wildfire across the internet. But you can fight fire with fire.’

  I frown. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘You can tell Nova that Stefan is wrong. That it’s not the ORA behind the release of the “virus”. Even that little snippet from the FollowMe is convincing.’

  I blink. ‘Not convincing enough for Daphne Golden . . .’

  ‘Then you should film an introduction to go alongside it. We can upload the footage and with a bit of help from me, you can make sure it goes viral.’

  ‘What? But . . . I can’t.’ I shake my head.

  ‘Your sister is one of the affected. People will listen to you. Sympathise with you.’

  I hesitate, my shoulders slumping.

  Trina sighs. ‘Right now, the Novaen people are only hearing from Stefan. You can offer them something else – a face that people recognise and trust – on both sides. You’re trying to save everyone, remember? They’ll listen to you.’