Bennett Turns Into a Cat: Tales from Witches of Olderea by Ireen Chau

Author:Ireen Chau [Chau, Ireen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mung Bean Press
Published: 2024-04-02T00:00:00+00:00

7

Afternoon dwindled to evening as I added the rest of the ingredients into the cauldron. The steps were relatively straightforward after Alexander’s help. When it came time for the stirring, the strangest feeling came over me, as if my magic were being funneled through the wooden spoon.

Bennett tried multiple times to curl up on my lap, but I shooed him away. I was starting to worry the transformation had altered him not only in body but also in mind.

When I finished, the wood in the stove had burned through. Giselle came back right at sunset, as promised. When she entered the potion room, I was ladling the finished antidote into a wooden bowl. The final result was a runny, vomit green liquid with unpleasant chunks.

“Look at you!” Giselle said. “You made your first potion!”

“And hopefully my last,” I grumbled. A sheen of sweat covered my body and my sleeves were wet and stained. Even if I were an herbwitch, potion-making was most definitely not my calling. It was a good thing Sister Scarlett was not here to see me fail at being a witch too.

I set the bowl on the ground and let Bennett sniff the concoction. He gingerly lapped it up, his little face scrunching at the taste. I had forgone the honey, not only because I couldn’t find any, but because I wasn’t feeling particularly accommodating toward him either.

I waited a second, then two, then recalled what the recipe book said. An hour nap was needed for the potion to work. I glanced worriedly out the window. The sun was just setting in the village, but it was well into the night aboveground.

Giselle raised a finger. “I should warn you, there might be some residual effects.”

I startled. “What? What kind?”

“A boy I knew had a tail when he turned back. And he wouldn’t stop licking himself for a whole month,” Giselle said thoughtfully. “Or was it a year?”

I made a noise at the back of my throat. How was Bennett supposed to attend the Ambassadors Ball with a tail? And heaven forbid he lick himself in front of so many important figures.

“Don’t worry,” Giselle said. “I’m sure your potion will work perfectly!”

When Bennett was nearly finished with the antidote, I knelt next to him and stroked his back.

“How are you feeling?” I asked softly.

He merely gave a sleepy meow and teetered into me. I lifted him from the ground and tucked him over my shoulder.

“You can use my bedroom for the nap if you’d like,” Giselle said, cracking her knuckles. “I’ll stay here and find myself a snack.”

I thanked her, stifling a yawn. She pulled something out of her satchel and dumped a bag into my arms. “For His Highness when he turns back.”

I picked through the shirt, trousers, and boots within. “Wouldn’t he already have clothes on?”

“Not a stitch,” Giselle said cheerily. “The clothes-on potion was a tad too advanced for you.”

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