The Dangers of Sleeping Potion
By Emily Ann Ward
Copyright 2012 by Emily Ward
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
The Protectors Series:
Book One: Promising Light
Book Two: Promising Hope
Book Three: Promising Power (Upcoming)
The Protectors Prequels
Shifting Light
Fire and Light
The End of Light
Also by Emily Ann Ward:
Passages (Seven Short Stories)
Beyond Home (Three Short Stories)
Finding Fiona
The Dangers of Sleeping Potion
“But Evan, we can help.”
Evan let out a sigh, running a hand through his curly hair. “What would you do?”
She crossed her arms. “We’re not helpless.”
“I know that. But I asked what you would do.” He sat down, and she watched him lace up his boots. They were new leather, durable, bought after Victory Day a couple weeks ago. The cherries from Evan’s parents’ orchard had done well this year. Cherries by themselves, cherry pastries, cherry juice, dye from the juices—the sales of all of it had padded their pockets.
A stray, black curl fell in front of his eyes, and Sierra resisted the urge to brush it out of the way. Doting on him wouldn’t help her right now. She sat down next to him, pressing her thigh against his. “We could keep watch. We could help take care of the horses. We could help in a fight. We’d help you look less suspicious. Three guys by themselves or a group of men and women. We could—”
Evan touched her knee and met her eyes. “Sierra, these men are ruthless. I know you could help, but not enough to justify putting you in danger. Shape changing will probably keep us alive.”
“So if I was a shape changer, you’d let me come?”
He averted his eyes. “If I thought you were well-trained.”
“This isn’t about shape changing, it’s about protecting me!” She raised her voice. “How do you think I feel when you leave for these missions? What do you think it’s like for me, sitting at home waiting for you to come back or for news that you’re dead or—”
“I’m not going to die.”
Sierra scoffed and stood. “You don’t know that. These men have been killing shape changers all over the—”
Evan got to his feet and put his hands on Sierra’s shoulders. “Sierra,” he said softly. “I promise I’ll come back.”
God, she hated it when he made promises like that, promises he had no idea if he could keep. She stepped closer, wrapping her arms around him. She rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes as he embraced her. This was what she was afraid of losing.
“You shouldn’t make promises you might break,” she said quietly.
“I know.” He stroked down her hair. “How about this? I promise I’ll love you forever.”
She pulled back and smiled up at him. “That’s better.”
He kissed her, cupping her face in his hands. Once he pulled away, he said, “I have to keep getting ready.”
Sierra’s smile faded, and she nodded. She gathered a loaf of bread, cherries, and some dried meat for his pack. She folded a warm blanket while he saddled and reined the horse. She ran a hand over the wool, hoping it would keep him warm. After a moment of thought, she folded one for herself, too, then made her own pack. Sashe would need one, too. She left hers and Sashe’s by the fireplace, but walked outside with Evan’s.
They bundled his blanket and tent on the back of the horse, and Evan swung his pack over his shoulder before taking the horse’s bridle and leading him towards the path.
They were meeting at Dar’s manor, where Jeshro would give them final instructions. Apparently a group of Protectors was terrorizing the towns and villages in Belisha in search of shape changers. They’d found a married couple a few days ago. They’d killed the man, but the woman had escaped. Her name was Gina, and she’d arrived yesterday with Jeshro and Lisbeth, elders of the Avialie family, but she hadn’t spoken to anyone. She seemed closed in on herself, somewhere else entirely.
The thought of losing Evan that way made Sierra shudder. She glanced aside as Evan, walking quietly along the path. His face took on a certain expression when fighting Protectors or defending Avialies: a cold determination, a look that told Sierra nothing would sway him. She imagined that in battle, Protectors came up against Evan and had no idea what was in store for them.
Sierra and her sister Sashe had been taken in by Dar’s father when they were young, after their parents died of fever. They’d grown up with shape changers and had seen firsthand the tyranny and cruelty of the Protectors. The curse that took the killed Avialie children in the womb. The laws that kept them from the royal state. The bigotry that kept most Avialies from having a normal life. Dar’s father was the governor of Shyra and had avoided losing his position mostly by helping the Protectors, noblemen and the king’s advisors, when he could. And other times, like now, he secretly fought against them.
Dar’s manor was on the outskirts of town, just past the cherry orchard Sierra and Evan lived and worked on. She sometimes missed it here, missed being able to talk to Sashe and Natalia whenever she wanted, missed the extravagant meals and the endless rooms. But she wouldn’t trade her cozy cottage with Evan for anything.
Everyone was gathered in the courtyard. Sashe and her husband Seth stood a few feet away from everyone else, talking quietly. Sashe looked ready to cry, and Seth had his hands on her shoulders. Sierra doubted she was trying to talk Seth into letting her come as she had been Evan, but she knew Sashe would go in an instant. Or at least she hoped she would. Going after Evan would be much easier if she wasn’t alone.
Dar was saddling his horse while speaking with his parents, Alastor and Natalia. Jeshro and Lisbeth stood with a redheaded girl named Matilda. Sierra’s shoulders tensed as Matilda glanced over at her. The two of them exchanged cool looks.
Couldn’t we use her mother instead? Sierra thought. Matilda was a Cosa, part of the family who could hide and reveal things. She’d be enchanting Dar, Seth, and Evan to keep them safe, but Sierra would rather her mother do it so she didn’t have to see Matilda at all. It’d been years since they’d had a civil conversation, and neither of them planned to change that anytime soon.
Evan and Sierra joined them in the middle of the courtyard. Dar nodded to them, and Natalia gave Sierra a hug. It felt a little longer and tighter than usual, and Natalia whispered into Sierra’s ear, “I know what you’re thinking and I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“What?” Sierra asked, pulling away.
Natalia half-glanced at Evan, but he was with Dar already, the two of them looking at a map. She turned her dark eyes back to Sierra, pursing her lips.
Was she that transparent? Sierra dropped her arms from Natalia and thought of trying to deny it or defend herself, but she said nothing.
Natalia sighed. “We’ll talk later.”
Jeshro clapped his meaty hands together. “Once Seth joins us, I’ll show you where we saw them last, and Matilda can enchant you.”
Seth and Sashe walked over to the crowd. Seth clapped Evan on the back, the two exchanging grim looks. Sashe took Sierra’s hand. Sierra squeezed it, trying to catch her eye, but Sashe stared at the ground as she bit her lip. She had to come with Sierra. They’d be safer together.
Jeshro took the map Dar had and pointed out a village north. “We last saw them here,” he said. “And this is where we found Gina.
”
Sierra inched closer, looking over Jeshro’s shoulder. It was a couple hours up the river. Would Evan and the others follow it, or would they try to take a more reclusive route?
“If we have complete invisibility, we could go straight along the main road,” Seth said.
“Is that what we want, though, complete invisibility?” Evan asked.
Seth crossed her arms. “Why not?”
Evan’s jaw twitched as he ground his teeth together. Sierra studied him as he stared at the map. He ran his finger up the river. “I guess there’s something satisfying about them seeing us and realizing who we are.”
Sierra frowned. She knew she shouldn’t say something, but she couldn’t help it. “You’re going to put yourself in danger for something like that?”
Evan narrowed his eyes at her. “I think that’s up to me and Seth and Dar.”
She huffed. “I forgot I’m just your wife.”
Alastor cleared his throat. “Maybe we should leave the three of them and Jeshro and Matilda to discuss this?”
“No, I’m sorry,” Sierra said quickly, and Evan looked at her. He tilted his head, and she could see the suspicion in his expression. “I just want to be sure the three of you do all you can to stay safe.”
“Thank you,” Dar said. “I think we should do complete invisibility.” He nudged Evan. “You have to admit there’s something satisfying about watching Protectors fight air.”
Evan smirked. “Yes, that’s true.”
“Complete invisibility, then?” Seth asked.
Evan nodded with a flick of his hand.
“Now,” Jeshro said, “I don’t need to tell you how important it is that you’re not caught. These men aren’t nobles, but they’re very wealthy and quite powerful in Gilder.” The state north of Shyra was Gilder, and one of the most dangerous places for shape changers, after the royal state. “One of them is the mayor of the town Tertha, the others are merchants and officers. You must be careful.”
“How many do you think there are?” Sierra asked.
Evan frowned at her, but she ignored him.
After a beat, Jeshro answered, “At least five.”
Sierra fell silent. Both Natalia and Evan were studying her. How did they know her so well? She thought she was so sneaky and secretive, but obviously that wasn’t the case.
“All right,” Jeshro said. “The rest I’m sure you three can discuss among yourselves. Matilda?”
Matilda nodded. “Do you want to say your goodbyes first?”
They all began exchanging hugs, kisses, wishes for the best, and blessings. Evan turned to Sierra after she’d already said goodbye to Seth and Dar, and he wrapped her in a tight hug. She looped her arms around his torso, splaying her hands across his back.
His breath tickled her ear when he leaned in to whisper to her. “Please don’t follow us, Sierra.”
She tensed. “I won’t.”
His grip tightened around her. “Sierra, please. I just want you to be safe.”
“I want you to be safe, but I’ll never have that.”
He pulled away just a fraction and looked down at her. “Never?”
She shrugged. “It’s hard to imagine this ever ending.”
He frowned. “It will. I promise.”
She sighed, closing her eyes.
“I know, I shouldn’t make those kinds of promises.” He kissed her forehead. “It’s hard not to. I want to give you everything.”
She opened her eyes and met his. “Let me come, then.”
He shook his head and stepped back. “Stay here. Please.”
She kissed him softly on the lips. “I love you.”
He let out a soft sigh. “I love you, too.”
Within minutes, the men were invisible from Matilda’s enchantments. Presumably, they left the courtyard, but Sierra had no way of knowing. They couldn’t be seen or heard.
That might make following them a bit hard.
Alastor invited everyone inside for lunch, and Sierra took hold of Matilda’s elbow. “Wait,” she said. “I need to talk to you.”
Matilda raised an eyebrow at her as the others went inside. Sashe hesitated when she saw the two, and she walked back towards them, her eyebrows raised.
“I need to see them, but they can’t see us,” Sierra told Matilda. “Sashe and I are going after them.”
Sashe’s mouth fell open. “What?”
Matilda chuckled as she drew her arm from Sierra. “You may think it’s endearing following him like a child, but you’re only going to get in their way.”
“If you don’t do it, I’ll just ask your mother,” Sierra said.
“And she’ll tell Alastor and Natalia. Do you really want that?”
Sierra pursed her lips, narrowing her eyes. “I can pay you.”
Matilda tilted her head. “How much?”
“How much do you want?”
“Eighty ryrels.”
Sierra scoffed. She usually charged half the price for such a thing. “Thirty, and you don’t tell anyone.”
“Seventy.”
“We’ll do forty or not at all,” Sashe said. Sierra smiled at her, taking her hand.
Matilda rolled her eyes. “I should come with you if—”
“No,” Sierra said. “We’ll be fine.” She bit her tongue to keep herself from going on a tirade about how they weren’t helpless just because they weren’t from a magical family. Matilda wouldn’t be listening, anyway.
Matilda crossed her arms and studied the two of them. “This isn’t a good idea.”
“Will you do it or won’t you?” Sierra snapped.
“Yes, I will.” Matilda uncrossed her arms and held out her hands. “Has anyone ever told you you shouldn’t be so impatient?”
Sierra took one of her hands, Sashe the other. “Of course we have,” Sashe said, winking at Sierra.