“When we were talking to that doctor, Rune, I believe his name was, he suggested that we seek out Solomon’s help. I’m not sure who that is, because when we showed up, Solomon wasn’t here, but Max and Bo said they have known him for years. Apparently, Max, Ivan and Anders stopped here to gain some information when they were trying to rescue us,” Thomas said while folding his legs crossways onto the couch.
“Really? So, Anders got to meet this miracle worker and we didn’t? That’s funny.”
“What’s funny about it?” Thomas asked.
“That this Solomon probably indirectly saved my life more than once now, and I’ve never met the guy.”
Thomas snorted, “Yeah. Well if that’s the case, then I guess I owe him some thanks, too, if he had anything to do with helping Anders out.”
“So, how did they find a potion that worked? I mean, you said Solomon wasn’t here, so did Max or Bo know things about them?” Kirsten asked, glancing to Britt as she continued to restock the cabinet.
“Max got everyone to search through Solomon’s books, looking for anything about goblins and poison,” Thomas began.
“Yeah, you mentioned that earlier, right after you all realized he wasn’t here,” Kirsten interrupted.
Thomas nodded, “Anyway, Max found a book about potions and Britt saw those bottles,” he pointed at Britt and the cabinet.
“It was all Max, really,” Britt said, pausing with several bottles in her hands. “He had Bo looking up potions while we searched through these bottles and vials trying to identify which ones were which.”
“Britt found the tags linking them to recipes in the book!” Max shouted from the kitchen.
Kirsten watched Britt’s dark cheeks flush slightly. She shrugged, “But Max and Bo decided which ones were going to be useful. And Max tested them to make sure they were still good.”
“He tested them?” Kirsten asked. “How?”
“Max poured a drop from each on the table. If the table looked okay, he would place a dab on his finger. And If nothing bad happened to his finger, then he would taste some of the potions himself, making sure they wouldn’t hurt you,” Thomas said.
Kirsten glanced toward the kitchen, shocked that Max risked his life for her in this way. She couldn’t help but wonder why Bo hadn’t volunteered to do the testing. She was so sure he was the one pining for her affection. She’d wanted him to kiss her on the Bareback Plains, but he hadn’t. Perhaps she was after the wrong brother.
“It was a bit nerve-racking, but it ended up all right,” Britt said, returning to her cleanup efforts.
“That’s amazing,” Kirsten said, eyeing Max as he and Bo stepped out of the kitchen.
Bo carried a plate of bread and jam while Max righted a side table that obviously had been knocked aside. He moved it in front of the couch. Kirsten locked eyes with him as he set the table down and, for a moment, he held her gaze before turning away. She watched him as he went to help Britt restock the potions, keeping her eyes fixed on him until Bo obstructed her view. Setting the plate of bread and jam down in front of her, Bo took the chair where Britt had been sitting.
Kirsten noticed he was grinning at her, “It’s called a poudrettite you know.” When she responded with a look of confusion, he continued, “That type of sapphire. Apparently, it’s quite rare, I mean besides the whole lifesaving properties and all.”
Kirsten returned the smile, “Thanks Bo, that’s good to know.” She spooned the red jam onto a slice of bread and took a healthy bite. The flavorful sweet jam made her pucker and salivate instantly. She hadn’t realized how hungry she really was. Taking the bread in large chunks and spreading the jam over it in gobs, she ate like a gluttonous pig. She didn’t care about manners or looking respectable, she was famished. Through a mouthful of bread, she asked, “Do you really think there’s a group of people forming an army in the Riverlands?”
“That’s what Rune said,” Bo answered, but Kirsten had hoped the question would raise Max’s interest.
“Is that where we’re going next?” she asked.
The question got Max to look up from his work. They were nearly finished putting the bottles back. He glanced at Bo before answering, “Bo and I gave our word to Rune that we’d go in exchange for his help. We’ll have to honor that.”
“Just you two, or can we come?” Kirsten asked.
Max shrugged, “He said they’re always looking for able fighters. I don’t see why you couldn’t join.”
“Well, there isn’t much for us to go back home to now,” Kirsten said, turning a raised eyebrow to Thomas.
“What about your arm?” Thomas asked. “We should find a cure, shouldn’t we?”
Kirsten took a bite from the ever-smaller loaf of bread and held out her arm, “I think we already did.”
Bo chuckled.
Kirsten smiled, her cheeks full of bread, and saw him flush as he stared at her with his deep brown eyes.
“You realize that the necklace is the only thing keeping you alive, don’t you?” Thomas said.
Kirsten nodded, “Yeah. And you realize that we would be dead already if we’d spent any more time in that fortress with Merglan. We need to take risks, Thomas. Besides, those brave men and women who’ve managed to gather a force of people who are willing to fight will need our help.”
“What are we going to offer them that they don’t already have?” Thomas asked.
“The crystal,” Kirsten said. “We’ll offer them the power inside that stone Britt has in her pocket.” She saw Britt’s hand feel at her side, where she’d pocketed the sapphire.
“You’re welcome to come with us,” Bo said, looking to Max for his approval.
Max nodded hesitantly.
“What about you, Britt?” Kirsten asked.
Kirsten saw Britt glance down. She could see worry etched across her face. That look told Kirsten that she was thinking of her crew. Would they return to Grandwood for them, finding it overrun with goblins instead?
“Come on, don’t make me be the only girl in the group,” Kirsten said, trying to draw her out of her distant stare.
Britt looked up and managed a smile, “I warned the members of my crew not to come ashore back at Highborn Bay. I told them to go back to the Rollo Islands and bring as much help as they could to fight against Rankstine. What will happen to them when they come back if I’m not there?”
