Chapter 10: Temperance

Inducing nightmares didn’t work out like Callie wanted so it was time for Plan B. She learned how to brew potions from Morgan le Fay and she had a recipe for a strong love potion. She could’ve given a Nicholas the potion but she thought it was too cruel. She didn’t want Nicholas Castillo pining after her like some tragic lovesick hero.

The love potion would be too strong to give him at full dose. She would need to dilute the potion. She was going for mild attraction. And this would be all over by Yule.

There was a snag. She was a decent brewer but substituting ingredients or adjusting measurements was not her forte. She didn’t want to ask help from her Potions professor as they would surely recognize the ingredients and what she was going to brew. The brewing, use, and distribution of love potions were banned ten years ago and she didn’t have time to break herself out of prison.

Not all hope was lost. Aubrey had a natural talent for potion-making. She was the best in their year. It wasn’t a surprise as her mother was a Master Potioneer and ran her own Cosmetics Potions company.

Aubrey brightened when she asked for her help. She handed over the list of potions ingredients and waited as her roommate read it over.

Lilac eyebrows raised in alarm. "Are you trying to brew a lust potion?"

"What?" She feigned ignorance. "I got that recipe from a potion maker in England. She said it’s a concentration potion to help me study."

"Cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, rose petals, lavender, bay leaves, sage(…)" Aubrey read off the list. "My mom uses these ingredients for perfumes. In small doses, they can induce attraction but higher dosages can go very wrong."

"It can’t be that bad."

"Did you know my dad worked on the Eleanor Parker case?"

"Who?"

"She was a witch in the nineties that drugged men with love potions. And you know what happened to them?"

Callie had an idea of where this was going but prompted her to go on.

"They were so overcome with emotion their hearts stopped beating or they committed suicide," Aubrey explained. "Eleanor Parker is serving a life sentence for causing the death of thirteen men."

She winced. "Love potions are bad. Noted."

Aubrey moved the list away as she tried to take it back. "Why do you even have this recipe? What were you going to use it for?"

"It’s extra credit for class."

"Professor Beauchamp is letting you brew an illegal potion for class?" the other girl asked in disbelief. "She never let me do that."

She shrugged. "Are you going to help me or not?"

Aubrey smiled and picked up a pen from her desk. Aubrey's things were always organized in pastel colors and cute designs with hearts and baby animals. Her side of the room was pretty and put together and made Callie's side look spartan. Aubrey wrote down changes to the recipe and told Callie what to do.

Callie spent her weekend brewing the love potion in an unused classroom. She carried her small pewter cauldron and bottles of ingredients away from Aubrey’s observant gaze. Finnegan curled up on the windowsill watching her as she cut up the herbs. She halved the amount of cinnamon in the recipe and doubled the sage.

The love potion smelled pleasant. It smelled spicy and sweet. The potion was a pastel pink. She stirred the potion for the required time before dousing the fire.

“Moment of truth, Finn.” She grabbed the ladle on the nearby table and scooped up the potion and poured it into a glass vial. “If this works, this should turn red.”

She filled the vial a third of the way before placing a stopper on it. She swirled the liquid in the bottle and watched as it went from pastel to neon pink. It took a few seconds before it became a bright red. Morgan le Fay would’ve been proud.

"I’m guessing it worked?" Finn asked.

"I just have to get them to drink this."

"How are you going to do that?"

"I’ll think of something."

Finn got to his feet and stretched. "You always do."

She put away the potion in her bag and cleaned up in the classroom. It was simple really. There was an important lacrosse game and the field was filled with people. It was nighttime and there were enough shadows for her cloaking spell to work.

She looked for Matthias’ water jug and let a few drops fall in. The color change was subtle enough not to be noticed. She put back the water jug before anyone noticed and waited under the bleachers. She watched between people’s legs as Matthias signaled for a time out and jogged over to take a drink from his water jug.

He took off his helmet, shaking off the sweat in his golden hair. Helmet under one arm, he tipped back his water jug and took a long gulp. He drank half of the jug and wiped at his wet mouth. Callie waited for the potion to take effect.

With the dilution and the amount of water Matthias drank, she wasn’t sure how long it would take. Nicholas came over and Matthias handed him the jug. Callie froze and watched in horror as Nicholas drank what had to be the other half of that jug. She wanted to start screaming in frustration.

"That’s not good," Finn said. "Maybe you should’ve brewed an antidote too."

"Morgan never taught me the antidote."

"Why not?"

"Because she’s a demon and making people suffer it’s kind of their thing."

"Makes sense."

It felt like déjà vu as Matthias dropped his helmet to the ground. Eerily similar to Matthias’s nightmare he ran over to where Trish was seated with her friends. He dropped to his knees in front of her and took her hands in his. The brunette was wide-eyed and as he stared at her in adoration.

"I love you, Patricia Rait. I always have," he declared. "And I know you love me too. I can make you the happiest girl in the world if you let me."

Everybody was staring. Coach came over and shouted at Matthias to get back to the game but he was ignored.

"It’s always meant to be the two of us," he continued. "I know you’re with Nick but we’re meant to be. Nick can finally be with Aubrey and we can be together and it’ll all work out."

"I don’t like him!" Aubrey called out as she covered her face in her hands. "I would like to be excluded from this narrative."

Trish gaped at him much like a fish. "Matt(…)"

"Let me love you. Please," he pressed on. "I love you so much."

He leaned closer for a kiss and she finally realized she should push him away. She got to her feet and tried to walk away but he grabbed her hands and tried to make her stay. It was the most pathetic thing Callie had ever seen. Matthias’ team mates came over and tried to pull him away and he fought them calling out for Trish.

"Come back!” Matthias shouted. "Come back, Trish! I love you!"

Nicholas looked a little shell-shocked. He didn’t seem to know what to do. As Matthias was dragged off the field, he raised the water jug and sniffed it. His eyebrows furrowed and he would’ve smelled the love potion’s residue.

"We should make our escape, little witch," Finn advised. "Quickly."

"Good idea."

She cloaked herself in shadows and ran back to her room. Aubrey came back later and told her about what happened at the game. Her roommate didn’t seem suspicious of her as she hadn’t been seen at the game. People were still reeling at Matthias Wood confessing his love for his best friend’s girlfriend.

And Nicholas hadn’t done anything to stop it.