Chapter # 15

Zubie's trip to the lake site was everything she imagined it to be. When she was sitting by the fire, devouring the roasted fish with the two siblings, she realized how she missed such little moments in her erratic life in the city.

Maybe in some other reality, she would've had the bond they have with her siblings, the reality where she wasn't given off to someone because her parents cannot feed another mouth with what little they earn. That reality would've been perfect.

After they'd eaten, Abram suggested they should go for a ride across the lake on a boat to officially end their trip. Never been on a boat, Zubie agreed; what can go wrong?

Anaya moaned about her foot injury, and Zubie and Abram had no choice but to leave her by the fire.

"So, have you been on a boat before?"

"No,"

"I see," the wooden rowing boat was old, squeaking when they stepped on it. "the motor boat is broken so we have no other option but this old wooden boat,"

"it's a boat alright,"

Abram took on rowing the boat, while Zubie set opposite him. He rowed in quietly, not uttering a word. While Zubie admired the open sky, with all its diamond-like stars blinking down at them. Abram stilled the boat on the spot in the middle of the lake, the fireflies blinking over the water giving an illusion of the stars.

"It's beautiful here, I envy you for overseeing this every weekend,"

Abram chuckled as the boat came to a halt, "not every weekend mind you, it gets very chilly during winter, and not many people like rowing the boat over solid ice,"

"I'm sure that'll be beautiful in its regard,"

"Perhaps," Abram spoke in a cheerful tone, "you know what? When winter comes this season, We'll visit again."

Zubie looked away, avoiding his eyes, "not sure about that," she murmured to herself, but due to proximity Abram heard her. "you going somewhere?" Zubie shook her head, she wasn't sure how to approach the topic of her departure.

"If I'm being honest, I don't know how much time I've left here in this town," she spoke slowly, "I'll be leaving as soon as my job is done,"

"That is?"

Zubie set straight, looking around to come up with an excuse as to why she was there to begin, "it's for research, a documentary of sorts. You already know I'm a pharmacist and the woods around here have these types of herbs that are very rare in any other area---"

"I get it, so when will it be over? Your job that is?"

"don't know, it can take me weeks, months, years, or even a lifetime,"

"Wow, you are so dedicated to your job,"

She awkwardly chuckled, "I love what I do,"

"You should, my Da what's a professional who is not in love with his profession?"

"Such wise words,"

"My Ma hates when Da says this, she is very much against the idea of being in love with one's profession to the point it becomes an... Obsession."

"I can see why she says that, I'll be mad too if the person I love is obsessed with his job,"

There came a silence but it wasn't uncomfortable, Zubie and Abram looked at the stars for the rest of their time on the boat oblivious to the cold gray eyes observing them from the land.

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With tired and aching limbs, Zubie came back to the manor. She was hoping to run into Aurelius, showing off the fact that she was still very much alive and his doubts of Abram were nothing but baseless concerns. But she didn't see him, perhaps he was somewhere in the gardens. She went to bed, falling asleep as soon as her head hits the pillow.

The next morning was no different from the others, after taking a light breakfast she went down to the laboratory to have some work done. For the past few days or the time she arrived here, she hasn't made any progress not even successfully making a simple sleeping draught. She was frustrated, how can Aurelius expect her to beat his brother who probably has years of experience in the field of witchcraft? The idea was simply wistful on his part.

She opened the journal, looking for something a bit manageable or straightforward. "a healing draught? It can be very useful, hmm but, the recipe is a bit tricky. It'll be one more fail but worth the try,"

"why can't these witches use medicine the normal human way? Is it too difficult? Or perhaps they like complicating things on their part?" Zubie groaned out. As the draught brew, she set by the stove reading the journal. When the required time was over, the alarm on the old table clock she found in one of the rooms turned on.

Zubie converted the draught into a vial, a small plant laying on the side. She was skeptical of having live animals to experiment on so she decided plants were the second best choice. She clipped a portion of the rose plant, the twig there was a small rosebud that was about to bloom.

"If this doesn't work, I'm telling Aurelius my farewell and going back," she dropped a heavy drop on the plant and waited for something to happen but alas it didn't. Disheartened, she threw the plastic gloves on the table.

The healing draught was going in her list of failures just like every other recipe before it. "I need to look for Aurelius and apologize for that I can't stay here piling up failures forever. But first, I need to clean," she glanced at the pile of dirty equipment.

While picking up the rose twig, she carelessly pricked her finger. On instinct she pulled her arm back, knocking the vial of useless potion but she was not about to let it spill all over the floor. She tried to catch it but alas, it spilled all over the table, and her hand, "F*ck my life,"

With a constant scowl, she cleaned the laboratory never noticing the little cut on her finger disappearing ever so slowly.