Chapter 5_ Lavender, Oregano, Parsely

While Thea and Amethyst were having the confrontation, Rinari spent time in her room, in front of an oval life-sized mirror framed in a glossy wood, adorned with carvings depicting the creation of humanity. She was talking with the Quin couple on the other side of the mirror.

“Will you sit down?” Artemian scolded her. He was still annoyed with Rinari’s emotional breakdown earlier, but he sat with them for their friendship’s sake.

“Rei’s mood changed the moment we left your place.” She paced back and forth, biting her fingernail. “You think Tiffney has something to do with this?”

“Maybe yes. Maybe no. There’s only one way to find out.”

“You’re making us dizzy. Settle down and tell us what happened.”

Rinari slumped on the leather couch, took a deep breath, and talked.

“Well, Thea said she smelled something rotten in the moment her nose turned green. She has already absorbed Rei’s sense of smell, but only she could smell the foul odor.” She kept going and gave them all the details she could provide.

“We have perceived the same scent,” Artemian said. “How come you two didn’t smell it?”

“We have unique abilities,” Lucia replied. “Rin, do you still have that book? The Potion and Poison Herbal Study?”

“Uh huh.” Rinari’s eyes were restless in search of the book. She stood and walked to the bookshelves beside the bed next to the mirror, but it wasn’t there. She rummaged under her bed—still not there.

“Where could it be? I’m sure I’ve kept it here.”

“Have you looked outside? It must’ve gotten bored and went for a walk.”

Rinari walked over and opened the window facing the garden and sighed. “Herbena,” she whispered through the nearest shrubs under the windowpane. The book can hear someone’s call even from afar once its name was uttered in any type of plant.

And in a few seconds, a twelve-inch book dashed through the Bermuda-covered grounds, ready for take-off. It appeared from the shrubbery several meters away from Rinari’s room. It flapped its hardcovers with shiny yellow and green sequined jacket like a bird. The book’s half-a-ruler thick pages dangled and formed a letter “T”. It flew straight inside the room and onto the couch.

“Where had it been?” Lucia asked, peeking in the book that shook itself to open several pages with freshly picked leaves and stalks from various plants.

“Went out to find pieces of stuff, huh?”

In response, the book closed itself and a human’s face appeared on the front page—just beneath the title. It was quite pretty for a book. The woman’s face on the cover batted her long lashes to look cute. “That’s a relief,” it said with a smile, showing its dimples on both cheeks.

“True,” a man’s voice said. It responded from the back cover.

The book possessed both the pretty and the handsome faces of the twin Herben and Herbena, Rinari’s cousins. The genius twin transferred their human bodies and souls to a botany book for a conspicuous reason—they love books.

“What do I need to do, Lu?” Rinari asked. She clasped the book in her chest, and it seemed to like her embrace because it closed its eyes.

“Herbena,” Artemian called the female version of the book. “It’s been a while.”

Hearing his voice, the book threw itself at the mirror. “Hello there, handsome. Missed me?”

Lucia held her husband’s hand as a reaction to the book’s seductive response.

“Killjoy, Lu!”

Lucia only responded with a loud laugh.

“Let’s not beat around the bush, Herbena. Do you have a list of Anti- Chameleon Potion recipes?”

“I’m not sure.” The book spread its sheets wide open. Fluttering and flapping noise filled the room as the book flipped and scanned the pages while reading the plants aloud, along with their usages.

“Oh, here, Anti- Chameleon Potion recipe. Ingredients: Origanum Vulgare serves as a protection from evil, as well as Lavandula. And Petroselinum Crispum is used to ward off evil spirits.”

“Can you show me the steps to prepare the potion?”

“Sure. So, you’ll need two tablespoons of Origanum Vulgare extract, a thousand petals of Lavandula, and five milligrams of powdered Petroselinum Crispum. Oh, don’t forget to mix it in a copper cauldron. It won’t be effective if you use the wrong one.”

“Rin, do you have all those plants in your backyard? You’re not a fan of Lavender,” the couple chorused.

“I do have the two, oregano and parsley on the other side of the garden.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that,” Herben, the male version, butted in. “I have a collection of all plants across the globe, even the undiscovered ones. You know, mere folks are not as astute as we are.”

After bragging, the book sparkled while chanting:

“Extend, expand.

Now, give ways to other lands.

Lands with plants and trees alike.

Let’s go searching. Let’s go hike!”

It gradually expanded until it looked like a door as he repeated the chant. As the book resized, the mirror’s surface softened like jelly until it looked more liquid, like water in a pool. The couple from the other side of the mirror stepped out of it, ready to impart in the journey to collect lavender.

“You know the rules, right? Only get the exact amount of things you need. No more. No less,” Herbena said. “And oh, we can only hold this size for thirty minutes. You must be out before the time is up. Now, off you go. The time is ticking.”

***

The potion book opened on the page depicting a country where lavenders are cultivated. The three flower pickers stepped into a garden with rows of purple flowers smiling under the warmth of mister sun.

As their feet landed the territory, three special baskets popped in front of them. They were made from woven abaca leaves. They belonged to the twin who can transfer their energy into anything inside the book, whether places, people, or things.

“Hello again,” Herbena said. Her face appeared at the surface of the weighing scale-like baskets. “These baskets will count for you, so just pick and put the petals here, okay?”

“Where are we?” Lucia asked. Her eyes adored the lavender field in front of them. There were other beds of flowers, ranging from oriental and tropical ones. All came in wide arrays of shades and colors and different sizes.

Pink and orange moss rose in bloom, covered stone images of fairies and witches on broomsticks. Statues of historic heroes surrounded the garden like soldiers guarding their kingdom. A huge stone sculpture at the center displaying a man’s face dumped in soil was the chief attraction. It depicted the figure of Fethare, a witch hunter who was buried in the area. Spike moss that glistened under the sun covered the stone’s face, only leaving the eyes visible. Fern moss growing downwards represented his beard. His hands protruding at the side of his face held a snake cane with horns, coated with cushion moss, made the art a wonderful sight. Feather moss dominating the back part of the figure served as Fethare’s shoulder-length hair.

“Korsia, I guess?” Rinari answered after several minutes. She paused and embraced the average temperature, kissed by the cold air. “See those people in long sleeve shirts? Look over there. Teens are on sweaters and hoodies. It’s late spring, but it’s cold here.”

She took her wand and tapped herself with it. Imitantur.

Uttering the word, her eyes changed from having double eyelids to mono lids. Her skin tone turned from sand neutral undertone to porcelain. She did the same to Lucia and Artemian.

“We need to blend in for fun,” she added, smiling.

They walked in the sea of flowers, about to pluck petals when Herben’s voice boomed in their heads.

“Last twenty minutes.”

All three began picking, but the time was running out.

“Thought it was easy,” Artemian said. “I only have one twenty. How many do both of you have?”

“Got about a hundred,” Lucia answered, picking her one-hundredth petal.

 “Mine’s one-fifty.” Rinari lifted her basket in the air, looking at the number one hundred fifty embossed in gold in her basket.

“Looks like we can’t make it,” Lucia said. Then, she bowed and whispered to the flowers, commanding them to pick from themselves the finest petals on their stems. “We need six hundred and thirty more petals, please.”

With that, the field rustled with the movement of the stalks as the lavenders abide by Lucia’s request. Petals floated in the air, clouding the area where Rinari’s gang stood. The commotion caught the attention of the visitors, who strode in their direction.

“Here comes trouble.” Artemian put on his fighting stance, about to transform to protect his ladies against the mob who didn’t like their flowers stolen.

As the attackers launched towards them, the flowers began to fill their baskets.

“Last one minute,” Herben said. “Three, two, one!” And a whirlpool sucked the three back in Rinari’s room. The book shrank to its normal size.

“That was close,” Artemian said.

They placed the baskets on the center table with smiles on their faces. But the book shook itself like a displeased person, shaking head with disappointment. The book abruptly opened, side by side, as if it were mad. The twin’s faces appeared on both covers with scornful looks.

“How lame,” Herben started teasing them. “Your petals have only nine, nine, nine.”

“Yeah, right brothah,” Herbena agreed. “No exact ingredient, no potion.” She looked at the baskets with petals turning flavescent to brown.

“Why’re the petals withering that fast?” Rinari rushed to the petals and grabbed a handful of the dried ones.

“I told you, right? You better get the exact number at once—,” Herbena answered with a sorry face. “—because if not, that happens.”

“Can’t we go back to Korsia?” Lucia asked while patting Rinari, who slumped on the floor.

“Not today. But maybe after a month,” Herben said. “We can only use expansion once a month. Doing that consumes a significant amount of power and energy. We don’t want to die young.”

“Seems like we need to wait until my lavenders bloom, Rin.” Lucia hugged her, feeling her disappointment.

“How am I going to cure Rei?”

“What’s wrong with her?” Herbena got curious upon hearing her niece’s name.

“We have a feeling that a certain spirit is manipulating her,” Lucia answered on Rinari’s behalf.

The book looked at Rinari with an inexplicable expression. “So, your daughter who hates witches needs us now, huh? Remind me again why she loathes witches,” she added sarcastically.

***

The situation in Amethyst’s room remained inside the oven when she ignored Thea’s burning question.

“Did you not hear me? Who are you?” she demanded.

Amethyst strode to the bathroom with her towel, but Thea grabbed her arm.

“Ouch!” She let go when searing heat burned her. She held her wrist and blew her smoking palm. As soon as she cried in pain, Amethyst rushed to her aid.

“Thea!” She leaped at the tub, got her towel wet, and press it on Thea’s injured hand. “What happened?” She asked, having no recollection of what happened a few minutes ago.

Thea stared at Amethyst, sizing and searching for signs of genuine concern. Her calm features were back. Her eyes reflected sincerity. And she smelled good again. The pungent smell no longer terrorized Thea’s nose.

“I’m fine.” Thea pulled her hand away from Amethyst. She murmured an inaudible chant to heal herself without being noticed.

“Something weird just happened to me,” Amethyst said, breaking the silence.

“And what is it?”

Amethyst sighed and closed her eyes as if doing so would help her visualize her thoughts vividly.

“I found myself in a dark place alone, although I am sure that before it happened, I was walking with you and mom. But I can’t remember what happened after my feet stepped inside the house. I’m not sure if it’s a dream.”

“No. It definitely isn’t.”