Cunningham's Encyclopedia Of Magical Herbs Novels & Stories

Warmth spreads through me, making my veins and muscles come alive. It’s as if I’ve inherited her gift, clarity washing over me. I scan the grimoire, noting the ingredients I need. I search the jars, my hands trembling slightly, and gather everything required. I grind the herbs with the mortar and pestle, following the book’s instructions to the letter. I toss the mixture into a large pot on the stove, adding the final ingredient—a ghost dahlia.

“There is the Herb Sanctuary, Elizabeth. Here you can come during the herbiology lessons, but also after classes to learn everything about herbs and plants, which you find in both the sceptic people’s gardens and in ours. Though, some of them can be found only here, in the gardens of Elmbridge School. They can help you get powerful spell-potions and have many healing powers. Some are familiar even to sceptics and they use them to heal and cure diseases. Of course, the spells in potions are not so long-lasting, not as powerful as the spells we learn over time, but sometimes they can help you a lot.” “Can we get in a bit?” asked the girl.

I couldn’t stop when his life was slipping away with every passing hour and he was busy fighting for it. I scribbled notes on scraps of parchment, cross-referencing remedies. “Silverleaf for clotting… moonblossom for fever… ashroot against cursed wounds…” My voice shook, but I kept repeating the words to anchor myself as I pushed through the night. I tore through the shelves, gathering jars of dried herbs I’d stored myself back when I worked here. My hands trembled as I ground them into powders, brewed them into teas, and mixed salves thick with bitter scents as sweat dropped down my forehead and neck.

“You need to heal completely. After you've stopped feeling guilty, getting back your healing abilities is the next thing to do.” I step closer to her and take the old and dusty book in her hand. I read the inscription and it is “My Herbs Book.” It is a book where she wrote all the herbs formulation and it looks like she has just gone back to retrieve it from where she had abandoned it for years.

Slowly, patterns begin to emerge… the way my mother always used threes, always paired numbing agents with balancing herbs. “Try this one,” Eryna says, handing me another page. I squint at the mess of lines. There’s a section marked in a tight, deliberate hand. Three ingredients, with a fourth circled, as if singled out: > Sunberry ash + clover root + crushed iron leaf → <•> > A strange symbol. One I’ve never seen before. “What’s that one?” I ask, pointing at it. Eryna takes a slow breath. “That’s not an herb. That’s… a metal.”

********* with trembling hands, Ayanna gathered her medicinal Herbs and Healing items such As Medicinal Herbs: Rosemary Thyme Wormwood Yarrow Lavender. Etc. Healing Items: Aloe Vera Ginger Ginseng Calendula Tumeric Mixing each ones of the potion. she took the 2 colorful bottles containing the Medicinal Herb and the Healing Herb. She crawled shakily to Louis as she forced the Medicinal content down his throat, though some particles spill from his mouth .. but he's face was still cold and still.

I couldn’t keep feeling his presence in the back of my mind, that strange pull that wasn’t supposed to exist. “I’ll take my chances,” I said finally. Linda gave a small nod, but her brows were furrowed. “If that’s what you want, at least prepare for it properly.” I looked up at her, confused. “Prepare how?” She leaned back in her chair, thinking for a moment. “There’s an herb. We call it the calming herb. It’s used to ease emotional strain and spiritual backlash during rituals. The old witch doctor in the clan still keeps some.”

“It is not just tea. It is a pact.” Alexei snapped his fingers. “I knew there was poison involved. But you’re telling me she drank… A magical contract?” Pavel nodded as one of his assistants brought the cross-referenced analyses of Susan’s blood. “Look at this.” He slid the papers across the table. “Arcane herbs of pre-Christian origin. Wormwood of thirteen cycles, murmurium roots, dust of firstborn calf blood. All catalyzed by a drop of sorceress blood.” Alexei frowned.

I would love to teach him everything that I knew and to help him find even more beyond that. “Next, we need to figure out what all ingredients we need before going to the greenhouse for the herbs and ingredients.” He nodded and grabbed a pen and piece of paper, ready to take notes. By the gods, this boy was perfect! “Let’s begin with concoction that we’ll be adding to a satchel for her to keep on her. The first ingredient is rue that is protective. It negates hexes and wards off evil intentions. Wormwood protects against psychic attacks. Lastly, sage is used to protect against negative energies.”

Something about this land remembers me… or maybe remembers my grandmother and just assumes I will do. I turn slowly, taking it all in. The greenhouse, still being reinforced with panes of magic-treated glass, has started to gather life. Tiny pots of rosemary, marigold, mugwort. Some of the herbs I dreamt about are already here, as if they had waited for me to remember them. I kneel by a tray of feverfew, fingers brushing its leaves, and smile.