It has not changed allegiance. In fact, I’m surprised that the pull has not wavered. It makes me wonder what they are even doing with The Scepter if they aren’t going to use it.”
“Maybe it will be impossible for them to use it. Maybe it will never consider anyone else but you its owner.”
“That’s possible but not probable. All magic can be manipulated. My guess is they just don’t have the knowledge to manipulate it to their benefit. But, it doesn’t mean they can’t get the knowledge. Or at the very least, trial and error produce the results they need. Still, I don’t believe a few days delay will hurt our cause.”
Kieran nodded. “Good. Annika also needs some supplies for her glamour. We were supposed to get them from Mary’s but I’m hoping you have what she needs in our apothecary.”
“I’ll make sure she gets access to what she needs.” Ava stood up to leave. Heading for the door, she paused and looked back at Kieran. “You’re a good man, Kieran. I love you. You know that, right?”
Kieran smiled softly at Ava. “Of course I know that, sis. I love you too. Now get out of here so I can feed the women folk.”
***
After the noon meal, Mary went to sleep with the help of a potion Ava gave her. She would be out for several hours. Kieran set Annika up in his other guest room and invited her to nap if she wanted, which she declined. She requested, instead, to visit the apothecary, as Kieran had told her the stores would be open for her use.
Kieran accompanied Annika to the apothecary, not because he needed to, but because he really couldn’t think of anything better to do with his time. They made a quick stop at Carrick and Ava’s apartment so Kieran could peek in on Emma. She was just getting ready to go down for a nap and was a little fussy. Kieran only spent a few minutes with her but thought it was interesting how Annika stayed back just far enough so she wouldn’t have any interaction with the little tyke. She watched, with interest, but you could tell by the look on her face she was a little scared of Emma too.
It was in Kieran’s nature to poke fun of people’s fears to bring laughter to a situation, and ordinarily he would have thrust Emma into Annika’s arms to see how she would deal with it. But after what Annika had been through already this day, he knew she didn’t need any undue stress. And there was no doubt in his mind that a fussy child in the midst of her terrible twos would be a stress to Annika.
Walking toward the apothecary, Annika made an observation. “You’re really good with children.”
Kieran let out a chuckle. “Not really. Just Emma. Put me around other kids and they all seem to cry.”
“Really?”
“Yup. I apparently only appeal to Emma.”
“Kids terrify me.” It was a small concession that he didn’t think she would admit to most people. He wondered why she admitted it now.
“They used to terrify me too. Until Emma came along. Then I was sort of forced to learn how to deal with babies, diapers and snotty noses. You sort of get used to it.”
“So really, all you’re saying is that you need practice?”
“Yes,” Kieran laughed, “and a whole lot of patience!”
“Well, that’s something I don’t have at all.”
“Patience is nothing more than a slow acceptance of something that is important to you. If something is essential enough, you’ll have patience with it.”
Annika didn’t respond and was silent the rest of the trip to the apothecary. But once they arrived, she chattered like a squirrel that had just discovered a secret horde of nuts before winter. The store was lined with shelves upon shelves of every ingredient, herb, flower, fruit, vegetable, mineral and liquid that could possibly be used in an magical spell. Ava’s Uncle Heph had started building the apothecary years ago and as far as Kieran knew now, it was probably the best stocked house of magical supplies in all of Vyronas. In hindsight, they should have just come here for the ingredients, but he was grateful that they had not or else they wouldn’t have been able to rescue Mary.
It didn’t take long for Annika to find what she needed. She didn’t need a potion to invoke a glamour. That was why she was so good at what she did. She could simply invoke a