With Salem reduced to nothing but ashes, Lily was able to retrieve the grimoire.
"Queer! It felt as if it is alive." she exclaimed as her crimson eyes traveled the ornate golden pentagram on the cover. From it, a mixture of warmth and a bit of dark and light mana radiate.
"That book is quite thick." Briar commented as he helped the girl carry the item. "it is heavy too."
Knowing that Lily was a bit tired, he made her sit on a chair which survived the fight.
"Of course, it is thick and heavy. It is a grimoire after all." The girl replied while wincing in pain.
Though a bit exhausted, Lily still felt hyped up due to her accomplishment.
With excitement, she tried to open the lock which held the book close.
But as soon as her finger came into contact with the golden lock, she withdrew her hand immediately as if she was hurt. "Oww!"
Narrowing her eyes at the unopened book, she muttered. "Is it just me or something from the grimoire just stung my fingers?"
She barely noticed the current that had been running through its pages towards the lock.
"She must have cast a spell so that other witches could not use this." She muttered with frustration.
Knowing that she could not experiment with the grimoire, Lily was left with no choice but to reduce its size so that she could carry it around.
"Lily, are you okay?" noticing her pale face and disgruntled look, the fox asked. "I am not good with healing. Do you have anything that could eliminate the poison in your system?"
"I have a few vials in my satchel. Can you find them for me?" the girl slumped down as if her mana was depleted.
The girl's eyelids began to droop and the veins on her temples started turning a deeper shade of purple.
As the fox went to the other room to do the errand, Briar turned his attention to the girl. "What are your plans, Lily?"
"My plans? I have to drink an antidote to make myself better." She drowsily replied. The spell's backlash and Salem's cursed poison seemed to have fogged her mind.
"That is not what I meant." The prince muttered in frustration.
"Then what?"
"What are your plans after getting this grimoire and after recovering from the battle? Will you continue this path despite knowing how dangerous it is?"
"Yes! I have to… I'll be a full-fledged witch."
The prince clenched his jaw when he heard of her plan.
But instead of getting angry, he took her hand and asked. "Why don't you come with me? Abandon your plan on becoming a witch. Without our help, you might have been feasted on by the witch."
Massaging her aching forehead, she slurred. "You know that I can't…plus, that is kind of funny coming from someone who got captured by Salem first."
Before Lily and Briar could continue with their conversation, Rei came back.
"Here is your satchel." The fox gave her the item that she needed.
"Thanks!" Lily rummaged through her satchel and took the healing potion. Without her knowledge, a vial rolled out.
While the girl was drinking the healing potion, Rei took notice of the vial which contained a pinkish substance. Getting curious on what was inside the container; the fox picked it by its ringholder.
However, before he could return it to his mistress, the nine-tailed suddenly stopped short.
Noticing Rei, Briar asked. "Is there anything wrong?"
The fox's ears perked up as if he heard some noise. "Horses' hooves."
Both the girl and the prince stiffened.
"They might be knights from Azalea." Lily muttered. The veins on her temples had started to vanish. But she was in no condition to cast spells and fight.
Turning towards the fox, Briar plead. "Can you check them out? I will keep Lily safe."
Though Briar is not his contractor, he consented. Instincts told him that the two needed their privacy.
Nodding, the fox offered the vial to Lily. But before the girl could get hold of it properly, Rei heard the hooves getting near. He hastened to leave.
Unbeknownst to the fox, he still had hooked his finger in the ringholder. So when he swiftly turned away, the cap came off.
The nine-tailed disappeared in order to scour the vicinity for possible threats.
But it was a bit unfortunate to the two who remained. It was too late for Lily to notice that vial was unsealed.
Having been curious of the little flask, Briar chose that moment to come near and accidentally hit her arm.
Lily dropped the item to the ground and it shattered. Its contents got spilled and a pinkish smoke rose from the substance.
The young witch's eyes widened as she recognized the potion that the container was keeping safe. Unfortunately, she was not able to do anything when it hit the ground.
Her mind barely registered the damage that has been done as she got a whiff of the lovely floral scent.
"Love potion." She thought to herself.
Despite recovering from the backlash and the exhaustion, Lily felt heady and almost dizzy. When she raised her head, her eyes met with Briar's.
Just like her, he was wobbling. But for some reasons, he seemed to be glowing.
When their eyes met, everything around them seemed forgotten. The pain and the witch which had been burned, the whole ordeal… nothing matters as their eyes only saw the other person.
"Lily…" the prince called her name.
"Briar…" the girl barely whispered.
As the pinkish smoke, diminished, the effects seemed to have heightened and the attraction was pulling them closer.
Not being able to help what they are feeling, the two leaned in to kiss. But before they met, the fox came back snapping them from their reverie.
"Lily, we have to go! The knights are coming!" Rei emerged and pulled the girl away. "I only managed to stall them a little."
A bit disoriented, the girl allowed her familiar to carry her away.
"Wait! Lily!" Briar shouted as the fox took his mistress and forced her to ride the besom.
"Rei…I…" the confused witch began but couldn't do anything when Rei made her side saddle the broom stick.
"To Nightshade's grove." He commanded as he secured the witch. He guided the broom to their destination-leaving the flaxen haired prince behind.
~~~
"Well, I am quite glad that you finally managed to acquire a familiar." Heather said as she looked at the nine-tailed fox.
Rei settled himself on one of the couches while eating gingerbread.
"He's quite reliable since he was able to save you countless times." the headwitch praised.
"Thank you for the complement madam Heather." Rei said after he finished chewing." I have to do my best for my incompetent, mistress."
As soon as he said that, a pentagram appeared a few feet above his head. A pan came falling down and hitting him hat.
"That hurt!" the nine-tailed complained.
"After a long time, you finally gained a familiar. I commend you for that…. BUT I can't believe you have fallen victim to your own potion." Heather frowned at the miserable girl who had curled into a ball in a corner. "How could you be so careless!"
"It was an accident." Her voice was muffled by the blanket she had wrapped around herself.
"Accident or not... You have been affected by your own potion." The headwitch snapped. "You should always take extra caution in handling potions which are considered illegal."
"Now… now… calm down, Heather. There is no use fussing over this." Mrs. Caraway said as she gave the headwitch an enchanted tea. "the damage has been done."
"Arrrgghhh!" Lily threw her blanket and rose from the corner. "I can't stop thinking about him!" she grabbed her hair in frustration. "What do I do?"
After Heather sipped her tea, she felt herself calming down. "You will just have to make an antidote." the headwitch suggested.
"About that …" Mrs. Caraway seemed to be hesitating.
Heather and Lily looked at the potion master. "What?"
She then dropped the bomb. "The silver rose and golden apple love potion that we had made does not have an antidote."
Lily paled before she cried out in distress."You are joking!"
"Usually love potions just wear off after a certain period of time. But others as strong as the one made from silver rose and golden apples take longer effects." The potion master explained. "Antidotes are not made because the effects of that love potion are indeterminate."
"No way!" the girl was already on the verge of tears as Mrs. Caraway told her the truth.
Her teacher advised. "You can make a hate potion but it may not be strong enough to counteract the love potion."
"Don't risk it." Heather interjected. "hate potions are even more complicated and unstable. The girl will just have to wait for the effects to fade."
"But Madame…" Lily wanted to protest but Heather cut her off.
"Consider it as your punishment. Though you had successfully retrieved the grimoire and defeated Salem still you got yourself be a victim of your own love potion. I should have failed you for that." Heather said.
The headwitch pricked her finger with a pin. Then allowing a drop of blood to fall on the lock, she waited until the lock turned and opened.
The forlorn girl sat on a corner wallowing in misery at her fate.
"If I can find a nullifying spell in this grimoire, then maybe we can cancel out the effects of the love potion." Heather muttered as the lock popped and the book opened.
"we must not waste time on making the antidote. I will have to teach you spells from this grimoire, remember?"
Hearing such statement from Heather lifted the girl's spirit.