CH 10 – Curiosity

After the first hit of adrenaline, the initial reaction of worry and regret set in. Savin sat at her desk, tracing the patterned wood with her fingers in slow repetitive motions.

"Why did I have to do it?" She sighed, banging her head hard against the papers sprawled over the desk. Drinking the tincture hasn't changed her physically at all, yet she felt different.

Doomed.

"So much work, and for what? Another way to satisfy my misery?"

Marcellus didn't seem so conflicted, in the small six hours that had passed, he was back to work. Analysing and writing all he knew about the tincture, nothing physically had changed with either Savin or himself. This confused the Alchemist at first, was the elixir not supposed to bring you to your prime? Savin was indeed in that stage of life, so no development was normal for someone in her circumstance. Marcellus had assumed that at the least, he would appeal a few years younger. He was indeed 30 now, yet still, no physical change had appeared. His mind seemed quicker though, and with this development he had started to doubt the effects of the tincture.

Perhaps it didn't work in the way he had thought. He decided to go check on Savin and ask for her thoughts on the subject.

He found her lying face down in a pile of books "uh, Miss Juniper?"

"It's Savin, Marcellus. Though I guess you'll have an eternity to learn."

"Well aren't you peachy tonight." He walked over to the desk, putting a light hand on her cold shoulder, "please, do cheer up."

A weighty exhale left her pale lips, "I suppose I don't want to regret this for the rest of my life. However long that may be." She smiled as if to make her grim statement sound of a happier nature. But just in case he didn't believe her, she added "I really am fine."

"You know, you are quite the awful liar Miss Juniper."

She glumly chuckled, "never have been good." She stood and embraced Marcellus in a warm hug, "thank you."

'What for?' He wanted to ask, but nothing left his mouth. Savin walked from her rooms into the Chamber of Alchemy, followed closely by a distracted Marcellus. His head was filled with confusing thoughts brought on by her touch, did he care for the girl?

He shook his head. No, he couldn't.

The mess that was the chamber caught Marcellus' eye immediately, he would not have fun cleaning this up.

He looked over to Savin's bright eyes, started to say something and stopped. His mind had gone blank, 'what was I here for again?'

"I, Uh.." He tore his eyes from her's, "I'm going to finish some notes.." He quickly made his way to his own chambers, his head was throbbing from his mind's confusing chatter.

Savin hadn't noticed Marcellus' sudden change in mood, and busied herself with cleaning. She could barley see the floor in the left corner in the room, and decided to start in the opposite direction. Picking up a few books and relocating them to a nearby shelf, she set about the Chamber wondering of her recent endeavours.

The Wendron Witches would have never gotten her into this situation, 'though there would have been other troubles' she reminded herself. Savin started to question her leaving the Coven to begin with.

The castle would be at peace with it's dreaded Queen (or what peace it already had), if she had not arrived. Her knowledge of Alchemy would be gone, and along with this: Marcellus.

Savin decided she had, in the end, made the best decision.

She closed her eyes, reopening them to find her own blue eyes glaring back at her. The looking glass Marcellus had warned her of looked so delicate in front of her.

'Why is Marcellus afraid of something so beautiful?" Her hand trailed over the air between her and her darker reflection. It did have an odd feel to it, one no one could explain. But the only way Savin possibly could, was that it felt Darke.

It was almost hypnotising, she wondered if Marcellus felt the same thing towards the mirror. She so desperately wanted to touch the smooth surface against her reflection, something was pulling her towards the silky surface.

Savin's consciousness was fading in and out..

Her blinding curiosity wasn't her best trait and in this situation, it was definitely would not pay off.