The Seeking Serum
Page 27
“But why not you or my mom or . . . or even Sasha?” If they had to pick a kid to sit on this new Board of Directors or Chamber or whatever they were going to call it, Sasha seemed like the most willing.
“I cannot return to my old position, and I believe Wanda feels the same way.” Yosuke gazed piercingly into Gordy’s eyes. “Our ways are not the ways of today. We represent the old B.R.E.W. and the old Swigs. You represent the future. And are we talking about Sasha Brexil?” His tone lightened. “I am sure she is a lovely friend, but previous conversations have led me to believe granting her legislative rights would be a decision most unwise.”
The last of the Elixirists filed through the door, and the tantalizing scents of lunch filled the room, but Gordy wasn’t ready to mingle just yet.
Yosuke noticed Gordy’s hesitation. “I see that you will not be consoled so easily. But perhaps this will help. There are four essential elements to a potion—liquid, mineral, chemical, and herb—and in order to brew anything of merit, each must be present. This new organization is just another potion that requires specific ingredients. That is why four were chosen to represent those elements. This was not by mere happenstance. You understand this, right?”
Gordy nodded somberly, remembering all that Zelda had taught him not so long ago.
“But what if I told you that way of thinking was incomplete?” Yosuke asked. “That in order to truly brew, an additional element is not only required but paramount to the successful completion of that potion?”
Gordy glanced up, puzzled. “What additional element?”
Yosuke chuckled, his laughter pouring out soothingly. “The Elixirist, my boy. That is the missing piece. The one combining all the other elements into an intricate concoction. The one whose wisdom brings balance to every potion.” Yosuke squeezed Gordy’s shoulder warmly. “You are that final element, Gordy Stitser. You are the Elixirist!”
Frothy liquid effervesced within a brass cauldron as indigo smoke drifted away from the bowl and gathered around the light fixture in Adilene’s bedroom, casting wispy shadows upon the floor. Referring to the recipe printed in Gordy’s handwriting, Adilene reduced the heat of her Bunsen burner and sprinkled a handful of ginger wax pieces into the turbulent mixture. The inside of the cauldron had turned the color of raspberry syrup.
Adilene’s walkie-talkie squawked.
“How’s it going?” Gordy’s voice came through the static.
She clenched her fists, jaw tightening. “I think it’s going great, but you seriously just scared me to death.”
“Sorry!” Gordy apologized. “I’m curious, that’s all.”
“I know, but I’m a little tense right now.” Adilene peered into the cauldron as a purple bubble filled with air, then popped. She checked the recipe once more.
One ingredient remained. One final step. And then she would know without a doubt.
“Are you done yet, Rivera?” Max’s voice bellowed from the walkie-talkie, and Adilene’s guinea pig, Irene, chittered angrily inside her cage.
“No, I am not done, Maxwell.” Adilene squeezed the radio hard enough to make the plastic receiver crinkle. “But I’m close.”
So close!
Closing her eyes, Adilene peeled off the lid of the small container of timbo snake scales and made one final pass over the recipe, making sure she hadn’t missed any steps.
“I’m signing off,” she said, gripping the walkie-talkie. “I have to know what I’m doing is on my own and that Gordy isn’t somehow Projecting through the radio.”
“Yosuke told you that was a myth,” Gordy said.
“And I want to believe him,” she muttered. “But this way I’ll know for sure. Okay?”
“Got it,” Gordy replied.
“Yeah, whatever,” Max grumbled.
The walkie-talkie fell silent.
Adilene waited for a moment, then dashed the pinch of scales across the surface of the mixture. Holding her breath, she leaned across the rim. The rising smoke dispersed.
The potion, no longer a frothy violet, had settled within the cauldron. Thick and glossy, shimmering like an antique mirror, the concoction now possessed a faint emerald hue.
Adilene released a long, satisfied breath.
Then she smiled.
It’s hard to believe this story is already coming to an end, and I’m so thankful for the family, friends, and publishing professionals who made this trilogy a reality. It has been a dream of mine, many years in the making, to work with Chris Schoebinger, and I’ve loved every minute of it. There’s not a creative team in the industry that rallies behind an author quite like the Shadow Mountain crew. A huge thank you to Lisa Mangum, my editor, and Heidi Taylor Gordon. Our brainstorming sessions for Potion Masters were the stuff of legends. Gordy Stitser owes a massive chunk of his story to both of you!
To Owen Richardson, my illustrator. I don’t think you understand how high up on the awesomeness pedestal I’ve placed you. Your illustrations of my Potion Masters novels are simply the best. I hope we get many more opportunities to work together on future projects.
I’m so grateful for my agent, Shannon Hassan, for having such enthusiasm about my work, pushing me to be a better writer, and just making good things happen for my books.
To Laurel Day, Jill Schaugaard, Callie Hansen, and Roberta Stout—thank you for your help in sending me on my author tour. Being able to chat with readers at schools and feed off their enthusiasm has fueled my writing fire, and it wouldn’t have been possible without you.
I would be nothing at all without my wife, Heidi, and my amazing children, Jackson, Gavin, and Camberlyn. You guys put up with a lot, especially when I’m elbow-deep in a writing project. You’re the best, and I love you!
Thank you to Amanda Sowards, Michelle Wilson, Tyler Minson, and Jaric Minson for helping me come up with some really awesome potion ideas for this book!
Lastly, to all the readers who started this journey with Gordy when he was nothing more than a slug monster in his living room. I hope you’ve enjoyed being part of this adventure as much as I have enjoyed writing it. There will be more books for sure, so stay tuned. I can’t wait for you to read the next one!
A compendium of both approved and unapproved potions and ingredients, as well as common terms used throughout the potion-making community. Locations in italics pinpoint the exact source of where, B.R.E.W.’s most-elite Elixirists have worked tirelessly to discover key ingredients to their respective potions.
Barnstorm Broth—United States of America, Michigan. A complicated fusion potion that melds the essence of multiple birds with complex machinery. There have been only three successful attempts to concoct a successful Barnstorm Broth in B.R.E.W.’s history. (Key ingredients: albatross egg yolk; jet fuel; wild-cherry Pop Rocks.)
Blitzen Beads—Germany. When thrown, these marble-sized pellets cause disorientation and temporary blindness without permanently damaging the target’s eyes. (Key ingredients: cuckoo talons; glass from a busted lighthouse bulb.)
Cepha Slop—Georgia. A favorite among uncivilized Scourges, this mixture, combined with Essence of Ampliar, produces a fully-functioning, albeit ill-tempered, cephalopod-type creature that will instantly attack any foe. (Key ingredients: blowhole of a bottlenose dolphin; lion’s mane mushroom caps; fossilized trilobite.)
Choresine—New Guinea. Toxic chemical harvested from the shells of melyrid beetles. Primary ingredient in concocting powerful home Distractor wards.
Decocting Wand—Origin varies. Outlawed by B.R.E.W., this weapon, etched with chemically enhanced runes, is used to ExSponge an Elixirist. Though the effects are reversible, often the ExSponged are never able to brew quite the same. Any Elixirist caught in possession of a Decocting Wand faces immediate Banishment to a Forbidden Zone. (Key ingredients: papaya pulp; trigger hairs of a Venus flytrap.)
Dissolvement Drau
ght—Chile. Also known as a Borrar Bomb, this corrosive goop is used to break down substances believed to be indestructible. (Key ingredients: cobra hoods; epizootic egg.)
Essence of Ampliar—Spain. An enlargement tonic used to increase the size of small creatures—mostly bugs, amphibians, and some rodents. Overall growth may vary and is not permanent, but creatures typically react violently to the sudden change. (Key ingredients: processionary caterpillar pupa; baskian viper hearts.)
Forbidden Zones—Term used throughout the Elixirist Community to describe areas of Exile and Banishment. Though arctic tundra regions are the most common due to the bleak nature of their locations, barren deserts, remote islands, and arid wastelands have also been utilized when sending condemned Scourges to live out the remaining years of their existence.
Girning Glop—United Kingdom. An unusual concoction once used ages ago during playful competitions in rural England. The glop causes a ridiculous expression to instantly appear on the consumer’s face. The potion is mostly harmless but has been known to result in permanent, undesired facial expressions when administered in heavy doses. (Key ingredients: Japanese plum pits; melted latex mask.)
Glowworm oil—Australia. An odorless and tasteless substance produced by fungus gnats and used to unmask those who have ingested Disfarcar Gels or other brewed disguises.
Iskry powder—Ukraine. A tiny pinch of this fire-starting substance will ignite dry timber into an impressive flame. (Key ingredients: vanilla bean; horse whiskers.)
Jackjoint Juice—United States of America, California. Opalescent substance used by Elixirist spies to easily slip through tight, inaccessible spaces by temporarily turning their joints into rubbery pulp. (Key ingredients: recently-deflated balloon animal; chimpanzee hairs.)
Joslat Juice—Hungary. Dream-inducing potion believed by many within the Swigs to fortell the future. Most predictions, however, have not been substantially proven to be true. Frowned upon by B.R.E.W.’s Chamber of Directors. (Key ingredients: sandalwood; warped forint coin.)
Konfizyon Cream—Haiti. A milder technique than Tainting, this cream places the target into a blissful hypnotic state. (Key ingredients: pungi reed pipe; Caribbean reef squid tentacle; limestone granules.)
Luminescent Lamps—Origin varies. Typically pink or fluorescent yellow in color, these clever concoctions, once agitated, can glow for several hours, lighting up hallways, caverns, and broom closets. Also known as Jarqil Candles or Vofa Votives depending on the region. (Key ingredients: swallowtail butterfly scales; firefly thorax; star-fruit juice.)
Mezzarix’s Manifesto—No More Prisons. No More Governments. No More Secrets. Printed on pamphlets and widely distributed during Mezzarix Rook’s first attempt to overthrow B.R.E.W., his Manifesto rallied many Elixirists to his cause.
Moholi Mixture—South Africa. Basic melting potion used to reduce metal to vapor. Also an excellent Scruting substitute when Quicksilver is unavailable. All first-year Drams must master a Moholi Mixture before continuing on with the program. (Key ingredients: bronze fennel; flower chafer beetles; proteas flower petals.)
Mureta Mush—Finland. Pulverizing potion that effectively reduces lumber into sawdust. The perfect tool for boring a quick getaway through solid-wood walls or flooring. (Key ingredients: black woodpecker bills; heated vulcanite sauna stones.)
Perplexity Projectile—United States of America, Ohio. This explosive, crowd-controlling potion will place large groups of people in a hypnotic stupor. B.R.E.W. typically uses these projectiles whenever Rule #1 of the Five Rules of Potion Making has been broken and a gathering of non-Elixirists start asking questions. (Key ingredients: black-eyed susan stalks; muskellunge gills.)
Potable Penyiram—Indonesia. When tossed upon fertile soil, this egg-shaped tablet will form a pair of functioning watering cans from which a seemingly endless deluge of water will pour. (Key ingredients: hole-in-the-head frog tongue; powdered pumice; stem of a titan arum plant.)
Seeking Serum—Origin unknown. Better than GPS, this ultimate tracking potion, when brewed to perfection, can pinpoint the location of any desired target no matter how far away the location. (Key ingredients: dousing rod; pickled piranha scales.)
Smoke of Unmocita Kara—Bangladesh. Revelatory incense that will reflect the true identity of an intruder through a specially treated mirror. The smoke is dangerous if burned for prolonged periods of time and banned by B.R.E.W. (Key ingredients: sputtered aluminum; Bengal tiger dander.)
Society of Canadian Agro-Healers—A well-respected organization made up of multiple high-ranking B.R.E.W. officials, SCAH has made it their sole aim to educate non-Elixirist doctors and medical practitioners about herbal remedies and ingredients available in every region of the world.
Sturmwolke Slosh—Germany. A highly illegal storm-creating potion able to be launched directly into the atmosphere. It is almost impossible to know what sort of catastrophes the slosh will produce, though certain Elixirists have developed a knack for predicting the weather. (Key ingredients: shrew whiskers; badger fangs; Bavarian orchid roots.)
Sumi Sauce—Macedonia. An effective weapon to eliminate a target without causing bodily harm. This concoction catapults an enemy toward the nearest growth of vegetation. (Key ingredients: Ajvarski pepper zest; Eurasian lynx bladder.)
Tainting—The process of tampering or coating an object with Stained ingredients in order to Blotch an unsuspecting Elixirist. (Key ingredients: passionflower; ant pheromones; tungsten shavings; sulphured molasses.)
Terramoto Tonic—Mexico. This volatile potion can cause catastrophic damage as it simulates earthquakes through seismic vibrations. (Key ingredients: Kadupul seeds; tectonic silicon; mountain-quail beak.)
Tickling Tinik—Philippines. Horribly deceptive, this substance starts off as a harmless itch but rapidly transforms into one of the world’s most uncomfortable irritants. The only known remedy is a dose of ampalaya rind. (Key ingredients: ulupong venom; hogweed pollen.)
Frank L. Cole lives with his wife and three children out West. He is the author of ten books. He is an active promoter of reading and the power of imagination and has been to more than 120 schools presenting to kids.
Visit FrankColeWrites.com
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Glossary of Potions
About the Author
/>
Landmarks
Cover
Table of Contents