In spite of my decision to make use of the town’s hunters, I didn’t immediately rush off to visit the Hall. I had a better idea for acting on that decision later. Besides, I wanted to do some more testing with the work hours I had left in the day.

  I returned my attention to the beetle’s flames. Now that I knew they increased the potency of ingredients, I wanted to see how far that effect could be pushed. I had plenty of ginger to work with, after all.

  After painstakingly rendering down several batches of ginger paste into powder, I reached an exciting conclusion. The higher the level of heat I allowed the jar to unleash, the more intense the purification effect became!

  I also made the important discovery that the improvement in potency wasn’t linear. While the first rendering I’d done with the beetle’s flames had doubled the ginger’s base potency, I noticed a diminishing return for using higher heat. This proved invaluable in helping me gauge optimal heat levels.

  I had to step outside my tent for the final round of experimentation. Even out in the open air, I was starting to swelter and flinch from the heat. But it was worth it. The paste was reduced to about a tenth of its former volume, while its potency increased by a stunning five times.

  That might not seem impressive, especially considering how much paste was wasted, but such a boost was no small matter. I could pack as many lesser ingredients as possible into an alchemical product and obtain only a higher yield of middling quality. Ginger powder of such potency, on the other hand, would allow me to create a final product that was much, much more powerful overall.

  It was looking increasingly probable that I could concoct some sort of permanent boost to the immune system. I could give it to Nelaeryn first, then everyone else in town.

  The thought made me somewhat giddy. My alchemy, used to enact such a positive shift in the entire community!

  Part of me wanted to run all of my assembled ingredients through the process at once. I barely managed to stop myself, mostly because I still wasn’t sure what one of those ingredients did.

  Turning my attention back to the fruit I’d gotten from Alys, I regarded the juice with minor trepidation. Thankfully, I neither had to drink it nor handle it directly to learn what I needed to know. A few rounds of my diagnostic spells proved most illuminating.

  The juice was brimming with useful vitamins and minerals. It was like someone had taken citrus fruits, mashed together all their best traits, and then ramped up their benefits by several orders of magnitude.

  I was convinced that Alys’ grandmother had not just happened upon the fruit. This kind of plant was absolutely the result of careful work and tending. I would bet all of my alchemical knowledge on that.

  It was a bit intimidating, to be honest. From the spell she’d created and imparted to Alys, I already knew ‘The Molten Expanse’ was inventive and intelligent. But this fruit hinted at a depth of patience and knowledge that was truly impressive. That kind of powerful dragoness, with that kind of dedication… I shuddered.

  I resolved yet again to prepare the kind of gift that could awe even such a dragoness when we inevitably visited Alys’ family some time in the future.

  Regardless, this was more good news. With the fruit, the kappa parts, and the other support ingredients I’d gathered, I was well equipped to create a powder capable of boosting a person’s immune system.

  My excitement drove me to leap into work with somewhat unusual speed. Soon, I had rendered most of the ingredients down to five times’ greater potency. This left me more than a little annoyed when I realized just how limited my current supply was. I had barely enough ingredients for two attempts to figure out this recipe.

  I needed those kappa livers and kidneys, as soon as possible.

  Thankfully, by the time I had finished all of that, the sun was beginning to set. I quickly packed everything up and headed home.

  My good mood kept the sharpest bite of the cold at bay. My spirits only improved when I went around the back of the house to find the bath drawn and steaming, waiting for me. I looked around quickly, but Alys was already done working for the day. If the steam rising from the wet ground was an indication, the bathtub had been emptied not too long ago.

  This time around, I did take a few minutes to extract the ruby from its setting and wash myself off before stepping into the bath. I wasn’t too tired to care, and the idea of soaking in my own sweat didn’t appeal to me.

  When I was finally done, I went inside to find my dragoness sitting at her work desk, poring over some schematics she’d made. In fact, she was so absorbed in them that she had completely missed my entrance.

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  This made a smile steal over my face. I slowly crossed the room, not making even the slightest hint of noise.

  “Hello, fierce dragoness,” I whispered the instant before I wrapped my arms around her, just in case she reacted violently to sudden physical contact.

  She tried to turn and glare at me, but that didn’t really work out, since I was pressed against her with my chin on top of her head. This perspective also gave me a better view of her snout, which made it difficult to hold back a laugh.

  “Did you know you have chalk all over your right cheek?”

  “No I don’t,” she growled, furiously swiping at her face.

  She succeeded only in smearing the chalk trail further down her snout, and I lost the fight against my laughter.

  “Oh, stand still.” Sighing dramatically, I released her and stepped around so I could grip her chin and tilt her head to the side. I had to roll down one of my sleeves so I could use it to clean up the chalk, but slightly stained clothing wasn’t something I minded.

  She was oddly silent as I worked. When I pulled away, she had a tender look in her eyes that I couldn’t quite decipher.

  “Thanks,” she whispered.

  Then, suddenly, she lashed out. Her arms were around me in an instant, pulling me closer. I didn’t fight that, obviously. She rewarded my surrender with a surprisingly passionate kiss which I was all too happy to reciprocate.

  “Something happen?” I muttered after we pulled apart, idly running my hand over the scales of her cheek.

  Her eyes briefly fluttered closed as she leaned into my touch.

  “Nnnnooo…” Opening her eyes, she gave me a half-lidded stare. “I was just going over my plans for your house. Now that we’ll be sharing mine, I can better optimize some things. You won’t need a kitchen, for example.”

  “True. More space for extra storage or guest bedrooms.” I nodded happily, then leaned forward to place a kiss on the top of her snout, which made her scales glow in a lovely flush. “I take it things went well today, then?”

  “Hrrrmmm. Yes. The ground’s not too hard here. It’s mostly soil, with only a few large rocks. I’ll probably finish excavating tomorrow. Then I can properly strengthen the foundation and start shaping the basement level according to what we discussed. I even have some ideas about solving the drainage problem, but we’ll see about those when I actually start working.”

  “That sounds wonderful. I can’t wait for that to be done so I don’t have to put up with working outside.” I grimaced, indulging in a moment of annoyance. “It’s rather stressful, having to guard constantly against contaminants.”

  I was always meticulous in my checks, both during and after my work, so I was confident that nothing of the sort had occurred so far. But it would take only one overlooked speck of dirt slipping into my ingredients to ruin an important brewing session.

  Alys looked sympathetic. Considering her own penchant for perfectionism, I knew she understood.

  “I’ll do my best to hurry things along,” she promised.

  “No!” I said hastily. “No, please don’t. I don’t want you to push yourself or rush things. I’ve put up with it for this long, so I can put up with it until you are well and truly done with the basement. At your own pace.”

  For a moment, she looked like she might protest. Then she simply shrugged and offered me a smile instead.

  I had a sudden suspicion that I would need to keep an eye on her. I didn’t want her to lapse into the old mentality that she needed to get things done both rapidly and perfectly, even at the expense of her health.

  At present, it seemed best to distract her by changing the subject.

  “Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to accompany me into town. I’m planning to visit the Hall, and we can help ourselves to Arandel’s cooking.”

  “Hrm?” She blinked, leaning back slightly. “That’s sudden. Why?”

  “So I can bother the elders,” I admitted with an easy smile. “They told me that I could go to them if I needed any ingredients. Well, I need ingredients right now. To be precise, I need kappa livers and kidneys, but I’ll take whatever else the hunters can get off the creatures’ corpses.”

  There was genuine bafflement on her face. “Kappa livers and kidneys? Whatever for?”

  “They are powerful ingredients for immunity-related potions,” I explained. “Both for immunizing someone to a particular disease, or for boosting the immune system in general. Kappa live in so much filth that their bodies are naturally adept at fighting off disease and toxins. Those traits persist in the ingredients you can harvest from them. In their livers and kidneys, at least.”

  “And why do you need potions like that?”

  She suddenly sounded a little worried. Her eyes scanned me like she was looking for signs of sickness.

  “Not for me,” I hurried to reassure her. “It’s for Nelaeryn and Hagmar.”

  If anything, the concern in her expression deepened. It was easy to forget, considering how content she was to live outside the town and focus on her work, but Alys was genuinely fond of the townsfolk. Furthermore, I knew she had a particularly soft spot for those with whom she had first traveled to the frontier.

  I resolved again to be extra expeditious about keeping Nelaeryn healthy, if only for Alys’ sake.

  “Are they alright?” she asked.

  “I promise there’s no need to worry. They are both well and will continue to be so. It’s just…”

  I hesitated. The couple hadn’t asked me to keep Nelaeryn’s pregnancy a secret. I had little doubt that they would soon make it public. Still, it was their news to share.

  Another look at Alys’ anxious face, though, and I folded.

  “It’s nothing bad. Let’s keep this between us until they decide to tell everyone, but… Nelaeryn is pregnant.”

  Alys’ eyes widened. I was entirely unprepared for the happy rumble-hiss that escaped her as she snatched me into a hug that nearly crushed all the air out of my lungs.

  “Alys… Alys, love, less trying to squeeze me to death, please?” I wheezed.

  She relented slightly, but she was still giggling into my shoulder. I could say with confidence that I had never seen her in a mood like this before.

  “That is amazing!” she exclaimed. Then a hint of concern returned to her voice, and she pulled back. “Wait… I remember Nelaeryn mentioning once that she was worried about pregnancy, for some reason. Is that why you need the kappa parts and those potions? She is going to be fine, right?”

  “Yes. Yes, she will be.” I repeated my promise with a solemn nod. “About that, though…”

  I paused again, searching for words.

  How does one gently break the news to one’s draconic lover that the King of one’s own Court has cursed her friend’s bloodline?