Chapter 1.21 - In which Viv takes a sobering draught

Percy

Month 11, Day 28, Saturday 3:30 a.m.

It took several minutes of pounding on Healer Clements’ door before the man finally opened it. “What!” he demanded, eyebrows drawn into a sharp “V” above his nose. “You again. There is a limit to how early you can expect me to wake. I’m not an emergency clinic! I have patients during the day who require me to be awake enough to treat them. What if I’m so exhausted that there’s another acc—” He broke off, glared at Percy for another moment, and then looked to Viv, who was hanging off of Percy’s shoulder.

“She needs a sobering potion,” Percy said. “That’s all. I didn’t know where else to go. I don’t know where she lives, and I can’t take care of her. Please, can’t you help? It’ll only take five minutes, and then you can go back to sleep.”

“One sobering draught. Three gold. You leave within five minutes and never knock on my door again without the sun high in the sky.”

This seemed like an exorbitantly high price for a sobering draught, even in Gilbratha.

“Take it or leave it,” Healer Clements said, beginning to close the door.

“I’ll take it!” Percy said, hauling Viv inside and hurrying to shut the door behind them before the man’s cat could escape.

Healer Clements continued muttering to himself as he shuffled into the back room and returned with a dusty brown bottle about half the size of a wine bottle. “Here,” he said, thrusting it at Percy.

Percy didn’t trust Viv not to drop the bottle and shatter it, so he took it himself. When he uncorked it, extra air rushed out with a faint sizzling sound. Percy frowned and tried to peek down the bottle’s mouth. He’d never had a sobering draught himself, but on the very few occasions Dad had needed one, he didn’t remember them sizzling.

Healer Clements looked to the grandfather clock in the corner. “You have three minutes left. Trust me, the draught is better than a potion. Less chance of dehydration or organ damage. And much cheaper than a poison-cleansing spell.”

“Organ damage?” Percy repeated.

Healer Clements frowned and slapped away a moth from his head. “Count Fluffbutt! Come do your job and murder the bugs this rude boy has let in,” he called, turning away to look for his cat, clicking his tongue enticingly.

Percy ducked his head and turned to Viv. “Drink this,” he urged quietly, helping her hold the bottle to her mouth and tilting it gently.

She did her best, at first needing to sip it as her eyes watered, but by halfway through managing to gulp down the rest. She smacked her mouth and ran her tongue over her teeth after the last swallow. “Gritty,” she muttered.

“Do you feel any better?” Percy asked.

She took a few deep breaths, her hands pressing against her stomach. “Maybe?” Then, with another deep breath, her eyes widened. “Yes. I feel…much better.” She looked around the room strangely, then down at her own hands, fingers splayed wide. Her nostrils flared, and her lips stretched into a wide smile, but her eyes didn’t crinkle with joy.

“Viv?” Percy said tentatively, his voice small.

Her head snapped around toward him, and her smile grew even wider. She reached out and sank her fingers into his hair. “So soft. So fluffy!” She gripped his hair and tugged his head back and forth. “Percy, you beautiful boy. I feel wonderful. We should track down those nobles and…” She trailed off, searching for words. “Pop the wheels off their carriage? Throw a bottle of banshee’s breath through their front window? Or maybe we use a bottle of liquid fire to write out a curse on their manor’s front lawn.”

Percy smiled hesitantly. “You’re joking, right?”

“Why? I’m serious!”

“We could get caught.”

She laughed. “No! I’d never get caught. Who could catch me?” she asked, spreading her arms wide and standing up.

“The coppers? Or the nobles’ guards?” Percy offered.

“Pshh!” she scoffed. “Maybe they’d catch you.”

“Viv, are you sure you feel okay?”

She leaned down, putting her hands on his knees and pressing her face close to his. “I have never felt better in my entire life.” Her breath smelled of sour alcohol, herbs, and something Percy couldn’t distinguish.

Percy leaned back from her, hoping he wasn’t blushing.

Healer Clements shuffled back into the room, holding Count Fluffbutt, who flattened its ears and hissed at Viv as soon as it saw her. “I know, I know,” Healer Clements consoled.

“Um, she’s acting a little strange,” Percy said. “Is that normal?”

Healer Clements looked from Viv to the bottle on the floor. He picked it up and sniffed the mouth nonchalantly, then placed it on his table.

Viv was in a staring match with the cat.

“She seems sober to me,” Healer Clements said.

“Percy. We should sneak into Pendragon Palace and steal the High Crown’s slippers. I heard the man has a golden toilet. I really have to pee.”

Healer Clements slowly raised his arm, pointing to a door in the corner. “You can use my chamberpot artifact. Please do not tip it over. I’ll charge.”

Viv left, but not before giving the cat one last glare.

Percy turned to Healer Clements, one eyebrow raised high.

“She’s sober,” the man repeated, shifty eyed. “A little exuberant, to be sure, but…perhaps she’s simply relieved to be feeling better?”

“Earlier, she suggested vandalizing one of the Crown noble’s manors. I don’t think she was joking. There’s some weird…euphoria or something going on. My dad’s taken sobering potions before, and he’s never acted like that.”

“How well do you really know her? Perhaps this is her base personality.” When Percy remained silent, Healer Clements raised a fist to his mouth and coughed out something about “minor side-effects.”

“What was that?” Percy asked immediately, a spark of outrage flaring up. “Did you say side-effects? What’s wrong with her? Did you damage her organs?”

“Of course not! And your five minutes are up. I won’t stand for this rudeness. Pay me and leave. And if you’re so skeptical of my expertise, find a different healer the next time you need something at this evil hour! I’m a well-respected man, and I certainly don’t need your piddling business!”

Viv burst back into the room, her ponytail undone and her auburn hair bouncing airily around her. Her eyes seemed strangely bright, even in the dim light. “Percy, let’s go dancing!” she said. She wove her arm through his and dragged him backward through the front door.

He stumbled down the front steps, but Viv physically hauled him back to his feet.

“My payment! You still owe me three gold, you, you—” Healer Clements cried.

“Wait, Viv, I need to—” Percy tried, patting at her arm to get her attention.

Viv ignored both of them. “I’m such a good dancer. Maybe I could do a show at the Kaiseki Ryori. What do you think? I could dress up like a human phoenix. Don’t you think the customers would tip me really well for fire tricks?”

Percy fumbled at his waist. “Wait, Viv, seriously. I haven’t paid—”

She yanked him around and stared into his eyes intently, her mood changing in a split second. “Are you really going to pay that asshole? I heard what he was saying to you. How dare he?” Her nostrils flared and her eyes narrowed in a way that Percy recognized as the same expression Mom got when she was about to roll up her sleeves and get into a fight.

“Let’s go,” Percy said quickly.

Viv smiled sweetly, lifting her hands to comb her fingers through his curls once more. “Oh, Percy.”

Percy winced as Healer Clements screamed after them.

When Count Fluffbutt raced past Percy and Viv into the darkness, Viv gasped and pulled Percy into a mad dash after the escaping feline, his camera obscura bouncing heavily against his chest with every step.

Author Note: The book (Chapter 1.1-1.31) comes out on Wednesday!

And since my brain feels like it's melting out of my ears right now, that's all for today's author note.

Thanks for reading.