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“You shouldn’t have.” Amadeus looked taken aback. “One must drink the potion from the vial,” he scoffed, holding the cup out at arm’s length.

“Does it matter?” I said with an arrogant nonchalance.

“It might change the potion’s properties.” Amadeus shook his head in disgust.

“I’m so sorry,” I said, sounding contrite. “There’s another one, but that would be it. I guess if you needed to see her again, you wouldn’t be able to.” I was starting to shake, knowing Aria was in trouble, but that I was still a long way away from her.

“Ack, incompetence. Why do I need a mage assistant? You’re useless. I’m perfectly fine on my own.” With that, Amadeus drank the contents of the cup.

I’d never told Amadeus I was his assistant, but he must have assumed I was. In any case, the ruse worked well enough for me to assess his condition. Within a few minutes, Amadeus fell back on the bed, and I covered him with the duvet before I left his workshop in search of Nan. When I found her in the nursery with the c