Lia stood in front of the workroom, deliberating whether she should knock or not. It had been quite some time since Tamara buried herself with her mixtures. She went inside before the sun was up and now, it was about to go down. Yet there was no sign or movement from her mother. Even the foods Lia left for lunch remained untouched.

She clenched her fist, ready to knock when the door opened. Both Tamara and Lia stared at each other wide-eyed. Tamara was the first to recover.

“Oh good you’re here. Come in.” Not waiting for an answer, she pulled Lia inside the room where the pungent smell of different leaves and liquids attacked her right away.

Scrunching up her nose, Lia spoke, “It smells horrible in here.”

“Is it? Well it doesn’t matter as long as it can heal.”

Lia forgot about the smell with this new information. “You mean–”

Tamara smiled and held up a flask. “This still needs a bit of tweaking but this is good for now. It can’t completely cure. Not yet. But it can lessen the effects of the gin.” As a demonstration, she swished the contents around the container and Lia watched with awe as the light pink liquid seemed to dance in every swirl.

“You are amazing!” Lia grinned. “How did you find out? And how do we know if this really works? How do we test it?”

“First question first. When I heard of the symptoms I had suspicions. A similar event happened a long time ago. As for the second and third,” her mother avoided her questioning gaze and focused in fiddling with her stirring rods. “I already tested it.”

Lia’s grin fell just as her heart drop in her stomach. She asked cautiously, “How?”

“I drank the gin myself.”

“Mother!”

“I had no choice! I had to make it and I can’t make it without testing. I have to help Yolly!”

“But you could–”

“What? I could use you!? Do you think I’d let my child drink this… this cursed drink!?”

Tamara flared up which surprised Lia. She had never seen her mother lose control like this. Not when the novel Lia verbally abused her. Not when the people called her names. The realization that her mother feared this phenomenon hit Lia like a sledgehammer. Her mother was afraid for her friend and for them. People would blame the witch. They would be thrown out of their home. And that was just the start of the possible things people could do to them. Lia ran her hand over her face, willing herself not to cry.

She was terrified too.

“Oh don’t look like that, please. I’m sorry I yelled.” Tamara hugged her and Lia sagged in her embrace. Her mother was the only one she had in this world and she to her mother.

After a moment of comfort, Lia gathered herself. “I should bring this to Yolly. I forget to tell you, I sent Frankie back earlier to look after her.”

Tamara nodded. “That’s a good decision. You need to make Yolly drink this. Have her drink this every four hours and continue even after her fever wears off. Go now before it gets dark.”

“Will you be alright here alone?”

“Yes. I’ll prepare the knives and bolt the door and the windows, don’t worry. I still have to study more about this composition.” Tamara moved back to her work table. Lia took that as a cue to get ready to depart.

But before she left, Tamara had another favor.

“And Lia? You might want to drop by Eldric’s place and tell him about this thing. And tell him, it is the signature of The Unseen.”