The Potion Diaries by Amy Alward Read Free Book Online

interruption. Three mixes, ruined. I’ll have to start all over. And I bet they won’t reimburse us for that time either.’
    ‘Grandad, this is the
Princess.
Of course they think she’s more important than our mixes. Is it because of Emilia that you don’t want us to compete?’
    ‘I’m not scared of some Royal pretender.’
    ‘Then what is it?’
    He harrumphs and buries his nose in an old newspaper he finds on the seat. I give up until we reach the Kemi Street stop.
    Our home is at the back of the store, so we walk past the front door and down a narrow alley, dodging the overflowing rubbish bins that are ready for pick-up. We enter straight into the kitchen, where Mum is dishing up a plate of fried rice and belly pork for Molly. Dad stands by the sink, his arms crossed in front him, eyes fixed on the back door.
    ‘You’re back!’ shouts Molly. She jumps up from her seat and wraps her arms around my waist.
    Grandad steps past me and continues in his slow, unhurried way, as if he hasn’t just been called to participate in a Wilde Hunt. He ignores the rest of the family’s curious faces and heads straight into his lab, shutting the door behind him. My parents don’t look too concerned – they’re used to his surly moods, and they know they’ll get more information out of me anyway.
    ‘Sarah’s mum sent me straight home as soon as we found out the concert was cancelled,’ Molly says. ‘I don’t understand – why would the Princess not want to have her party?’
    I stroke her hair. ‘I’m sorry, Mols, I know you’ve been looking forward to the concert for ages. But I do know why the Princess cancelled her party. It’s why Grandad and I were Summoned to the Palace.’
    Now I have their full attention. I sit down on the chair next to Molly and relay the entire story to her and my parents. At some point, Mum puts food in front of me, and the next time I look down, I’ve demolished it.
    When I finish, they’re speechless. Molly is the first to break the silence. ‘But is Princess Evelyn okay?’
    ‘Of course she is – we just have to do our best to save her.’ I smile at her, but I know my eyes tell a different story.
    Mum interprets my look. ‘Molly, it’s been a long night. Maybe you should get ready for bed?’
    ‘But I want to hear what Sam has to do to save Princess Evelyn!’
    ‘She’ll tell you all about it in the morning.’
    Molly huffs and shuffles up the stairs to her room.
    ‘So how is the Princess
really
?’ asks Mum.
    I shrug. ‘Strangely, she looked fine. But imagine: she’s in love with herself . . . things could go from fine to terrible very quickly, and the Royals are worried. But that’s not all. We were also joined by Emilia Thoth.’
    My dad turns to me sharply. ‘The King’s exiled sister? How in dragon’s name did she get through the Palace security?’
    I shrug. ‘Auden’s Horn calls all eligible Novaen alchemists, even the ones the Royal family has banished. I guess it didn’t get the memo about her exile. The King didn’t seem to have much choice in the matter.’ I shiver. ‘She looked . . . unnatural. What kind of person would do that to themselves?’ Only the darkest experimental potions would have the ability to change a person to look like Emilia.
    ‘Someone with a big grudge to bear,’ says my dad, his voice grave.
    ‘How did Grandad respond?’ Mum asks.
    I almost don’t want to tell them. But my face goes all red and blotchy when I try to lie, and I can already feel heat pricking the bottom of my neck as I think about it.
    ‘Sam . . .’ My mum puts her hand on mine.
    I sigh. ‘He doesn’t want to do it. He doesn’t want anything to do with the Wilde Hunt and won’t be joining.’
    She takes her hand away, and shares a look with my dad. They might have a secret old married people language all their own, but I know enough about those looks to interpret their meaning. ‘But why? I don’t understand. Why is Grandad so against the Hunt when