Midnight, beneath the great oak.
Mia retrieved a heavy, oilcloth-wrapped bundle from the cold hollow of the tree.
Inside the bundle were two items.
One was a coarse earthenware bottle, its mouth sealed tight with a cork and beeswax. When she shook it gently, she could hear the soft rustle of fine powder shifting within.
The other was a small crystal vial that shimmered with a brilliant luster.
It was half-full of a golden liquid that refracted the moonlight with a dreamlike glow.
This was the power her master had bestowed upon her, and it was the final trump card for her high-stakes gamble.
Mia uncorked the crystal vial. An intense aroma of nectar and strong spirits instantly assailed her nostrils, making every cell in her body sing with delight.
She had no intention of drinking it now.
She simply took a deep breath of the intoxicating scent, a glint of cunning flashing in her violet eyes.
'The effect only lasts for an hour.'
