“I’m starving,” the jinni grumbled as we arrived at the steps leading up to the entrance of the castle.

We weren’t about to go hunting for human bones, so unless she magicked some for herself she was going to have to suck it up.

Arron arrived at the wide doorstep and banged three times against the heavy oak door. We were kept waiting about two minutes before the handle clicked and the door creaked open to reveal a short, petite woman with bright red ringlets and a round, plump face. She wore a white smock with green trimming. Her light blue eyes traveled over each of us, widening as she took in Aisha.

“Do you have an appointment?” she asked.

I looked toward Arron. He shook his head. “We need to make one.”

The witch opened the door wider, allowing us to step inside. We emerged in a spacious, high-ceilinged entrance room I soon realized was a waiting room. It was bare except for a wide desk at the opposite end of the room, and rows of chairs lining the walls—five of which were already occupied by what appeared to be a group of warlocks.

The witch led us over to the desk. She walked around it and sat down, pulling out a dark red ledger.

“So who is here to see my sister exactly?” she asked, donning a pair of wide-rimmed spectacles.

“Me,” I replied.

“A vampire,” she muttered, picking up a quill and jotting down a note on the parchment. “What is your name?”

I hesitated, wondering whether or not I ought to give my real name.

“Benjamin Novak,” Arron replied for me. I threw him a sharp look, which he ignored.

“And what is your ailment?” the witch continued.

Where do I start?

“He requires a change of heart,” Arron replied for me again.

The witch’s eyebrows shot up to her frizzy hair. “Why on earth do you need that?”

Evidently, this was not a common request.

I looked around the room, not comfortable discussing these details with other strangers in the room. Before Arron could respond for me again, I replied, “I would like to speak privately with your sister about my condition.”

“That’s all right.” She consulted her ledger again. “Well, the soonest she could see you would be the day after tomorrow.”

My heart dropped. The day after tomorrow. With my predicament, that was an age away.

“I don’t have that sort of time,” I said, clenching my jaw. “I need to see her sooner.”

“I’m afraid she won’t be available,” the witch replied stiffly. “The day after tomorrow, in the evening, is the soonest appointment available. You could arrive late afternoon just in case she finishes with another patient earlier… Do you want it or not?” There was a tone of impatience in her voice.

I let out a sigh. “I want it.”

“Very well. I have scheduled your appointment. Now, we need to talk payment.”

She reached into one of the drawers beneath her desk and pulled out a single piece of parchment. She drew three circles on it and planted it down on the counter before us. I didn’t know what exactly I was expecting it to be—some kind of bill, perhaps specifying the required number of gold coins? I wasn’t expecting to be staring down at some kind of bizarre ingredients list.

Most of the items scrawled on the list were completely foreign to me. I didn’t have the first clue what they were. I focused on the three items that the witch had circled…

Tooth of werewolf. One strand of merflor. Scale of dragon.

What the…

Arron addressed me. “Uma asks for a rather unique way of payment. She keeps an updated list of ingredients that she requires. In return for treatment, three items from the list must be provided by each patient.”

I looked down at the list again, feeling intimidated. The first was bad enough… but the scale of a dragon? And what was merflor?

“Merflor is a type of rare plant that grows in The Cove,” Arron said, as though he’d read my thoughts.

“And scale of a dragon,” Julie murmured.

We had dragons back in The Shade who might be willing to shed a scale for me, but going back there wasn’t an option. Even if I sent Aisha, or perhaps even Julie on my behalf, it would mean explaining what was happening to me—and I just wasn’t willing for my family to know how bad things had become since I’d last seen them. They would be worried enough as it was.

I continued to stare at the list disbelievingly. Those who sought out Uma were supposed to be ill. I couldn’t help but wonder how she expected them to procure such fantastical items. I could only suppose that this was simply the price of her treatment. Apparently if one couldn’t provide it, then it was just tough luck.

“Make sure you have them for your appointment,” the witch said pointedly. “I’m afraid if you don’t we will have to turn you away.”

Aisha looked at the witch with deep disdain.

I had no choice but to thank the redhead and turn away.

“I’ll be with you in a moment, Benjamin,” Arron said.

I looked back at him. “What?”

“I need to pick up a personal health item while I’m here.” He turned his focus to the witch. “Uma owes me a small favor, I’m sure you recall?”

The witch nodded. “Come with me to the apothecary,” she said. Standing up, she led him through a door behind her desk. I remained in my spot, straining to hear their conversation as they walked away, but I picked up on nothing.