She will if Rosemary has any say!

The fact I still had the resistance up effect on me was good. I grabbed the four potions I would need for Brenda. Along with my weapons. I was ready. I handed the concealment potions to Lillian and Natalia. “I need you nearby but far enough she can’t see you.”

“I see the purple one is for weakening her, what is the red one for?” Natalia asked.

“Strength up potion,” I said.

“Strength up?” Natalia looked at me confused. “Isn’t that dangerous?”

“A bit. But she isn’t likely to just drink what I hand her, she knows I am with Master now. The strength up is enough to help her break her chains. Should earn me some trust. But if I got the level just right, she should still be stuck in her cell,” I said.

“And then she trusts you are helping her cuz she recognizing the strength up and breaks the chains!” Lillian said.

I nodded.

“Why are we here then?” Natalia asked. “Sounds like you got this in the bag?”

“Well, I am wizard, she is a warrior. If she breaks the gate I am fucked. So Natalia to hold her back while I prep spells and Lillian to heal as needed.”

“Should I get a strength up potion too?” Natalia asked.

I shook my head. “The aura boost would counteract the concealment, she’d sense you.”

They both drank the potions and then waited by the door as I entered.

“Brenda! Hey, we gotta be quick,” I said running into the room.

“Huh, wait,” she said looking at me. “Is that really you?”

“Yeah. Sorry, I was building up trust. I couldn’t blow my cover right away. I got some magic supplies and brewed a resistance potion for you and a strength one.”

She looked at me carefully, from head to toe. “Give me the strength one.”

“Here,” I said handing her the red bottle through the bars. She drank it instantly and her aura surged. The chains snapped like nothing a moment later. “This one should keep the charm effect at bay. That is why you lost right? Natalia is strong but not stronger than you, the voice was distracting you. This will block it.”

She held the purple potion. She tucked it in her bra. “No need. We are just escaping.”

“But, what if she blocks us!” I said.

“I see your belt, we can handle it. Come on, let’s go.”

“But the bars!” I shouted. “I’d rather not waste magic to-”

The metal door snapped in an instant. Clinking against the stone floor. “It’s okay, let’s go.”

“Okay, let’s do it,” I said as I let her take the lead.

She paused though and looked at me. “Why so far behind?”

“What are you talking about. I am a wizard, I am a backliner!” I said.

She ran towards me. Shit!

“Natalia!”

The door swung open and Natalia reached her backside after I already took a punch to the face. My whole world was spinning. Ouch.

Natalia was being hit pretty hard too. I saw Lillian praying while looking at me.

“No! Natalia,” I said as I stood. I was fine. A bit dizzy but fine.

Brenda noticed Lillian and ran towards her.

“Fire lance!” I shouted as a bolt of fire raced between her and our healer.

“Wanna know how I knew?” Brenda asked, her feet creeping towards the door.

She didn’t know I had vanes though. This was something I could use against her. “How?”

She pointed at my leg. “Your belt is brown. If you stole your stuff back, it would have been brown. But it’s blue. So the dick of the house signed off on you getting that didn’t he? He isn’t very subtle you know.”

“How dare you call him anything but Master!” Natalia raged.

Brenda dodged her and kneed her in the back.

My wand was sparking. That was enough. “Stun flash!” I said as the wand opened and a huge light emerged. I closed my eyes moments before. This was a paralytic spell that worked by sight. A warrior like Brenda wouldn’t be aware I had the materials for it. Plus she was worrisome of me. She wouldn’t take her eyes off me.

“What…” Brenda said as she staggered.

Natalia stood up but we both noticed Lillian squeak.

“I can’t move,” she said.

Oppsie, looks like some friendly fire. “Sorry Lillian, it will wear off in a couple minutes.”

I reached into Brenda’s bra and dug out the potion. Really glad she didn’t smash it. Like, this potion was pretty gel like. I could have scrapped it off the floor, but that would be gross.

“Rosemary! Please! Don’t do this! Fight it! We can save them all!”

“Natalia, do you wanna be saved?” I asked.

“Saved from what? Being in heaven with my love, my one Master? No,” she said.

“Seems conclusive,” I said.

Her face tensed as she was clearly struggling to move. Laughable, even with her resistances a vane enhanced stun spell would not be so easily broken. I grabbed Brenda’s mouth and opened it.

“Ait, on’t o dis,” she said as her tongue moved ever so slightly.

I placed the bottle in her mouth without the cap and tipped it upside down as I leaned her head back. I began rubbing her neck and helping it slide down.

“How are you doing Natalia?” I asked. “If you can walk, fetching the Master would be great. This part will be a lot easier with him.”

“I can manage that,” she said walking away.

Once she finished swallowing, I pulled the potion bottle out of her mouth. “Feeling better yet?”

“Rosemary! Please! Help me! What about my grandmother, you loved her right?” she asked. “Don’t do this to her legacy! I don’t wanna be a ****! Just kill me!”

I held her head close to me. “You misunderstand. It is because you are so special that I worked so hard to get this ready today. I want you to feel the joy I feel. I want you to be happy. Plus, Master ordered me. I can’t defy him.”

“Oh my god. You really are gone aren’t you? A puppet. What happened to the Rosemary that refused the king, Matthias? But you knee to some random man! What even is his name! His legal name!”

Hmm. Actually no one had said it. “Master is the only name he needs. I am happy! Can’t you be happy for me?”

She clenched her eyes shut. It was beginning. The voice of the charm was likely getting stronger. I saw her finger twitch. It may be a close one actually.