Clarity: A Young Adult Paranormal Vampire Romance (Blood Haze Book 4) by Tara Shuler Page A

the Wolf’s Bane potion, which can be created by only the most gifted potion makers. When shot with a dart or arrow laced with this potion, werewolves will immediately begin to exhibit the symptoms of a typical allergic reaction, including swelling of the face and extremities, difficulty breathing and sometimes even death. When not deadly, the potion drastically weakens the wolf, making him more susceptible to other types of attack.
    “This is it!” I gasped. “Listen!”
    I read the passage aloud to the others, but their faces were mostly stoic. Alexi glanced at Liam, who only shook his head sadly in response.
    “Guys, this could give us a huge advantage!” I nearly shouted, waving my hands dramatically.
    “Darling, I do not mean to disappoint you, but we do not have a potion maker at our disposal,” Alexi said gently.
    “Sure we do,” I said. “Jamie.”
    “Jamie has not yet made her first potion,” Alexi argued. “It will take her years to attain the level of skill required to make Wolf’s Bane, if not decades. Most never reach such a level.”
    “Jamie can do it,” I said confidently. “She can do anything.”
    “If she even attempts this potion, it could kill her,” Alexi warned me. “The fumes alone could kill her if she fails to get the exact proportions.”
    “Then she will wear a gas mask,” I said.
    “A gas ma…” Alexi stopped his words, clearly growing frustrated. He sighed and then continued, “Darling, wearing such a device would severely impede her ability to smell the potion to sample for its viability or to see the ingredients carefully enough to measure them accurately. She could not make potions wearing it.”
    “Damn!” I cursed, slamming the book shut and sending a cloud of dust rising in a poof. “We can’t endanger her life. Maybe we can find someone who can make it.”
    “I will try,” Alexi promised. “But potion makers are rare these days, and most never reach such a pinnacle. It is unlikely we could find someone, especially on such short notice.”
    “We are the Council. We must know someone,” I said.
    “We know many people,” Alexi said. “But what you are asking is nothing short of a miracle.”
    “Well, we need a miracle,” I said. “Start looking.”
    “I will make some calls,” Alexi said. “Liam?”
    “I’ll stay with her,” Liam said.
    “Thank you, brother,” Alexi said.
    He bent to kiss me comfortingly on the head as he was so apt to do, and he breezed from the room to make his phone calls. I plopped my head onto the closed book in frustration.
    “Don’t worry, we’ll find something,” Liam said, and I felt his hand squeezing the back of my neck briefly.
    “I know,” I muttered, my voice muted by the book. But I was just saying what I thought he wanted to hear. I was truly worried.
    “Dmitri’s a bigger threat than these wolves, Alice,” Kai interjected.
    “Oh, god,” I groaned.
    “You idiot,” Liam growled at Kai.
    “Sorry, I just meant…” Kai started to say.
    “Just shush!” Liam snapped.
    “We’re all gonna die,” I moaned.
    “Oh, good grief, Alice,” Liam said. “We’re not going to die. We’ll be fine. Stop catastrophizing.”
    “I’m not!” I said, jerking my h ead up to glare at him. “I’m being realistic. I can’t use my abilities, our numbers are limited at the moment… I’m just trying to be real.”
    “Snap out of this!” Liam said, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me until my teeth rattled. “You have got to get you r emotions in check. We need you to be strong!”
    My stomach was knotted and I felt like I might hurl, but he was right. I had to gain control of my emotions, and fast. I was Chancellor of the Council. There were lives at stake, including those of my friends and family.
    “Ugh, get a grip, Alice,” I told myself, smacking the heel of my hand against my forehead.
    Liam still had a grip on my shoulders, and he squeezed them firmly until I looked into his eyes. He caught my gaze