Free Witchy Sour (The Magic & Mixology Mystery Series Book 2) by Gina LaManna

Deep underground.”
    “How long have you worked here?”
    “On and off since I turned eighteen,” Poppy said. “I still split my time working dispatch and the supply store. We have a few other girls on dispatch rotation, so it’s a pretty flexible schedule. Good benefits, and all of those ‘adult’ things, you know.”
    “I’d have never guessed,” I said, my eyes still drawn to the dark, mysterious walls. “Benefits. That’s funny for some reason.”
    Poppy raised an eyebrow. “Vamp Vites aren’t cheap, ya know. How are those coming along, anyway?”
    “I’m missing one ingredient,” I said with a sigh.
    When I first arrived on the island and learned about Poppy’s blood-intolerance issue, she’d explained that our grandfather, who was the Mixologist at the time she was born, had concocted a beverage that provided all the nutrients a normal vampire might need.
    “I can’t figure out where he ordered Dust of the Devil. There are no stores on The Isle that carry it. I’ve checked them all. I even asked Harpin.”
    “How is that possible? Where else could he get it from?” Poppy led the way out of the tunnel, showing us into a hallway that was all reflective gray. Metallic walls below, above, and to our sides. “He was getting it from somewhere.”
    “I know,” I said. “But Gus has no clue, which in itself is quite strange. Normally Gus does all of the ingredient orders. He catalogues them and puts them away, but he told me he’s never been asked to restock Dust of the Devil. Our grandfather and Neil were the only Mixologists to make this potion, right? Did they ever say anything to you—a hint or a clue or something ?”
    Poppy shook her head. “If they did, I wasn’t listening. Mostly, I just wanted the potion to work. It’s not fun if it starts to wear off. The cravings get pretty bad, pretty quick.”
    “It’s not fun for any of us,” Hettie said, waving a hand in front of her face to signal a noxious smell. “We’re forced to feed her raw meats, and that doesn’t sit well with her stomach if you catch my...drift.”
    Zin snorted. “Clever.”
    “Funny! You guys are really funny,” Poppy said sarcastically. “You try to live without half of the nutrients you need and tell me how that sits with your stomach.”
    “It’s more like you ate a vat of broccoli, topped it off with a bit of asparagus, and then devoured a bathtub full of beans,” Hettie said. “I mean really, it’s impressive. That could be your Uniqueness if you wanted to be a Ranger.”
    Poppy’s face reddened, and she opened her mouth to speak, but I interrupted first.
    “I’ll find it, don’t worry,” I told Poppy. “I’ve talked to Gus in depth about it, and we’re on the lookout. He’s asking all of his suppliers for advice.”
    Poppy sighed. “I appreciate it.”
    We reached the end of the hallway made of metal, which was a good thing because I was getting so dizzy I couldn’t tell which way was left or right, up or down, but I could say for a fact that the contents of my stomach were about to come up.
    “This is the lab,” Poppy said, pointing off to one side. “Lily, I thought you’d like this in particular.”
    The metal had melded into a series of hallways made from clear glass. Sort of like a carnival fun house. Without Poppy, I would’ve knocked myself unconscious by waltzing straight into a solid, see-through panel. Thanks to her slow, guiding steps, however, we made it to the lab in one piece.
    A glass wall surrounded the lab, and I stood as close as possible without smudging it. Inside, men dressed in sharp suits covered by white coats moved with purpose from one station to the next.
    Small flames licked the top of one table, while another table held a container the size of a small whale filled with teensy glowing fish. Above the fire sat a series of eight vials, each of them different sizes and shapes. Some were tall, some were short, some were green, and some were gold. All of them