Her friend scoffed at her. "Whatever." She stood up from her seat and walked back to her room, leaving Valerian in silence.

Once her tea was finished, she set a place for it to cool while she waited.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Valerian wandered back outside to harvest the mushrooms. When she came back in, she sat at the table and consumed the warm liquid.

As disgusting as it tasted, she had to drink it. I'd rather it was the tincture I gave Max, she thought.

As she drained the last bit of her drink, she stayed in her chair.