“It was a great risk, my daughter,” he said gravely.

I smiled in reply. I would not tell him what I had risked for this; there was no need to burden his conscience. It was enough that he would be restored to us.

He took the bottle and tugged out its stopper. The scent of peaches wafted forth, so lush and indulgent, my senses were drenched in it. Closing his eyes, he lifted the bottle to his lips and tipped it all the way back, his throat convulsing with each swallow. He moved without hesitation, with an eager impatience. After all, he had waited over half his life for this.

Silence fell, punctured only by our breaths. I kept my head down, almost afraid to look up. Light stroked the walls in rich shades of amber. Had the sun risen? My gaze darted to the windows. No, it was still dark, not a glimmer of dawn on the horizon.

As my father’s breathing quickened, I swung toward him. He was stooped over the table, shaking his head as though dazed. “Bitter, when its fragrance was so sweet.” His head darted up to mine, a shiver rippling through his body. “Is it cold?”

Springing to my feet, I searched for a cloak, doubts raging through my mind: Was this some mortal ailment? Could the emperor have planted a decoy in place of the elixir? Yet the fragrance of those peaches was unmistakable.

Tossing open the cupboard doors, I grabbed a heavy cloak from within. I spun to my father—finding a stranger before me. The lines on his face had vanished like sand smoothed by the tide. His eyes were clear, their whites brilliant, the mark in his chin more prominent than before. Yet his jet-black hair was winged with white at his temples, marks of mortality that even the elixir could not erase.

“It worked. My aches, my pains are gone.” He clenched and unclenched his fingers, raising them to his face in wonder. “Daughter, only those who have lived a mortal life till its tail know never to take this for granted.”

Relief flooded me, thawing the stiffness in my limbs. “Father, immortals fear death too. We can be weak, we can die,” I reminded him.

“You are right. Danger lurks in both realms, but time is a faceless and merciless foe. It is no fair battle when the enemy is inexorable, and your defeat inevitable.”

I searched him for any sign of injury. “Did the elixir hurt?”

He crouched down to pick up the empty bottle. “Like a hundred thorns were scraped across my skin. Your mother must have suffered, too, yet she is strong.” His tone softened.