SWNOVELS Chapter CHAPTER TEN
SUSPICIONS AND HALF TRUTHS
Fina and Zo got up and made their way to the door but they had one problem.
They had to pass by Tyrell and his mates to get to the door.
As they got closer to them, Tyrell grabbed her hand.
“Is Talon okay? He looked sick” Tyrell asked in concern.
“He’ll be fine” Fina said as she slowly removed her hands only to look up to see Camilla staring.
They all converse together and she wondered if they work on cases too. She wouldn’t be surprised.
“Fina Clark, right?” Camilla asked
Jessica’s mouth was pinched in a straight line.
Bridget didn’t even acknowledge them. Kit was reading with Bryce while Ozias played with his scarf. Only Kathleen was missing.
They all looked weird together.
Coco waved at her.
“Yes. I am”
“Camilla Rose. I’ve heard so much about you” Camilla said “And her”
Camilla said, pointing to Zo.
“Great” Fina said with fake enthusiasm.
She gets all defensive on Zo even she doesn’t know why. “Bye”
“Wait” Camilla Rose said.
“I’m really sorry but we need to be somewhere else right now” Fina said
“Where? I found you ninety percent afraid of us” Kit said, looking up.
Bridget smiled.
“Shouldn’t they be? We are quite a group” She said
Zo cleared her throat and wrapped her right hand around her left wrist.
“Other than being afraid of getting sick, I’m not a fan of fear. I just find it strange to be around you. You are right. You are quite a group” Fina threw her words back at her.
Bridget smile vanished and Fina used the opportunity to look at their wrists.
Jessica.
Jessica was wearing the same bracelet as Serene.
“Now, we really have to go” She said
Fina dragged Zo away.
She turned swiftly to Zo when they were out of hearshot.
“Jessica.” She said
“It’s the same bracelet, isn’t it? I thought it looked odd” Zo said
The bracelet had a centipede symbol on it which made it look magnificent and extremely attractive.
“Maybe they were friends” Fina said “But Serene told me to be careful. Is she one of the enemies? What’s going on here?”
Zo shrugged, frustrated and confused.
“Talon. Let’s go check on him” Zo said
******
Talon was lying half dead on the bed. His lips completely whitened and his body was all red.
He looked as if he had just made a visit to hell back and forth.
“Will he be okay?” Fina asked Anne.
Anne nodded, her face looking old suddenly.
“Yes. I’ve given him the cure. The ivy plant was banned in Amenix a long time ago so I’m confused to what I’m seeing” She said
Shelly moved away from the window to stand in front of them.
“Why was it banned?” She asked
Anne shrugged, looking young again.
“No idea. But I guess it was because of its toxicity” Anne said “I’ll keep an eye on him for you so no one tries to poison him”
“Wait. Maybe I can give him this” Fina said
She brought out the blue vial from her bag.
Anne shook her head.
“No. Keep it. He’ll recover” She said
They thanked Anne and walked out of the room.
“We have a problem, Shel” Fina said “But I’ll explain on the way”
“Where are we going?” Shelly asked excitedly.
“Aries” Fina said
“Telepathy” Zo said excitedly.
“I’m afraid telepathy doesn’t work in Aries. It’s strongly protected now. I don’t know why though. And there are strange creatures bothering students now. Didn’t you hear about the purple labour fairies destroying the Virgo clothes?” Shelly asked
“So, how do we get in?” Zo asked, her excitement deflating.
“Exo Durus(Invisibility spell)” Fina said
They all brought out their wooden wands and said the spell.
They tried this thrice before they became invisible.
“Jessica have Serene’s bracelet” Fina said as they made their way to the elevator.
“What?! Then, she…”
“We don’t know yet. I’m still having the feeling this is a trap. If she’s the one, she can’t put it out so obviously. We are dealing with someone who clean up very well. Someone who doesn’t make mistakes” Fina said
“You are right” Shelly said “Or maybe it’s a dare”
They entered the lift with three students.
They were suddenly at their destination.
The students departed and they did too.
Aries looked like an extremely big house in itself. As if they had just stepped into another world entirely.
“Where could his room be?” Fina asked
“I have no idea” Shelly replied.
They hid when they saw three bogle and four leprechaun coming towards them.
“Are they gone?” Zo whispered.
They stood still with bated breath as the animals passed the hall.
They searched through doors by doors to no avail.
“Hide” Fina whispered
They all hid in a corner when they saw Tyrell opening a door and entered.
It took a full twenty minutes before he came out of the room and another five minutes to get out of Aries territory.
Fina signaled for them to move.
They stopped when they got to the door and knocked.
After five minutes of knocking, Xavier opened the door.
Fina rushed into the room with Zo and Shelly.
Xavier looked completely confused, sighed and shake his head. He shut the door and turned.
“Oh my God!” He said in shock.
“Surprise?” Shelly asked “Nice room”
Not nice. The room looked grim and dark. Like a haunted place.
“We wanted to check up on you.” Fina said
“No. Wrong use of word, Fina. We wanted to know if you aren’t dead. Yet” Shelly said
Zo glared at Shelly who was sitting on the bed now.
“Why do you have a bed in your living room?” Shelly asked, crossing her legs.
Xavier turned to Fina.
“Talk to me” He said in a hoarse voice.
“We were worried. There’s been some killings in Elfina but I can’t tell you all the details yet but someone wants you dead”
“I know”
“The same - what?” Fina asked in shock
Shelly stood up.
“I know. Someone wants me dead.” Xavier said
“Do you know who it is?” Fina asked slowly.
Xavier held her gaze with tired eyes. It took Fina a while to realize he was in his pajamas.
“I… have suspicions” Xavier said
“You…” Fina said and drifted off. Everything clicking back in place. “No. It can’t be. It’s not him. Right?”
“I know. I don’t want you near him all the time, Clark. Tyrell… he’s not what you think he is. He’s caring and I’ve known him for a long time. We’ve known him for a long time. He stays with me when we have breaks”
Xavier moved to the bed and sat down.
“He just changed. No one knows. Not even Bryce. I’ve had suspicions but it’s not something I can’t voice out to others. It’s just suspicions. It might not be him”
“What do you mean he changed?” Fina asked
Xavier looked down.
“He’s not himself most of the time. He seems off” Xavier said “And he talks about the three of you. Especially you, Clark. He’s obsessed with you. Don’t let him in”
“You know you can tell me anything, right? You can tell me what’s bothering you. I care about you, Fin. You just have to let me in. Please. Let me in.” Tyrell had said with pleading eyes.
If Tyrell was… No.. If their assumptions was right, She was in more trouble than she had bargained for. Because she didn’t just let him in. She led him in.
Fina shivered.
“What does he talks about?” Fina asked
“About how perfect you are.” Xavier said “I think most of the seniors knows how taken he is with you”
Fina looked up at Shelly.
For once, Shelly doesn’t look playful with such things. She looked almost constipated. As if disgusted with everything.
Fina looked at Xavier who was rubbing his forehead.
“Just stay away from him.”
“Xavier?” Fina asked
Xavier looked up.
“Who’s Xiana Kang?” Fina asked
The door wrote Tyrell’s name on it and disappeared.
“Hide. He’s back” Xavier said shakily.
They did their invisibility spell at once.
The door opened to reveal Tyrell.
He walked in and stopped, as if sensing their presence.
If he knew, he didn’t show it.
“You okay, now?” He asked Xavier.
“Yeah. Much better than before”
“Maybe I should stay with you or someone’s coming for you?”
Xavier shrugged and lay on the bed.
“I feel sick” He said
“You are sick.” Tyrell said as he looked down at him.
“It’s worse this time” Xavier said
“How worse?” Tyrell asked
“I’ve been having this illness for years. It comes and goes but this one’s different. I feel different. I feel dead and alive together”
Tyrell sighed heavily.
“Xavier. It’s the illness messing with your mind. You’ll get better. You are strong. I’ve got your medicine from Anne”
“Thanks. Can you put it down for a while? I have to close my eyes for a while”
“No. Take the medicine first. You’ll feel better when you wake up” Tyrell said
Xavier stretched his hand, Palm up and Tyrell put the pills on it.
Looking at them together, Fina’s mind was battling in confusion now.
“Can you tell Kit to see me? I need to talk to him”
“Sure.” Tyrell said and turned.
Fina could swore his eyes flickered to them.
“Don’t play any funny games. I’m watching you.” He said
“What?” Xavier asked
He turned to Xavier.
“I’m warning you. You and Kit. I don’t want to have the room in a mess”
Xavier tossed the pillow at him and he laughed heartily.
“Lazy rat” Tyrell said and walked out of the room.
Fina’s heart was having trouble calming itself.
He had said that looking straight at her.
But he had laughed.
Was he talking to them or Xavier?
Xavier inspected the pills.
“Let me see that” Zo said
She took the pills from Xavier.
“I’ll have this checked.” Zo said
“This isn’t your first?” Fina asked
Xavier tilted his head to look at her.
“No. It’s been a while. But this one’s worse” Xavier said
“How worse?” Fina asked
“Death worse” Xavier replied
Zo almost dropped the pills.
“Bryce, Ozias and Kit knows. But- I don’t like to bother them. Tyrell have seen me at my worst. This is just the beginning but I don’t understand why when I’m supposed to feel like this in the last stage, I’m feeling like this now”
Because it’s time for you to die. They don’t want you alive anymore.
Slow death. Just like Talon was supposed to be too.
Fina pushed the thought back.
“Let me give you this” Fina said
“No. Fina. Anne said not” Shelly said “Even she exempted Talon who was unconscious.”
“Little” Fina said
“No” Shelly said
“What?” Xavier asked
“Nothing” Zo said quickly.
“Can you do me a favor?” Xavier asked
The girls looked at him.
“Can you tell Mr Walker I’m sick? I would like to stay with him till I’m okay. No. Can you take me to him? I know it’ll be hard. Help me. In secret. I don’t want anyone knowing my whereabouts.”
Fina and Shelly nodded.
“Xavier. Who was Tyrell’s ex?” Fina asked
Xavier shook his head.
“I can’t re- wait. I think I do. In fact I can see her face”
“He’s dying” Zo said in horror.
They can see no ghosts and they do see ghosts.
“She was really pretty. Smart. Talented.”
Zo wanted to shake Xavier but Fina and Shelly stopped her.
“Who was she?” Fina asked slowly.
Xavier smiled with eyes closed. A tear falling from his eyes.
When he opened them, it was filled with sadness.
“Xiana Kang” He said
Fina almost fell on her knees.
“Oh my God” Shelly said
Zo just looked on. Blank face.
“He did dated Xiana but that wasn’t his only ex”
Fina brows furrowed together.
“Then..?” Shelly asked
“Mélanie Crest was also his ex”
“Wow” Shelly said shakily.
Xavier voice was far away.
He was remembering not because he could but because he was not really with them anymore and could see things.
This was selfish of them but it was also important.
“And his last ex was…. Promise me you’ll take me to Walker?” He asked, looking directly at Fina.
Fina nodded.
“His last ex was… Jessica Young” Xavier said and passed out.
The girls stood frozen in complete silence.