Scintilla~Chain of Gold; The Last Hours | on hold

19

It had been almost half an hour, since Christopher had left the devil tavern to retrieve the others from the institute. In his absence, Seren had taken to studying various texts on demonology and poisons, in hopes of coming to some conclusion about Gast's involvement in the attacks. She had devised several theories about what the shards were from, having out James's earlier suspicions that they belonged to some sort of weapon, she decided that the most probable answer was that they were fragmented pieces of a Pyxis.

The theory could not only account for the acid markings Christopher discovered, during his inspection of the wood, but also the rune like symbols. In the case that it was a Pyxis, markings were most likely alchemical symbols. The only flaw in her near perfect hypothesis, was that all the pyxis had been destroyed after the clockwork war, or so they had thought. There had to be some other explanation something more solid, she let out a sigh and Took another load of books from the shelf and letting them fall on the table in a thud.

She wouldn't put all her time into the theory unless she was completely certain or at least had the support of the others that she hadn't lost the plot. It would be terrific to run idea that the shards belonged to a Pyxis only to get Thomas's hopes up, only to be proven wrong. The possibility of being the ones to save the sick was the only thing giving Thomas strength.

With a another thud she halved the pile of books.

Thomas feigned a cough.

"Yes ?" Seren replied, innocently brushing the dust from the spin the books. The boys let the place become an awful tip while she was away. She wondered if she could coax any of the irregulars into cleaning the place up for an extra tip.

"Do you mind ?" Thomas pulled his eyes from his book, it was a copy of classic Persian poetry, something that'd surely impress the Carstairs.

"Oh, sorry. Did I disturb you ?"

"No, I quite like the sound of thudding books, while I read. It creates a certain ambience. Please continue, as you were. "

Seren laughed, glad to see Thomas's sarcasm as still intact despite all he'd been through. "Fine, I'll try to be quieter. "

"There's no point now." He said setting his book down on the arm of the horse hair couch and looking to Seren with a glint of mist if in his hazel eyes. "Since you've already disturbed my reading you can tell me how exactly you and Matthew came to put the past behind you both. You were awfully brief about it earlier."

Seren gave a half hearted shrug, "It just happened. We  shared a carriage back from tower bridge and just got to talking. I suppose we realised the founds of this feud we had going, was more so habit than genuine disdain for one another."

Thomas frowned, "That's all. You just spoke. "

"What else could of happened ?"

Thomas let his head fall into his hand, he looked so much like Anna, dark haired and curious. "I don't know something more interesting."

Seren thought for a moment, "I suppose it would've been a more interesting tale if Matthew teleported himself to the Mediterranean to collect an olive branch, so he could beg for my forgiveness like ancient times. But we're not a living in Genesis times, words are enough."

"Its just I've known you for almost 5 years and in all that time, you've protest your absolute disdain for Matthew and he the same." Thomas breathed out a tiny sigh "It's just a little anticlimactic. "

"I'm sorry that I'm so dull. If Rosamund Townsend ever decides she wants to turn a new leaf, I'll accept no less than an ancient mythical creature as an apology."

Thomas grinned, though there was still a sadness about his eyes that then that had been there since his sisters passing broke, Seren spotted the tinest sparkle of genuine happiness amongst it. That was enough for her. She returned his childlike smirk. "It really will be something to get used too. I know Lucie said you two were once close as children but it does feel so hard to believe. You do know, that now you've made amends you'll have to be nice to one another for longer than a couple of hours."

"Strangely enough it won't be difficult at all. Being kind to him has always felt as natural as breathing. It was always holding onto this grudge all this time that was difficult." She brought her hands to a cheek cooling her growing blush. "This is frightfully embarrassing! And I'm certain you've lost interest."

"It's nice to hear you speak like this." Thomas reassured.

"There have been so many times over the years that I have wanted forgets to be grievances. But I was always too hurt and too proud. Times where I desperately wanted to laugh at his jokes, or calm his anger when he drank too much and tried to start a fight. Times I wanted to fix his hair, when the wind left it tousled or straighten his tie when he'd rushed out the house and left it crooked. Or times where I just ask him about his day. Even the dullest of ones, where he'd woken up late and spent what was left of it curled up in bed with Oscar and a book. He was my best friend once and I missed all this time just because I was too prideful to say what was in my heart."

Thomas blinked at her curiously, she seemed a million miles away. He half wondered if she was even aware, that she was saying all of this out loud.
"And what was in your heart," he asked.

There something shifted in her in her eyes. Then she was grounded, her head having returned from whatever far away land it had previously been. "longing for an old friend. Whatever else?"

The door swung open . Leaving Thomas no chance to reply. If Matthew, hadn't been stood in the door way. Thomas would've told her, that whatever was in her heart sounded like a confession.

Seren and Matthew...
Why had he never thought of it before.

** it's been a while since I last updated. I was caught up with assignments and work and the time I did have to spare writing just felt impossible. I just wanted to say thanks for the new readers that left comments ily 😘 and to the old readers that have stayed around ily x2 🥰