Isabelle

Potions

Jia suggested that the Gargoyles be trained to not look in the windows of the mansion’s occupants but to focus solely on protecting the mansion. Which is the mansion’s surroundings and Isabelle couldn’t be anymore happier, she could go to bed without been bothered that a pair of eyes were watching her every move.
But that didn’t stop a pair of eyes from watching her tonight. She could feel the eyes bore into her skin as her eyes were closed. Peering through her eyelids, she saw no gargoyles in the window but a figure in the sitting area of her room. She froze for a few seconds.
‘Who could that be?’ She asked herself scared to move. ‘Oh goodness! What should I do?’ She ran out of ideas on what could be done at this very moment. Her eyes slowly roamed her room to see if there were more figures in with her but it was only one, she almost heaved a sigh of relief but then she realized that the figure was still there, she was on alert once more. Her eyes fell on a glass cup beside her bed, Irene always made sure the cup was filled with water for the night. Tonight, it seems as though Irene had forgotten to fill the cup and Isabelle was glad. The maid slipped up on her job and luckily for her, it was to her advantage.
As swift as she can be, she grabbed the empty cup and her dart lessons paid off because her aim was perfect.
“You have a great aim”. He grunts while complimenting her.
“Jia!” She gasped out of shock. Scrambling out of bed, she tried to find a source of light. She lit a candle and she found her way to Jia.
“Oh my goodness!” Isabelle half screamed and Jia quickly covered her mouth, glaring at her face.
“Do you want to alert everyone?”
“No”. Isabelle muffled answer fell in the silence while she shook her head. He let go of her mouth.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know it was you..i.i’m sorry”
“It’s okay, it didn’t go in deep”. Jia placed his hand on the sharp edge of the glass that was sticking out his skin and pulled it out. Isabelle flinched just watching Jia do this, it was painful to watch.
‘He said it wasn’t deep…he said it wasn’t deep… he said it wasn’t deep!!!’ Isabelle repeated in her head.
“I’ll get a cloth to clean the blood, sit down.” She opened her wardrobe and grabbed a thin layered top, squeezed it in her hands and closed the wardrobe.
While cleaning his bloody face, she noticed how he didn’t flinch or show slight discomfort.
‘He’s supposed to be in pain’. The glass went in deep, so it is absolutely normal to feel pain and then she remembered when Kia was injured, he showed agony.
“I don’t see any cut on your face”. Isabelle stated.
“That’s because it has healed.” Jia replied catching Isabelle off guard with his response.
“But how? It took days before Kia’s injuries could heal.” She noted.
“Do Kia and I look like the same person?” Jia turned to look at her.
“No!”
“That answers your question.”
‘It doesn’t answer the question though.’ Isabelle wanted to say it out but she doubt he would answer her question.
“All done.” Isabelle looked down at the bloody cloth in her hand. Jia collected it and squeezed it in his pocket.
“I doubt you know how to take care of a bloody cloth.” Jia commented.
Isabelle had to address the obvious elephant in the room. “Why are you here?”
“Your dreams have been putting you on the edge lately, so I wanted to see if you were okay.” Jia stood by the window lightly pushing the curtains.
“And you ended up not being okay.”
“I’m fine, the question is….. are you?” He maintained eye contact.
“I’m fine now.” She responded breaking eye contact. “About the dreams, is there a way to I don’t know stop it?”
“I’ve been waiting for you to ask. I carried out some research and was able to find some potions made with are herbs, it’ll block every negative or evil disturbance you receive while sleeping. But it does wear off after a while. “
“So it’s a temporary solution then.” Isabelle said almost disappointed, she wanted to get rid of the disturbance permanently. Temporarily meant the disturbance could come back anytime soon and she didn’t want that.  She looked down at the small bottle Jia had pulled out of his pocket.
“Until we can find the cause of the dreams you have, then and only then will we be able to permanently stop it. But for now, take this.” He offered her the bottle.
Collecting it she ask “So the main reason you showed up in my room in the middle of the night is to give me a potion that you can give me in the morning?”
Realizing she was onto something, he commented without giving her a thinking space.
“You have these dreams constantly and I saw a potion that could help so you can have a peaceful night. I don’t recall you having bad dreams in the afternoon.”
“I don’t, only at night.”
“Or would you rather I collect the potion and give you in the afternoon so you have a horrible night sleep?” Jia looked slightly irritated.
She shook her head in disapproval.
“I thought so.” He responded.
“And how’d you come in without me noticing?” Isabelle pointed at the door asking, knew she wasn’t a deep sleeper, even fondling with the door knob could make her stir on the bed.
“Who said I used the door?”
“You climbed in through my window?” Isabelle raised her voice in shock, it didn’t sound like something Jia would do but still, he came in her room somehow.
“You don’t know how to speak quietly. Two drops of that in whatever you consumed but most preferably tea and at noon time.”
He just gave her instructions on how to use the potion.