Pernicious Family

Chapter 8

Lex POV

When Lex woke up she found a plate of eggs outside her door.   Lex ate the eggs and put the plate back outside her door.  She then got dressed and washed her other cloths, hanging them to dry in the bathroom. 

*knock knock*

“Open up Lex.  It is Raven I know you are in there.  Xan said you where mute but he did not say you where deaf now open the door.”

Lex opened the door. 

Raven was standing there with two plate containing sandwiches, two mugs on one finger, and a water bladder over her shoulder.  Raven walked in and placed the plates on the table in the corner.  Raven pulled out one of the three chairs and sat on it.  “Are you eating?  I brought my food too so I could get this over with.”

Lex grabbed the notepad from her nightstand, having shoved Xan’s note under her pillow earlier. 

Xan said your name is Raven. How are you supposed to help me?  And what are you trying to get over with?

“You really are mute.  I thought Xan was just saying that so I do not talk your ear off.  Xan has some crazy idea that you might be able to help us with our sick Thornberry bush.”

Lex had started eating the sandwich while Raven read the note.  Upon hearing about the sick bush she dropped her sandwich and started putting things into a box.  The box is the gardening tool box that usually sits just off Golems saddle.  She grabs the note book and tears off a fresh page.

I will need:

 -to know when and what was the last thing fed to the Thornberry

                - 1 dagger

                -probably a live old rabbit

- 1 basket

- 2 cm thick strip of leather

-  To see the plant immediately

 I will add things as necessary.

Raven reads the note.  “The Thornberry was watered this morning like it is every morning.  Why do you need to know that?”

Lex looks at Raven horrified.  She puts up three fingers, then closes her fist, and then she puts up two fingers and does a hopping motion with them. 

Raven looks at Lex blinking. 

Lex puts the note out of Ravens hand and tears it up.  She writes a new note saying:

I will need:

                - 1 dagger

                - Three live rabbits

- 1 basket

- 2 cm thick strip of leather

-  To see the plant immediately

- A large bucket of blood (animal is fine)

 I will add things as necessary

 

Raven takes to note and gives Lex a dirty look.  “Fine! But before we go tell me why Xan lets you close but keeps his family so far away.”

Lex shakes her head and opens the door.  She signals Raven to precede her out. 

Raven ignores the door.  “I still want to know why Xan keeps himself so far from everyone but he puts you right next door to him.  He even took your horse to make sure that you could not leave...”

Lex walks over to her things and pulls off her gloves to change them.

Ravens rant continues as she follows Lex around the room. “...Are you his gay fuck-buddy and he is too embarrassed to tell anyone.  Or are you just a whore?”

Lex back hands Raven across the face with her bare hand. 

Raven’s cheek blisters and scalds in the shape of Lex’s hand.  Raven s screams and runs out the room.  She almost knocks over Thomas as he tries to walk in the door. 

Lex finishes putting on her gloves. 

“I just stopped by to make sure that Raven is doing what she is supposed to and not talking your ear off.  I do not know what happened for her to have a hand print on her cheek but I do have to report it to the head.” Thomas said.

Lex picks up the discarded note and hands it to Thomas. 

“Why do you need live rabbits and blood for a plant?”

Lex glares at Thomas her violet eyes flashing.

“Okay, okay.  I will show you.  I just noticed that your eyes are the exact same colour as the flowers that we remove off the Thornberry as buds.”

Disgusted Lex signals for Thomas to hurry up. 

Thomas head out the door and almost trips over a bundle of cloths.  “Xan told me to give theses to you he said they would be easier to work in.”

Lex heads back into her room. She shakes out the cloths finding pants, a top, and a tension bandage.  When she pulls off her cloak Thomas sees her skirt and beast band.  He quickly closes the door. 

“You are a girl?”

Instead of responding Lex ties the bandage over her breast band puts the cloths on over hers.  They smell like Xan.

“You cannot be a girl.  I saw Xan touch you.  You are immune to the toxin.  I cannot believe Xan made me promise to keep this secret.  No one can find out you are female.”

Having enough Lex grabs the collar of Thomas’ cloths.  She then shakes him and growls while glaring at him.

“Okay Xan I will get right on it.”  Thomas stops and blinks.  “Sorry Lex I will show you to the Thornberry’s promptly.”

Instead of heading back the way that Lex came in last night they headed the other way towards the end of the hall that had three doors. 

They went through the undecorated door that was in the middle.  It opened into a greenhouse.  It looked shotty at best.  There was garbage everywhere, and the plants looked dead.  Most of the glass was covered with something, and in the very centre of the room there was a sick looking Thornberry.

The next page has a page looks stitched to it.  It is a hand written page.  The author is not stated but by the context Thomas is the best guess.

I have to wonder why Xan asked his sister to care for Lex.   I hope it is not because he is planning on setting them up together.  I have had a crush on Raven since we were little.  I know Xan calls us cousins but our common ancestor is over 300 years ago even though we are both named after him.    Xan woke me up before he left to give an outfit to Lex.  He said it would be easier for Lex to work in.  It looks like Xan’s pajamas, what is under Lex’s cloak if Xan pajamas are easier to work in.  All I saw before I left was Lex’s severely scaled arm.  Has the ice prince’s heart finally melted?  No it could not have, he was his normal precise punctual self this morning. My father’s horse Shadow was extra ornery this morning after Xan left with Golem, so I brushed her.  Raven has to help my father neaten Bella Boo’s hoofs this afternoon. It is lunch time I must eat then get the cloths to Lex.

 

Okay so Lex is a girl.  I must keep this quiet.  After I am done writing this in my journal I will be ripping out the page and putting it in a book on the heads desk.