Eighteen

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For the past hour, I have been laying in my bed with my eyes open staring at the roof. Someone put me in my bed after they found me on the floor. I don't dare look at who it is, I just know they haven't left yet.

"Madi?" Winter's quiet voice comes from behind me. "Are you ok?"

"Winter, let's not push her." Aaron's voice says. I don't move anything. My head hurts like crazy and my throat is dry.

"Jayden is waiting in the library for us." She says as a hand touches my shoulder. I flinch and the hand is instantly gone.

"Maybe we should just let her be and we can go to the library together. There was another severe out break of the poison and many have already died." Aaron says to Winter. "We just where going to look it up and see if there are any ways we can tell Queen Bee that might stop it. We just wanted your help because you are the Water in our group." He explains further. When I still don't say anything I hear there footsteps fading to the door.

I bolt strait up and look at them. "Wait! Don't go!" I yell at them which causes my head to hurt and throat. I clutch it hard and fall against my bed. "I'm scared to go to sleep." I mumble.

"What was that?" Winter asks. She comes over and kneels down to my level. Her beautiful white hair is in two french braids and she has on jeans with a white shirt. "Do you want to talk about it?" She asks. I shake my head yes and sit up. Aaron has a serious face on and is standing behind Winter.

"First of." I begin and my voice is horse. "Aaron why did you do that?" I ask.

He shakes is head and answers. "I have no idea. I thought it would be funny because we just had a horrible experience and I just wanted to make you laugh. But I didn't expect you to cry over it." He admits.

"That's actually not the reason I'm crying." I say. I then go on and explain everything that happened last night with my nightmare.

"That's horrible." Winter says. I shake my head in agreement.

"I don't want to die." Aaron says from beside Winter with his hand over his heart.

"I guess I should clean myself up. And let's go meet Jayden in the library. He is probably waiting for us." I say. They nod and leave, leaving me alone in my room. I stay sitting on my bed for a while before quickly throwing away the clothes I was wearing and taking a quick shower; cleaning my cut that hasn't gotten much attention. I put on some black leggings and a wolf sweatshirt that I found in the massive closet, keeping my hair down and letting it dry to it's normal straightness. I was finally done and getting ready to leave when a knock was at the door.

Oh no!!! Please don't let it be anyone dangerous!! I scream in my head. After hesitating for a good minute and standing in the middle of my room having an argument in my head on what to do, I decided to go over to the door and open it. There stood Art and Hazel smiling at me.

"Uh.....hello?" I ask. If I didn't know they where cousins, they would be perfect for each other.

Hazel gives me her fakest, widest smile and speaks. "We heard what happened. Is Jayden ok?" She asks. I stare at her dumbfounded.

Why would you come here to ask me about how Jayden is doing? What? Just go find him!

"Uhm...he's doing okay." I tell her. "He might not be able-"

"Oh, shut up! We just came to see how he is doing. Not the whole story. Anywho, where he is!" She says to me as a memory comes to the front of my head. The memory of having the toxic bag over my head and me screaming for help causes a splitting headache and I take a few steps back. I stumble a bit and I don't feel stable on my feet.

"Uhm.....can you guys....go please?" I ask closing my eyes and taking deep breaths. I don't hear anything and still feel two presences. "I'm sorry, but I would like you to go." I tell them. I open my eyes and they are still there, staring at me with smug expressions.

"Of course." Art says with a evil smirk plastered on his face. It takes every ounce in my body to not go and smack it off. They turn and walk down the hallway hand in hand. I shake my head as I close my door and walk down the hallway, the same way that Hazel and Art went. They start to go up and I make the move to go down. Away from them.

I was reaching the fifth landing on the giant stairs when I realize, I have no idea where the library is. I stand like an idiot, looking around to see anyone with books in there hands.

"Do you need help getting somewhere?" A voice asks beside me. A boy with dark blue hair with a little bit of white at the top of his curls and flaming red eyes asks me. Against his olive skin, he is wearing dark blue jeans and black hoodie.

He could either be a Fire or a Water. I think to myself.

I nod at him. "Yes. I would like to go to the library." I say. He smiles a toothy smile.

"Follow me." He says and continues up the stairs. We go by my hallway and stop just before the Royal Hallway. "This is the Library." He explains as we continue down a short hallway to a double dark oak door. He pushes the door open and I let out a gasp.

"Do you like it?" He asks. I feel his flaming eyes on me but I don't budge or look at him. Instead I admire the thousands of books and hundreds of shelves, stacked to an extremely high roof.

"Yes!" I manage to squeak out. I hear him laugh beside me.

"What's your name?" He asks.

"Uhm......oh sorry! It's Madilyn Evans." I say, to distracted by the books.

"And what's yours?" I ask finally able to tear my eyes away from the sight of beauty.

"Xavier Rhéve." He says. I smile at him and say a polite thank you and Xavier turns to go back down the giant stairs. I then turn back to the books. I carefully walk in and walk down every isle.

This place is awesome!! I scream inside my head. I was to busy reading every title of the books and walking up and down every isle that I forgot what I came here for until I feel a light tap on my shoulder. I look behind me and Jayden is standing there.

"Oh!!!" I say shocked. "Sorry!! I totally forgot that I was meeting you guys here!! So sorry!" I say to him, putting the book I was holding back on the self. He just smiles and leads me to the back of the library where a stone fireplace is placed against a wooden wall with sofas and chairs scattered around along with some tables. We walk towards a reading Winter and a upside down Aaron.

"Finally!" Aaron exclaims from his upside down form. "I thought you forgot about us!"

Winter looks up from her book and smiles. As she opens her mouth an elderly lady with honey coloured hair and light grey eyes looks at us with an angry expression.

"If I have to tell you to be quiet one more time, Aaron, then you will have to leave." She says sternly and disappears behind a bookshelf.

"I will gladly, Mrs. Libby." He says and falls to the floor with a hard thud.

"No." Winter says as she shakes her head violently, her french braids swinging back and forth. "We need your help to try and find the source of the poison so we can give it to Queen Bee. She asked us specifically."

"Fine!" Aaron groans and sits down in his chair crossing his arms over his chest.

"Why?" I ask. Jayden looks at me noticing how my voice sounds.

"I don't know. She just did." Winter says and looks down at her book. "Let's get to work." Winter announces as Jayden and I sit on one of the sofas surrounding the fireplace.

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