Lumina

21 ~ Herbal Undertaking

Alexis

"Lex," Elizabeth questioned for what felt like the tenth time, "Do you really have to do this tonight?" She was sitting at the dining table across from Alexis with a new book out in front of her. Hadn't set it down from the moment he walked in with the novel. He didn't get it- books were for information but Elizabeth only seemed interested in the romance and adventure stories.

But it made her happy, so Alexis continued to indulge her.

Meanwhile he had been crushing some herbs into a fine powder. He may not be an expert on medicinal herbs but Alexis knew plenty of recipes that could put someone to sleep within minutes. Permanently, if need be. Without lifting his emerald green eyes he mumbled, "You'll ruin the binding if you keep bending it like that."

The book dropped closed and Elizabeth sat forward, "All Blaze said to do was interrogate her."

"Not working," he grunted, then sifted through a bag next to him and pulled out more herbs, dropping them carefully into the bowl. As he crushed them together he explained, "I think Blaze is right to be suspicious, the woman is too cautious for a simple shopkeeper. She's hiding something, and I plan to find out what. Tonight."

Elizabeth watched as he dipped his fingers into another bowl of water and let the liquid drip into the herbs, mixing it together until the powder turned to a paste-like substance. She had just returned herself the day prior, with a vague explanation of how Paxford's Lord had practically confirmed his and the queen's involvement with the recent kaco-arachnid attack. Though they hadn't figured out why, Lona and Lady Lovitt seemed satisfied with the information they had gathered for the time being.

"She's a blind woman alone in a new place whose last living relative just died." Elizabeth continued her reproach, "You can't expect her to trust every man that comes into her shop."

"If she even was related to Rhodes." Alexis molded the paste into small cones and set them in a row. With a short tone he asserted, "Rhodes all but disappears and she pops up without explanation? We don't even know where she came from and yet she arrived only the day after the old man failed to open shop. She was smart and evasive at each turn, Liz, she saw right through every move I made- every inquiry."

"Not every girl is going to fall for your flirtations," she snorted and tossed caramel hair behind her shoulder. "You and Blaze allow your paranoia to harass this woman. She could just be a simple herbalist."

"She's really captured you with that 'poor, innocent, blind girl' act," Alexis snapped. "We have to be careful about people showing up with unknown backgrounds. Especially because of me." In no way was he referring to himself with pride. "It was probably blind trust like that that got mom k-"

"Do what you need to do," his sister interrupted, her voice seering the room to silence. She stood and muttered, "I'm going to feed the animals."

An annoyed grunt tumbled out of Alexis's mouth but he said nothing as she stalked out. He pointed two fingers to the line of cones and sent a snake of fire around them, speeding up the drying process as Elizabeth's heavy footfalls faded outside.

Two years had passed since they lost their mother but the pain held on to Elizabeth as if it had only been last week. She was always closer to their mother than Alexis was, especially after their father had died. They had no idea what had happened to her, even to this day, although he had gone over imagined scenarios hundreds of times over.

One day she had gone to town for supplies and just never came back. Alexis rubbed a hand over his forehead, trying to push away the thickness that welled up in his throat. He should have gone with her. There had been more guards that week and he should have known enough to stop her. To save her.