arescere ✿ xavier thorpe

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14 - the nightshade's library

"what's wrong?"

"remember this emblem i was looking for in a book?" she spoke, shoving the drawing of her in a flaming nevermore, pointing directly at the emblem printed on the top of the page.

"well i found it."

"okay? and?"

"we're going to figure out what it means." and before he could detest she grabbed the sleeve of the grey jumper. dragging him out of his room, leaving the year book open at the page with the belfiore sister. so for the second time that day, he found himself walking towards the statue of edgar allan poe. he didn't do anything, letting wednesday solve the riddle whilst he kept watch making sure no one had followed them. she snapped twice and he watched in awe as the statue started to move. pulling backwards to reveal a staircase. the air was thick, dust and cobwebs crowded the room. the stairs were creaky ad the room was dark. the chilliness making him shiver, now wishing he had grabbed a jumper. plaid trousers and a baggy t shirt was not the right clothing for this cold dark library. they descended the stairs, generations of paintings and pictures hung on the walls.

"this is too creepy." peter mumbled, he knew wednesday wouldn't agree. this had her vibes all over it. til the flashlight shorn onto a picture of her mother and father. a twinge on her face appeared before she carried on the the bookcases. whilst he observed the paintings. till he felt that cold eyes of his father. looking back to find the photo hung on the wall. glaring at him. peter father. william had been old once before, before peter's mother and he grew cold once more when she withered under their gaze. cancer. in the photo he stood proudly beside a boy who resembled xavier thorpe.

"william belfiore and vincent thorpe. fencing champions." he mumbled reading the words printed on the frame.

"belfiore.'' wednesday hissed and he turned to find her with a book. the ripped page returned to its rightful place and so he hurried over. it was the rest of the drawing. it was nevermore academy alright, the quad lit up in flames. in the piece of the drawing in wednesday's pocket was of her and in the book itself was the other side, a pilgrim. with a lump of a body. a sword straight through the thigh as it laid. recognizable green eyes. not only was wednesday addams on the drawing from the past, but so was peter belfiore. with a sword through his leg. and he pushed away from wednesday, going to escape to his room when he found himself staring at the darkness which had creeped in. shadows lingered at the posts.

"wednesday." he whispered but the shadows leaped at them from the darkness and he could have sworn he saw the teal iris of the bianca barclay. before the bag covered his head. brilliant. he felt warm boney hands grabbing his cold wrists, tying a rope around them as he pulled him against a post. after his hands were tied against the wooden post, the bag was lifted from his face. blinking as his eyes adjusted to the bright light that shone at him. a muted scent of mint and paint lingering as the purple cloak figure joined the semi circle standing around them.

"who dares breach our inner sanctum?" one of the voices asked in an attempt to sound menacing when they sounded merely stupid.

"you can take the mask of bianca.'' and he snorted, hearing one of the figures chuckle slightly before straightening up. xavier thorpe. like they were orders, the group began to take down robed hoods, followed by their masks. revealing themselves. ajax, kent, bianca, xavier and more.

"wait i preferred you with it on." wednesday added her face showed no sign of amusement but she was rather amused.

"how did you two get here?" xavier asked and he turned to look at the boy, with his hair not tied up. so it fell over his face.

"rowan showed us. left pocket" and xavier moved forward to grab the folded drawing that was hidden in wednesday's cold jacket.

"we tracked the watermark to the poe statue. then i solved the riddle." she spoke, adding onto their conversation as peter remained uninterested and unbothered by the whole adeal.

"the nightshades are an elite social club, emphasis on elite."

"last i heard the nightshades had been disbanded."

"yeah the group kinda lost its charter 30 years ago after some normie kid died."

"but we have a lot of wealthy alumni, so weems looks the other way as long as nobody makes any waves."

"what, you mean someone like rowan?" he questioned, leaning forward slightly in his bonds, finally interested in the conversation.

"we booted that loser last semester."

"you aren't half the person he was." peter spat, he hated it. how his only friend was always trash talked, even in his presence. rowan was so much better than everyone in this room, everyone overlooked him.

"how pathetic. the question is, what are we going to do with them? only members are allowed in this library."

"i say we invite them to pledge. they are legacies."

"after the crap they pulled in the poe cup, there's no way in hell."

"the hypocrisy!" peter exclaimed as he leaned back, shocking. beating her at her own game and suddenly they're the bad guys. how bianca barclay of her.

"and belfiore wouldn't be able to anyways. the code." bianca informed xavier, peter watching as the boy's head fell, hair covering his face slightly.

"code? what code?"

"tell him."

"tell me, xavier."

"well. your father is a legacy but your mother...'' xavier spoke, not even bothering to look at the boy. his words faded out, as if he couldn't even say it. as if it were venom on his tongue. as if she were some kind of monstrous beast.

"normal?" peter added, and then xavier's guilty green eyes got cold. feeling the sting of regret as he looked at peter's cold face. and peter's rope fell.

"sorry we can't all have xavier thorpe's perfect little life." he spat, these words stung. peter was the only one who didn't treat him differently based on his father. he had never judged him on the matter, but he had done it to him. the rope hit him square in the chest. the boy moving for the stairs, leaving wednesday. she wouldn't mind. and his eyes stung of tears as he made his way to the room. that explained a lot. why everyone treated him like an outcast in a school of outcasts. because he wasn't a true outcast, he was half of them. he was under them, he was half scum in their eyes. he's half the person of all. and he was soon to be the new roomate of the boy who had said those words. exciting.