Placebo Effect: [Zane X Reader]

Eight- A Dragon Slayed

Surprise.

For K & Rachel-

You're welcome ;)

-Cori

"Has your sister been question about your dad's murder?"

Have you ever been to a magic show? The dim low lights, the wonder surrounding you. A childlike amazement hanging about the air, holding its breath and waiting. My dad took me to a magic show for my seventh birthday growing up. Dani was begrudgingly dragged along, whining and complaining the entire time. I don't remember much of her sour attitude, for my attention was fixed on the wonder and splendor of the tricks in front of me.

There is a trick, which revolves far more around science than magic, where the magical pulls a tablecloth off a cluttered table, yet still none of the objects move. Sadly, seven year old me was not a magician and was not able to replicate the trick when I got home later that night. A crash and a bang, my dad running into my room to find me on the floor crying, surrounded by shattered glass and chipped wood of my jewelry box and mirror which had not stayed on the table, as was advertised in the show. He had helped me clean up, bought me a new jewelry box and mirror and had reminded me that not everything is always as it seems in life.

Standing in the sand with an idea forming into place, I was now the trinkets with the cloth ripped out from under them.

Could Dani have murdered our dad?

I suppose, maybe, that time will tell whether I was able to stand, unshaken, or fall and shatter on the ground when the tablecloth was gone.

"Hello...?"

I snapped back to the moment and shook my head to clear the swimming, racing thoughts. "Yeah, sorry, um... no I don't think so. I don't know."

Cole gave a quick glance to Lloyd, sharing a look I was unable to interpret. He frowned, head tilted. "If your sister is treating you like that on a regular basis..." he trailed off, nodding in the direction where Dani had stormed off, moment before, "...maybe it would be best to not stay in your house."

I frowned, meeting his eyes. "She's a jerk but she's not a murderer."

Why are you defending her?

I huffed at the thought and crossed my arms. Nope. Nuh-uh. My life was falling apart, but I could not entrain the idea of my twin sister murdering our dad. I shivered at the thought.

A picture swam before my eyes. Dani and I were identical. Our personalities easily told us apart, but if she were the one to kill him... Our dna is identical. Not only that, but my dad would have seen my face, my sister's face, us, before he breathed his last breath.

"Well, murderer or not she is a jerk and doesn't seem the safest to be around," Cole continued, unaware of my wobbling as the tablecloth moved, "If you need a place to stay, away from her... you could come stay with us."

"Yeah!" Lloyd piped up, happy to be of assistance. "We can make Kai sleep on the pullout couch and give you his room! Actually, hold that thought. Maybe you could stay with Nya. Kai is not the cleanest..." Cole snorted at the remark, but I was barely listening.

"Yeah, maybe," I said absentmindedly, looking out over the sea as the sun began to light the ocean orange as it set. The wind tousled my hair, gulls flew overhead with shrieks. I snapped back to the conversation, giving my best people-pleasing smile. "Thanks for the offer, but I'll be fine. Home is home, and I can't leave the shop unmanned!"