Dream Catcher

A Solution In Theory

Layla and I left the twins in the sitting area to go search for the book. Layla said the book was titled, "The Tale of Somnium." Layla knew where the book was, it was just a matter of searching the high shelves for it. We ran to the 'S' section and I revealed my translucent wings. Bending my knees, and with a graceful jump into the air, I began to fly at the tops of shelves.

I worked my way from one end to the other, running a finger over each book spine, reading each title cover carefully. Layla was doing the same on the other side, held up in the air by her silver dragonfly wings. "Found it!" She shouted to me, I flew over as she pulled out the book from the dusty shelf.

"Okay, let's go." I said, zooming off to where the twins still waited.

I landed next to the twins, first I saw Creed's face. His face had extreme worry, and was on the verge of tears. Next, I saw Ciara, her skin had grown pale, her lips blue, and the veins in her neck became discolored black and were popping out slightly. It was obvious she was dying. "Layla! Hurry!" I called, picking Ciara up in my arms.

Layla rushed over and sat on her knees in front of us, "Put her back down please."

"Oh... right." I laid Ciara back down on the couch, and sat on the arm of the couch.

Layla flipped through the pages of the book as fast as she could go while reading them, but was careful not to miss anything.

"Damn it!" Layla cursed, stopping at a page.

"What is it?" I asked.

"It's not a spell." Layla sighed.

"What is it then?" Creed asked a bit angrily on top of his worry.

"It's a potion, and I don't have any of the ingredients."

"Ciara can not possibly have long, look at her, she's dying already!" I exclaimed, trying hard to keep calm.

"We'll have to get her to someone who can make the potion."

"Well yeah, but can I talk to you for a moment Layla?" I asked, standing up. Layla nodded, and we walked behind a bookshelf a few feet away.

"Like who? I don't know of anyone that we can trust to make the potion." I stated smartly, "We can't just let everyone know they woke up! Chaos would ensure, and they'd be in even more danger!"

Layla fell silent, her eyebrows furrowed together and she began to nibble at the skin by her fingernails.

“Layla stop that,” I pulled her hand away, “that has to be the worst habit.”

“There’s things worse.” She answered.

I scolded her. “You know what I mean.”

She rolled her eyes, but then they lit up with an idea. “I know what we can do.”

“What?”

“Well, I have a friend who owes me, and he happens to excel at potion making, he could do it.”

“Why does he owe you?” I asked, suspicious. Not that I don’t trust Layla, but the fact this guy owes her is, at the least, concerning.

“I hunted down a rare potion book for him, but he didn’t have the money to pay me right away, and he needed it quickly, so as an agreement, I cast a spell that binds him to do one favor for me.” She explained.

“Well, if its a spell, then he can’t double cross us.” I thought out loud, “But what are we to tell him?”

“Only what’s necessary, since he’s bound, he has to do it with or without the why.”

“Okay, so we-”

“Eveliene!” Creed’s voice cut through the air.

I rushed back to the couches. I didn’t need to ask what happened, I could see. Ciara’s body had begun to convulse.

“Lay-”

“I’m right here.” Layla immediately was at Ciara’s side and was holding a hand over the little girl’s chest. Layla began to whisper a spell, and I could see rippling through the air from her hand into Ciara’s chest.