The Wishbornes And The Fallen Star

Chapter 9

I watched Raynard and Irene play chess while I gobbled down my dinner. Miss Murray came in earlier saying that there was an important phone call waiting for Helena and Theo in their office. Guess I'll have to ask them about the doll house later then.
Irene focused hard on which move she should make next. Although my brother might not be book smart, he is very streetwise and always seems to know your next move. He used to trick the smarter kids at school, by betting lunch money on a chess game. He would first play really horribly so that they would win and think he's terrible at it, then he would place an even higher bet the second round, but absolutely destroy them with in two moves. A real con artist if you ask me.
Irene moved her knight and took one of his bishops. Smart move I thought until Raynard's smile gave everything away.
"Wrong move Rena" - he move his rook - "Checkmate". He crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair with a smirk on his face.
"How is it possible for someone to be this good at chess?", asked Irene as she looked at the board in confusion.
Raynard just shrugged his shoulders. He then turned to me and asked, "Want to play a round?".
"No thanks", I said as I took another bite of my roasted chicken. Damn, this food is delicious.
"What? The princess scared she might lose?".
"Uh, of course not. I just have better things to do than handing your ass to you".
"Awful big mouth for a princess". I gripped my knife and had to skillfully control my urge not to stab him. I could go over there and just beat him in a game - that would wipe that smirk off his face - but it usually took a lot more effort and thinking when I played against him, and at this moment I just didn't have the energy for it. So I swallowed my pride and said, "I just feel like reading a bit after dinner"
"Excuses, excuses", he said while shaking his head, "but alright, I'll wipe the floor with you another day". I just rolled my eyes and continued eating my dinner.
***
I was standing in front of the book shelf in my room trying to pick a book to read. Taking that long ass nap will definitely keep me up into the morning hours.
I was scanning the book titles with my finger when I came across "To Steal a Star", sitting in between the other books. Miss Murray or someone must have unpacked it, because I sure didn't.
I shrugged my shoulder, took the book and jumped onto my bed.

"To unlock it you must first find the key", whispered the painting.
"Where can I find the key?", I asked as I yanked on the door one last time. Still didn't open.
"In the place where different worlds exist, worlds that anyone can enter if they just opened it", whispered the painting.
"Great, so another dimension?", I said as I crossed my arms.
"No foolish girl, this place exists in your world, it is a place where time can easily be lost".
"Can you stop speaking in riddles and just tell me straight where I can find this key?", I yelled at the painting.
"I am cursed by the witch herself to give you all the answers to the key only in riddles".
"Off course she cursed you", I said as I rolled my eyes and started to pace back and forth.
"If I find the place, how would I know where the key is".
"For a star filled night is where it is, at the back of it you'll find it indeed, but only the true ones hand can show it".
"That makes even less sense then the previous one", I yelled at the painting again.

My bedroom door opened slightly, but no one came in. I lowered my book and said, "Rena is that you?". No answer.
"Raynard?". No answer again. I put my book down and walked towards the door. "This is not funny guys", I said as I opened the door wider and went into the passage, but there was no one. What the hell? I looked over to Irenes rooms door and saw the light was on and the door wide open. I walked to her room and knocked on the door but Irene wasn't in her room. I looked down the passage again but still there was no one.
    Must have been the wind.
    I turned to walk back to my room, but something in the corner of room moved, ruffling the curtains.
    What was that?!
The coldness rose up inside me as I moved closer and closer to the curtains. Trying to walk as softly as possible so that the wooden floors won't make a noise. The curtains ruffled a little bit again. I looked at the window but it was closed, so it can't be the wind. I reached my hand out to pull the curtains away. The coldness spreading through my veins.
My heart leaped out of my chest as someone behind me asked, "What are you doing". I whipped around and saw Irene standing at the door.
"Damnit Rena, you almost gave me a heart attack!", I yelled.
"What were you doing?", she asked and walked closer. I turned around and pulled the curtains away just to find nothing behind them. "I could of sworn I saw something move behind the curtains", I said and let a breath out.
I turned back to her. "Done playing chess?", I asked.
"Yeah, Raynard just kept on winning so I got over it", Irene said and yawed.
"Long day?", I said and smiled at her.
"You have no idea", she said with wide eyes.
***
    The next morning I woke up with the book lying on my face. I must have fallen asleep while reading, which was probably somewhere around 4am.
I put the book on my bedside table and went to go take a shower. I kept on staring at the place I last saw the red fox, wandering if it will appear again... It didn't.
By the time I got out of the shower it was 10:30am. Raynard probably ate all the bacon by this time. I quickly put on a shirt and a dress over it, then tied the laces to my worn out vans - that Lily gave me - and went down stairs.
There was no one in the dining room, just a note that said:

Bonjour Miss Clarabell! I see you missed breakfast no? Helena told me you stayed up all night reading. Why not come to
the kitchen and I'll make you one of my spécialités!
Furdolph

When I walked into the kitchen people were whisking, chopping and yelling everywhere. And for a split second it looked like one guy didn't even hold the whisk while whisking something in a bowl. But my attention got drawn away from the guy when Furdolph came out of the pantry holding a piece of cheese and shouting in French at a short chubby little man that followed him.
When he turned, he noticed me and smiled. Then shouted something in French at everyone and they stopped what they were doing and looked at me. He walked over and said, "Ahh Miss Clarabell", and kissed my hand," I'm so excited you came to my kitchen today". He then turned to the other people in the kitchen, yelled something in French again and everyone then started to leave. "No, Louis stay", he said to the chubby little man.
"Miss Clarabell this is my Sous Chef, Louis Boucher. When I'm not here, which is almost never, Louis here is in charge of the kitchen."
"Bonjour Mademoiselle", said Louis as he also kissed my hand.
"Hello", I said and smiled at him
"You must be hungry no?", said Furdolph as he led me to the nearest chair at the concrete table.
"Starving", I said as Furdolph started to pull out pots and pans.
"Fantastique, Louis and I are your humbled servants. What would you like?".
I watched as Furdolph and Louis started to make these wonderful things, like blueberry pancakes, smoked salmon bagels with cream cheese, pouched eggs and some French stuff that I couldn't pronounce even if I tried to. It looked like so much fun, I asked Furdolph if I could help them and it looked like he almost started crying.
By the time we were done my belly was so full it felt like it might burst. The only downside was that I started getting a slight headache again.
What is it with these headaches? It can't be because we are at a slightly higher altitude can it?
I thanked Furdolph and Louis for the wonderful food and went looking for my brother and sister.
I found Miss Murray in the passage and I asked her if she knew where they were. She told me Theo took Irene horse riding and Raynard and Helena went to go practice some archery.
So they left me on my own?
I was about to walk out of the front door to go see if Raynard and Irene were fine, but stopped in front of the archway leading to the library. I looked to the front door, then back again at the archway. Ag, I'm sure they're fine, a quick peak into the library won't hurt? Right? I turned and walked through the archway.
I just stood there for who knows how long, convinced I've stopped breathing, taking in everything. The size. The books. The smell... I'm pretty sure the ball room is only slightly bigger than this. The walls where lined with shelves filled with books and books and books. It continued to the first floor which you could see from the ground floor. In the left half of the room where five book isle and in the right hand corner a spiral staircase that lead up to the first floor. In the middle of the library where some coaches and tables and on the opposite side of the room were two reading nooks beneath the windows, each with little side tables next to them. On one of the side tables there where a stack of books and a note left on top of it. I walked over to it and saw the note had my name on it.

I knew you would find your way to the library. These are some of my favorites.
Theo

I read through the titles, 'The Red Roses by Lilly Williams', 'Would You Dare? By Garret Oosthuizen', 'The Frost by Maggy Maggerson', 'Mirror's by Peggy Wilson', and finally 'The Smell of Rain by Frits Nelson'.
How did he get 'The Red Roses?'. The bookstore is only getting it next month? My headache started pounding again and I had to sit down.
Miss Murray then walked in with a tea tray.
"Here you go Poppet," she said as she put the tray down next to me, "I saw you coming into the library, and if you love books as much as this lot does then what better to read them with some tea".
I could smell that it was Helena's special tea.I didn't mention to anyone that I had a headache? Or did I? My head was pounding so much I struggled to remember.
"Thank you Miss Murray", I said and took a sip of tea, and yet again my headache was instantly gone. I looked up from the tea cup and Miss Murray was already gone. How does that woman walk so fast!
I turned to put my feet up on the nooks bench and grabbed 'The Red Roses'.