Arranged (COMPLETED)

Chapter 8

Clutching at his brand, Virgil skidded around a corner and out of the castle, trying to find Roman. He had specifically told that stupid prince not to leave the only room in the castle that had protection and what did Roman do? Leave the only room in the castle that had protection. Virgil saw Roman sitting on a bench, looking up at the black sky, and ran over to him.

"You little shit!" He yelled, startling the other prince. "I told you not to leave the library and what did you do? You left the fucking library!"

"Well, I can't help it! The smell of the stupid herb was giving me a headache." Roman yelled back.

"Rosebane doesn't have a smell!" Virgil yelled, pacing around the bench Roman was sitting on and scratching at the brand on his forearm. "The library is the only room in the castle that has protection right now. We cannot let whatever is doing this get to those books. If you had just stayed put, this could've been avoided."

"Oh, yeah, sure. Stayed put and get slowly poisoned by the fumes coming from that fucking plant." Roman was on his feet now and he towered above Virgil, who had stopped pacing but had not stopped ranting by any means.

"For the last time, Rosebane doesn't have a scent!" Virgil screeched, scratching at the brand on his arm and drawing blood.

"Well it certainly seemed to! So either you're lying or you've got the wrong plant! And I am very inclined to believe the former!"

"Roman, shut up." Virgil said suddenly, looking around.

"You can't-"

"Roman, shut. Up." Virgil said firmly and this time Roman could sense something was wrong. "Can you hear that?" Virgil asked.

"No?"

"Exactly. There's no sound. Not even the wind blowing in the trees but if you look," he pointed at the dead trees that littered the garden, their branches swaying in an invisible, silent breeze, "there's movement."

"What's this mean?"

Virgil looked around. "It means we need to get inside." He said before grabbing Roman's hand and pulling him through the gardens and into the library. Roman winced as Virgil let go of his hand.

"Did you have to pull me by my injured hand?" He asked accusingly.

Virgil wheeled around from running his hand along the spines of books and glared at Roman. "There was something out there. I've gotten you to where you'd be safe. If you want to end up like Logan, or better yet like Janus, be my guest. Do not bite my head off for saving your ungrateful ass, however. This is the only room you are safe in until I finish putting up the rest of the Rosebane." Virgil grabbed a book and headed to the door. "I'm locking the door so don't even try to get out. This is how you can be kept safe, seeing as whatever this thing is likes to target you the most."

"What am I meant to do while you're out polluting my house with that herb?"

Virgil glared at Roman. "Maybe you could pick up a book for once in your life," he said patronizingly, "and read."

Virgil closed the door and Roman heard the click of the lock. He was a prisoner of his own castle. That was new.

***

Roman didn't know how long he spent along in the library, pacing and trying not to pass out from the over-whelming fumes coming from every corner of the room.

"Rosebane doesn't have a scent." He mimicked. "No scent my ass." He growled, clutching his head. At least the herd hung around the room dulled the voice in his head slightly.

"Get out."

No, never mind. The strange voice was still there, just quieter.

"He's poisoning you with this." The voice whispered. "He's never going to let you out. You're going to die in here."

"Well how am I meant to get out?" Roman hissed through gritted teeth, feeling sharp pain spike his skull.

"Kick the door down. Escape, somehow. Virgil can't be trusted. Virgil can't be trusted. Virgil can't be trusted." On and on and on. "Virgil can't be trusted. You can't trust him. You can't trust anyone, Prince Roman. You can't trust anyone except yourself and me."

"Who are you?" Roman asked. The voice paused as if it was contemplating what to say.

"I'm a friend. You know a Patton, don't you? He's here if you want to talk to him." It was Patton's voice that spoke next. "Heya Kiddo. How are you?"

"Patton!" Roman thought excitedly, realising he could talk to this person (well, he assumed it was a person) in his mind.

"Yeah, that's me Kiddo. Are you alright? I'm worried about you. That's the prince you're meant to marry, isn't it? That Virgil?"

"Yeah. Why?"

Patton paused for a second and Roman could just imagine his best friend biting his lip in worry.

"I don't like him that much, Kiddo. He seems a little... off. He hasn't hurt you or anything, has he?"

"No..." Roman said doubtfully.

"Okay. That's good." Patton's cheery tone was restored. "I need to go now, Kiddo. Bye."

"Oh. Bye Pat." Roman sighed.

"See, I'm a friend." The other voice said.

"I suppose." Roman mumbled, clutching at his head a little more and pacing again.

"And friends help each other, don't they?"

"I guess. Can I help you?"

"Yeah actually. You see, being a voice in your head is fun and all but what I really need is to get out."

"Well, how'd you do that?"

"Someone needs to summon me."

"You mean you're a demon?!" Roman asked, panicked. He was talking to a demon!

"No! I'm a spirit, there's a difference. Anyway, I need you to find a book on summoning and possessing and I need you to summon me. Any old ritual will do."

"Um, okay..." Roman thought uncertainly as he walked over to a shelf, the pain in his head getting more and more acute with every step. Pushing aside the Rosebane hanging from the shelf above it, Roman grabbed a book and blew the dust off it.

'Demons and How to Summon Them'

"Yeah, that's the one."