~The Break In
Josie’s POV
“Hello-o. Jabe?” A voice echo’s through the door. Meanwhile drunk Xavier tosses silver spoons at Jabeth’s portrait, grumbling to himself.
SHIT. Who is it? They sound pretty familiar.
“Jabeth, hello-o..? FUCKER ARE YOU IN THERE?!” The visitor bangs against the door, and I jump.
I whirl around, facing Zuko. WHO IS IT? I mouth. But he just blinks.
I scowl. I KNOW YOU CAN UNDERSTAND ME.
In turn he starts to lick his leg, and I sigh in despair.
“Shh! He’s probably not home,” another voice says, older then the first one. Where have I heard them before..?
Xavier sniffs and throws a spoon at Jabeth portrait, which bounces off his painted nose and clatters to the floor. “Stupid Jabeth. Stupid Spoon!”
“Hey, someone’s in there. HELLO?”
“No there isn’t.” The voice responds.
“Yes there is, I heard someone talking.”
I freeze in my spot, blood going cold.
I groan and rip my hands through my hair. Where is Jabeth, he should’ve been back by now. What could be so important that he disappears and leaves me with drunk Xavier?
Oh for fucks sake, what do I do?
“Jabeth? Hello. Come on man, let us in. Don’t make me break the door down.” The voice pounds on the door.
B-B-Break the door down?!
“Like you could break the door down.”
“Shut up!”
“Thad, he’s not home. Why bother, he could be in the shower.”
Thad?
Thad. Thad. Thad.. Where have I heard that name. That voice. It matches up somehow?
“Oh come on, Hen, live a little, won’t you?”
Hen? Thad.
I feel my blood drain. Xavier watches me, bored with his spoons. “Ah, lightbulb.”
Thad.
As in Thaddeus.
As in, Thaddeus Blackwell.
And Hen for, Henry Blackwell, his brother.
HOLY shit. The Prince’s of the Hells. Jabeth’s-
′BAM′
I jump as the doors to the west wing fly off the hinges and drop to the floor to reveal two teenagers and a billow of purple and black magic sparkle a golden cloud.
-brothers..
FU-SHI-DAM-CRAP!
I think fast and dive onto the nearest couch just as the magic settles, face down on a pillow. I make my body limp as I pretend to sleep, although I am wide eyed against the fabric.
Real smart, Josie. I know, you’re probably applauding me in this situation.
Foot steps ‘click’ and ‘clack’ as the boys enter, and I can almost imagine their faces, looking through the room skeptically. “Hey, Jabe! You here?”
One of the boys, who I believe is Thaddeus, clicks his tongue. “Do you hear any water running? Cause I don’t.”
The other boy, Henry, scoffs. “Don’t be a smart-ass, Thad.”
“WHERE IS MY MONEY?”
I sigh as quiet and heavily as I can once Xavier’s voice rings through the west wing. He just had to talk.
Xavier, who I can almost hear falling down the steps, flops onto the floor, where Thaddeus and Henry watch.
Thaddeus points and lets out a hearty laugh. “Ha ha! He’s drunk again.”
Henry clicks his tongue. “He must’ve been the one who was talk-wait, who is that?” He double takes before fixing his gaze on my limp form.
I visibly stiffen, and my breath stills in my throat. No, no, no.
Thaddeus tilts his head. “Huh?”
I can hardly breathe with my face mushed up against this pillow. Then again I can hardly breathe at all.
“Must be a maid.” Thaddeus shrugs, “Is she asleep?”
“I think so..” But Henry shakes his head. “But she’s not dressed like a maid.”
“Maybe she’s one of the bitch’s who keep hunting Jabe.” Thaddeus jokes.
What?
“No clue. But she looks. . familiar.” Henry suggests. “Jabeth would freak, if he saw a woman lying on his sofa.”
Thaddeus smirks. “Then lets do him a favor.”
Henry returns him an impish grin before they both slowly stalk towards me.
Dammit! No, I can’t let them see me!
Henry reaches towards my head.
I never should’ve come here. Jabeth, I’m sorry.
Only inches separate his fingers and my hair.
Oh stars, do anything. Something! Please!
“AAAHH!!”
Henry rips his hand from my head as him and Thaddeus whirl around towards the west wings open doorway. Even Xavier stops his drunken nonsense when a blood curdling scream rips through the air.
I take the opportunity to run from the couch, dashing up the stairs. But the brothers soon notice me, a little dazed from the scream. “Hey you! Stop!”
I trip over my own feet as I desperately head for Jabeth’s room. The only other place that I’m familiar with that has a door lock. But the Blackwell brothers are relentless, and chase after me.
“You can run but you can’t hide!”
I round the corner for the stairway and pass the drunken Xavier. I don’t have control of my magic, if I try to use it I’ll probably burn the mansion down. I’m defenseless!
Henry lunges and magic shoots in my direction. They reach for me, like arms and hands ready to strangle me. I scream and duck, covering my head with my hands. The dark blue-vibrant violet magic, like flames licking the air, dart over my head.
It crashes against Jabeth’s portrait, where a few bits of paint and wood chips fall towards me as a looming shadow shades the space around me.
I look up to see Jabeth’s portrait fall from the wall and hurl towards me.
Xavier dazily reaches his arms across the floor in a vain attempt to save me. “Watch it.”
“Ahh!"
I sprint through the halls of the mansion, my arms and legs pumping. Workers dive out of the way as I zoom through the rooms.
I can’t stop. What if someone’s hurt? My brothers or Xavier. Or Josie. If she gets hurt.. not only will my crown be on the line, but I’m sure her own as well!
Why am I even thinking of crowns right now? For all I know she could be dead!
“Your Highness!” I pass my butler in the hallway, whose polishing the frame of a portrait with a cloth in his hand. But I don’t have time to explain. I don’t have the need to.
My the flaps of my blazer whip in the air. I nearly trip over my own shoes as I bolt down the hall. I pass the Library, where a crowd of workers fans out in front of the entrance. Gasps, murmurs, and cries fill the air. They turn to see me pass and give out cries of shock. “It’s him! What is he doing?”
I approach the entrance to my wing, where I find both of the doors broken down and laying flat on the ground.
No. .
I come to a halt in the doorway, my curly hair disheveled as my chest heaves heavy breaths. My clothes are rumpled and I feel alarm race through me.
I cup my hands around my mouth, frantically searching all corner of my home. “Xavier? Thaddeus? Henry! GUYS! Jo-”
I stop when I see my brothers hovered over the sofa. Xavier is collapsed at the base of the stairs, passed out drunk. “Hey, are you okay?”
Henry and Thad whirl around to face me, and I briefly catch a glimpse of a woman unconscious on my couch behind them.
The fuck?
I stalk towards them. As I get closer I notice the familiar dark hair and fair face I’ve seen so much these past two days.
Josie is conked out, with a bruise on her forehead and drool dripping out the side of her mouth as she lays strewn on the couch, unconscious.
I blanche and trail my eyes to my portrait, which lays flat on the floor away from the wall.
I turn to face my brothers, planting my hands on my hips and raise my eyebrows. My worry, fading to anger. “Divulge?”
They both nod. “Agreed.”
