aircannonsinc 23
23
This was a great discovery.
So there were people who weren't humans in this world. He didn't know what this little girl and her big sister were but he knew he shouldn't offend them.
He sighed and rubbed his face.
"Alright. I see your point. She absolutely can't visit the hospital. I'm actually the owner here. Occasionally, I do some waiter work coz that's how I first started. I'll take you to my home. There's a guestroom you two could use. What do you think, Beatrix?" he asked with a smile. Deep inside, he was afraid.
If they recovered, would they kill him to hide the secret? That... he also couldn't escape from here now, right? He doubted if he could make it to the entrance of his restaurant.
"Don't worry. We just need a place to stay and we won't silence you. Help me carry her." Beatrix said and the man obeyed.
"By the way, you can call me Carl. Carl Smith." he introduced himself as he lifted the unconscious Lavana over his shoulders.
...
Carl lived in a 2 bedroom apartment. The other room was a guest room.
Lavana was placed on the bed of the guestroom in Carl's home. He lived alone and the guestroom was just there in case one of his friends decided to spend the night. He's usually very busy, so it's not easy for a friend to even come to hold him down with gossip and spend the night.
Beatrix sighed and looked at Carl.
"Em... Mr Carl, I'll need you to get me these," she gave him a piece of paper. It was a list containing some common food ingredients.
"Oh, I do have them in my kitchen. Let me get them for you," he said and turned to leave.
"Wait!" the little one walked to him and handed him another paper.
"Prepare the tonic according to the instructions. Remember, you must wash your hands with tea seed oil before preparing it," she warned and then headed back to watching over Lavana.
"Ok!" he muttered and walked out of the room, not forgetting to close the door behind him.
Seeing that he was gone, she sighed and tapped on her right index finger twice. A golden ring appeared on her finger and flew out of it. Golden light covered it and it transformed into a golden sceptre- her witch sceptre that had the red crystal at the tip and encircled with green vines.
It levitated in front of her.
She pressed her palms together as her eyes turned greyish purple.
"Oh crystal witch ancestor, grant me my wish. Heal my big..."
Beatrix couldn't continue as she heard Lavana cough.
"Beatrix? What are you doing?"
The little one slowly turned back to look at her big sister with a sheepish look.
Lavana was frowning.
"Kiddo, what did I tell you... cough... cough... Didn't I warn you not to casually use your witch sceptre? Why don't you listen?" Lavana berated despite her hoarse voice.
"Err..." The sceptre transformed back to the golden ring and entered her right index finger. Then it vanished.
Beatrix ran to the bed and sat on it.
"Big sister... I know I'm wrong. I won't do this again. I promise." she said, pulling on Lavana's sleeve and swaying it gently from side to side.
"Pinky promise?"
Beatrix wrapped her little finger around Lavana's.
"Deal. Can you stop being angry at me, big sister?"
"I'm still pissed." Lavana closed her eyes.
"Big sister, I was wrong alright! I'll never do it again."
Lavana opened her eyes again and smiled.
"If so, cough... cough... how can you prove your sincerity?"
"Have some water, first." Beatrix poured water from a plastic bottle into a glass and helped Lavana drink it.
Lavana sighed after drinking the water. Now that she was awake, she felt the fever and chill go down slowly but her chest still felt hot and tight. She didn't know why it was like this.
Was it because of the gills and the heart? If she had only the gill, she can't survive long outside water and a heart can't withstand water for that long. Then there's also her dragon core that is newly formed. Maybe it contributed to her situation too.
"Do you feel sore in your chest?"
"Show me your sincerity first." Lavana changed the topic.
"Ok. How about... um... how about I sing a song for you?" Beatrix asked with uncertainty.
Hearing this, Lavana recalled how her beautiful late mum would sing for her often until that unfortunate day that Alpha Blake ruined all the happiness she'd ever known.
Thinking of it, she clenched her fists and gritted her teeth.
She was exuding a dangerous aura.
Beatrix felt it and looked at her in surprise.
"Big sister, are you alright?" she held Lavana's right wrist and took it in her hands.
"Did I say something wrong? If I did, then I'm sorry. Please don't be mad at me, alright! I won't sing if it makes you unhappy." Beatrix said with concern.
Seeing what she'd caused, Lavana felt really guilty. She needs to keep her emotions in check. She wouldn't want to hurt this innocent babe's feelings.
She had nothing to do with her past. She is someone who has brought laughter into her life after over a decade of being in darkness.
She won't let anyone harm her, not even herself. Beatrix was very precious!
"Pft! Hahaha," Lavana laughed.
"Big sis, what's funny?" Beatrix looked confused.
"Hehe, I could be an excellent actress, don't you think?" she had tears in her eyes and even clutched her stomach.
Beatrix saw this as her big sister being amused. As to why she was this amused, she didn't care. The important thing is, her big sister is going to recover properly now.
"I just wanted to see your reaction but I guess I got into character too much. Sorry, I made you worried for nothing." Lavana wiped off her tears and smiled.
"Ok. If you say so." Beatrix shrugged.
Lavana knew her act to cover up was successful. Now the little one was happy again and she deeply sighed internally.
"Hun, you have a pleasant voice when you talk, so I'd be honoured to hear you sing..."
At this moment, the entrance door opened and Carl entered the room carefully.
He carried a tray containing a porcelain pot, plate and spoon. He carefully placed it on the table in the centre of the guest room. Beatrix cleared her throat and placed the bed tray over Lavana.
"Big sis, have some medicine first," she said softly as she accepted the porcelain bowl containing a red tonic that smelled awful.
"Beatrix, did I get it right?" Carl nervously asked.
Only heavens know how much effort he'd put into this. He'd never even be so serious if he were preparing a king's meal but these girls in his home could send him to death at any time. He wanted to keep his head alright!
"If you prepared it wrongly, you think I'd accept it from you? I told you to relax. Big sis and I are good people," Beatrix scoffed and placed the deep plate bowl on the bed tray.
She flashed a smile at Lavana who looked very unwilling to drink it. She preferred those bitter herbs she took in that hellish place to this tonic.
"Big sister, if you can be good and finish it up, then Beatrix will reward you." the little one pointed at the porcelain pot that was still covered with its lid. "Beatrix will reward you with the food in there. What do you say?"
Lavana looked at Carl, asking with her eyes if what the little babe said was true and he nodded quickly.
"Ok," Lavana mumbled in agreement.
"Now just relax, lil sis will feed you fat now," Beatrix said happily.
Lavana chuckled as Beatrix mixed the tonic properly and started to feed her.
"It's so bitter!" Lavana confessed after managing to swallow the first spoonful of the tonic.
"And so spicy. Are you trying to kill someone?" she complained.
"Big sis, relax. Take 9 more spoonfuls and I'll let you off." Beatrix's grin looked insincere and creepy.
"9 more spoonfuls? I'd rather die." Lavana lay back on the bed and looked away.
Beatrix looked at Carl who immediately raised the cover of the porcelain pot.
Lavana quickly turned her head to look at the pot.
The fragrance was so good. She almost drooled here.
Carl immediately covered the pot now there was only a faint fragrance which was disappearing in seconds.
Lavana became disappointed.
"Big sis, I didn't lie to you, right? I told you there's a big reward behind this medicine. Come on, open your mouth. 9 more spoonfuls to go." Beatrix said as she prepared to serve Lavana another spoonful.
"I... I..." she looked at the pot again and swallowed hard.
"OK!" she finally compromised. Everything was for the sake of the food. For the sake of the reward.
***
Now that Lavana was done taking the 10 spoonfuls, Beatrix gave the deep plate to Carl who accepted it like he was receiving an imperial edict.
"No need to be so nervous. You are sweating despite the AC. Why are you so scared?"
"I... Do you eat humans? I'm just afraid that if I made a mistake..."
"Hey, Carl. Yes, we aren't human but that doesn't mean we eat people." Lavana said.
"Mr Carl, being so nervous is useless. I love eating meat but the meat must be well-cooked. I eat animal meat. Are you an animal?" Beatrix looked pissed but Lavana patted her shoulder. Her temper was really like Thora's.
"Mr Carl, you can go outside and have a rest for the night. My lil sis and I can take it from here." Lavana said with a smile.
"Ok!" Carl quickly exited the room as Beatrix shook her head in pity.
"Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! Such a coward. He's even more spineless than a grasshopper. Hmph!" she scoffed.
"Baby, that's enough. Where's my reward?" Lavana asked, her eyes fixated on the small porcelain pot.
"Alright!" Beatrix went to the table to get the pot and returned, placing it on the bed tray.
She took the deep plate and spoon from the bed tray and returned them to the tray on the table.
She skipped back to the bed and sat on it.
Lavana licked her lips, rubbing her hands that had been itching.
"I can't wait to eat the chicken in it," she said.
The main reason she was this anxious was because of the aroma earlier. It was chicken.
So she excitedly took off the lid, forgetting the bitterness in her mouth.
But she soon frowned.
"Beatrix what's this?" she asked unhappily.
Where was the chicken that she was so prepped up to eat?
"Big sis, this is chicken-flavoured fish. And the soup was made from ginger..."
"Forget it. I'm not eating. Take it away, Beatrix. You deceived me." Lavana folded her arms, pouting.
"Eh?" the little one widened her eyes in disbelief, pointing at herself.
"I deceived you? How could you say such a thing!"
"You said there's a reward but I see no reward." Lavana looked away.
"Big sis," Beatrix drew closer and whispered. "You are a mermaid, right? Why are you unhappy to eat fish? Or is seaweed your favourite food then?" she asked.
'What seaweed? Who wants to eat those? Who told you I like fish?"
"I thought you'd like it."
"You... I already ate so much fish back in the restaurant. I love meat alright." she said.
Beatrix sighed and got off the bed looking sad.
"It's alright. I'm at fault. I wrongly assumed that, based on your identity, you must like fish a lot. I'm sorry.'