Chapter 40: Fixing Trust
"What was that for?" Claire demanded, after she got up from the courtyard floor and used Episkey to heal the burns on her chest from Merula's Bombarda spell.
Merula groaned in irritation. "Don't you remember what I said earlier? Rakepick doesn't follow the rules. Thus, she would probably attack you in the same way I did."
"But we don't know if she's actually going to be in the final Cursed Vault," Claire pointed.
"Even if she isn't, you need to be prepared for anything. You dueled a Dragon in the previous vault, for crying out loud!"
"Take it easy, Merula," Tonks said, getting between Merula and Claire. "Do you really think a regular duel will be any different from taking on a member of 'R'?"
"I just know Rakepick won't go easy on Krystal, and neither will I," Merula insisted. "Looks like you'll need me in the final Cursed Vault more than I thought."
"Admittedly, your Dueling skills have improved," Claire said.
"That's because I know what's at stake, and revenge is the only way to defeating Rakepick," replied Merula.
Tonks looked concerned. "Maybe you need to rethink your approach, Merula. Someone could get hurt because of you."
Frowning, Merula walked away from the courtyard.
"Not sure what's gotten into that girl," Tonks remarked. "I know she's usually grumpy, but it seems she's more grumpy than usual."
"I've noticed that too," Claire said. "Ben might know something about it."
Leaving the courtyard, Claire went into the Great Hall where some students were finishing up their dinner and taking out their books to study for upcoming exams. She noticed some of the students were now sporting green and blue hair, which she figured was due to the prank that Tulip and the Weasley twins did on the combs. Ben was sitting at the Gryffindor table with two large books opened, so Claire sat across from him.
"Has Jae found a lyre for the Merqueen already?" Ben asked.
"No, but he's working on it," Claire responded. "Merula and I were just brushing up on our Dueling skills, when she ended it in an outburst."
Ben didn't seem surprised. "We've seen her get emotional during Duels before, but that might be what we need to find the last Cursed Vault."
"I'm not sure I agree with you. She's so focused on defeating Rakepick that it seems to be taking up everything she does."
"Well, when you put it that way, it wouldn't be good for Merula to get cocky around a vicious Witch like Rakepick."
"Exactly."
"It could be Merula's way of dealing with grief, though. You haven't forgotten why we created the Circle of Khanna, right?"
Thinking of Rowan, Claire glanced down at the table. She noticed the two books that Ben had looked familiar, until she realized they were the same books that had Rowan's notes in them from the Restricted Section.
"Even if we don't always agree, we need to work together and trust one another to get to the final Cursed Vault," Ben said. "That's what Rowan would have wanted."
"Thanks, for reminding me of what's important," Claire said, and left Ben.
###
"We need to talk," Merula said to Claire before Potions Class began the following day.
"I agree," Claire responded. "After that duel we had last night, I realized that you've been acting more…impulsive lately."
"More like decisive," Merula argued. "Hesitating will only get you killed."
"But we need to work together if we're going to be 'R' and Rakepick to the final Cursed Vault, and trust each other."
"Trust goes both ways, though, and that's why I want to put you to the test right now by taking Veritaserum." From a nearby shelf, Merula took a dark-green vial with a gold cap on it.
"But Professor Snape said that potion is very potent," Claire warned.
"Didn't we survive the effects of the Amortentia Potion on Valentine's Day, though? Veritaserum should be nothing compared to that. But this is so we're completely honest with each other."
Just as Merula was about to unscrew the cap on the vial, Claire stayed Merula's hand. "Let's think about this for a moment. If we both took this potion, we would only be saying what we think is the truth but not the actual truth. So we would have nothing to gain by drinking a potion to be honest rather than just being honest."
"Okay, then if you were to interrogate me what would you ask?" Merula said.
Claire paused and said, "What do you want the most?"
"That's a rather probing question, but I like it. You get right to the point, which is what I tried to get at the other night. Guess we don't need Veritaserum to tell me you're just as focused on getting to the final Cursed Vault as I am."
So Merula put the Veritaserum back on the shelf just as Professor Snape came in. Thus, she and Claire went back to their usual table with Barnaby, Liz, and Ismelda.
"When are we heading into the Black Lake?" Merula whispered to Claire.
"I need to talk to Jae first, and then we'll be ready," Claire whispered back.
Professor Snape cleared his throat loudly, forcing Claire and Merula to remain quiet for the rest of the lesson. Then after classes were done for the day, Merula and Claire met up with Jae at the Boar's Head Inn.
"Do you have a lyre?" Merula asked once she sat down in the booth where Jae was seated.
"Yes," Jae said nervously. "But I'm not sure it's good enough…."
"We'll be the judge of that," Claire said, sitting across from Merula with Jae seated between them. "So let's see it."
Reaching behind his back, Jae placed a large lyre on the table. Made from light bronze, it was very ornate though the strings were all over the place.
"We can't give this to the Merqueen," Merula insisted. "It's junk!"
"No, it looks fine," Claire insisted. "Though the strings could be fixed. "Do you think Kirley could fix them, Jae?"
"Of the Weird Sisters? Sure, he could fix the strings on this lyre in no time!" Jae claimed.
"Then tell him to fix them as quickly as possible," Merula insisted. "We've been delaying enough as is."
To be continued…
