“I don’t think I’m going. I might go over to mom and dads.” Vivian replied.
Jean changed her dress again to a silk purple that went below the knees. “What? You never miss the ball!”
“I know….” Vivian twirled a loose thread from the comforter around her finger absentmindedly.
“Why don’t you go with Seth?”
She laughed. “The wanna-be-human?”
Jean laughed too. “You like him Viv, and it’s clear he likes you. This is the yearly ball, it’s a big deal for all of us here, and you deserve to have fun.”
“He won’t be here for long, what’s the use of starting anything?” She waved her hand over the thread, and it pulled itself back into the comforter like new.
“Ask him - “
Jean was cut short by a soft knock on the door, and she pushed aside a slot for the peephole, and ran back over to her excitedly. “It’s Seth.”
Vivian shook her head frantically, mouthing the word ‘no’, but she had already opened the door.
“Hi Seth, so nice to see you.” A smile seemed to be pasted on her face.
“Yeah… You too… Um… Is it okay if I speak to Vivian alone? Please?”
“Absolutely.” She swung on her heel, the smile still plastered to her face. “See ya Viv.” And she left, shutting the door behind her.
Vivian sat up suddenly uncomfortable. “What’s up?”
Seth took a seat next to her sitting rather rigid as though he was uncomfortable too. “I got you this,” he placed in her hands a light gray and black rock that shined mysteriously on its own. It had a leather string running through it to hang over her neck.
She smiled biting her lip, and running her thumb over the smooth texture.
“What’s the matter? Did I do something wrong?” He looked at the necklace worryingly.
“No, you didn’t, don’t worry. It’s just that…. Do you know what you just did?” Vivian questioned.
“This fairy, Flint told me, handing a girl an unusual rock means courtship or something. It’s the old way of doing it he said.”
“He was right….” A thought occurred to her. “How do you know Flint?”
“Jean-“ Seth replied.
“Jean,” she laughed. She knew her sister had something to do with this. She gave her the opening to what she knew she wanted.
“Hey, Seth, you know about the ball right?” Vivian asked.
He nodded, a smile curling about his lips. “Will you go with me?”
“I might….” No use letting it be too easy for him.
"Good enough for me," he smirked.
* * * * *
The night of the ball Vivian and Jean stood in front of the large mirror in her room. Vivian wasn’t use to seeing herself so fixed up. She usually wore jeans with gaping holes in the knees, and a t-shirt that barely survives, but this night she wore a dark blue dress that barely swept the floor with long flaring sleeves. Her hair was left down cascading down her back. She still wore the necklace that Seth had given her the night before, not having taken it off.
“Not bad,” Jean smoothed down the front of her lacy purple dress turning to see the backside.
“Not bad at all. But your hair!” Vivian ran her hands over the bouncing curls leaving it straight and shiny.
She felt her hair, and nodded approvingly. “Good work Viv.”
"I wanted to thank you."
"Thank me for what?"
"For Seth."
"Anytime sis. Anytime."
A knock announced the arrival of the boys. With a wide excited smile Jean opened the door. There stood Flint and Seth. Flint stood tall, with shoulders back. He had dark brown hair that laid in a mess on top of his head. His blue eyes were bright and alive, and he wore a silky silver gown with matching pants underneath.
“You look great.” Jean touched his shoulder feeling the silk.
“It’s odd without my outfit or wings.” He shifted uncomfortably.
She looked over to Vivian, “we’ll see you two out there.” She winked as she linked arms with Flint, and exited the room.
After a short silence, Seth spoke. “I’m no good at this.”
Vivian slid her arm through the crook of his elbow. “Neither am I."
They walked out to the circular room. Strings of golden lights hung around the walls lighting up the dark. Soft music of violins and pianos, she recognized as Maeve’s, played seemingly out of thin air. Even Vivian, who had seen this done once every year, had grinned broadly taking the beautiful sight in. For her, this never got old.
Every creature was dressed in their finest clothing. The centaurs with dark colored vests the green matching the forest outside. The fairies looked as though they were dipped in glitter, they shined and sparkled brightly as they flew around dancing in mid-air.
Vivian looked sideways at Seth, enjoying the drop of his jaw. She took his hand swinging him onto the floor where the chairs used to be. Vivian laughed as she twirled him around.
“Ummm…. I’m not too good at this,” Seth confessed as he tried to regain his awkward balance.
She took his other hand. “It’s customary to dance.” It came so suddenly that she felt comfortable. Maybe it was the atmosphere, or that she was finally becoming comfortable around Seth. Not once had she thought about him wanting to leave.
“Yeah, but I was always awful at dancing,” he then tripped over his own feet.
Vivian held his hands more tightly keeping him from falling. “You’re not so bad. It’s harder to dance with four legs.” She glanced over at the centaurs that were swaying back and forth in time to the music. It was quite a sight to see, and they both laughed quietly.
“Good thing a centaur didn’t bite me then,” he pulled her towards him his hands resting on her waist.
A warm feeling crept over her cheeks, and she lowered her head hoping to cover her face by her long hair. She didn’t have to look up to know that Jean was staring at her approvingly. Still without looking up she slid her hands on his shoulders. They were broad and strong, she had to resist the urge to squeeze.
Music changed throughout the night, and so did the people’s rhythms. Seth, and Vivian did not leave the dance floor, they continued to stay, their arms around each other. They never spoke a word, maybe because they didn’t have anything more to say, or they were too uncomfortable to say what they really were thinking.
Jean appeared next to them, Flint with his arm around her waist. She gave a tired smile. “I’m beat.”
“Going to bed?”
“Yeah, but really, this is the best ball we have had in a long time.”
Vivian nodded in agreement. “The Brownies did a great job.”
Seth looked around the room. “Brownies?”
They all chuckled, and she patted his shoulder. “Not the food. They are helpers, they clean here.”
"Brownies?"
"Yes," Vivian nodded.
“I’m going to bed. Don’t stay up too late.” Jean nudged Vivian painfully in the ribs, and winked.
After they left, Vivian and Seth continued to dance slow, barely moving their feet. Breathing in deeply, she could smell his cologne. It was a dark smell like that of the night, of something mysterious, and beautiful. A thought came quickly across her mind that she never wanted to let go of this boy, but keep him under her wing. Or maybe, when he grew used to this world they could just be together. Just them.
Vivian had always been happy, but not this kind of happy where she could give a full smile and mean it. She hadn't had her picture taken since the loss of the family, but if she had, none of the pictures of her would show her smiling. Except maybe one tonight.
"What?" Seth crinkled his brows looking down at his shirt checking to see if he had a stain.
Vivian realized that she must have actually been smiling stupidly. She chuckled quietly, "nothing. Just having fun."
Clasping her hands behind his neck she rested her head on his chest. His heartbeat was rather fast,
and it was then that she remembered that werewolves hearts were faster than humans. This thought caused a jolt in her heart as thought it had skipped a beat.
"Vivian?"
Lifting her head she looked up in his eyes. Maybe she had gone too far, gotten too close, but that wasn't what he seemed to try to get across. He placed one finger under her chin raising her face towards his. He leaned down, his lips not an inch from hers when she pulled back out of his arms.
Seth stared at her, confused, and hurt, and she felt ashamed. She wanted to puke just now from the somersaults her stomach have been doing.
“Come on, there’s something I want to show you,” she said. She had made up her mind on what to do. It was only right, so she led him back through the hallway into her room. His expression had suddenly changed into a wide-eyed shock.
“Oh, Vivian, look, I like you a lot but -“
She turned abruptly from the window she was opening. Did he say what she though he had said? Or was it only in her mind? “You what?”
“I like you, but don’t you think this is rushing things?”
In her mind she re-played what she had done, and it clicked. Of course! “No, Seth.” She began laughing, blushing at the same time. “Just follow me."
A very confused Seth followed after her through the window out into the forest. It was cold, and dark, hiding the light from the moon, but as their eyes adjusted they saw where they were going, and they were further back as it was dense, the trees close together, they sometimes had to move sideways to get by them. Vivian lifted her dress to her knees holding them at a knot to her side keeping them from ripping on anything.
After a few minutes of walking in silence, Seth sighed, waving a hand to rid the cobwebs that had stuck to his face.
“Where are we going?”
Vivian stepped over a fallen log covered in moss. “We’re almost there.”
Soon enough they came to a small clearing where the trees circled back around a silver pond. Unlike most ponds there were no ripples, and nothing reflected in it, not even the sky, or tops of trees. Instead it shined as though it was light itself.
“Where are we?” Seth asked.
“The Silver Reflections,” she led him over to sit at the edge.
“This is weird,” he bent to touch it, but Vivian’s reflexes were quick and she smacked him sharply on his wrist.
“Don’t touch, and stay quiet,” she whispered, and dipped her fingers in. It was as smooth as water, and warm like a drawn bath, and like many times before, she had the urge to jump in feet first, to feel the warmness wash over her.
Waving her hand back and forth causing short ripples that disappeared quickly before reaching the edges, a picture began to surface. It was a hunched over boy sitting on an old army cot with paint peeling off the steel headboard, and the blankets, sheets, and pillow looked worn. He was young, must have been about eight-years-old with a mop of blond hair. By the image he was crying, small tears streamed down his cheeks and chin. A lady who resembled a large penguin in a black and white robe entered from a door behind the boy. She mouthed something they could not hear, and the boy cried even more. Stomping across the room she took him roughly by the arm forcing him out of the room of army cots.
Beside Vivian, Seth sighed shakily, shivering. Whether it was from the cold, or the image, Vivian did not know, but she slipped an arm around his shoulders comfortingly.
“They took him,” he said.
The image disappeared by a wave of Vivian’s hand. “Took him where?’
“The orphanage…” he said.
Silence engulfed them, not even the wind had dared to disturb it. Vivian kept going over the thought in her mind. He had a little brother, she knew that, but the fact that he was that young she didn’t know, and he was on his own. It was obvious that Seth had been the caregiver. Why else would he be in the orphanage?
She finally spoke. “He looks a lot like you.”
He nodded.
"Makes it even more important in reaching the book."
"What do you mean?"
"You have a little brother to take care of. And..... Well....."
Seth turned to stand in front of her, bending slightly to catch her eyes. "What is it?"
"I was hoping that maybe if you started liking it here that maybe you wouldn't want to leave. Reason I've never gone to fetch the book. I know it's important, but my family is not even that cruel to do anything to it. It was an excuse to get you to stay a little longer. It's stupid I know..."
He remained quiet, looking at her.
"I'm sorry. It was so stupid," she lowered her eyes.
"No.... It was nice. Vivian, this is the closest thing I have ever had to a family for a long time. I can never thank you enough for this gift you've given me."
"Thank Astrid...." Vivian smirked, but went quickly serious thinking of what she saw in the pond. "But it doesn't matter. We have to find that book now, and afterwards you can go for your brother."
It was odd, but Seth's face went slack like she had taken away something precious from him. "I can't. I don't even know what orphanage it is, he could be anywhere."
The palm of Vivian's hand filled with a steel sharp object by magic, and she held out her keys. "Go on. Look for him, no matter how long it takes, and when you come back here I'll have the book. Your brother can't take much more staying where he is. Go on. I can find the book without the jeep."
"I can't...."
"Yes, you can. Take the keys Seth."
Hesitant though he was, Seth took the keys from her hand turning them over in his palm. "I don't know...."
She placed her hand on his closing the fingers around the keys. "Yes you do."
Slipping his arms around her waist he held her close. She pulled her arms over his shoulders feeling his fast heartbeat against her chest. She took a deep breath smelling the scent of him.
"Thank you," he whispered in her ear, his warm breath grazed her ear causing chills over her.
"Go on," she smiled pushing him away.
She watched him make his way through the trees that soon hid him from view. He never looked back. It was easier that way. It was like a bad mushy fairytale, except this only seemed to get worse, and she was no princess with glass slippers.
Chapter Five
Back Again
The next week the clouds over the Underground were stormy gray threatening to drench the ground in rain, to light up the sky with lightening, and fille the night with the sound of thunder. Even the sun could not suppress through the gloomy air. The field outside was wet and muddy, the flowers droop down looking close to death.
Vivian only knew the weather outside from hearing the thunder shake the walls of the Underground. She didn't venture outside, for inside she was up to her ankles in letters and envelopes. Her hair looked stringy from running her fingers through it in frustration from crossing out lines in a letter, re-wording it, and then crossing it out again. Her fingers were smudged in ink, smudging it further on the paper, and having to redo the entire letter. This whole process was taking her over an hour, and every five minutes she checked her watch.
Each letter was to her family with its own guilt trip into asking for the book back. She never thought she would stoop so low as to guilt trip her family, but each time she was compelled to throw away the many papers, she thought of Seth and his brother, and would start again with a new letter.
With a last look at her watch she wrote her signature on the last letter, folded it and stuffed it into an envelope. She checked her watch again, and scooped up the many letters enclosed in envelopes, in her arms. With her foot, she pushed open the door and ran down the hall into the circular room to the door.
Silhouetted against the door was a man six feet tall, with short white hair, his nose long, and thin. He had pulled a bulging bag over his shoulder.
"Michael! Michael!" Vivian panted up to him balancing the envelopes.
Michael turned around, and made a funny noise between a grun
t and sigh. "Are you kidding me? My bag is already full, Vivian."
"Please, these are urgent. They have to be out today."
"Well...." His face went from exasperated to pity. "I've never seen you mail out a letter in my life, and this many letters is amazing. May I ask -"
"No." Vivian shook her head, she didn't mean to cut him off so rudely. "I'm sorry, it's just secret. I can't tell you."
Michael gave a short nod. "Okay, I'll take them. Anything for you."
"Thank you," Vivian relaxed her arms as he dumped the envelopes into his bag. "Thank you," she repeated, and sprinted back down the hallway.
Vivian didn't know why, but she expected an answer to all the letters she sent out, but a week went by without a single response. Each day she met Michael at the door, and each time he said "no letters." She suspected he was getting aggravated of her constant appearance.
She knew what was next.... She had to go and visit her family. She had hoped that Jean would go, she was almost certain she would, she was the one that read all the stupid letters they sent trying to persuade them to change back. But Jean, thinking something like this was what Vivian needed, refused flatly.
Not only did this put her in a bad mood, but also Seth never came back. It had passed into two weeks now, and there was no sign of them. Vivian went to Akia's room hoping for some all-knowing answer from her. But she said nothing, with a wave of her hand dismissing her away.
One morning Vivian dragged herself to the dining room. When she made her appearance through the doorway everyone stared in silence. She kept her eyes on her sneakers that were worn, and wearing at the soles. She paid no attention to where she sat, and piled her plate with the food around her, but she couldn’t eat. Instead she pushed her fried eggs around her plate poking at the yolk with the tip of her fork watching it in a yellow volcano. She closed her eyes and took a long sip from her glass of water, and casting her hand over it. The crystal water had turned red with wine, but before she could raise it to her lips it was snatched from her hand.
Vivian looked around, retreating back was Jean. But it did not matter. Her appetite was long gone. She rubbed her eyes with the palm of her hands realizing they were puffy from a nights crying and no sleep.
Book of the Hidden Page 4
