Beware the Violet

by Maria Vermisoglou

  Suddenly, a wind so strong rose up, throwing my bagel down. Looking around, I detected the cause of the wind and frowned. A motorbiker parked and walked towards me.

  Flashing his white teeth, he said, “Sorry. You should watch where you’re stepping, doll.”

  Clenching my jaw, I kept my hands at my sides. I could in no way punch him like I’d like, but he certainly deserved it. “You should watch where you’re going! You could have hit me and in case you haven’t noticed, I wasn’t standing on the road!”

  Instead of acknowledging his mistake, he shrugged nonchalantly and waved his hand. “Well, no one got hurt, doll. No harm no foul.”

  Pointing to my ruined bagel, I whistled, “My food got hurt by your ridiculous acrobatics!” I wasn’t sure why, but this guy rubbed me the wrong way and I couldn’t contain my anger.

  “I can offer a ride for compensation for your loss. Everyone loves to ride with my trusty Storm, doll,” he said, flashing his white teeth again and I couldn’t believe his nerve.

  “I’d rather walk than have another accident and stop calling me doll!”

  “Your loss!” he said and walked away, clicking his motorbiker boots. I continued to watch him and it took me some moments until I registered the strange occurrence. I’ve studied and practiced reading auras for some time now, but even though I wasn’t an expert, I was certain he was bad news. Circling behind him like a cloak was an aura that kept changing like it couldn’t decide. Mostly black, it would become pink before the blackness would swallow it and this happened with different colors. Who was he or a better question was what was he?

  ◆◆◆

  “That’s so peculiar!” Kristy said when I mentioned the incident at school. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, I’m sure!” I said, upset. “He was getting on my nerves and he was so rude and strutting around like a peacock! I couldn’t forget Mr. I own this world, even if I wanted to!”

  “You should talk to the witch. She’s bound to know, but you got to see a rare aura. Aren’t they amazing?”

  My lips curled into a grin. “Yes, I was lucky to notice it and I wanted to stare at it all day. So, does this mean the librarian is unique?”

  “Yes, and she will do great things, but you should know that most librarians have colorful auras. After all, they’re guardians of knowledge.” Kristy got up as the bell rang.

  “Does the Blessed Realm have a library?”

  “No, but we all have books so if you go to each resident, I suppose you’ll have a library’s worth of knowledge.” I shook my head at the thought. “So, tell me again, how was this guy?”

  After the lessons were over, I headed with Kristy to the Blessed Realm and when the gate appeared, my mind went back to when I last saw Jacques. Was I too harsh, maybe, but didn’t I have the right to be harsh after he ditched me without an explanation?

  “Deep in thought?” Kristy’s voice brought me crashing back to reality.

  Blinking, I noticed we had arrived at the witch’s house. “Yes, a bit.”

  “It will be fine, you’ll see. Later, we can go shopping. See ya!” She said, flying away, and I grinned before pushing the familiar wood of the door.

  “Hello, Violet,” Madelena said when she saw me. “What’s on your mind?”

  Putting my bag on the floor, I told her what happened and her expression turned serious. She paced on the floor and then turned to me.

  “It could be one of the Mistress’ pawns, but he possesses a dangerous power. He is able to swallow auras.” My eyes widened, but she held out her hand to stop the flow of questions before I started firing them off. “When someone’s aura gets swallowed, that person ceases to exist. Supernatural beings and even humans depend on their auras as they contain a vital part of our souls. Take that part away and we disappear. After that, there’s no saving them. This being whoever he is, feeds on auras and we must watch him closely.”

  Awed, I looked at her. This couldn’t possibly be real. “I thought he was just rude,” I mumbled, wishing it was true. “Why has he landed here?”

  “The Blessed Realm draws creatures, but the question is why now?” Madelena shook her head and snapped her fingers, turning the room into an underwater aquarium. “Enough of this conversation. I’ll look into this and meanwhile you must focus on your training. Don’t worry about him.”

  I nodded, relieved she would take care of this burden and I concentrated on the bubbles she conjured. The training took my mind off the dangerous motorbike guy, but sometimes, my mind wandered back to his mysterious aura. Who was he? What was he? The witch seemed relaxed but only the slight frown on her face betrayed her discomfort.

  “Has Kristy showed you the realm yet?” Madelena said as we walked out of her house.

  “Yes, she did, and it’s amazing.” My mind traveled back to the certain day, remembering all the wonders I saw. “She showed me the borders too, but she said no one comes in. Why?”

  “I’ve told you some of the history so you understand that some creatures prefer their solitude after what happened.”

  “Yes, but no visits at all? It’s strange.” We had stopped at the edge of the Enchanted Forest, and every time I was close, I tried to catch a glimpse of its magical glow.

  “It’s—”

  A wild wind rose up, making the leaves and soil swirl. We watched as the wind turned into a small storm.

  “What’s happening?” Kristy yelled, appearing next to me.

  “I don’t know! It just appeared,” I said and trying to use some of my powers, I produced a purple barrier that protected us. Madelena created a shield made of magic and Kristy summoned roots and plants to our combined powers. The shield was good and the wind couldn’t bypass it, but with the corner of my eye, I saw Madelena struggling. If she struggled, it meant that whatever was coming was bad news.

  The thought of the Evilship coming or one of her minions, triggered fear and rays of purple light shot up, cutting through the wind.

  “Now that is what I call cleaning house!” Kristy said, putting her hands at her sides, satisfied. “Well done!” She patted my arm, and I smiled weakly.

  “Very good Violet, but you must know usage of any of your Believer powers will drain you so be careful with how often you use them,” Madelena said, looking at the dust settling. “The witch and fairy powers might weaken you, but your Believer powers are unpredictable. Unfortunately, I cannot teach you how to control them. Only you can find the way.”

  The sound of rapid footfalls alerted us to the presence of several people and when the scene cleared, I saw a vampire, the banshee girl and lastly, Jacques. He looked at me, but I said nothing and turned my gaze to study where the wind used to be.

  “What happened?” Jacques asked, but I continued to stare ahead, ignoring him.

  “We don’t know,” Madelena said, and I detected a note of annoyance. “There was a tornado, but the cause is yet to be identified.”

  “Someone’s coming,” the vampire hissed, and we all stood alert, ready to defend the land.

  I kept my eyes peeled for any kind of disturbance, but the scene was clear and I was thinking it might have been only a wild wind but all of a sudden, a man appeared. Blond with brown eyes, he walked like it was just an ordinary day in an ordinary place. Blinking, I couldn’t understand how he could have appeared in a flash unless…

  “Get your stakes, a new vampire is in town,” Jacques said and the vampire beside Jacques hissed.

  “I can hear you!”

  “I wasn’t talking to you,” Jacques retorted, and he huffed.

  Looking down at my fingers, I noticed purple sparks coming out, and I concentrated in order to extinguish them. Looking at the newcomer, I wondered how I could sense he was a vampire before I actually knew it.

  The new vampire gave us a relaxed smile as he stood in front of us. The way he acted was like we had all arranged a meeting in a park. Thick muscles adorned his arms and a black leather coat which was odd. Despite being fall, it was hot ou
tside, and the sun was well up. Besides, vampires didn’t get hot or cold at all as the feeling in their flesh had long ceased. The Blessed Realm gave certain privileges and vampires didn’t get burned under the hot sun. I observed him well and there were several things that didn’t add up. Vampires couldn’t summon winds—if he was the cause of the disturbance—and also, he didn’t look dead like the rest of the vampires I had met but almost like a human. Only his pointy teeth and elongated nails marked him as being a vampire or a werewolf.

  “I’m so glad I finally get to see the Blessed Realm that everyone talks so much about and of course, the lovely Believer.” He shot me a charming smile, but I didn’t return it.

  His eyes hold secrets.

  “And you are?” Madelena said in a sharp tone.

  “Khalid at your service.” He made a small courtly bow and his move reminded me of something that I couldn’t remember. Was it a lost memory fighting its way through the rest of the clutter?

  His words hide warnings.

  “How can we assist?” Madelena gave him a taut smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

  “I came to visit from far away. The Farest End had troubles, and it wasn’t for me anymore. Thought I’d settle in for a little while before taking my leave,” Khalid said without being bothered by the guarded and even hostile expressions of some of the residents.

  “And why here? Surely, there are about fifty realms before this one,” Jacques said and I could sense his distaste for the stranger. Keeping his hand on his knife’s handle, I wondered how much time it would take for him to snap.

  “Well, the Blessed Realm is famous now and I wouldn’t miss an opportunity to meet the Believer.” Every time Khalid looked at me, his smile morphed into a charming one. Did he actually think I was falling for it? “Besides, you need someone to train your newest resident.”

  I couldn’t believe his nerve. What could a vampire possibly teach me that I needed to learn? My recent experience with vampires had left scars and even though I had to deal with them, I steered clear.

  “I can teach you to defend yourself. You seem to need it,” Khalid said, and I gritted my teeth.

  “Very well,” the witch said, and we all turned to her, surprised. “You may stay as long as you don’t cause trouble until you have recovered.” Her lip curled. “The Believer must train to use magic first before she can learn anything else. Thank you for your offer but we must decline.” Madelena stalked off and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

  “We’ll have some great fun.” Khalid showed me his white teeth and for an instant, I hoped I could punch him and erase that perfect line of teeth. “See you soon.” He cocked his head to the side, revealing a large tattoo that his coat covered. As he walked away, the others gathered in a circle, discussing the recent appearance but I didn’t pay attention.

  This tattoo…I remember seeing it. I struggled to remember the image that kept fading, but I was fairly certain I’ve seen it before and it was anything but good news.

  “Violet?” Kristy’s voice called me back to the present.

  Blinking, I saw she was agitated and Jacques had an expression of anger on his face. Whatever they were talking about had caused some friction. Seeing the sun lower, I said, “I have to go” and left without Kristy this time who gave me a sad look.

  “This is no ordinary vampire,” I heard the Blessed Realm’s vampire hiss as I reached the door to the human world.

  No, he was definitely not and with each passing moment, I became even more certain that he was connected to my past.

  When doing my homework, I tried to concentrate, but the stranger’s tattoo came wafting in my thoughts making things difficult.

  A clap of thunder made me jump, and I went to the window. Heavy rain poured, making the cars glisten and washing the plants. As I was watching the deluge batter the eves of my house, another clap of thunder sounded, and I arched my eyebrows as this was no ordinary thunder. A strange shape had formed and at that precise moment, I remembered.

  “NO!” I yelled and my pencil fell out my hand, breaking.

  Chapter 4: Invisible

  I watched the rain fall as I waited for Diane to come out of school. Annoyed, I wondered how much time would it take for the rain to stop as it had been raining for three days in a row and stopping wasn’t in its immediate plans right now.

  We had arranged to go shopping since she wanted clothes for a party. We hadn’t done anything together in a while so it was a good way to catch up.

  “Hey, sorry I am late, but Ellen had to give me extensive advice on clothes.” She giggled. “You won’t believe how thorough she was. It’s just a party not a coronation.”

  “Well, she’s your friend. Of course, she wants to give you the best advice possible,” I said as we walked under the trees, trying to take cover.

  “I suppose.” Diane cast a careful look at me. “Where have you been? You’ve sort of disappeared off the face of the planet here lately.”

  “I’m here,” I said, but I knew what she meant. We used to hang out a lot, but with the training, exams and what I had discovered about Khalid made me fold into myself even more than before.

  “Exams are not everything, you know. You have to have some fun and in life, there are some things that matter more than grades.”

  Awed, I looked at her. Was that my sister talking so wisely? Had I missed part of her life? “I guess.”

  “We’re here!” Diane exclaimed and ran to the store and I followed, thinking over her words.

  Diane wasn’t much different than Kristy in the subject of clothes. They had to try everything before deciding on an item and that could take hours. Waiting for Diane to make a decision, I watched the people combing through the racks, in the fitting room and wondered how would it be like if I was still one of them? Carefree, only stressing out about exams, which clothes to wear to that party…

  “I’ll get these,” Diane’s voice sounded, and I smiled, grateful the trial was over.

  “Let’s get them, then,” I said, and we headed over to the cashier with Diane’s babbling following me.

  When we left the store, cold greeted us with its ugly teeth along with that annoying rain and I hoped it wouldn’t take us long to get home. “I think Ellen will be proud of me.” A pleased smile coated her voice, and I laughed. “Oh, no! I forgot my scarf!” Diane exclaimed, putting her hand around her neck.

  “Well, go get it and I’ll wait.” She handed me the shopping bags, and she ran back to the store.

  I gritted my teeth against the blustery wind, praying she would get back soon before I turned into a popsicle. I found shelter under some trees and was watching the door of the store for any sign of Diane when a voice made me jump. “Having a relaxing day?”

  I recognized the voice, so I turned to face…Jacques. “You really know how to scare people,” I chided and scowled as his appearance triggered feelings I didn’t want to face or have.

  “Sorry.” He looked down and then cast me a careful glance. “How are you, Violet?”

  “I’m fine.” I didn’t understand why he was here, but I certainly didn’t want Diane to see him. Questions that I couldn’t find plausible answers for would start and my sister might be many things but she was not stupid. She would sense if I lied. Especially since my lies would not be plausible.

  “You’re not fine.”

  Casting an angry look at him, I said, “So what? Did they send you to spy on me? Or to keep an eye on me? I can take care of myself! And I certainly don’t need you to help me with anything!”

  A passerby cast me a strange look as he walked away, but I ignored him.

  “Nobody sent me, Violet. I came on my own.”

  I swallowed and tried to backtrack. “Well, you don’t need to. I’m fine.”

  “It seems you have not been yourself since the day the stake showed up, so I think ‘fine’ is not the term I would use to describe you right now,” Jacques said and I was surprised he had noticed.

  “The st
ake?” I shook my head at the adjective. “That’s not a very good name for him even if he’s what he is.” Inside me, I laughed at the irony. I hated vampires and most of all him and here I was, defending…him.

  “It’s not me who named it.” Jacques grinned and his eyes sparkled. “Some of the residents find him…repulsive. Thus the fitting name.”

  When I went to train, I noticed Khalid making the rounds in the Blessed Realm and he was always greeting me but I didn’t return his gestures. He didn’t deserve anything but a stake in the heart and even that might not be enough. He was there when I entered the Blessed Realm and walked me to the gate with Kristy. My fairy friend had grown silent and only in school, we had some time of our own, but we didn’t talk about the deranged vampire.

  “What does Madelena say?” I tried to distract him from asking about my thoughts.

  He put his hand on his belt where I knew kept his orange knife but pulled it away. “Well, I’m sure she has her concerns, but she hasn’t shared them with us.” He plastered a smile on his face, but I sensed there was something going on between him and the witch. His eyes betrayed the anger he tried so hard to mask, but I preferred not to dig something up. I had enough problems as it was, I didn’t need anyone else’s overload to bury me.

  “I see.” I looked at the shop’s door in time to see Diane walking out with her scarf in hand.

  “We need to talk, Violet but until next time…” Jacques said, and I watched in horror as Diane stood next to him.

  “Sorry it took me so long, but I saw one of my classmates.” Diane stopped. “Vi, are you all right?”

  “I am just tired of waiting for you. It’s raining in case you didn’t notice,” I said and caused her to blush.

  “I’m sorry!”

  Casting a last look at Jacques, I walked away with my sister, puzzled about why she couldn’t see him. I looked behind me and he was still there and blew me a kiss, making me flush and I was grateful for the night’s cape on us. Shapeshifters!