Beware the Violet

by Maria Vermisoglou

  “Why would they do that? I don’t understand,” I said, glad we had slowed down.

  “Jacques is jealous obviously.” Turning to me, she tilted her head. “Seriously, you haven’t realized anything?” I shook my head, and she rolled her eyes. “You need lessons on relationships,” she said seriously. “Khalid boasted the whole day yesterday—”

  “—then why did you make me tell you the whole story?”

  “Because there’s no way you went to Egypt, Australia and turned back in a few hours. Even for a vampire, that’s a huge distance and I don’t think you would be fine with him carrying you,” she said pointedly and I opened my mouth.

  “He said what?”

  “Yup!”

  While we walked, I tried to understand what was he thinking, why would he say those things? Did he want it to seem like more happened but the story would implode when I offered my version, so why even try? I swallowed as I remembered the angry looks both boys shot at each other and the hate that emanated from both was off the charts.

  “Don’t think too much. It’s a contest,” Kristy said and sighed. “You really need these lessons. Khalid was boasting all day yesterday and Jacques is now jealous.” Her triumph didn’t make me feel any better, but rather worse as I thought of what was possibly going on right now between the both of them. If they were humans, the danger would be less, but supernaturals had deadlier weapons that they wouldn’t hesitate to use.

  Shaking my head, I said, “No way. If Jacques was still interested in me, he wouldn’t have fallen off of the earth.”

  “Maybe he’s giving you space? You can’t still be mad about that?”

  “I have other things to worry about,” I said crossly, releasing my hand from her grip. “And if I had to choose, I would choose someone who wouldn’t make me a public spectacle!” I marched through Madelena’s door without looking back.

  “Violet.” Madelena was in a sitting position while she levitated. “Come and sit with me.”

  I put my bag on the floor and looked at the living room. “We’re not going to the fiery room today?”

  “No, today I’m going to teach you how to stay focused when you have a bad day.”

  Was it that clear? I sat down as Madelena instructed, “Close your eyes and imagine a place that brings you peace. Bitter thoughts might try to invade your concentration, but keep focusing on a particular moment, object or person that brings you peace.”

  Closing my eyes, I imagined my mother’s face and the peace that always surrounded her, but before I could fully picture her, Jacques and Khalid showed up and ruined my memory. I tried many people and memories, but nothing was strong enough to withstand the scene I witnessed with the boys or my own frustration.

  Help me! I called to the void and to my utter surprise, help came from the most unbelievable source.

  If you get frustrated for such a little thing, how are you supposed to carry bigger burdens, darling?

  Grandma? Is that you?

  My grandmother’s image appeared clear as ever. Sitting on her couch, she looked healthy and not frail like she was during the last days of her life. Surrounded by a cloud of smoke, she seemed like a seer rather than a dream. I smiled, and I was about to run and hug her, but she raised her hand.

  I’m not really here, darling, so you will only dissolve the vision.

  Where are you…are you really here? You came from…? I said, trying to fathom the place she must be coming from. I sat cross-legged in front of her, observing her, wishing I could embrace her.

  My grandmother laughed. Don’t, you’ll get a headache. Now, on to the conversation at hand. Sadly, I didn’t only come to see you even though I’m glad I did. You’ve grown so much since the last time.

  I missed you, I confessed and sadness crossed her features.

  I missed you too, darling. All of you, she said, and then cleared her throat. I remembered she did that every time she had an unpleasant announcement to make so I braced myself for the worst. You know by now that you’re the Believer and that darkness is coming, a force far worse than the one you have already conquered. I had foreseen it, but I couldn’t tell anyone because only the Believer must have this knowledge. You must be armed with courage and wisdom and put your feelings aside. The Blessed Realm must survive, for it is the anchor of the supernatural world. If it is destroyed, every supernatural creature will die and so will the humans.

  My eyes widened, but I let my grandmother continue even though my throat burned with thousands of questions.

  The Blessed Realm and the human world are connected and neither can live if the other one ceases to exist. You have battles to win and lose and it will be hard, I know, but you must be strong. She opened her hand and a blue dreamcatcher with purple ornamented feathers surrounded by a glowing light, materialized. You are afraid of the knowledge you might discover, but you must in order to be prepared. You think you know what happens, but you only have bits and pieces. The truth is the truth, and you must be strong. Please, know that it was only to protect you and wasn’t meant to hide anything from you. Sighing, she gave me a sad smile. I’m sorry this happened, my granddaughter. I wished you would have a normal life, full of joy, blissfully unaware of the dangers.

  Why me? I said, taking the dreamcatcher and trying to absorb everything she told me.

  I don’t know. My grandmother looked up and I followed her gaze, but I saw nothing special. It’s time for me to leave.

  Wait, how can I deal with this? Any of this? How do I keep a level head when… the memories of Jacques and Khalid’s expressions poured inside me and I couldn’t think straight.

  Violet, there is only one way to deal with uncomfortable situations. Remember? My grandmother said and bit-by-bit, her figure started to fade. Good luck, my darling. I think of you always. Take care!

  Before I knew what was happening, I was back in Madelena’s living room.

  “Violet?” Her slender figure was leaning above me with concern. “Are you all right?”

  “I saw her. I saw my grandmother!” I gave her a brilliant grin with my grandmother’s memory fresh in my mind.

  Madelena was taken aback, but managed to compose herself. Putting her slender fingers under her chin, she said, “That is unusual. The ones who have left this world don’t return unless there is a serious reason. What did she want?”

  Shrugging, I said, “Nothing in particular. Maybe I called her involuntarily. I asked for help and I received it. Only it was from the other side.” I grinned and hoped Madelena didn’t ask any more questions. I knew I couldn’t tell her anything my grandmother shared with me, but I didn’t want to lie to her either.

  “I see.” I wasn’t sure if she believed me, but after checking my temperature, she rose. “I think that’s enough for today. We’ll continue the lesson another day.”

  I got up and went to take my bag, but noticed the dreamcatcher my grandmother gave me. Lifting it, I said, looking at Madelena, “How did it get here? My grandmother gave it to me in the vision.”

  Frowning, Madelena took a moment before answering, “I do not know. Dreamcatchers can revive lost memories and Hope always carried it with her.” A smile lit up her face, giving her an eerie expression. “This particular dreamcatcher was her lucky charm she always said. It will definitely help you remember whatever memories are buried inside you, but you must be careful. Some things are painful. I would advise you not to do this alone.”

  I nodded and carefully folded the dreamcatcher inside my bag. “See you tomorrow.”

  “Rest well, Violet.”

  ◆◆◆

  “You want to use Hope’s dreamcatcher?” Kristy said when I told her the plan I had devised.

  It took me several days to confide in her, as I needed time to gather my thoughts and come to terms with what I’ve learned. Seeing my grandmother was a gift but I would have liked to see her a little bit more and to talk about regular things. Not about the imminent destruction or what I must do in order to save the world ye
t again. I tried to focus on the positive aspects, but a part of me was still angry at her for not telling me about the supernatural world or the role I would play in it.

  “Yes. My grandmother said I needed to know what happened in the past and in that way, I’ll get the pieces I miss.”

  Kristy nodded and swung her legs on the bench we were sitting upon. We had stopped to talk before going to The Blessed Realm and since I needed more than a few minutes to explain my recent vision and my plan, we grabbed something out of the coffee shop and had a thorough conversation.

  “Hope’s dreamcatcher is powerful and will take you to the right place, but do you really want to do it? You might discover things you are not ready to face.” Kristy was reluctant and fiddled with the pockets of her dress.

  I don’t really have a choice. The Blessed Realm’s future and that of the human world hinges on that truth. “Well, I want to know what happened in the past and I can’t remember on my own. Plus, this might help me with my fire problem.” I really wanted to know the truth, but I was also afraid. Sometimes, I found myself searching for what I would find, getting excited about it and the next moment, I would freeze, imagining a fire burning. It was hard not being able to trust that knowledge with anyone but I had to keep going. Both my grandmother and the weird woman had warned me about an imminent threat and if my suspicions were correct, then this was The Evilship.

  “All right. I will be there when you travel in the dream world just in case anything happens, but we must do it in the human world. First, we can avoid any distractions and second, the human world is more susceptible to dreams than the Blessed Realm. After all, humans resolve their issues through their dreams.” She grinned and dusted the breadcrumbs from her lap.

  While we headed to the Blessed Realm through the forest, Kristy said, “I’ll try to sneak us in, taking a quicker route this time.” I raised my eyebrows in question. “Things between the two of them have escalated big time.”

  There was no question who “they” were. I had avoided talking about the subject with her after the first time. She wasn’t the one to blame, but I was angry about the whole situation, finding it childish and Kristy thought it was funny. I saw nothing funny about two people who could easily kill each other while chatting. And for what? A girl who didn’t love either of them.

  “It’s for the best,” I said, crossly and Kristy taking my meaning didn’t add anything else but steered the conversation on to other mundane subjects.

  As soon as we landed in The Blessed Realm, Kristy flew me into the Enchanted Forest so fast that my vision blurred. When we landed, I took two steps and my knees buckled. Closing my eyes, I concentrated to clear my head and inhaled deeply a couple of times.

  “Sorry. I wanted to get you out of the way as fast as possible, but I thought the Believer powers would have protected you.”

  I opened my eyes and cast her an irritated look. “Next time, I’m taking an airplane!”

  “I’m faster than an airplane,” she complained.

  “It’s safer and steadier.”

  Putting her hand behind her head, she said, “Sorry?”

  “Fairies!” I muttered, and she laughed. “How are we going to get to Madelena’s house? Didn’t they see us?”

  “Oh, I’m pretty sure they did.” She stopped, and I twisted my mouth, looking in either direction to spot them if they came. “Well, Khalid certainly did, but Jacques can always sense when you are close for some reason.”

  “The necklace,” I growled.

  “Right.” Nodding, Kristy marched straight ahead, and I followed her. “Come, you will now see what the Enchanted Forest can do. It’s not all glowing and spreading life, you know. Vampires are forbidden to enter the forest and medallion or not, the forest will kick them out by force. Trust me, you don’t want to be on his bad side!”

  Surprised, I looked at the Enchanted Forest looked at it in a new light but it didn’t seem any different than the other times I had entered. Golden leaves adorned the silver trunks of the trees while fairies and glow fairies went about their business. Flowers were nowhere to be seen, though, and it saddened me, but I guess the Enchanted Forest followed seasons, too. I stood, staring at the scene for a while, loving the soft light the glow fairies produced and the tiny storms the fairies dusted up by flying too fast.

  “Come, this way,” Kristy said, pulling my hand and ushered me toward a red bush that stood out from the rest because of its rich, vibrant color. When we reached it, I noticed what I thought were leaves were, in reality, a kaleidoscope of red butterflies, fluttering on the bush.

  “Why such a rush?” I asked curiously. Kristy was casting anxious looks behind her shoulder while she snapped her fingers.

  “Because Jacques is not a vampire in case you have forgotten and he will catch up when he’s done fighting.” She rolled her eyes. Turning to the bush, she placed her hands together and said in a clear voice, “Oh heart, your immense beauty I worship. Please, show me the bridge of the past, present, and future.”

  All the butterflies in one movement rose from the bush and formed a bridge before us. I gazed in awe as the bridge of butterflies seemed like a real red bridge.

  “What—?”

  “This is the bridge of time. I’ll explain later, but for now, know that you can go anywhere as long as you know where you’re going. Concentrate and imagine the exterior of the witch’s house. She has, of course, protected it with spells so you can’t enter any part of the house and if you try, you’ll be severely hurt,” Kristy finished and looked at me seriously.

  Footsteps reached my ears and without looking back, I took careful steps toward the bridge. “I’ll be fine, Kristy. You don’t have to follow me.” I knew she could only follow me, but the trip was mine. “See you at school.” I stepped on the bridge and as I expected, the butterflies stayed alive in their places.

  “Violet!”

  I turned to look at Jacques running toward me, but Kristy stopped him.

  I’m sorry, but I have had enough. Focusing on Madelena’s house, I imagined standing outside like any other time and knocking upon her blue door. I hadn’t finished my thought when a cloud of smoke clouded my vision and before I knew it; I was outside Madelena’s house, staring at the stained windows.

  “That was fast,” I said, surprised and pushed the door open.

  “So, you learned how to use the bridge of time,” Madelena said and looked at me with her orange eyes. I nodded and tried not to stare at her like I wanted to do every time I saw her. These orange eyes were unreadable and also she was the only one I knew that had them. Whenever I saw her, I was unable to pinpoint their exact hue. Today they were sunset orange, and I hoped this meant she was not mad at me.

  “Yes. Is it bad? The bridge of time?” I asked and sat on the floor next to her.

  She looked ahead before answering. “The bridge of time is dangerous, yet useful, but I would suggest to avoid using it in the future unless you’re in dire circumstances.” Her playful smile brought a blush to my cheeks.

  “You’re the only one I know who managed to use it with success on the first try.”

  “What would happen if I couldn’t?”

  Discomfort crossed her features as she answered, “It’s different every time, but you would be trapped between time and space with no way out until I or another witch freed you.”

  “Oh,” I said and instantly felt bad, I didn’t know these facts earlier. Should I know them, I might not have been quite as quick to use the bridge.

  “Kristy took a risk sending you here that way. She must have a lot of faith in you and your abilities,” she noted, and I shrugged, trying to repel the unpleasant feeling creeping down my spine.

  “It’s not her fault,” I said automatically as I felt Madelena’s displeasure.

  “I am aware of that. Certain situations have come to light that required such action,” she said the last words in hesitation. “I shall take care of matters and you won’t need to use the bridge for su
ch mundane things.” Closing her eyes, she continued, “I believe it’s time to empty your mind so we may begin.”

  I did as ordered and focused on the cloud of red butterflies on the bridge. It brought me peace and calm, keeping my inner thoughts at bay. I didn’t think, I just felt.

  “You did better this time,” Madelena observed when we finished.

  “The butterflies, the butterflies helped me,” I said, not fully back in the present yet.

  “Butterflies?”

  “The ones on the bridge of time.” Seeing she didn’t understand, I explained. “Kristy guided me to a red bush only they weren’t leaves, but red butterflies and when she asked for the bridge of time, the butterflies formed a bridge,” I said, excitement pouring into my voice.

  Shaking her head, Madelena looked confused. “There are no red butterflies in the bridge of time, Violet.” I gave her a look of disbelief. “Whatever you saw was something else.”

  “But I saw it!” I objected and Madelena heading for the door, she said, “I believe you. Only it was something else and perhaps, something that was meant for your eyes only. One day, you shall discover what it was or not.”

  She went outside and as if on cue, Khalid showed up, bringing a look of displeasure on Madelena’s face.

  “Violet, I think it is time for you to head home. You have lessons to finish.” Walking up to Khalid she said, “I was hoping we could talk.”

  I didn’t know Madelena much, but I quickly took my cue to leave as fast as my legs could carry me. Madelena was not someone I wanted as an enemy and standing in her way was a worse idea. The wind picked up and sparks sizzled, cutting through my skin all the way to the gate.

  I was so scared, I ran all the way home from the Blessed Realm, and only when I turned into our road did I stop to take a breath.

  “I didn’t know you were competing in the Olympics,” a voice behind me said that sent me into panic mode, but upon turning, the shapeshifter was casting his tired gaze at me. Strangely, he looked even more worn out than me. I had never seen him looking so haggard before since he always seemed so full of life and vibrant. But that was before. Before he changed.