Beware the Violet

by Maria Vermisoglou

  ◆◆◆

  He said soon, but it’s been a week, I thought soberly as I listened to the philosophy professor analyze past events and theories. They seemed interesting, but today I couldn’t concentrate because of my worry. It wasn’t like him to break a promise unless something serious happened and it had delayed him.

  “That is so interesting! I can’t wait to learn more about it,” Lena chatted happily and her chatter reminded me of Kristy and her gossip. “See you later,” Lena called and I waved.

  As soon as I turned, I wiped the fake smile I had been holding in place all day for the sake of people who would come and bother asking me about my well-being. Raising my eyes, I realized that while my thoughts ran wild, my feet messed up and carried me elsewhere. Disoriented, I walked in the hallway, trying to locate where I was but in vain. I had never been on that floor before and didn’t know how I got here.

  Pushing open a door got me into a room that resembled a museum with animal heads hanging on the walls, cupboards full of artifacts and rugs in odd coloring. The only thing that marked this room as an office was the big oak desk at the back of the room with quills, pens, and papers aligned in neat stacks on the desk blotter. Torches instead of electrical lights were the only source of lights since dark curtains obscured the sunlight. As I was looking, my eyes fell on a ceremonial table in the center of the room and on top of it sat a rabbit.

  I smiled because the rabbit was not behaving like a rabbit at all but as a shapeshifter. I was about to speak when the rabbit turned to me and I paled. Taking a step back, my eyes widened. Staring at me was not a rabbit, but something out of the worst nightmares. I ran without a word and fortunately, this time, I found my way to my room.

  Shivering, I sat on the bed, rocking myself back and forth while my mind tried to locate the information I did not have. That thing could not be Jacques—he couldn’t be that cruel. What was it? Another shapeshifter? With a heavy heart, I closed my eyes and summoned the hideous image I saw. A rabbit with deer horns, duck feet, vulture wings, and a sea lamprey’s teeth. Shaking, I opened my eyes and concentrated on the view outside the window until I calmed down enough to analyze the facts.

  Questions circled my head without answers as I had not heard of such a creature before. My mind kept going to the rabbit part of the creature. It’s not Jacques, it can’t be… Yet it didn’t have an aura and shapeshifters didn’t have visible auras. Maybe he was in league with the other two and what was he looking for, going through papers?

  The next days passed in an anxious blur as I was checking every room for the strange creature but nothing happened. On Saturday, I took a stroll around the city since Jacques still hadn’t shown up and then, I headed to the library. I couldn’t find anything to read even if I had looked on every shelf. Putting it to my bad mood, I shrugged and headed to the back room that led to the gardens.

  Staring at me, sitting on a table was the strange rabbit creature. Swallowing a gasp, I shut the door and at a fast pace, I ran to my room and locked myself in. “What the hell?” I heaved and rubbed my eyes, certain they were playing tricks on me.

  Whatever happened to my eyes didn’t pass as I kept seeing the strange rabbit creature over and over in various places when the room was empty, but also when there were people around. Humans didn’t seem to notice it though, and I had started to think I was going crazy.

  After two weeks, I had enough. That very day, I was watching terrified as the rabbit creature strolled along the top border of our Physics classroom like it was mocking me. The bell rang and I ran with lightning speed to my room and locked myself in. “Enough! Enough!” I crumbled to the floor, crying while the rabbit paraded around in my mind.

  Feeling a soft texture rubbing on my arm, I raised my gaze and then screamed as the rabbit was sitting next to me. Moving away, I watched as the rabbit-like creature wrinkled its nose, but didn’t make a move. He cast me a look full of wonder that was contrary to the mocking behavior I was used to. He walked toward me, but I screamed.

  “Go away! Leave me alone!” I covered my face with my arms so I wouldn’t have to see it.

  The touch of human hands stopped my shuddering. “Violet, it’s me. What’s wrong? You’re trembling.” Jacques’ voice sounded and I peeked from my arms before pulling them away. He wiped my tears and enveloped me in his hug. “It will be fine,” he whispered, but more tears ran. “What happened? Tell me.”

  I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.

  Rubbing my back, he said in a low soothing voice, “I’m sorry I was late. I was…stuck.” He chuckled. “I’ve been traveling for a long time in my other form and never have I encountered any problems. This time, my foot got stuck in a trap. Can you believe that?” I felt him tap his foot angrily. “Not only that, but I had to call Kristy for help and she showered me with questions about you and after eons, she freed me.” Huffing, he said, “Rabbit season she said. How should I know that?” Hitting the floor, he made me jump. “Sorry, but it’s so frustrating!”

  “The rabbit…” I said, but then the words abandoned me.

  “The rabbit is fine, but it’s scared as expected,” Jacques said shrugging.

  “The rabbit had horns,” I tried and he stared at me.

  “The rabbit had horns,” he repeated and shook his head. “No, I don’t get it. Try again, please?”

  “The rabbit I keep seeing has horns,” I managed and Jacques looked at me seriously.

  “You see a rabbit with horns everywhere?”

  I nodded. “I’m going crazy.” A wave of new tears overwhelmed me, but Jacques put his head on my shoulder and whispered in my ear, “You’re not. If you see it and nobody else can doesn’t mean you’re crazy. It just means you’re the only one who can see behind the veil of the supernatural. Is it a shapeshifter?”

  “I don’t know. It doesn’t have a visible aura, but it has a rabbit body, deer horns, duck feet and a circled mouth full of teeth. I’ve been seeing it ever since I stepped in that strange room. It keeps showing up, mocking me and humans can’t see it. Even in classes!”

  “His eyes?”

  Thinking back, I pulled the memory and said, “Like melted gold but it’s…”

  “Hard,” Jacques said and I nodded.

  “You know it?”

  Pulling away, Jacques bit his lip. “I don’t know him, but I’ve heard of that creature. Dangerous, manipulative and crazy as the story goes. It has an aura, but the human brain can’t perceive it as it’s too much for it. It’s called a Wolpertinger and is a legend of the Germanic regions. There, humans say they had witnessed such a creature, but it’s more of a folklore myth than reality, but there are lots of statues for tourists and the like.” Jacques waved his hand but his frown had deepened. “In the supernatural world, he comes with a whole lot other than a strange body. Some say he can syphon the power of other creatures and others that his bite is poisonous. I don’t know the truth, but I must lure him away from here somehow. Crazy or not, he’s trouble.”

  I inhaled and exhaled in relief. “How do you know it’s a he?”

  “His eyes are gold. If it was a female, they would have been silver.” He grinned at my surprise. “I don’t know why, but in the shapeshifter world, gold is associated with males.”

  “Oh.” I swallowed. “And how are you going to get him to leave?” I tried to push down the fear that had been building up in my chest.

  “I’ll show him the way out, shapeshifter style.” He grinned and cupped my cheek. “Tell me, Violet.”

  “I don’t think I can do it.” Shaking, I put my hands on my head. “I’m sorry. Ever since I think of them, I can’t imagine fighting them and I don’t understand why. I’m so afraid and I can’t pull off something like last year. Looking back, I feel like it’s someone else who did it and not me.”

  Jacques pulled me toward him. “Of course, you can and I know you’re not really afraid. You just aren’t accustomed to the change yet.”

  “Change?”

&n
bsp; “Violet, you claimed your real powers, kicked the Evilship out of the Realm and moved ten states away from your home and family. Those are not small changes and you are in a strange place, surrounded by dangerous creatures and even without them, you don’t have any friends.” He kissed my hand. “You need time to be human.”

  “I haven’t thought about it. How was the trip?”

  “Except for the accident, it was good, but I couldn’t find anything useful about them. There’s been a gathering of shapeshifters in the nearby area and trouble is brewing.” He wrapped his arms and laid us on the bed. “But let’s not talk about that now.” I giggled and he placed a kiss on each of my fingers.

  I put my head on his chest and he took a sharp breath. “Sorry,” I said and moved away. “Do you want me to heal that?”

  “No, I’ll be fine.” He grinned but behind his eyes, I could see the pain reflecting in their navy colored depths.“Oh, and Kristy expects you at a fairy party on the weekend.”

  “What fairy party?”

  “She’ll send you an invitation. I was busy trying to escape her babbling and get unstuck to listen. Something about a girls’ party or something?” He gave me an innocent look and I glared.

  “That’s misinformation,” I pointed out and he gathered me on his chest.

  “No, Miss Webb. It’s hurrying up so I could get back to you.”

  “If you paid attention, you wouldn’t have been trapped,” I shot and his fists curled.

  “How should I know about traps? I haven’t lived in the human world before.”

  I turned my gaze away, but he made me look at him. “What did I say?”

  “My last name. Do not call me by my last name. I hate it! I have to endure teachers calling me by it and when Halloween comes, even my friends mock me.” Confusion crossed his face and I wondered what did supernaturals know about Halloween. The witch seemed to know enough. “Humans dress as supernatural beings and hang spider webs and anything creepy to celebrate.” More confusion. “So, Webb, cobwebs,” I said annoyed.

  “Humans are very strange creatures,” he retorted. “I wasn’t teasing you, but I wanted to hear how it sounded.”

  “Okay.” Having a sudden thought, I said, “Since we’re talking about names, why were you angry when…umm…I gave your name to the pet rabbit? Does the rabbit have another name?” I inquired and he sighed.

  “No, but it brings back bitter memories. I was the only shapeshifter with a small animal and when I was younger, they would tease me, calling the rabbit a pet and I guess it rubbed me the wrong way.” His eyes looked at me and it took me a while to surface from their depths. “I’m sorry I snapped.”

  I didn’t know what to say and sadness enveloped me. Sometimes, he shared bits of his unhappiness with me but I could never understand what reason his family had for mistreating him. “I can change it and tell her I mixed it up.”

  “No, it’s not like she stays in your room.” He kissed my hand and smiled. “I missed you.”

  I blushed. “I missed you, too. What—”

  Placing his fingers on my lips, he said, “Enough talking or I’ll start seeing double.”

  Confused, I raised my eyebrows, but he took my face and kissed me wildly. Passing his arms on my hips brought shudders as joy filled my heart. He murmured sweet words between his kisses and I sighed. I pressed my hands on his back, bringing us closer and he released the animal sound from his lips—a song to my ears.

  “My Violet,” he breathed as the dreams claimed us.

  ◆◆◆

  The next morning, I dressed for classes and shouldered my bag. He jumped in and my lips curled into a slight smile.

  “It’s not certain he’ll show up,” I said and he twisted his nose and disappeared inside. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  As I took my place in the first classroom, I didn’t see the strange creature and the lesson went like normally. Jacques to keep me company, sat on my lap and I passed my fingers through his soft fur. I loved the sensation, but I never did it because I knew he hated anything cute. For the time being, I enjoyed the moment.

  “Last lesson,” I said when I was taking the books out of my bag. “I doubt he’ll be here, too.” Jacques jumped onto my lap and I took out my utensils.

  Throughout the lesson, nothing extraordinary happened and I could focus on the lesson without worries. Suddenly, as the professor wrote on the blackboard, black smoke appeared and the rabbit-like creature fell out of the frame. My knuckles paled as I looked at the creature of destruction. Jacques bared his teeth and jumped down, making his way through the desks, invisible from the students.

  The rabbit-like creature stared at me, walking on the frame, mocking me like before, but I had enough of these games. A thought entered my mind, Jacques was supposed to lay low and take care of outside things. What will happen now that he is going to reveal himself to that thing? Panic soared through my veins along with uncontrollable anger.

  The rabbit-like creature shook his horned head, looking at me and I took a moment’s decision. Two can play this game! Concentrating on the blackboard, I changed its substance, making its surface slippery. As much as he tried, the creature couldn’t hold on and fell down with a loud noise. Startled, it rubbed its head and looked my way, but I enlarged my eyes, pretending to be afraid.

  It opened its mouth and I so wanted to stick something in his mouth but didn’t know what. Sitting on the professor’s desk, Jacques kicked the spare sponge, giving me the solution. Using my powers, I directed to the rabbit-like creature who hearing Jacques’s whistle turned just in time to suck the sponge inside his circular mouth. Coughing, the rabbit tried to take it out, but its paws were too small and it kept fighting, spitting saliva on the floor next to the professor’s high heels who completely unaware of the havoc, continued the lesson.

  The creature disappeared and the burned smell of food reached my nostrils and I grimaced. Take that, evil thing!

  Jacques jumped into my lap and I smiled, caressing his ears, but he nibbled my finger. Pulling my hand away, I shot him a confused look. He tapped his foot while a scowl crossed his rabbit face. He was not happy at all. I couldn’t understand the reason until I remembered last night’s conversation.

  “I’m sorry,” I mouthed but he didn’t show signs at my comment. “I know you wanted to kick him away, but I wanted to take my revenge for the days of madness he made me feel.” Jacques twisted his nose and when I tried to touch him, he gritted his teeth. He jumped inside my bag with his back turned to me.

  Silly rabbit, I thought with the smile playing on my lips.

  When I closed the door of my room, he jumped out and shifted. Having the same annoyed expression as his rabbit self, he said, “You have an awfully quick way to recover. I had a perfectly good plan and you ruined it!”

  “I’m sorry,” I said, trying to keep my face straight. “I wanted to take my revenge on him since he scared me too much and I suffered thinking I was going mad. But it was a good collaboration.”

  “Maybe.” He turned to the window with his arms crossed.

  Sighing, I sat beside him and hugged him. “I’m sorry?”

  “You wounded my pride, but it was a good show,” he offered involuntarily.

  “Thank you and you show off all the time with your rabbit shifting,” I retorted.

  “That’s not showing off,” he muttered and hunched his shoulders.

  “I wonder where he ran off to,” I said, thinking of whether the creature was done playing around or not.

  “Must be up on the fifth floor.”

  “How do you know that?” I raised my eyebrows and he smiled in triumph.

  “Well, his stench is headed that way. The smoke you saw is his aura and he uses it to appear and disappear at will. Maybe his powers are anchored to it, but I’m not sure.”

  “Fifth floor? But there’s nothing up—“ My mouth hung open when realization hit me. “Blimey! We’re doomed!”

  “Violet?”

&n
bsp; “There’s only one office on the fifth floor and that’s the Headmaster’s,” I said and Jacques looked like he had been hit with a sword.

  Swallowing, he nodded. “We’re not doomed. We’re already dead.”

  Chapter 5: Party like a Fairy!

  “Violet! It’s so nice to see you!” Kristy exclaimed as she greeted me at the Fairy Realm where the party was held.

  Her invitation had come in a pink envelope full of fairy dust and it took me hours to open it because I kept sneezing. I didn’t want to go to the party that much, but I knew I couldn’t refuse. Plus, I had missed her so putting the best outfit I could find—a blue tee and a pair of jeans—I met her at the meeting point.

  “It’s fine…considering.”

  “Yeah, Jacques told me some things when I met him.” She giggled and the familiar ringing sound of her laugh reached my ears. “Predator shapeshifters?”

  “And a Wolpertinger for a headmaster,” I said and Kristy’s eyes enlarged.

  “You left for some human activities and peace and yet, supernaturals seem to chase you around,” Kristy said, shaking her head. “How are you?”

  “I’m fine.”

  She must have heard the hesitation in my voice as she held my hand tighter. “Come, tell me all about it and then, we can go to the party.”

  Talking to her relieved some of the tension I had been gathering in my chest. Jacques was a good listener, but Kristy was my best friend and a girl. She didn’t judge and she understood even the silliest thing I said.

  “Wow! Uni life seems so exciting,” she complained, “but I’m not coming near these crazies. Unless it’s a rescue mission!” She winked. “Be careful out there, Violet.”

  “Yes, I will.” I traced the ground with my boot.

  “So?” Kristy prompted and I tilted my head.