Violet Fire
Chapter 9

I fell into a routine over the next few days. Each day I would get up early and train with Derek, then I would meet Damon at the door to the training yard and we would head to my parents’ study. We would work until the light began to fade, then we would head to dinner and whatever courtly activity had been planned for that night. After two weeks, the only good news was that I had progressed to practical magic. Damon and I had only made it through one and a half stacks of notes, most of which were detailed accounts of mysterious attacks that were happening around the kingdom while my parents were staying in the castle. The only thing my parents could say for sure about the attacks was that the attackers were not human. They had no explanation as to why, only reports of the people’s growing hysteria.

If that weren’t enough to twist my stomach into knots, I was getting a lot of unwanted attention from the courtiers. It wasn’t only the servants who knew about my training, word had spread far and near that another magician was in the castle. Every time I walked by Eoin or Claire and they were in deep conversation, they would stop talking until I had passed. No one would tell me what was going on, but from what little I could gather, it would seem that my presence was not welcome to the courtiers.

All of these things kept running through my mind as Damon and I sat in the study, the setting sun casting deep shadows on the walls. There was a small and quite pitiful ball of light – my first successful one outside of my lessons – drifting near our heads. I sighed, setting aside the report I had been reading to run my fingers through my hair. The more I read, the less I knew, and the more stressed I became.

“Perhaps we should finish for today,” Damon suggested, passing a hand over his own tired eyes.

“That sounds like an excellent idea,” I agreed, stretching as I got up from my little corner of floor space.

Damon stood as well, rubbing the back of his neck. He held the door for me, then followed me into the empty library.

“I’ll see you at dinner,” I said wearily, before heading to my room.

I didn’t hear a reply before the library doors closed behind me, and I didn’t bother to wait for one. All I could think about as I entered my room was curling up on my bed and taking a nap. My eyes fell on the journal where it rested near my bed. I had brought it to my room when I first found it, but I had yet to open it. Honestly, I was afraid to see what was inside. My heart thudded in my chest as I moved towards it. What harm could come from reading a book? I breathed deeply as I gingerly opened the book. Here goes.

My entire life has been a lie. I overheard Father talking to the prince today, I thought that Prince Florian would ask permission to start courting me, so naturally I eavesdropped. Florian did ask about me, but he didn’t ask what I was expecting. He asked about my eyes. No one will tell me why my eyes are purple, but now I know the truth. Father told Florian that it has something to do with magic, but that I hadn’t shown any signs that I “was affected by the curse.” I have heard stories of princesses being cursed, but I never thought that I could be cursed. I had stopped, hidden in the secret passage by a tapestry, so I almost missed Florian’s next question. He asked if there was magic in Father’s family. Father seemed offended, he said, “Our royal line is untainted by magic.” Then Florian became triumphant, “Why is your princess appearing to be touched by magic, then?” I was hardly breathing, listening to the exchange. Father’s voice dropped to little more than a whisper. “Because Aleia is not my flesh and blood. We took pity on the poor orphan when she was a babe, and we raised her as our own.” I turned and ran down the secret passage, not hearing any more of the conversation. I have been hiding for quite some time now, so that no one can see my tears, or the complete and utter betrayal I feel. And on my sixteenth birthday.

A knock on my door made me jerk, and the journal fell out of my hands. Penelope entered as I straightened, book in hand. She was speaking animatedly about something, but I barely heard what she was saying. I put the journal back in its place, repeating what I had just read over again in my mind. Aleia was adopted, and she found out when she was sixteen. Penelope asked me a question, and my head snapped up in surprise at the sudden silence.

“I’m sorry, what?” I mumbled.

Penelope rolled her eyes impatiently at me. “I asked what you wanted to wear tonight, we have special guests.”

“Oh, um…” I stuttered. Special guests?

Penelope chuckled and turned to pull something out of the wardrobe, but I noticed that her hands were shaking slightly.

“Is everything ok, Penelope?” I started moving closer to her.

“Everything is wonderful,” she replied a bit too brightly, moving away from me.

“Penelope, you can tell me,” I said gently, putting a hand on her arm.

She took a deep breath, and I noticed that she was close to tears. “Please,” I prodded.

“I have told Claire that I can no longer be your ladies’ maid,” she said, avoiding my eyes.

I was actually kind of relieved, I hate being fussed over. “Did I do something wrong?” I asked, sensing that this wasn’t the whole story.

Penelope finally looked me in the eye, and the acid in her glare made me fall back a step. “My betrothed broke our engagement because he found out about you,” her whisper cut through the silence like a knife.

“Found out about me?” I couldn’t understand why she was so mad at me. I was under the impression that we were starting to become friends.

“Found out what you are,” the contempt in her voice was unmistakable.

I finally understood what she was talking about. Everywhere I went, the fear seemed to follow me like a shadow. The fact that I had magic was turning everyone against me. As I returned Penelope’s glare, I felt a fire light inside me. I drew myself up to my full height, my chin coming up defiantly.

“Don’t let the door hit you on your way out,” my voice was cool, and I saw a trace of fear flit across Penelope’s face.

She threw down the dress she had been holding and stalked out of my bedroom door, letting it close sharply behind her. Any desire I had to go down to dinner was gone, so I picked up the discarded dress and put it in its place. I took the journal and read the next entry.

It has been nearly a month since Florian talked to Father, and neither of them knows that I know. Florian became quite upset when I stopped responding to his advances, and he finally left day before yesterday. I fear that Father has sensed a change in me, as he has become more distant than usual. Mother is constantly fussing, thinking that my mood is brought on by Florian’s departure. I must pretend, but I cannot see Mother and Father the same way ever again. Have they ever loved me, or was that a lie as well?

I laid on my bed for a long time, mulling things over. My mind drifted to my aunt and uncle, thinking about how worried they must’ve been. I wished that I could tell them that I was all right, that I was looking for Mom and Dad. I sighed once, my eyelids growing heavy. I fell asleep dreaming of home.

The knock on my door startled me so much that I nearly fell off of the bed. Evanna entered without waiting for an answer, catching me mid-yawn. I stared at her for a long moment, taking in her worried expression.

“We missed you at dinner last night,” Evanna’s voice was strained, and the pleasantry was so unlike her.

“Did something happen last night?” I asked, fully awake now.

Evanna sighed and looked away from me, not really seeing anything. I waited in tense silence, and after a couple of minutes she turned back to me.

“A young woman such as yourself should not be defenseless,” she half-mused, then more sharply. “Get dressed, we have work to do.”

She turned and strode swiftly out of my bedroom door, leaving me to scramble out of bed. I dressed in record time, scraping my hair back as I walked out my door. Evanna was waiting for me, so I followed her out into the rear courtyard, where the men trained. I hesitated in the doorway, never having actually been in the courtyard. The men nodded to Evanna respectfully, and she nodded back, even flashing some of them a brief smile. Everyone seemed more sober today than normal, and I wondered once again what had happened the previous night.

“What’s going on?” I asked Evanna quietly.

“Later,” she murmured, stopping in front of Damon, who appeared to be waiting for us.

In his hands was a bow, and he stood next to a quiver of arrows. There was a pair of staffs, as well as a pair of training swords. I hung back, starting to become wary.

“What’s all of this for?” I asked suspiciously.

Damon cleared his throat uncomfortably and looked at Evanna.

“Why does no one want to tell me what’s going on?” I crossed my arms, glaring at the two of them.

Evanna seemed to ignore my question, taking the bow from Damon’s hands and examining it.

“Like I said earlier, a young lady shouldn’t be defenseless,” she glanced at me from under her lashes, smiling mischievously.

Quick as a cobra, she grabbed an arrow and fitted it to the string. Everyone else backed out of the way as she took aim at a target, then the bowstring was snapping back, the arrow whizzing by to bury itself in the middle of the target. The men cheered, some of the earlier somberness dissipating. Evanna turned back towards me, her eyes sparkling.

“Archery takes dedication, and it isn’t for everyone,” her tone had become business-like. “But I would be happy to teach you, if you’d like.”

I glanced at the target again. “I’d like to try.”

Evanna grinned wolfishly. “Excellent. But first, you need to know some basics.”

I was holding it how I had been shown, but the staff still felt awkward in my hands. It didn’t help that several people had formed a loose circle around me and Damon, just standing there watching us. Evanna stood off to one side, shouting instructions. Damon’s expression was unreadable, but his hesitation was unmistakable. I drew my shoulders back, following the instructions Evanna was shouting, trying not to look too out of place. Damon moved slowly as Evanna continued to yell at me, teaching me how to counter his moves. Gradually our pace increased, and it wasn’t long before I could feel sweat beading my forehead. No wonder these guys are ripped, I thought absently, ducking in the nick of time. The next few moments were a blur of movement and noise. I could hear suggestions being thrown out as more men came to watch. I also heard taunts and cheers, but I barely paid them any attention. Damon backed off to let me catch my breath, hardly winded himself.

“Perhaps that’s enough for one day,” the comment was directed to Evanna, but he was looking at me.

I shook my head stubbornly. “I can’t learn if I don’t try.”

Damon started to respond, then nodded once. Evanna brought over a water skin, and I took a long drink as she spoke to me quietly.

“You have courage, that’s certain,” she told me. “But Damon has both size and strength on you. You’re a fast learner, use that speed to your advantage.”

I wasn’t sure what she meant, but I nodded anyway. Evanna gave me a gentle slap on the shoulder, then moved away as Damon and I took our positions. I could see that Damon was still hesitating, so I spoke only loud enough for him to hear.

“Let me try.”

Damon sighed unhappily, but again he nodded once. Evanna gave us a signal to start, and I had to move quickly to counter Damon. I was not anticipating him to be so fast or fluid, but I steeled myself. After all, I had asked for this. He kept me on my toes, and after a few grueling minutes, I was ready to give up. Damon stopped to catch his breath and I saw an opening. I feinted, causing him to lose his balance, then swept my staff behind his legs. Damon stirred up a dust cloud as he tumbled to the hard-packed dirt. A cheer went up, taking me by surprise. I smiled, wiping off some of my sweat with the back of my hand. I turned to Damon, offering him a hand up. He grinned proudly at me, holding my hand for a moment. Before I realized what he was doing, I was on the ground next to him, laughing.

“Evanna is correct, you are a fast learner,” he chuckled.

I laughed, shaking my head slowly. “How did you manage to hear her say that?”

Damon’s smile faded to shock. Before I could ask him again, I was being pulled to my feet and having my back pounded. I was being shepherded towards the door for a “well deserved breakfast.” I glanced over my shoulder to see Damon still sitting in the dirt, staring at the ground. I would let it drop for now, but I wasn’t about to forget.

I was escorted all the way into the dining hall by the rowdy group, earning us a lot of attention from those already seated. The ladies’ gazes went from flirtatious to condescending as their eyes moved from the men to Evanna and me. I hadn’t given Evanna’s tunic and leggings a second thought, but some of the noble women wrinkled their noses in disgust. Evanna caught their looks and her head came up a bit, challenging them. Only a few could meet that intense blue gaze, the rest merely turned to their companions and ignored us. One of the knights pulled out my chair with a little bow, and I smiled radiantly at him. The others found places to sit, many of them around me. Evanna didn’t sit, she walked over to where Claire and James were speaking quietly.

I kept my eyes on Evanna, leaning around servants as they began to serve us. The sunlight caught in her hair, making it look like a river of caramel. Her hair was falling out of the loose ponytail it had been in, nearly covering her face. I couldn’t hear a word she said, but she looked intense. Claire was nodding thoughtfully, and James replied with a small smile. One of the knights sitting next to me started talking to me, and by the time I could look over again, Evanna had sat down. I sighed quietly in frustration, pushing my breakfast around absently. I was getting really fed up with all of the secrecy. If no one was going to give me any answers, I would just have to get them myself.

I hadn’t seen Derek in the dining hall, so I went down to see if he was in the training room. When I reached the round room where we had lessons, I found a note and a book.

Juliet,

I have some business that needs attending to, I will be back shortly to continue your education. Until I return, this book will be of great use to you. Stay out of trouble.

Derek

Stay out of trouble? I didn’t realize there was trouble to get into, I thought, opening the book and flipping through it. As I stood there, a cool breeze blew through the room, making me shiver. On the breeze came the sound of whispering, and I heard my name. I looked around frantically, but there was no one in sight. The whispering came again, from the direction of the tunnel immediately to my right. My heart pounded and the hair on the back of my neck rose. I grabbed the book and ran out of there as fast as I could.

Once I had calmed down enough, I headed to my parents’ study, trying to forget the whispering. I turned a corner and ran right smack into Alaric. His hands touched my arms briefly to steady me, not the least bit off-balance himself. He gave me one of his signature smirks, his head cocked slightly to one side.

“You really should pay more attention to where you’re going, you never know who you might run into,” he said, his eyes teasing.

When I didn’t respond, his smile faded. “Is something wrong?” he asked, becoming serious for the first time since I had met him.

“I’m fine,” I whispered, feeling the corners of my eyes prick with the coming tears.

I had been fairly calm since I had gotten to Loridian, but hearing voices was the last straw. Everything that had happened came crashing down on me. All of the stress and anxiety of having my world completely changed hitting me like a tidal wave. I felt a tear slide down my face, and I looked away to try to hide it from Alaric. I couldn’t handle what he might say if he saw me so vulnerable. But he did see, and he surprised me more than I thought possible. He reached out and gently pulled me to him, murmuring comfort into my hair. My arms circled his waist almost without my permission, and I sunk into the embrace.

“Everything will be all right, Juliet,” he said quietly, holding me tighter for a moment.

“How can you be so sure?” I whispered, pulling back a little to look into his eyes.

He took a moment to answer, choosing his words with care. “Everyone here seems so run-down, so defeated. But you’re different from them, Juliet. So very different.”

My mouth opened a little in surprise. That was not the answer I was expecting.

“Besides, no other woman has been so resistant to my charms,” he smiled slightly, some of the teasing back in his eyes.

I shook my head once, smiling back. “I’m sorry, Alaric.”

He glanced down at his wet shirt, arching an eyebrow slightly. “For this? That’s not important.”

“Well, for that too,” I replied quickly, watching his face. “But that isn’t what I meant. I’m sorry because I misjudged you.”

“I haven’t exactly made it easy for you,” he replied quietly, not quite meeting my gaze.

We stood there for a couple more seconds, but then I wiped quickly at my face, ending the moment.

“I should probably go,” I said, glancing around.

Alaric nodded, both of us finally noticing that his hands were still on my waist. We stepped away awkwardly, not sure if we should say anything else. Alaric seemed as if he was going to say something, but then he shook his head and left. I went through the library and into my parents’ study. I was expecting to see Damon there, but it was empty. I started sifting through the stacks of paper that we hadn’t gotten to yet, but my mind was far away. I sat down with a sigh, running a hand through my hair. My eyes fell on the journal, and I picked it up. I couldn’t remember leaving it in the study, and I felt a little chill run the length of my spine. I pushed aside the creeping sensation and picked up where I had left off.

Mother and Father found me in the gardens today and announced that they were inviting every eligible young man they knew to come to the castle to meet me. Mother is beside herself with excitement, but Father is still withdrawn. I fear that this rift between us will never be healed. I went deep into the castle seeking refuge, when I heard a strange voice. I couldn’t discern what it was saying, I could only hear my name being said. I don’t know who or what it is, but I must replace it. I must.

I closed the book quickly and tossed it as far away from me as I could. I was shaking as I pulled my knees up to my chest, staring at the journal. The similarities between me and Aleia were becoming creepy now, and I didn’t think they were a coincidence.

I jumped as the study door opened and Damon walked in. Damon saw me cowering in the corner and knelt in front of me, his eyes concerned. He cautiously put a hand on my shoulder, sitting there until I met his eyes.

“Juliet, what happened?” his voice was low and intense.

I hesitated as I looked at him, trying to figure out how to put my feelings into words. I started to shake again, and what happened with the voice and the journal came tumbling out. I almost told him about Alaric, but for some reason I couldn’t do it. When I had finished, Damon sat across from me on the floor, deep in thought.

“Am I crazy?” I finally asked, my voice barely audible.

Damon shook his head, coming out of his thoughts. “No,” he said simply. “But this is no coincidence, either.” He was silent for another moment, clearly trying to work something out. “I think someone wanted you here.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Do you remember when you first arrived, what Claire and Eoin said about your parents?”

“They said something about whoever has them wanting me as leverage,” I replied slowly, trying to remember.

Damon nodded thoughtfully. “I’m not sure that is entirely correct.”

Damon let me think about that for a second. “You mean, they could’ve wanted me in the first place?”

His silence was answer enough. I ran a hand through my hair again, looking around the study. “But why?”

“I’m not sure,” Damon replied carefully.

I could tell that there was more he had worked out than he was telling me, but I let it drop. “There must be something that my parents left that can make things clearer.”

Damon nodded, but there was something in his expression that caught my attention.

“Damon, what’s wrong?” When he didn’t say anything, I pressed. “Please tell me.”

“I’m afraid that we don’t have much time to figure this out,” he finally said.

“Why is that?” I felt my pulse quicken a little.

“Evanna’s going to kill me,” he sighed. “Last night at dinner, the entire Council confronted Claire and Eoin.”

One night when we were working in the study, Damon had told me about the politics of Loridian. After Aleia’s reign of terror – as the people called it – the Council had been established. The Council was supposed to work in harmony with the king and queen to ensure that the monarchy didn’t turn into a dictatorship. Damon told me that while the Council used to work with Claire and Eoin, their power kept increasing. They held great sway with the people, and they were slowly gaining sway with Claire and Eoin as well.

“Why did the Council come?”

“They told Claire that she and Eoin had to consult the Council before they offered the kingdom’s protection to creatures of magic. They said that you were the last straw, that you couldn’t be trusted.”

“What did Claire say?” I was almost afraid to hear the answer.

Damon’s expression darkened, and his voice was lit with anger. “We – Evanna, James, Derek, and myself – thought that she would stand up to them. But the courtiers joined in and her resistance crumbled. She told them that from now on she would consult them.”

“Did they say anything else?”

“They said that you would be on a probationary watch until they were sure that you could be trusted.”

I breathed a small sigh of relief. “That doesn’t sound too bad.”

Damon leaned forward, his voice intense again. “Juliet, they are going to replace something, anything to deem you untrustworthy.”

“What, why?” I cried, my hopes dashed.

“Because,” he replied hotly. “You’re different, so you can’t be trusted.”

“How long, do you think?”

He shook his head, sighing in frustration. “It’s hard to tell, but I wouldn’t hope for more than a fortnight.”

I rose slowly, sighing a little. “Well, we have a lot of work to do then.”

I offered a hand to Damon, and he looked at me for a long moment before taking it. I turned toward the nearest stack of papers, sifting through it.

“Damon?” he turned to look at me. “Will you continue teaching me to fight?”

“Of course,” Damon replied, nodding once.

We were silent for a few minutes, reading papers and sorting stacks.

“Juliet?” I looked over at Damon. I had to look up, not hearing him come up beside me. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

“Thank you,” I whispered.

On impulse, I stepped closer and put my arms around him. He stood frozen in shock for a moment before wrapping his arms tightly around me. As we stood there, my mind flitted back briefly to Alaric’s embrace. It had been one of comfort and assurance in a moment of panic. It was welcome and appreciated, but Damon’s was different. We fit perfectly in each other’s arms, and it was full of warmth and tenderness. Being in his arms was like coming home.

I wasn’t sure how long we stood there, but when we parted it was reluctantly. We smiled shyly at each other, not sure how to express what we were both feeling. After a moment we both grabbed a stack of papers and sat down together to go through them. For some reason, we had always seemed to have a silent agreement to sit apart from each other. As we sat with our shoulders brushing, it seemed far more natural, and it was certainly more enjoyable. At first I was paying more attention to Damon than to my papers, but then one caught my eye. I recognized my mother’s handwriting instantly, so I pulled it from the stack to look at it.

The tension with Claire continues to rise. I had thought that she was so strong, so determined. But the Council is turning her head, threatening to stir up the people. I can hardly believe the level of hatred that these people have, it makes me sick. Nearly an entire herd of unicorns was slaughtered simply because they are creatures of magic. I never thought I would say this, but Aleia might have been right. We worked everything out – Aleia faking her death, how she is rallying support among the magical inhabitants, everything. But we were so wrong, about so much. I’m so confused right now, my work as a detective didn’t prepare me for this. I wish I could talk to Mom.

I had barely noticed that Damon was reading over my shoulder, and it took a minute for what I had just read to really sink in.

“What happened with Aleia, and why is everyone so unwilling to talk about it?” I asked Damon, a touch of frustration in my voice.

“No one talks about Aleia because Claire still has such strong feelings about her,” Damon replied carefully.

“Why?”

Damon sighed, passing a hand over his face. “You might as well know,” he replied wearily. “Aleia was – is – Claire’s stepmother.”

“Oh,” that wasn’t what I was expecting.

“Claire’s mother died when she was hardly a year old, leaving her father completely heartbroken. He felt his daughter needed a mother, so he remarried a couple of years later. His and Aleia’s marriage was not a very happy one, so much so that some claim Aleia killed King Cedric.”

“And I thought my family was messed up,” I mumbled, glancing at Aleia’s journal. “So why did Aleia fake her death?”

“I don’t know the whole story,” Damon replied carefully. “It has been embellished so many times that only Claire and those directly involved know the truth. In fact, the only person who knows exactly what happened is Claire.”

“Do you think Claire will tell me?”

Damon shook his head once. “There is only one way to tell.”