Violet Fire
Chapter 16

“The main camp is here in the center of the valley,” Nila wove through the bustling campsite with ease. “To the west is the infirmary, south is our water supply, north and east are the training grounds, and beyond that is additional shelter.”

I jumped away as sparks showered from the opening of the tent. Nila chuckled amicably, pulling me out of the way as a unicorn came barreling past.

“This part of camp is the most crowded,” she explained. “This is where the forges are located.” She motioned for me to follow her as she ducked through an open-air tent. “Usually you can make it through without incident, but you have to watch the unicorns and alicorns. They’re friendly creatures, but those horns can be lethal.”

“Sorry, what’s an alicorn?” I huffed, grateful that we had stopped in a quiet part of camp.

“Winged unicorn, like Moon Prancer,” she nodded at the black and white steed circling overhead.

“Is she yours?” Moon Prancer landed lightly next to Nila.

Nila stroked the alicorn’s nose. “It doesn’t really work that way. We’re a pair, her and me, no ownership.”

Moon Prancer moved toward me and I took a step back, wary of her silver horn.

“It’s all right, she just wants to say hello,” Nila laughed.

I tentatively reached out my hand, letting my fingers brush against Moon Prancer’s neck. Her blue eyes locked on mine and the world around me faded. I gasped as broken images flooded my vision: a clouded mirror, a room covered in ice, and a hooded figure rushed by. I heard a couple speaking to me, but all I could hear was my name and a few snippets of a familiar tune. A shrill whinny shattered the images and I stumbled back. Moon Prancer reared up, her eyes rolling as she scrambled away from me.

“Easy!” Nila darted in front of me, speaking to the alicorn in a language I didn’t recognize.

“Juliet!” it took me a minute to recognize Evanna. “Juliet, what happened?”

“Ice, hood,” I mumbled groggily. “That song…”

I starting humming the same tune as earlier, my mind still in a fog. Evanna took my shoulders and shook them.

“Juliet, focus!” my eyes slid over to Evanna’s face.

The vision faded, the last notes dying in my throat as I returned to myself. I passed a hand over my face tiredly. Nila knelt in front of me and Evanna turned on her.

“What were you thinking?” she snarled. “Alicorns have been known to drive a person mad!”

Nila shrank back, her eyes wide with terror. “I – I’m s-s-sorry,” tears started to streak down her face. “Moon Prancer has never done that b-b-before.”

I put a hand on Evanna’s arm, stopping another vicious remark. “It wasn’t Nila’s fault.”

“Nila is an alicorn rider,” Evanna retorted hotly. “It is her responsibility to look after that thing.”

Nila drew herself up, replying with just as much heat. “Prancer isn’t a thing,” the tears on her cheeks ruined the passion of her speech. “Besides, you’re one to talk.”

Evanna’s eyes flashed. “Just what is that supposed to mean?”

Nila stood, her tone shockingly icy. “If I were you I’d be far less worried about alicorns and far more worried about who I let share my bed.”

Evanna’s mouth set into a grim line as Nila and Moon Prancer strode off. I caught sight of the simple gold band on Evanna’s left hand as she helped me up.

“What was Nila talking about?”

Evanna had insisted that I go to the infirmary. I was perfectly fine, although still a little light headed. She took a long time to answer, absently twisting her wedding ring.

“James is a Wolf.”

“What exactly does that mean?”

Evanna kept looking out at the camp as she spoke. “Your parents said that they were similar to your werewolves. He has the ability to shape-shift at will, but about once a month his instincts will start to take over. Even the scent of blood will drive him nearly mad.”

“That must be hard,” I whispered lamely.

Evanna finally looked over at me, a storm settling in her eyes. “It’s amazing what you are willing to do for the ones you love.”

She came and sat next to me on the cot, her eyes clearing a little. “Are you feeling better?”

I nodded, still watching Evanna. I reached over and hugged her, feeling her stiffen beneath me. After a moment, her arms circled me tightly. When she pulled away, we were both smiling slightly.

“Come, we should get back before the men get into too much trouble.”

After touring just about every inch of Faerie and meeting too many people to remember, I went to my tent to replace dinner waiting for me. I ate zealously, sitting back and promptly slipping into a food coma. I didn’t realize that I had been dozing until someone tapped my shoulder. Alaric was crouched down next to me, a mischievous smile on his face.

“Should I let you nap, or do you want to have some fun?” he asked impishly.

“What did you have in mind?”

His smile widened as he grabbed my hand and we slipped out of the tent. He led me through the maze of tents back to where the training ground had been. We walked quietly through the trees and entered the clearing. Where there had been targets earlier there was nothing but open grass. Multi-colored witch lights floated above our heads between the trees and a small orchestra was playing on the far side of the clearing. And under the lights couples were dancing. I started backing away, shaking my head.

“It’ll be fun!” Alaric said over the sound of the music, towing me onto the dance floor.

Before I could protest he had one hand on my waist and was twirling me under the witch lights. It took me a minute to keep up with him, but once I figured out the timing I didn’t have to look at my feet any more. Pretty soon I was laughing as Alaric whirled me through the other couples. The song ended and the couples stopped to applaud. Almost before the applause died down the orchestra had started up again. Alaric pulled me in again to the much slower tempo.

“Do they not do this sort of dancing where you’re from?” Alaric asked, a teasing light in his eyes.

“Actually, no,” I replied. “This is very different from the dancing I’m used to.”

“You manage well enough,” Alaric said with false haughtiness. “Although you did step on my feet a few times.”

“I did? How clumsy of me!” I gasped, my eyes widening. “I meant to step on your feet the whole time.”

“Very funny,” Alaric’s tone was sarcastic, but he was grinning.

I heard a throat clearing behind me and we stopped dancing. Damon looked at us curiously, and I sprang away from Alaric as if I’d been burned. I felt the blush creeping over my face as I ran a hand through my hair. The slow song ended and the couples applauded once more, some giving us curious looks.

“May I have the next dance?” Damon asked me softly.

I glanced at Alaric and he bowed, taking a step back. “Of course,” I stepped closer to Damon as the music started, and Alaric disappeared into the crowd.

Damon put his hand on my waist and gently pulled me close, surprising me. His head rested near mine, his eyes scanning the crowd, locking on something outside my line of sight.

“I don’t trust him,” he growled into my ear.

“Who, Alaric?” I asked incredulously. “Why?”

“I’ve known him longer than you, Juliet, and he doesn’t help anyone but himself. Why start now?”

“People change, Damon,” I said quietly.

“Sometimes people simply aren’t what we thought they were,” he replied, ignorant to my coolness.

“Apparently,” it was clipped, short. “Just a few minutes ago I thought you were kind.”

Damon’s mouth fell open slightly and his face turned bright red. He started to reply, but the song ended and I went back to Alaric, leaving him spluttering on the dance floor.

I danced with Alaric a little longer before claiming that I was tired and letting him get swept off by a brunette with shimmering yellow wings. Damon was waiting at the edge of the field, looking penitent.

“I’m sorry, Juliet, I’m not sure what came over me,” he said, barely meeting my eyes. “Please forgive me.”

I let him stand there for a moment before half smiling. “I suppose that I can forgive you.”

Away from the fairy lights the camp was only lit by a few fires and the stars. Damon insisted on walking me back to my tent, carefully avoiding earlier topics of conversation. I spread my arms wide and spun in a circle as we walked, breathing in the cool night air.

“I’ve never seen so many stars,” I said quietly, craning my neck.

Damon’s reply was cut off by yelling coming from Derek’s tent. Damon and I exchanged glances before creeping over to listen.

“Evanna calm down,” Derek’s voice was strained.

“I will not calm down!” I had never heard Evanna so upset.

“Evanna,” James’ voice was barely audible.

“What are we doing, Derek?” Evanna sounded agonized. “We have no right to put this on that innocent girl.”

“Juliet knows the risks,” Derek had abandoned his calm veneer.

“I don’t think she does,” the heat was back. “Or rather, I don’t think you’ve told her!”

“She knows what she is doing,” Derek’s voice was intense.

“She isn’t Aleia!”

There was a long silence. When Derek replied, his voice was sullen. “I know that.”

“Do you?” Evanna was on the attack. “You haven’t been this distracted since you found out Aleia was alive.”

“I am not distracted,” he spat.

Evanna snorted derisively. “You don’t even notice how Nila hangs on your every word.”

“That isn’t true,” Derek spluttered. “What does that have to do with anything?”

There was a sound of wood creaking, maybe Evanna was leaning forward on his table. “You can’t see what is right in front of you. Excuse me for not trusting your judgement.”

“You have trusted me this far, haven’t you?”

Evanna sounded tired. “Juliet isn’t ready, Derek. Aleia means to start a war.”

“We don’t know that.”

Evanna let out a bark of laughter. “Oh, you don’t know that every creature currently in Faerie would run over to join Aleia at her first call? You don’t know that even Claire’s closest friends are ready to turn on her?” Her voice cracked at the end.

“Claire has made her decisions, and so have we,” the tent flaps fluttered and I could see Derek’s finger tapping the table for emphasis. “We all agreed that the right thing to do was to get Juliet out of there.”

“We didn’t all agree to abandon our friends,” Evanna replied in disgust, her face barely a foot from Derek’s as they leaned over the dark wood.

Derek spun away, unable to meet Evanna’s gaze any more. “I can’t protect Claire anymore.”

“So you’re going to throw her to the wolves instead?” it was barely more than a whisper.

“That isn’t fair, Evanna.”

“What are we doing, Derek?” there was agony in her voice.

“We are trying to stop a civil war.”

“Are we sure that we can?”

“We shouldn’t be eavesdropping,” Damon murmured next to me.

“You’re right,” I replied tightly.

Without another thought I burst into Derek’s tent. I watched as the wide eyes turned to the floor, refusing to meet mine.

“How much have you heard?” Evanna’s voice was very quiet.

“Just how long did you think you could keep me out of the loop?” no one would look up. “I have been begging for answers for months. Did you honestly think that I would just go along with whatever you told me?”

Evanna’s sapphire eyes shot to Derek. “No, I wouldn’t expect you to do anything blindly.”

Derek met Evanna’s gaze head on. “She isn’t going in blind.”

The air in the tent rose noticeably in temperature as a faint glow gathered around him. I moved forward, between Evanna and Derek.

“Going into war?”

All of the eyes in the room instantly moved away from me. I ran a hand through my hair, pacing in the space between Derek and Evanna.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I stopped long enough to stare hard at the two of them. “I am here to replace my parents, not to get involved in a war.”

Evanna’s head snapped up, her eyes fixing on mine. “You were involved from the moment you arrived.”

“Yes, blame the girl, why don’t you,” Derek’s voice dripped with sarcasm.

“I don’t blame Juliet,” Evanna replied pointedly. “You and Claire pounced on her as soon as you found out who she is.”

“She is our only hope of saving ourselves from destruction,” he shot back, the witch lights in the tent flaring.

“Why are you so willing to send her up against your sweetheart?” Evanna sneered.

“That’s enough!” I yelled, the ground beneath our feet trembling. I rounded on Derek, fighting to keep my voice steady. “Is a pawn all that I am to you?”

He shook his head quickly, his hands outstretched. “No, no, no, you are so much more than that. Juliet, you and you alone can unite our people.”

I jumped away from his gentle touch as if I’d been burned. “So a puppet, not a pawn.”

“That isn’t what I said.”

“You didn’t have to,” I snarled, backing away from all of them. “All of you just want to use me.” Just like the Mirror used Aleia.

“Please, just calm down,” Evanna reached out to me.

“Don’t touch me!” I could feel the power building inside.

“I won’t hurt you,” her voice was gentle.

“Because I’m your friend?” the words tumbled out before I could stop them. “That didn’t stop you from betraying Claire.”

Evanna froze, looking as if she’d been slapped. “Juliet, calm down.”

I felt as if I were on fire. A cry was ripped from my throat as the power rushed out in all directions, throwing them all off of their feet. I gasped, my ears ringing as I looked at them sprawled on the ground.

“What have I done?” my whisper rang in the still air.

Evanna looked up at me, the betrayal etched on her face. I turned and fled. I ran until my lungs burned, and then I fell to my knees in the open grass and sobbed.