Violet Fire

“I’m assuming that was your brother,” Alaric and I were sitting in a tent, watching the rain pulverize the dirt in front of us.

“Marius, King of Alasia,” there was bitterness in the words.

“He seemed pretty upset,” said Captain Obvious.

“He wouldn’t be if he knew the truth,” I had never seen Alaric so grim.

“And what is the truth?”

In response, a bright blue witch light formed between Alaric’s hands. His fingers twitched and it changed from a ball into a stallion made of light, galloping around the tent before disappearing at the same moment lightning cut through the black clouds.

“Why won’t you tell him about your powers?”

Alaric’s face hardened. “If I did, the only reception I would receive would be from the gallows.”

“That can’t be true.”

His eyes were full of suppressed anger. “Our father was not a tolerant man, Juliet. He despised magic and anyone associated with it. If my nurse hadn’t recognized my ability and kept it from my father, I wouldn’t have made it past my second birthday.”

“They’re your family. They wouldn’t do that to you.”

“They would. And they wouldn’t lose any sleep over it,” so much surety.

“So how did you fall in with Aleia?”

“Through Derek, actually,” Alaric began creating another light stallion. “My brother sent me to Loridian to be married off, and I took the opportunity to learn what I could from Derek. He mentioned that Aleia was still alive, and that she was offering protection to anyone associated with magic. I came to her asking for help, and realized that she wanted more than just protection for us. She wanted freedom.”

“And how did you find out about me?”

Something in my tone made him stop and look at me. “Your parents are famous,” he replied simply. “There is hardly a person who doesn’t know the names of the couple from another world. Everyone knows that they had a daughter who was born here –”

“Wait, I was born here?”

He nodded. “But they sent you away. Aleia believed it was because you were powerful, and she was right. She planted Sylvie to pose as your grandmother, and then Kieran and I were sent to bring you back.”

“So you were there to kidnap me?”

Alaric rubbed the back of his neck, no longer looking me in the eye. “There really is no other way to put it, is there?”

I watched the rain turn into pea-sized hail, not really seeing.

“Juliet?” it was timid.

“Mm.”

“Why did you decide to join Aleia?”

My fingers moved of their own accord, creating a purple light stallion without my consent.

“She can help me find my parents, and then they can take me away from this place.”

The storm lasted well into the night, turning the battlefield into a swamp. I hardly slept, because of an entirely different storm. I stared at Aleia’s journal, running my hands over the cover as I sat on my cot. I couldn’t go through with it. This was not my war, and despite what Alaric said, this was not my world. I would return her journal, and then I would leave this craziness behind and find my parents.

What if they don’t want to be found? Fifteen years is a long time to be missing.

I stood and left my tent, journal in hand. The boots that had gotten me from California to Loridian were now caked in mud, just as messy as my life. It was only when I stood in front of Aleia’s tent that I realized I didn’t know how to ask permission to enter a tent. Do you try to knock? I settled on clearing my throat loudly.

“Enter.”

I pushed aside the tent flap and got a great view of Aleia in a rather insufficient robe.

“I’m sorry, should I come back later?” I stuttered.

Aleia chuckled, pulling her robe closer and gesturing for me to sit across from her.

“I won’t be long,” I gulped, suddenly nervous. “I, um, have something to return to you.”

I started to hold out the journal, then paused as doubt clouded my mind. Why was I hesitating? A sing-song voice entered the back of my mind. Return what is rightfully hers. Automatically, my arm sprang into motion and the journal passed from my hands to Aleia’s.

“Where did you find this?” a whisper.

“My parents left it in their study.” Why didn’t she know they had it?

“I’ve been missing this for years,” she looked up at me, and I could have sworn that the silver band around her pupils expanded. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” I mumbled.

I exited her tent swiftly, feeling strange. Walking back to my tent, a knot settled in my stomach, contracting with every step.

Both armies cooled their heels that day, casting insults and profanities at each other whenever possible. Most of the day the topic of conversation was how long before the battle could begin, but by late afternoon it had shifted.

“She won’t admit no one,” two male fairies were passing by my tent.

“That ain’t like her,” the other replied. “Must be somethin’ real important goin’ on in her head.”

Creatures of all sorts passed by my tent before nightfall, and each had about the same thing to talk about. I went to bed early, my appetite lost in the twisting of my stomach.

I was shaken out of a dream in the middle of the night. Standing in my tent, illuminated by a dim witch light, was Derek.

“What have you done?” he demanded.

“What?” I was still groggy.

“For years I have kept that journal out of her hands,” Derek was using his own hands for emphasis. “I even charged your parents with keeping it far out of her reach, and you. You undo all of my effort in an instant!”

“Why can’t Aleia have her own journal?” Either I was really tired, or Derek was doing a poor job of an explanation.

“Have I taught you nothing? Words have power, Juliet,” he emphasized each word with a waving hand. “I have been slowly breaking the Mirror’s hold over her, but now you have given her the Mirror’s greatest tool to bring her back.”

“How was I supposed to know? You refuse to tell me anything!”

My objection was dismissed with another wave of his hand. “Now you have to get to it before she does, and she has quite the head start.”

“Get to what?”

“The Mirror!” any patience Derek might have had to begin with was gone.

“And how am I supposed to do that?”

Derek pulled a beat up rug out from under his cloak. “With this.”

“I’m going to kill him,” I muttered, clinging to the rug for dear life.

Magic carpet rides? They aren’t magical. Not only was the ratty thing testy, but it was almost impossible to steer. It finally just dumped me in the gardens of Claire’s castle, earning me a half dozen bruises.

“Thanks a bunch,” if sarcasm could kill.

I was pretty sure that I was ahead of Aleia, but I had to hurry if I was going to get to the Mirror first. I snuck into the castle without incident, creeping through the halls. I was preparing to dart across the corridor when my back connected with stone, a pair of strong hands on my shoulders.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Damon growled, his body tense.

My eyes flashed as a surge of anger lit my blood on fire. “That’s none of your business,” I snarled, trying to push his hands off.

He caught my wrists and pinned them to my side, surprisingly gentle for how angry he was. “I should call the guards.”

My chin lifted a fraction. “Go ahead.”

Damon actually growled, and I thought I saw a trace of smoke leave his nostrils. He wasn’t happy that I had called his bluff.

“Why did you come back?” I thought I detected a trace of hurt beneath the anger.

I took a deep breath, glancing at the empty hall to my right. “Aleia knows that the Mirror is underneath the castle. I have to get to it first.”

Damon’s grip lessened a bit in shock. “How did she find out?”

I looked up into his eyes, the pain on my features clear. He nodded grimly, finally releasing me as he stepped back to pace the corridor. I edged to my right while he was distracted, my mind working. After the third or fourth step, Damon noticed my sneaking and threw an arm out to bar my way.

“I can’t let you go,” the pain was unmistakable.

I looked up at him, pleading. “Please, Damon. You have to.”

It seemed as if the life left him as he looked down at me. He sagged against the wall, his eyes clouded.

“Why did you go with her?” he whispered.

“What Claire has allowed to happen here is wrong,” I said hotly, running a hand through my hair. My chest ached as the next words left my lips. “But I can’t fix it. I need to find my parents, and she can help me.”

A strange play of emotions over Damon’s face was acted out before my eyes. I could feel the fire building inside of him again.

“I’m sorry about your parents, Juliet, I am,” his voice was becoming more unsteady with each word. “But Aleia is not known for her truthfulness.”

“You think I haven’t thought of that?” I cried, realizing just a second later that I needed to keep my voice down. “Aleia is the only hope I have right now, and as long as she is obsessing over that mirror, she is hopeless.”

Damon shook his head, the resolution etched into every line of his body. “I’m sorry.”

I nodded once. “Me too.”

I opened my palm and blew across it, glittering purple dust flying into Damon’s face. Before he could utter a word he slumped against the wall, fast asleep. I took a shaky breath, brushing stray hair away from his forehead.

“Sleep well, love.”

I crept along the corridors, careful to avoid the guards patrolling the palace. I heard a shout echo through the hallways behind me, and I knew that they had found Damon. I started running, amazed at how well I knew these halls. I stopped to catch my breath and caught sight of a black cloak flicking around the corner in front of me. I hesitated for only a moment before following, gulping as I realized that whoever it was, they were heading for Claire’s chambers. Just as I started to approach Claire’s door, I was grabbed roughly from behind.

I tried to elbow my attacker, but a strong arm pinned my arms against my body. Trying to bite the hand covering my mouth proved useless as well, so I could only struggle lamely as I was pulled into a secret passage that looked into Claire’s chambers.

“If you don’t stop making a ruckus we’re going to be caught,” Alaric whispered into my ear.

I stiffened as his warm breath swept across my cheek, and he loosened his grip in response. He didn’t let go, much to my annoyance. His lips were only an inch or so from my face as he continued talking.

“Lucky for you, Aleia is too preoccupied to know that you followed us,” his voice was clipped, warning. “If she finds out that you tried to stop her from getting the Mirror, she’ll have your head.”

I shivered as his words settled over me. He opened his mouth to say something else, but was interrupted as Claire entered the dark room. She was sifting through some papers in her hands, but she froze as the door closed softly behind her.

“I know you’re here,” there was no fear in her words.

Aleia left the shadows, pushing back the hood of her black cloak. There was a small smile on her face as her eyes slid up and down Claire.

“The years have been kind to you, Claire.”

Claire seemed taken aback by this statement. She cleared her throat, quickly regaining her composure.

“Why have you come here?”

Aleia tilted her head slightly. “I’ve come home.”

Claire’s eyes flashed. “You aren’t welcome here.”

Aleia looked out the window, flicking some of her hair over her shoulder. “I think some might disagree.”

Claire scoffed. “I’m sure you heard what the people wanted to do to you.”

Aleia turned back to Claire, her own eyes flashing. “I heard they had a pair of iron shoes fashioned for me,” her voice was calm. “To dance in at your wedding. Shame they never found me, but you knew they wouldn’t.”

Claire looked at Aleia with a trace of pity. “I knew they wouldn’t find you,” her voice was barely more than a whisper. “But I also knew that you were alive.”

Aleia leaned against the windowsill, her cloak pooling around her on the floor. “How did you know?”

Claire looked away, towards the secret passage. Was that guilt on her face? “I suspected, but I didn’t know for sure until I asked your Mirror.”

Aleia nodded slowly. “Did you really think I wouldn’t find out that you had it?”

Claire’s head snapped back towards her, bristling under the condescending tone. “What else was I supposed to do with it?” she snapped, a few strands of black hair falling out of her updo. “If you hadn’t brought that thing here in the first place, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

Aleia looked conflicted for a brief moment. “If I hadn’t met your father, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

“Of course, put the blame anywhere but on yourself,” Claire snapped, her patience waning.

Aleia’s calm façade melted away, and she replied hotly, “When will you stop indulging in childish fantasies and grow up?”

“Excuse me?” Claire blinked a few times, as if not sure that she had heard correctly.

“Your father was nothing more than a liar and a cheat.”

“That isn’t true,” Claire replied unsteadily.

“Isn’t it?” Aleia began to advance, her anger rising. “His own subjects hated him. He was weak and selfish,” Aleia gulped, trying to gain some composure. “And cruel.”

“My father was cruel?” Claire whispered in disbelief.

Claire pulled down the shoulder of her tunic. I could make out just the edges of long scars, the rest hidden by the fabric of her shirt.

Aleia flinched, but she didn’t look away from the marks.

“My father never had me chained to a post and beaten,” Claire’s voice was cold.

Aleia didn’t reply, and how could she? Her troubled face smoothed as her eyes steadily became silver. No, no, no, I thought. Nothing good came from those silver eyes. Claire took a step back when she noticed, visibly shaken. When Aleia spoke, her voice echoed eerily.

“The past cannot be changed now,” she said harshly. “Tell me where the Mirror is.”

“Never,” Claire spat.

Aleia’s head cocked to the side. “If you wish to see your children again, you will tell me where it is.”

Claire’s shoulders slumped in defeat, the fight going out of her body like a breath. “You know exactly where it is.”

Aleia smiled in satisfaction and swept out the door without a second glance. As soon as the door had shut, Claire fell to her knees and buried her face in her hands.

Alaric spun me around to face him, his voice low and intense. “Juliet, promise me that you will stay right here.”

“What, no!”

Alaric sighed, glancing towards the exit. “Look, Juliet, Aleia will get suspicious if I take too long, so either you promise me or so help me I will tie you up and leave you here,” he growled.

I folded my arms across my chest stubbornly, planting my feet. He shook his head regretfully.

“Fine, I really didn’t want to have to do this.”

When I catch up to them, I’m going to kick Alaric’s worthless behind, I thought viciously, wincing. True to his word, Alaric had tied me up and left me in the secret passage. That dang prince knew how to tie a knot.

I wasn’t sure how long it had been before I heard footsteps approaching. My first thought was that it was Damon, but he wouldn’t have known where I was. I cowered against the wall as the footsteps grew louder.

“I thought I heard your voice in here,” Claire said, kneeling down next to me.

“You knew I was here?”

Claire nodded, her eyes gentle. “Eoin told me about this passage.”

Claire slipped a hand into her left boot and pulled out a small knife. She quickly severed the rope that held me captive before sliding the knife back into its sheath. I kept glancing at Claire as she helped me disentangle myself. When we were finished we sat cross-legged in the dark passage.

“I’ve been such a fool,” Claire said softly, her eyes faraway.

When I didn’t respond, she gave me a sad smile. I looked away, toying with a loose thread in my jeans.

“You aren’t the only one,” I offered lamely, avoiding her gaze.

Claire chuckled softly, shaking her head. “At least you were brave enough to stand up for yourself.”

“And what has that gotten me?” I asked, sharper than I intended. “More enemies than I can count.”

Claire reached out and stilled my restless hands. “The truth isn’t always popular, Juliet.”

I sighed, finally looking over at Claire. Who was I trying to kid?

“All I ever wanted was to be ordinary,” I leaned my head back against the wall. “But now,” why was it so hard to put my feelings into words? “I don’t think ‘hero’ is exactly what I’m going for, but I want to help. I want to make things better.”

Claire smiled gently, taking her time to answer me. “I thought the same thing when I was your age. But unlike you, I didn’t have what it took to actually do everything I hoped to. I didn’t have enough courage,” Claire squeezed my hands tightly. “Learn from our mistakes, Juliet. Do what we couldn’t.”

I nodded firmly, my resolve strengthening. I stood up, and Claire followed suit. As I started to leave, Claire called my name. I turned to look at her, and was surprised to see tears streaking down her face.

“Wherever they might be, I know that your parents are proud of you.”

I gulped back a fresh wave of emotion, only nodding again before leaving the passage. I wasn’t sure where Aleia and Alaric were taking the Mirror, but I tingled from head to toe. I could feel power coursing through my veins as I strode through the castle. One last time, I heard Claire call my name.

“Aleia’s armies are restless,” Claire stated, standing just a few feet from me in the corridor. “No matter what happens, they will attack.” Her chin lifted regally. “And we will be ready for them.”

“What about the Council?”

I saw a fire in Claire’s eyes that I had never seen before. “Leave them to me.”