Violet Fire

I left as soon as Penelope declared me presentable, wanting to avoid the look on her face. Apparently news had travelled quickly of my lessons, because several of the servants I passed averted their eyes and walked with more urgency. My heart began to pound, and all I wanted was to escape the almost tangible fear that seemed to follow me. I had managed to find my way back to the double doors, and I slipped into the library before I ran into anyone else. I closed my eyes, leaning against the doors and breathing deeply.

“Juliet?” I recognized Damon’s voice instantly, and my eyes flew open. “Is everything all right?”

Sure, everything’s just peachy. I’ve just become the castle freak within two days of getting to this crazy place.

“Yep, everything’s great,” I replied, standing up straight and smoothing out my dress.

Damon looked down at the book in his hands, letting me relax as he released me from that piercing stare. Good, he bought it.

“Things will get easier,” he said quietly, glancing back at me. “It will just take some time for everyone to get used to there being more magic in the castle.”

I shook my head, half smiling. “How do you manage to see through me so easily?”

Damon looked a bit embarrassed, fiddling with one of the open pages of his book. “Books aren’t the only things I read.”

I wished that he would tell me more, but I didn’t push him. Instead I started to wander through the library, heading towards the back. Damon fell into step beside me, occasionally stopping to pick up a book, then place it back on the shelf. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for exactly, but I was drawn towards a sunny spot, almost hidden in the far corner of the room. I’m still not sure what drew me there, perhaps it was the way the dust motes seemed to dance in the sunbeams, or the way the wall had the faintest of seams, or maybe it was something inside of me. I reached out and brushed my hand against the stone wall, one of the few places that wasn’t covered by a towering bookshelf. I squealed as a small bit of stone slid back from my fingertips, afraid that I had just broken something. Damon came over at the sound, staring in wonder at the key hole that had appeared in the wall. I took the delicate chain from around my neck, shivering as the cool key slid across my skin. I hadn’t taken off the key since arriving, and now I was glad. It fit into the key hole easily, and I slowly turned the key. There was a soft click, and I stepped forward as the wall swung inward. I glanced at Damon with wide eyes before moving into the doorway.

The room beyond was well lit, with natural light streaming through high windows. There was a long table serving as a desk, and the wall directly across from the door was covered with notes tacked to the stone. There was one modest bookshelf, only half full, and there were notes everywhere: in untidy piles on the table, stacked in the corner, and even strung across the room using twine.

“What is this place?” Damon asked, looking around in puzzlement.

“This is my parents’ study,” I replied excitedly, shuffling through some of the notes.

“How can you be sure?” Damon asked, moving to look over my shoulder.

“This is my mom’s handwriting,” I turned the paper in my hand so that Damon could see it more clearly.

I felt more connected to my parents than I ever had before. I could see evidence of their detective work in their notes. It was a bit of a mess, but it was an organized mess. I moved over to the bookshelf, scanning it quickly. A small leather book caught my eye. It was dyed a deep red, and it cracked as I opened it. There was no title, and it took me a minute to realize that it was a journal. On the first page in elegant script was a name: Aleia Catherine Rose.

“This is Aleia’s journal,” I murmured, staring at the name in surprise.

Damon moved over to look at the journal. “How did your parents manage to get their hands on this?”

All I could do was shake my head. “I don’t know.”

I turned the journal over in my hands, fully realizing that there was a lot that I didn’t know. I glanced around the room, feeling my wonder give way to hopelessness.

“There is so much to do,” I lamented softly.

“I’ll help you,” Damon offered.

I flashed him a grateful smile. We had our work cut out for us.