The Mystic Chronicles: Locket

by Elizabeth Hawkins

  When the creature left, she glared at Scarlett.“Anyways. We’ll be back together by the end of the night. Watch.” She wanted to say something, but decided not to.“I’m sure.” Scarlett said to her dismissively.

  When Liveria took another drink from her glass, the residue of her nude lipstick lined the surface of the cup. She smirked at Scarlett as she gazed distinctively behind her, “S. Wizard guy looking our way, right behind you.” She told her. Scarlett looked over at the man Liveria mentioned. He waved to Scarlett, and his eyes glowed blue.

  “He looks way too old for you.”

  “For me?” Liveria giggled, and hit her sister’s shoulder. “I was talking about you.” She raised her eyebrow, and then waved at the Wizard man in the distance.

  Scarlett rolled her eyes. She tucked a filament of her curly hair beneath her ear, forced a smile and turned away from his direction. “Yeah, I'm not hooking up with a Wizard tonight.” Scarlett now liked to follow the rules, not break them. And being with a creature that was not of your own was forbidden. However, there seemed to be a gray area there for the Vampric.

  She spoke with her hands, “Besides. If I'm disappointing in bed, he might turn me into a manticore, or something. '' She said, Liveria snickered. Scarlett imagined herself half manticore, howling everywhere, with horns. How would she eat? What would she eat? Her eyes then verted to her sister’s glass. “Also you shouldn’t be drinking random things here. Who knows what’s in that? It’s free for a reason. It could be laced.”

  Liveria squinted her eyes, “With what? Unicorn dust? I’m not you last year.” She spoke with sarcasm. But Scarlett tensed. Suddenly Liveria’s smile faded, and her expression went soft. “Oh, uh. Scarlett I didn’t mean it like…”

  “It’s whatever.” She muttered, and crossed her legs. She pulled the itchy fabric down over her knee. It hiked up her thigh, as she then bit the insides of her cheeks. She knew how defensive she got when the conversation shifted to drugs. She’d been heavily addicted to unicorn dust last year, and it took her forever to get sober. She didn’t expect Liveria to understand. Nobody truly ever did, but those who had been addicted to it. It was the drug that spread all over the campus of their conservatory last year.

  Suddenly, a group of girls in colorful outfits had rushed over to their table in a crowd of squeals, hugs,and kisses. Liveria gazed at a light-eyed girl with wide eyes and a grin. She waved excitedly. “I was looking for you all everywhere.” She raised her eyebrows at a girl and asked. “Anything exciting happen?” She exclaimed, as she stood up and fixed her blouse.

  Jules smiled at Liveria brightly, as she absentmindedly ignored Scarlett. “Well, we saw the cutest booth with the cutest jewelry from the cutest city in the Sealands .” She spoke. Scarlett wanted to evaporate as Jules started to blabber. She had a tendency of repeating her words. That was something she didn’t miss about her and Julessa’s friendship.

  The young-faced Vampric girl had the shade of cherry on her lips, as a neat pattern of small individual braids had lingered at her waist. She licked her fang, and put her hands on her hips. “So anyways. Let’s go, I’ll show you. Tonight’s going to be amazing.” She paused, and her excited facial expression suddenly turned into a glare as she gazed at Scarlett. “Oh. I see you’ve brought your sister.”

  Scarlett laughed shortly with a roll of her pale eyes. “Yes, Julessa. How weird, my younger sister and I to be at a public event together. It’s almost like we’re part of the same family or something.” Her voice was laced with sarcasm. She knew Jules, and she wasn’t afraid to bite back. She wasn’t a fan of Liveria hanging out with her. Her and Jules were close last year, but grew bitterly apart after an incident. “Terrifies me to know that she’s joined you and your group of ass-kissers.” Scarlett said to her sourly.

  Julessa squinted her eyes, but chuckled lightly. The girl crossed her arms. “Yes well, at least I can keep a man. It isn’t my fault your ex is with me now.” She shot Scarlett a tight-lipped smile. Hot, livid rage had shot through Scarlett’s veins. Her forehead creased, and she pursed her lips. She hated Jules. With a passion that grew ever so whenever she’d been met with her presence.

  Charlie Bradshaw. Her ex-boyfriend who broke up with her over Jules. She’d caught them last year sneaking around in private. The feelings had come and left, but Scarlett hadn’t gotten over the overwhelming sense of betrayal that met her when she saw Charlie kissing Jules. Liveria, of course had been away at a private conservatory in Garlendaze due to her love of dance. However, she’d returned when she realized how much she’d missed her sister Scarlett, and begged to return to their hometown Crimsroseyn.

  Liveria slammed her drink to the table as she gawked at Scarlett. “Gee, can’t you two just work this out?” She exclaimed. Scarlett rolled her eyes. She had no idea as to why Liveria liked to hang out with Juliessa so much.

  Scarlett then stood up from sitting in her chair. “I was actually just leaving to go find a friend.” Scarlett muttered. She looked to her stepsister, “Text me if anything weird happens.”

  * * *

  In the midst of the festival crowd, the balloons, the multi-colored sparkles that fell from the air, and the different creatures, it was easy to feel a plethora of emotions.

  Emotions that were buried away years ago but still haunting. Or, feelings. Feelings that maybe shouldn’t have happened in the first place. Feelings caused trouble.

  Scarlett sat at a random bar across from the festival. Colored lights reflected against her face from the stained glass window of the cafe. As she gazed out the window, she saw the fireworks, the festivities, heard the music, and heard the laughter. But she didn’t feel anything. The emotions that she was supposed to feel at least. She texted Silas to meet her at the restaurant. They needed to talk things out.

  She wished that she were still back throwing Kilantra blades at random targets at school, instead of sitting in a plush dark seat, dressed in one of her sister’s short-cut, sparkly dresses with a dark training jacket on─alone. She pinched once again at the annoyingly itchy fabric.

  Her clear eyes gazed into the remnants of the drink she’d ordered. Scarlett felt too gloomy to finish all that was left of her bloodshake, and too drowsy to even care at all. She bit her lip out of frustration as she shook her head. Where was Silas?

  She then pulled out a necklace and licked her fangs. The photograph that stood inside of her silver locket always overwhelmed her. It was the photograph of the woman with dark, curly hair, and forest eyes, but it was torn. She’d had the locket ever since she was little, and figured the photograph had to be her real mother. She favored some of her features.

  At the Melsbury orphanage, the supervisors had told her she’d been born with it. But that’s where she always got stuck. Maybe her real mother wanted her to remember her, In some sick way. She then shoved the locket back in her pocket when suddenly, she’d sensed the presence of someone beside her.

  “Is this seat occupied?” a voice spoke. She didn’t look up to see who the person was, instead she continued to stare into the boring gaze of her half-drunk drink. She quite frankly just wanted to see Silas, and wasn’t interested in random conversation with a stranger.

  Scarlett could smell his blood, as she instantly knew it was a man of Fey. She wanted to cringe. Never in a million years would she have gone for a Fey creature. But It was an undercover, unwritten, illegal rule that almost everyone, no matter what species, had tried to get with the Vampric sexually. Mostly, Vampric women. They were infertile. You didn’t have to worry about Undetermined babies and other chaotic events, and usually people took advantage of that. Most Vampric pregnancies required magic. However, Scarlett never planned anything of the sort. She crossed her arms, but didn’t gaze at him.

  “Look, I'm not a ‘Vampric Mistress’ or whatever. So, if you’re thinking about trying anything? Don’t.” Scarlett warned, her eyes gazing out the window, still at the festival. She was defensive. The Fey liked to play tricks. And the city that she
was in wasn’t always the safest at night. She suddenly missed Crimsroseyn, her hometown.

  But his laughter reminded her of warmth. “I’ve not meant to frighten you.” He sighed, “I desire nothing of the sort.”

  She shrugged and doubted that, and took a sip from her cup. She gazed up at a melodic artsy painting that littered the dark brick wall above the window. For, it was a beautiful painting of what looked like the silhouette of a woman. However, red darkness surrounded her. Scarlett wondered for a second about the artist. It was a horrific concept to think about.

  “Of course.” She spoke, as she picked at her dress again. She longed to go back to throwing her blades. The satisfaction of the knife hitting the metal target had forced smiles from her lips. Her hands itched for it.

  “I was supposed to be meeting with someone.” The voice said. She cracked a half-smile. “However, you looked sad.”

  Scarlett cocked her head, and placed one leg over the other. She wore her long dark boots. “Maybe I am.” She met eyes with him for a second, and then looked away. She sipped some of her bloodshake. Half of her hated slurping. She didn’t like the sound of it. Which is why she preferred straws. “Anyway, who’re you meeting?” The dark-haired girl pointed out. She figured she may as well engage in the conversation. It filled the silence, which was nice.

  “My someone.” He paused, “I like to think that everyone deserves a someone.” His head tilted, but his eyes were miles away, as if they were lost in a beautiful dream. “Do you have a someone?”

  First, her mind had gone to Charlie. The hell of a relationship that she’d gone through with a Vampric boy like him. And then her mind went to the person she currently had loved the most. It was her turn to hesitate. “Having a someone seems so complicated these days.” She said. Scarlett wondered if the person she thought of was her someone. He nodded. “Complicated, yes. Is that why you wear that forlorn expression?”

  Her grin faded, “No. Well, I mean I see everyone enjoying themselves, laughing and having fun, when in reality it all just reminds me of my parents you know? Well, my real parents.” She blurted out. “I’m adopted.” She smiled out of fear. She couldn’t believe she’d just announced that to him. “I mean, I love my family, I really do. They’re great. I’ve been with them for years. I just...”

  “Feel as if you don’t belong? Almost, out of place?” He’d interrupted. She nodded with a chuckle that created dimples at the corners of her mouth.

  It was genuine laughter, she thought, as her eyes had lifted from her hands. She knitted her eyebrows together, unaware of why she'd even laughed in the first place. “Yeah. Out of place.” She mumbled. “You know it's…” She began to say, but cut herself off as something caught her eye. Suddenly, the faint flicker of a golden glow, coming from the boy’s throat, caught her eyes. It looked like a familiar glow, one she’d seen before. For, it was the glow of a chain. But she perked up. Her eyebrows went together. “Where did you get that?”

  “I, too, am adopted.” He said, as he slightly tugged down on the collar of his expensive shirt, and brought out the necklace. He grinned. “This was given to me when I was younger. Endlaysha sure was much better then.” He’d told her. There was a sense of glimmer in his eyes. Wonder. Scarlett had heard of Endlaysha a long time ago, but never desired to visit. It was a city in the land of the Fey. Where the rich and royal lived.

  Abruptly, she decided to finally look up at the mysterious boy. When she did, her lips were almost immobile. Although he basically claimed that he was a royal of some sort, and she’d never seen him before, something was off. He looked so familiar. His shortly cut hair was dark, and in waves, the frame of his face complimented the hollows of his cheeks. His eyes were of warm, hot, viridescent green. The tone of his skin like butterscotch. Most Fey creatures were unquestionably beautiful, but he looked different. Like a familiar difference.

  She shook her head, and bit her lip. Her fingers reached into her jacket, where her own locket remained.“Take it back out. Your locket.” She spoke, rushingly as her hand touched her throat absently.

  “But...”

  She avoided eye contact. “Just take it out, okay?” She exclaimed. The boy sighed with a hidden smirk and raised brows. He’d brought out the golden locket and clicked it open.

  She then took the locket from his grasp in a quick, Vampiric-like fashion, and placed it right beside her own. Together, their photographs completed each other. The boy gasped, and if Scarlett had breath, she would have, too. On his half, there was a young man. He looked no older than the two of them. He was tall, his body lean with slight muscularity here and there. He held the hand of the woman in Scarlett’s half.

  On Scarlett’s side was the photograph of the same woman. The same woman that had secretly haunted her for years. Gold-skinned, with a head full of black curls. The pale dress she wore fell loosely against her limp body, and exposed her collarbones, with a set of olive eyes. Scarlett didn’t know who she was. She’d only made assumptions of who the woman could have been. But they were holding hands. There was something about the way the young boy looked at her in the picture. It was a feeling Scarlett envied.

  She slowly slid her necklace from beside her own, and placed it back in her jacket pocket. She crossed her arms. “This is weird...” She trailed off. “Impossible.”

  “Indeed.” The boy spoke, with a raised brow. And for the first time, he drank his drink and threw his head back. “What’s this mean?”

  She looked up at him and bounced her leg. She wore a confused expression, as her eyebrows were knitted together, and her arms held each other. Scarlett licked her fang. “Who are you?” She asked.

  Their eyes were inseparable. “Saytrix. Saytrix Arlenhallow.” He muttered.

  “Scarlett?” A familiar voice spoke. When she broke eye contact with Saytrix, and was met with the presence of the boy she was expecting, she tensed. Her brain suddenly remembered vividly the small moment that happened between them. They needed to talk. Abruptly. Silas folded his arms. The dark red of his hair was tied in a knot to the back of his head, as red lights from the bar illuminated off of his brown skin. Satrix stood up. He was significantly shorter than the Vampric boy.

  Silas was dressed in distressed denim pants, and a rough grey flannel underneath a dark ripped jacket that exposed his neck. His hands were decorated with training gloves. He glanced at Saytrix. “What’s with the Fey creature?” He questioned, with his eyes absently looking at the way Liveria’s clothing had shaped Scarlett’s figure. He locked his jaw, and quickly looked away from her. “Nice dress.”

  She flinched, and pressed a hand to her forehead. “This really, isn’t what it looks like.” She managed, as the girl then rested her hand onto Saytrix’s shoulder as she glanced from him to her best friend. How would she explain this?

  But suddenly, she felt heat rise to her fingertips, an unfamiliar sensation that opened a can of wild emotions. She heard the Fairy boy shriek, as the touch of Scarlett’s hand to Saytrix’s shoulder had created a warm eruption of fire. And it took no time to travel.

  The flames had risen like the shadows of monsters creeping around a child ready to haunt them. Silas took his best friend's hand and motioned her in fear for an exit. Saytrix coughed, as he tried to follow. They’d gazed up to the ceiling, as it tore the wood of the walls, and melted the stained glass of the windows. Saytrix shot Scarlett a terrified glance as he tried to catch up with them. There was a sea of fire that was alive with ghastly, ugly flames. The restaurant wasn’t exactly small.

  “We need to get out of here!” She shouted at the two boys when she leaped to stand on the dark surface, a table.

  There were shrieks and screams that filled the air. The flames were like no other. They were strong, unlike anything they’d ever seen before. Silas leaped to the table across from Scarlett, where they both shapeshifted into bats. He gazed up at her, the warrior in her eyes. Her expression went towards the Fey creature. “You’ve gotta jump!” She commanded. Saytrix s
hrunk back as the flames traveled to where he stood. It was the corner Scarlett was sitting at, by the window. He shook his head. “I cannot.” He whined. She rolled her eyes. “You must understand.”

  A Fey creature with a fear of heights, who would’ve thought. She wanted to laugh, but her frustration got the best of her.

  She shook her head, with her eyes widened and frantic. “Jump to the table or die!” She glared at him. “Well she’s not wrong.” Silas chimed in, with a shrug.

  The worst that could happen to the two Vampric teenagers would have been severe fire burns, if they weren’t to escape the building in time. The Vampiric lived forever, unless met with the one deadly poison that nobody ever liked to mention.

  As for Saytrix, if he refused to escape the moment, he’d most likely perish. He wasn’t exactly a Mortal, but at the same time, considering him being a royal prince? His life was valuable. Scarlett was trying to help him for a reason. She wanted to know if he was linked with anything that had to do with her birth mother. She wanted to know why, when they touched, it created a fire so strong that it was nearly going to burn down the entire building. But Saytrix wouldn’t budge, as the ruby flames reflected in the green of his eyes. He held his hands in front of himself as he backed into a wall.