by Cege Smith
“You are on the doorstep of a rather important birthday, Violet,” Riveka finally said.
Violet wasn’t sure what she expected, but this wasn’t it. That’s when she determined that it was a test. Riveka hadn’t asked a question even though she had paused. Most people would consider that an appropriate junction to respond. Violet was keenly aware, though, that the conversation portion had not started yet. Riveka was in complete control, and although it chafed Violet more than she could ever remember, she kept quiet.
Having ascertained that Violet was not going to interrupt, Riveka continued. “I had hoped to mark this occasion with something more celebratory. Recent circumstances have prevented that, so I find myself at a bit of loss. What would you like to do for your birthday, Violet?”
Violet blinked. Her grandmother’s sudden interest in her life made her wary, and she didn’t think Riveka had ever been “at a loss” in her entire life. The idea of marking the occasion with an event sounded very like her grandmother, however; it was the perfect opportunity to showcase Riveka’s own importance with her social circle. But this was the first that Violet had heard of a birthday celebration, especially as she lived hundreds of miles away from her grandparents’ home. Something about all of it felt wrong. Violet smelled a trap.
“Well, I appreciate that you have spent so much time thinking about it, Grandmother,” Violet said slowly. “I always value your opinion on these types of things. I would gladly accept whatever you think is appropriate for a celebration. Given the recent circumstances.”
She watched Riveka smile brilliantly. Violet relaxed just a bit. It had been the right answer. Of course, Riveka had an idea of what she wanted to do. She just wanted to make sure that Violet would agree to whatever she wanted. Violet’s shoulders tensed back up. She hated that she had to always be on guard around her grandmother. She wished that her grandfather would step in and offer an opinion, but she knew better than to look in his direction. She had gone over Riveka’s head one time shortly after she moved in with them, and that had been disastrous.
“Well, in that case, I do have a lovely idea that we might consider. I realize that it won’t be as grand as a birthday party at BlueFin Country Club, but hopefully you won’t be disappointed.”
Violet didn’t understand much about society life where her grandparents lived, but she did know that the equivalent of debutante balls occurred on a regular basis at BlueFin Country Club. Her grandmother had never indicated that she was planning such an event for Violet, so she was surprised. But at the same time, she felt a blossoming sense of relief. Violet wasn’t meant for that kind of life, regardless of who her grandmother expected her to be. She didn’t want to be tied to a life of boring teas and cocktail receptions and cardboard cutouts of people. She suspected that the same thing had happened with her father.
It made her uncomfortable that Nicholas and Riveka paid so much money for her preparatory school tuition, but Riveka had insisted on it. At the time Violet had thought it was just because of how it would look to Riveka’s friends if Violet was attending public school, but now she knew better. It took a moment for all of this to rush through her mind, and then she realized that Riveka was waiting for a response.
“No, Grandmother, of course not,” she said, trying not to shake her head so vehemently that Riveka would consider changing her mind.
“Good, then with that settled, I’ll let you in on a little secret. I think I’ve found something better; something that you’ll no doubt feel more comfortable with,” Riveka said, leaning forward.
Having finished her food, Violet put her plate down and leaned in. She felt silly. The only other person in the car was her grandfather, who was clearly in his own little world. If she didn’t hear the newspaper crinkling as he turned the pages, she’d forget that he was there.
“Elysa has this fantastic little estate in central Florida. The weather is beautiful, it’s completely remote and secluded, and we can spend a few days being pampered and taken care of as a family. It’s safe there, and by the time your birthday is over, Elysa will have been to settle things with the Montroses and this will all have blown over,” Riveka said with a small smile.
The idea of being alone in a secluded place with her grandmother and a group of vampires for an indeterminate amount of time sounded like some kind of fresh hell and it made Violet’s skin crawl. Then Riveka revealed her trump card.
She reached down into her purse and drew out a piece of folded paper. She unfolded it and handed it to Violet. “This came in the mail a few days ago. I also thought that this would give us time plenty of time to discuss your plans for the fall. Your grandfather and I are very eager to talk about how we can support you as you take this next step in your life.”
A gasp escaped Violet’s lips as she saw the seal of Brown University at the top of the page. She scanned the letter quickly, but focused on one word: Accepted. She leapt to her feet with a squeal. She started jumping up and down and for a few moments everything else disappeared. Her admission had gone in late and she was certain that she wouldn’t make it. It was like a dream come true. Then Riveka’s words sunk in.
Brown was expensive. Even though Violet had been saving every penny that she could, she knew that she didn’t have enough to even get her through her first year. It had been the biggest reason that she hadn’t applied at first. Margo had convinced her that financial aid was a bridge to cross later. It appeared that later had arrived. Riveka was dangling a very large carrot in front of her.
She swallowed hard as she became aware of how she was behaving in front of Riveka, and what Riveka’s likely judgment of that would be. She darted a look at Riveka as she sat back down and dropped her eyes. “Thank you, Grandmother. This is very good news.”
“So I’m assuming that a few days in our company while we ensure your safety would not be too onerous for you then?” The trap had been neatly set. The promise of financial support through college guaranteed that Violet would do whatever her grandmother asked, and suddenly Violet was certain that this sudden seclusion was only the tip of the iceberg. She was being softened up for the kill.
That was when all hell broke loose.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Violet would later think that the first thing that broke her attention from Riveka’s gaze was the sudden absence of sound. It was like the world sucked in its breath to prepare for what was about to happen. Then as the sound came rushing back in, it was like the harsh implosion of screeching metal and the earth being ripped apart. It was so loud that it felt like it blew out her eardrums. For the next few minutes after that, all Violet would remember was a series of still images.
Her grandfather’s newspaper fell to the ground and his expression of shock and horror. Her grandmother half out of her seat pointing at the front of the car. Elysa, clearly visible in the back window of the engine, with her hands around her mouth shouting something indecipherable at them. Then a cloud of smoke rolled over the entire train and the sun’s bright light was extinguished.
Everything sped up, as if someone had pressed the fast-forward button on the events unfolding in front of her. She watched in horror as the engine car seemed to lift straight up in the air and then twist violently to the side. This caused the attached passenger car to suddenly jackknife. The abrupt movement threw Violet backward so hard that she was lifted out of her seat and smacked against the glass window. Her head cracked hard against the glass and her vision went blurry. Then the lights in the car flickered and went out, just as Violet felt her body now start to roll forward. The passenger car was starting to flip over.
Her stomach churned as she went head over heals following the movement of the railcar as it rolled. She had no idea if they were tumbling off the edge of a cliff and down to their doom. She hadn’t been paying any attention to the scenery whizzing by behind Riveka’s head just before the accident.
The overwhelming sense of fear turned into grief even as she felt herself thrown about while the car cont
inued to tumble and spin. She wondered if this was the end, and if she was about to die. She hoped that if she did, she would meet her parents on the other side. But there was a thick sense of regret about all of the things that she had never done because she was too chicken, and now there may be things that she had always wanted to do that she would not be able to. As the car finally stopped, it swayed back and forth, but didn’t roll any further. She felt the pain start to set in.
Then sound fully returned to her ears. She heard shrieking and moaning. It took her a moment to realize the moans were coming from her own lips. It was dark and even though she thought her eyes were open, she couldn’t see anything clearly. She could only hear the groaning metal and continual sound of glass breaking. She tried to move her hands and legs, but it was like she was trapped in a small box with no way out. Panic started to set in, and her moans turned to screams.
Then she felt rough hands grip the top of her arms. She was dragged upward and she cried out as pain sprouted anew from all of her extremities, but suddenly she was able to move all of her limbs. Her hands came up and wrapped themselves around the hands holding her. There was nothing else around her; it was like she was dangling in the air and her legs were kicking. Then her body was weightless and it felt like she had been sprung off a trampoline. She cried out as she felt herself start to fall but then she landed in a solid pair of arms.
“Why can’t I see?” she said, desperately wiping at her eyes trying to clear any dirt or debris.
“Shhh,” was the whisper in her ear, and then she felt the abrupt forward movement. Whoever was carrying her was running. It felt like the air was whipping around her and that sensation combined with the inability to see caused her to whimper. Her hands crept up as she was drawn closer. The bulging biceps and barreled chest clearly indicated that she was in a male’s arms. Without being able to see, she felt completely vulnerable and helpless.
Then his speed decreased and then she felt herself being gently set down. The ground was springy beneath her, and then she felt hard roughness behind her. She could only make out dark gray impressions, but she could tell from what she was feeling that she was sitting next to a tree. Her mind was trying to assign things to the sensations around her. She could pick out the sounds of birds all around her and the rolling sound of a creek. She was still in the forest.
“What’s happening?” she asked, her voice trembling. She was tempted to reach out to touch him. A sudden paranoia gripped her. What if he left her here? How would she find her way back? “Where am I? Who are you?”
Then she felt herself being cradled back into those strong arms, and tears ran down her cheeks. “It’s okay, Violet. You are safe.”
The words were music to her ears, mostly because she knew that reassuring voice. “Jonah?”
“Thank God we found you, Violet. Before it was too late,” he said. She heard anger beneath his soothing words.
Violet wanted to ask more, but another matter was more pressing. “Jonah, why can’t I see?” As she waited for his answer, she felt herself begin to tremble.
She was gently pushed away and back against the tree. His hands softly touched her cheeks and she flinched. “Let me,” he said. His hands explored the sides of her face, and then crept around to the back of her head. She gasped as his fingertips crept to the spot where she had initially cracked her skull against the window when the railcar went off the rails.
“Violet, I want you to listen very carefully,” Jonah said. “I think that you have experienced some kind of head trauma during the accident that is affecting your eyesight.” Violet grabbed Jonah’s hands to center herself for his next words. “I am not a doctor, so I have no idea if this is something that is temporary or something that could cause lasting damage.”
“Get me to a doctor, Jonah,” she said, feeling panic taking over.
“Shhh,” he said as he wiped her tears away. “Violet, I need to ask you a question. Would you like me to heal you?”
The words were unexpected, and brought home the fact that she was sitting there almost completely blind with a vampire. But the thought of living the rest of her life not being able to see was too much to bear. “What does that mean?”
Jonah sighed. “It means that I would give you some of my blood. Given a little bit of time, it will heal you.”
“But...” Her voice quivered as she considered his words. She felt a quick moment of hope. “Is it dangerous?”
“There are some side effects,” he said.
“Will I become a vampire?”
“No,” he started to continue but Violet cut him off.
“Then I’ll do it,” she said. “Quick, before I lose my nerve.”
“Violet, we should talk about this for a minute.”
“No,” she said firmly. “Do it.”
There was another heavy sigh. Then after moment’s pause he said, “My wrist is right in front of your mouth, Violet. I’ve opened a vein for you to make it easier. You don’t need much; just a few ounces will do the trick. If you don’t want to do this, just turn your head away.”
The images of the accident were in the forefront of her mind. She had almost died. Now everything that she wanted to do with her life was there in front of her again. She just had to take it back. Damn the consequences. Opening her mouth, Violet’s lips crossed the inches and encountered the soft resistance of skin. Immediately a thick, coppery liquid filled her mouth and she gagged.
“Easy, Vi,” Jonah whispered. His voice sounded strained.
Then she heard a roaring voice from off to her left. “Jonah, no!!”
Jonah’s wrist was yanked out of her mouth and a hard shove sent her flying backward into the tree trunk.
“What are you doing, you idiot! She can’t drink vampire blood or she’ll die!” It was Jeremiah’s voice and Violet felt that cold clench of fear close her throat.
Then she realized it wasn’t fear affecting her body, but something else. Her throat muscles were contracting and literally closing off her air supply. She started to gasp even as she heard the grunts and hard thumps that indicated a fight was going on in her proximity.
“What are you talking about?” Jonah’s voice was angry with a tinge of doubt.
A hard smack was the reply. “I asked you to get her out and keep her safe. It’s possible that you have ruined everything, just like you always do with your recklessness.”
She was choking now. She wasn’t sure how to get the attention of the warring brothers without getting caught up in the middle, but she started to wave her hands and stumbled to her feet. Her knees gave out almost immediately, and she prepared to hit the ground but she felt a hand wrap around her wrist and pull her back up, supporting her around her waist.
“Dammit, Jonah. She’s suffocating!” Jeremiah’s voice was right next to her ear and he sounded panicked. Then he paused and said more calmly, “Violet. Violet, I need you to listen to me. Focus on my voice.”
Her body was shuddering and she felt herself twist violently. But she tried to do as he asked.
“What is inside you is like poison. Your body is rejecting it. I can’t compel you to get sick. For some reason you appear to be resistant to that, so I need you to do it yourself. You have to get it out and you have to get it out NOW.” His words were commanding.
She didn’t know she found the strength inside of her, but she pushed away from him and went to her knees. Even though it was the opposite thing her mind said she should do, she stuck her finger as far back into her throat as she could manage. The gagging reflex opened her throat for just a second, but it was in that instant that she knew that she was doing the right thing. She pushed harder and that’s when her throat completely opened and she felt hot bile and something else rise up, and then it spewed out.
Sweat rolled off her forehead as her body took over on its own and she was sick over and over again. Then it felt like there was nothing left. She was alone, weak and sick, in the dark.
It was too much to take
in. She rolled her mind to her happiest memories as she felt her mind start to close. It was her last summer with her parents on the beach. They had run in the surf and kicked in the sand playing Frisbee. They had a clam bake on the beach at dusk and then sat on the porch with hot tea watching the water before going to bed. They had laughed and loved. She felt her consciousness tear away from her body, and she floated away on that happy memory.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Violet felt like she had covered the entire ground of her life while she floated in that transitionary place between life and death. It wasn’t her reality, but she didn’t care. She was free and happy, and she had no desire to return to the place where her life was a mess and everything around her was confusing. Still, there was an increasingly insistent tug that her time in this place of happiness was only temporary. Violet skittered around her memories, pulling them in close, embracing the sights, sounds, and emotions she felt in each one. All too soon those memories started to fade, and the ones she could still touch felt paper thin, as though they were nothing but hollow shells of things past.
It was then that Violet knew she was going to be forced to return. The place was telling her that she couldn’t stay. But as she floated back along the memories that brought her closer to her present, she felt something different. As alone as she had been feeling ever since her parents died, it was obvious that something else now traveled the path back to life with her. It was warm and it wrapped itself around her. She felt safe and comforted. It made her happy to know that it was there, and it gave her the sense that perhaps she did have the strength required to deal with whatever she found on the other side of that thin line between this phantom world and her reality.
As she slipped through the membrane between the worlds, the sucking feeling of re-entering her body was overwhelming. She pulled a deep gulp of air into her lungs and then her eyes shot open.