37. Thorne
37
THORNE
The world fades away as Caine's ice magick takes hold, plunging me into a state of suspended animation. For a moment, there's nothing but cold and darkness. Then, slowly, I feel my consciousness expand, reaching out beyond the confines of my physical form.
The stakes have never been so high. As I focus my thoughts on Violet, I feel a pull, drawing me towards her presence.
The dreamscape materialises around me, a twisted version of MistHallow. The halls are longer and darker, the shadows deeper and more menacing. I can feel Violet's fear permeating the stones around me and making the air thick and oppressive. The walls seem to pulse with a sickly energy, and I can hear whispers echoing from unseen corners.
"Violet?" I call out, my voice echoing strangely in this warped reality. "Violet, where are you? "
A soft sob catches my attention. I turn, following the sound down a corridor that seems to stretch endlessly. The floor beneath my feet shifts and undulates, making each step hazardous. Portraits on the walls watch me with accusing eyes, their features morphing into grotesque caricatures.
At the end of the corridor, there is a locked door. A crisscross of wards cover the door, and I feel sick that they have detained her with such measures. Closing my eyes, I take a step forward and drift through the stone wall. When I open them again, I find her, curled up in a corner of a circular room, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees. The sight of her, so vulnerable and afraid, sends a pang through my chest.
"You again," Nathaniel drawls.
With a hiss, I look up and see him lounging against the wall, examining his nails. "I'm going to kill you so fucking hard when I can get my hands on you."
"Hmm. When will that be?"
"As soon as I get out of Violet's head, I'm coming for you."
"Not if I kill you in here first. You see, you, unlike me, are killable in this little world of mine."
"Try it, bitch."
He chuckles and straightens up.
I prepare for the fight, but Violet's voice gives me pause.
"He can't touch you in here. He's too weak. "
Turning to stare at her, she is getting to her knees. Her hair is tangled and hanging down over her face, and her hands are dirty, as if she's been scrabbling on the floor. "Really?" I murmur, turning back to Nathaniel. "Well, that does change the game now, doesn't it?"
Nathaniel growls, eyes narrowed. "Don't listen to her. She is stark raving mad."
"I doubt that. Besides, even if she were, I'd trust her over you any second of the year."
"Quite the statement. So sweet. She isn't yours, though."
"Wanna bet? I'd stake my life on the fact that she would come to me over you. Hehe, stake ."
His eyes flash, and he lunges for me. I brace for impact, but Violet screams and slams her palms down on the rough surface of the ground. "Get out of my head!"
Nathaniel pops out of existence mid-lunge, and I blink. "Is he really gone?"
"For a minute."
"Fuck, you are badass, you know that, princess?"
She looks up. Tears have left tracks down her pale cheeks, but her eyes are glowing with an iridescent blue that interests me more than worries me. Who is she? Flint's words echo in my mind: He knows who she is .
I kneel beside her, keeping my movements slow and non-threatening in case she decides to kick me to the curb as well. The dreamscape flickers around us, responding to Violet's turbulent emotions. "You okay?"
"Blackthorne will pay for this." Her voice is like gravel, and now I'm a little concerned. Just a smidge.
"He believes he is keeping you safe from the accusations."
"He isolated me."
"I know, but I'm here to get you out, and I suggest we get a move on before a squirrel starts chasing an acorn around MistHallow."
She wrinkles up her nose. "Huh?"
I snort. "Caine is about to create the new Ice Age. It was a joke. Have you seen it?"
She blinks and then smiles. It's feral, and I won't lie, I'm a little bit intimidated with her fangs flashing. "Yeah, I have. He's mad?"
"Madder than a snake."
"How can you get me out? I'm physically trapped."
"I'm going to walk you through it. You will have to do all the work. You up for it?"
She gets to her feet. "Oh, more than." She looks at me, her gaze searching. The dreamscape shifts again, the walls closing in around us. I can feel the pressure of Nathaniel's influence, trying to push me out. "He's coming."
"Then we need to hurry. Violet, listen to me. I need you to embrace your vampire side completely."
She recoils slightly, fear flashing across her face. " What? But that's what Nathaniel wants. To turn me into a monster."
I shake my head vehemently. "No, that's what he's made you believe. Your vampire nature isn't inherently evil, Violet. It's a part of you, a source of strength and power . If you fully accept it, you can break free of this room, of Nathaniel's influence."
She looks uncertain, fear warring with the defiance I witnessed only moments ago. The dreamscape flickers again, and I can feel my connection to her weakening. "How? I don't know how to control it."
"I'll guide you," I promise, my voice filled with determination. "First, you need to focus on your senses. In the real world, not this dream. Can you hear the heartbeats of the people outside this room? Smell their scents?"
Violet closes her eyes, concentrating. The dreamscape around us shifts, becoming more stable as she focuses, which means she is controlling Nathaniel's influence. Good. This is good. When she opens her eyes again, there's a new awareness there. "Yes," she breathes, a hint of wonder in her voice. "I can hear them, smell them. They're not close, but I know they are there."
"Good," I encourage, feeling a surge of hope. "Now, look at the runes on the walls. Really look at them, with your enhanced vampire sight."
She nods, her brow furrowing in concentration. The glowing runes flash on the walls, pulsing with energy. "I see them. They're shimmering, pulsing with energy."
"Those runes are what's keeping you trapped. They have created a ward across the door," I explain, my voice urgent. "But they have weaknesses. Can you see where the lines intersect? Where the energy flows?"
Violet's eyes move rapidly, taking in details invisible to normal sight. The dreamscape sharpens, becoming more vivid as she taps into her vampire senses. "Yes, I see it. There's a point where the energy seems weaker, like a gap in the pattern."
"Excellent," I say, feeling a surge of pride. "That's your way out. Focus your strength there. Use your vampire strength to break through that weak point."
She hesitates, doubt clouding her expression. "How?"
"Follow your instincts. What are they telling you to do?"
Violet takes a deep breath, steeling herself. I can feel her intention strengthening, pushing back against Nathaniel's influence. "Okay. I'll try. But Thorne... what if I lose control? What if I really do become a monster?"
I look directly into her eyes, pouring all my conviction into my words. "You won't. I believe in you, Violet, and we'll be right there to catch you if you fall."
She nods, a look of determination replacing the fear in her eyes. "Okay. I'm ready. "
"Good," I say, feeling the dreamscape starting to fade as my time runs out. Nathaniel's presence is growing stronger again. "Remember, Violet. Focus on that weak point in the runes. Use all your strength and know that we're waiting for you on the other side."
"Where?"
"Outside, near the East tower."
She nods, and as the dream world dissolves around me, I see Violet place her fingertips onto the runes' weak spot…
I gasp awake, the frigid air burning my lungs as Caine's ice magick releases me. Caine hovers over me, his face etched with worry.
"Did you reach her?" he demands, his voice tight with anxiety.
I nod, still catching my breath. My limbs feel heavy, and my head is pounding from the strain of the hypothermia and dream walk. "Yes. She's going to break out. We need to be ready."
Caine helps me to my feet, his eyes scanning the area, hoping to see her immediately. "How long do we have?"
"Not long," I say, already moving towards the building. My legs are unsteady, but determination propels me forward. "She's coming here. Where's Flint?"
"I sent him to get Glacier. We might need whatever influence he has over this Academy, so we aren't locked up for treason and the keys thrown away. "
"That explains that, then," I say, pointing to the smashed tower. "Good thinking. Glad to see you've calmed your tits a bit."
He grimaces but doesn't smite me where I stand.
Hoping no one heard a big chunk being taken out of the tower, I look around, and panic rears up. Did I do enough? Will Violet find the strength within herself to break free? And if she does, what will we face when she emerges? She was different in there. Stronger, more forceful, more don't give a fuck. All good qualities, but has she fundamentally changed? Will she still want us?
For a moment, time seems to stand still, and then, in a whirlwind of motion, she is there, her eyes glowing with vampiric power. Violet's gaze locks onto me, and I see a whirlwind of emotions cross her face - relief, fear, confusion, and something else, something that makes my heart skip a beat.
"Thorne," she whispers, her voice hoarse.
I take a step towards her, my hands outstretched. "I'm here, Violet. You did it. You're free."
She sways on her feet, the effort of breaking through the runes clearly taking its toll. I rush forward, catching her just as her knees buckle.
"I've got you," I murmur, holding her close. I can feel her trembling, her body radiating a low heat from the exertion of her escape. Her fangs are extended, her eyes still glowing with that otherworldly light. She's never looked more beautiful, more powerful.
"Thorne," she says again, her voice stronger now .
I shake my head, gently stroking her hair. "You did it."
She lets out a sob of relief, burying her face in my chest. I hold her tighter, feeling a fierce surge of protectiveness.
"We need to move," I say softly after a moment. "It won't be long before they realise you've escaped."
Violet nods, pulling back slightly. She looks up at me, her eyes clear and determined. "How are we going to explain?"
"You don't explain anything," Caine says, coming to her and taking her from me. "We did this. We did everything. Okay, snowdrop. You admit to nothing."
"They will know it was me," she says. "I'm not leaving you to get the punishment for this."
He smiles softly at her. It's the first time I've ever seen a dopey expression on his usually stern and confident face. "I appreciate the concern, but you don't need to worry about me. Us. We are here of our own free will, and they are lucky to have us. If we walked and opened our big fat mouths about how they treated you, they would be under extreme scrutiny from the Office of Magickal Institutions. They won't want that."
He flicks his gaze to me, warning me not to remark on how much of an embellishment that is.
Violet looks uncertain, glancing between Caine and me. "Are you sure? I don't want you getting in trouble because of me."
"We're sure," I say firmly. We're in agreement on this - we'll do whatever it takes to protect her. "Right now, we need to focus on getting you somewhere safe."
A commotion erupts from the building behind us. Shouts and the sound of running footsteps echo through the night air.
"They've discovered you're gone," Caine says, his voice tight. "We need to move. Now."
Without hesitation, he scoops Violet up into his arms. She lets out a small squeak of surprise but doesn't protest, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Where are we going?" she asks as we start moving swiftly across the grounds.
"Somewhere they won't think to look for us," I reply, keeping pace with Caine. "At least not right away."
We make our way towards the edge of the forest, staying in the shadows as much as possible. The sounds of pursuit grow fainter as we put distance between us and the main buildings.
"Flint!" she hisses. "Where is he?"
"He'll find us. Right now, we just need to get out of here," I mutter, whipping up a cloaking spell that covers us in the shadows so we can make our escape.