40. Violet

40

VIOLET

As we catch our breath on the riverbank, I feel a sense of exhilaration. The adrenaline from the fight and escape is still coursing through my veins, making me feel more alive than I have in weeks.

"This night has been wild," I say, breaking the silence.

Thorne chuckles, wringing water out of his shirt. "Welcome to MistHallow, Vi. Never a dull moment."

I laugh, and it feels good to feel something other than fear and uncertainty.

"So, what's our next move?" I ask, sitting up and looking at the three men.

Caine, who's been scanning our surroundings, speaks up. "We need to keep moving. Those weres might be thrown off for now, but they'll pick up our trail again soon enough. Not to mention, the staff at MistHallow. We don't know what they are thinking or where they intend to go with this witch hunt. "

Flint nods in agreement. "Yeah, we are definitely still too close to MistHallow for comfort. We need to put more distance between us and them. Dad said he would tell us when it was safe to return."

I nod slowly, chewing my bottom lip.

"What are you thinking?" Caine asks, astutely, giving me a searching stare.

"I don't know if running is the best option," I venture. "Maybe we should go back?"

Thorne's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "Go back? To MistHallow? Are you sure about that?"

I take a deep breath, gathering my thoughts. "I know it sounds crazy, but hear me out. Running feels like we're admitting guilt."

"We are guilty. Guilty for smashing in the East tower, my bad, and guilty for breaking you out when Blackthorne told us not to," Flint points out.

"Look, I get how bad this situation is, but we're running from two threats right now - the feral weres and whatever's going on at MistHallow. But running isn't going to solve either problem. The weres will keep hunting us, and the situation at MistHallow will only get worse without us there to defend ourselves. I mean, no offence to your dad, Flint, but this is my life we're talking about. All of our lives. Running isn't the way. Besides, are we playing directly into Nathaniel's hands by leaving the one place he actually can't physically get to me?"

Flint looks sceptical. "I hear what you're saying about Nathaniel, but it's risky. We don't know what kind of reception we'll get if we go back."

"Exactly," I say, warming to my idea. "They won't expect us to return so soon. We'll have the element of surprise and a show of good faith. We are already gone. If we return, doesn't it show them we have nothing to hide?"

Caine nods slowly, a thoughtful expression on his face. "You have a point. Running indefinitely isn't a sustainable solution."

Thorne runs a hand through his wet hair, considering. "It's dangerous," he says finally, "but I think you might be right. We need to face this."

I feel a surge of pride at his words. It's a far cry from the helpless girl I was just days ago, now strategizing with these powerful beings as an equal.

"You are amazing," Thorne adds, holding his hand out to help me up. "Embracing your vampire side has given you confidence and inner strength."

I shoot him a smile. "Nah, this is me. The real me. What Nathaniel did to me threw me off course. I was never a helpless victim until he made me one."

"Well, this you is damn near perfect," he murmurs.

"Only near?" I look up at him as he steps closer, his presence surrounding me as his soul reaches out to mine.

Thorne's eyes darken as he gazes down at me. "Perfection is overrated. I much prefer you as you are. Fierce, determined, and beautifully flawed. "

My breath catches in my throat at the intensity of his gaze. For a moment, I forget about everything else; the danger we're in, the uncertainty of our future. All I can focus on is Thorne, and the way he's looking at me like I'm the most precious thing in the world.

"We should get moving," Caine interrupts. "If we're going back to MistHallow, we need to do it soon, before they have time to mount a full-scale search for us, which will just piss them off even more if we show up of our own free will."

I reluctantly step back from Thorne, feeling heat creep up my cheeks. "Right," I say, trying to refocus. "How do we get back? Can you guys do your transporting thing now that we're away from the wards?"

Flint shakes his head. "I don't think that's wise. As Caine said earlier, we don't know what's waiting for us when and where we land. It's safer if we can see what we're walking into."

"So basically, see what's going to try to eat us?" I remark.

"Pretty much, yeah."

"So your power is actually also overrated," I giggle.

"It has its flaws, yes," he replies with a snort.

I sober up as another thought hits me. "What about the re-creation? If we go back and they lock us up, we'll never know."

"If they lock us up, we won't get a chance to do the ritual anyway," Thorne says. "Sure you want to go back? "

"Okay, well, that's true. But yeah. I honestly believe it's the best way forward."

"Are you absolutely sure?" Flint asks, gripping my hand tightly.

"Yes. I actually feel like I might be able to fight Nathaniel now. Even if it's a little bit, every day, I'm getting stronger and knowing it is possible helps so much. That's not to say I don't want to still break the bond. I do, more than anything. But if push comes to shove, I can live with it for as long as it takes."

Silence greets me as three sets of eyes bore into me, making me squirm.

"What?"

Caine is the one to break the silence. "You are a queen, you know that?"

I feel a rush of warmth at Caine's words, both from the compliment and the intensity in his gaze. But before I can respond, Thorne clears his throat.

"Right, if we're doing this, we need a plan," he says. "We can't just walk back into MistHallow without some kind of strategy."

Flint nods in agreement. "We need to present a united front. Show them we're not running, but we're also not going to be pushed around."

"Agreed," I say, feeling a surge of determination. "But how do we do that?"

"We go straight to Blackthorne and don't let anyone stop us," Caine says. "No one else matters here. Only him. "

"Agreed," Thorne muses. "He's always been fair, even when he's angry. If we can explain everything to him, he might be willing to hear us out."

I nod slowly. "Okay, so straight to Blackthorne and hope for the best."

"Pretty fucking much, princess. Pretty fucking much."

"Great," I mutter but give them all a big smile. "Let's do this then." I look around and gesture to the other side of the river. "How do we get back over there?"

"Like this," Caine says and takes my hand.

In the next second, we are on the other side of the river, with me shivering from the arctic blast. Flint and Thorne land on either side of us, and for the first time, I notice we all look like drowned rats.

"Any of you got some magick to dry us off?"

Thorne waves his hand, and I feel a slight warmth permeate the air as our clothes and hair dry.

I give him a bright smile. "You are a handy man to have around."

He chuckles but then places his finger to his lips. Whispering, he says, "We need to keep a low profile. Those weres could be anywhere."

"I'll keep my ears and eyes open."

He nods, and we set off, treading carefully and freezing at every tiny sound in case it's something that's ready to jump out and attack.

The forest is quiet, save for us picking our way through. The feral weres are nowhere in sight or sound, but we remain vigilant, our senses on high alert for any sign of danger.

As we walk, taking the path of the most resistance, I ponder the events that led us here. Not that long ago, I was a scared, newly turned vampire, struggling to understand my place in this world. Now, I feel like a different person entirely. Stronger, more confident, and ready to take life by the horns.

"What are you thinking about?" Thorne whispers, falling into step beside me.

I glance at him with a small smile. "Just how much has changed in such a short time. Everything is different."

He nods, understanding. "Embracing your true nature can do that. You're no longer fighting against yourself. Your soul is at peace."

I take that in with pursed lips. Do I even have a soul anymore? Everything I've ever known about vampires, which admittedly is from TV and books, is that they don't have souls. Thinking about morals, I still feel like I have a sense of right and wrong. Is that what having a soul is? I'd never really thought about it before. "Yeah," I mutter. "But it's more than that," I say, trying to put my feelings into words. "I feel like I've found a part of myself I didn't know was missing. Does that make sense?"

Before he can answer, the temperature drops to a bone-numbing degree, making my teeth chatter. I turn to Caine, wondering what the fuck is going on, but he grimaces at something behind me.

He raises his hand and waves his cane, miraculously still with him after the swim in the river, and says, "Hey, Dad. What's up?"