14. Caine

14

CAINE

"Fucking hell, Violet," I hiss. "What are you doing?"

Having followed Violet down the stairs, I knew something was off with her, and it was not just the strange noise she was hearing. The tension in her shoulders and the distracted look in her eyes set my nerves on edge.

She said she needed more blood, yet she has darted away from the dining hall.

I'd hesitated, debating with myself if it's a good idea, but after a few wasted seconds, I decided to follow her.

And with good fucking reason, it seems.

Ignoring the voice in my head that tells me I'm being overprotective, I watch her standing near an oak tree, from my vantage point behind a large clump of short, squat firs, dusted with snow.

The forest is different tonight. The air feels charged with an energy I've never encountered before. The trees loom larger, their branches reaching out. I suppress a shiver that has nothing to do with the cold.

All around her, impossible things are happening. Flowers bloom in her footsteps, pushing up through the snow. The air shimmers with tiny lights, like a swarm of fireflies.

There is a weird noise coming from everywhere and nowhere. It whispers in a language I can't understand, and I'm not sure I want to.

A fierce wind blows through the clearing and Violet freezes, head tilted as she listens intently.

I'm about to step forward to find out what in the ice hell is going on, when a whispered voice says my name. I whirl around, ice crackling at my fingertips, ready to attack.

"Easy, it's just me," Thorne says, his voice low. His eyes are fixed on Violet with concern.

"What are you doing here?" I hiss.

"I could ask you the same thing," he replies, arching an eyebrow. "I saw you trailing over the grounds and knew something was up. Good thing I did, too. Is she okay?"

"Fuck knows."

"She doesn't know you're here?"

I shake my head grimly.

He rolls his eyes and then shakes it off. "Listen, we need to talk. All of us. I've discovered something."

"About the Order of the Shadows Descent?"

"Sort of, yeah, but something else. "

I nod, knowing he won't spill until we are all assembled. Fair enough. I get the not wanting to repeat yourself bullshit. But my attention is drawn back to Violet as she stumbles away from the tree, gasping for air. The clearing is eerily silent now, but the tree continues to vibrate with that strange light.

Turning back to Thorne, mouth open to say we'll both interrupt Violet's whatever this is, so she has two of us to be annoyed at instead of just me, I close it again. He is listening intently.

"Do you understand what it's saying?"

He nods slowly. "Kind of," he whispers. "It's Fae, but the ancient kind."

"Morgan," I murmur, looking back at Violet.

Thorne doesn't reply for a moment, but then springs into action. "We need to get her out of here."

I nod in agreement. "Let's do this."

We step out from our hiding place, moving slowly towards Violet. She's still standing there, staring at the tree with an expression of awe, but tinged with fear.

"Violet," I call out softly, not wanting to startle her.

She whirls around, her eyes wide with surprise. "Caine? Thorne? What are you doing here?"

"We could ask you the same thing," Thorne says. "You know it's dangerous to cross the wards, especially alone, princess."

Violet's surprise quickly turns to indignation. "You followed me? You were spying on me?"

I hold up my hands in a placating gesture. "We were worried about you, snowdrop. After what you said about hearing strange noises, I couldn't just let you wander off alone."

Her anger seems to deflate a bit at that, but this is far from over. "I guess I can understand that. But I told you I can take care of myself."

"Yeah, you also lied about where you were going."

She glares at me furiously. "Excuse me? I don't answer to you."

"No, but if I'm trying to protect you, I need to know you are where you say you are, not out in the forest with weird noises and where Nathaniel can get to you."

"He got to me in my bathroom," she grits out.

I grimace. "I'm aware. Point is, you are more vulnerable out here."

"Look," Thorne interrupts. "We get that you need to do things on your own, and that's fine. But tell us so we know not to worry. This…" He gestures all around. "… is worrying."

"Why?" she asks.

"The forest is altering, and it's because of you. We need more information before you come out here again."

"Altering?" I ask with a frown, but he ignores me.

Violet looks back at the oak, which is still glowing faintly. "It was calling to me, and when I touched it, I saw things. Visions, I think. Of the past, maybe? Or the future? I don't know."

I exchange a worried glance with Thorne. This is beyond concerning now.

"We should get back to the academy," I say. "We need to talk to Amara and Professor Blackthorne about this. And..." I hesitate, looking at Thorne.

He nods. "And I have some information that we need to discuss. But not here. We need to find Flint first."

Violet nods, though she casts one last longing look at the tree. "Okay. Let's go."

As we return to the academy, a mist swirls around us that seems more sinister than usual, thicker, darker, icier.

We cross back through the wards which is easier than it should be, but I notice Violet shiver slightly as we pass through. She looks paler, and there's a distant look in her eyes that worries me.

"Are you okay?" I ask, placing a hand on her waist.

She nods but doesn't meet my eyes. "Yeah. All of this was a bit weird."

"Can you still hear the noise? Was it coming from the forest?"

"Yes, but it's gone now."

"Okay," I mutter and shut up. She isn't talking, and I'm not going to make her. I'm surprised she hasn't shouted at us some more for following her.

Well, shouted at me . Thorne says he was following me, so he at least has that excuse.

"Does anyone know where Flint is?" Thorne asks.

Violet shakes her head, still looking distracted. "I haven't seen him for a while. I think he said he had Combat Training earlier, but I don't know."

"Hmm," Thorne murmurs. "That was a bit ago. I heard he kicked Xaxis's arse pretty bad and got dragged to Blackthorne's office."

I shove him on the shoulder. "And you're only telling us this now?"

He shrugs. "Been a bit distracted. I'm sure he's fine."

"Locator spell," I mutter, and despite the dampening effect of the new wards, which don't seem too concerned with letting our band of merry men come and go, I close my eyes and mutter an incantation.

Moments later, a small buzz of light appears, leading us away from the main building and deep into the campus grounds at the back of the castle.

"Yeah, I don't like the look of this," Thorne mutters, coiling his shadows around him.

"Me either." I grip my cane tighter and, with my free hand, take Violet's. She doesn't resist me, but she doesn't tighten her hold either. We head further into the darkness, and I murmur, "Stay close. Something is off here."