Love Between The Lines
(A/N) Hevie Inkheart AU! I've been wanting to do a Hevie story where Evie reads about Harry in a book and somehow gets to meet him. I hope you like it! Let me know what you think! This is a modern AU with no Isle of The Lost.
Disclaimer: I do not own Descendants or Inkheart or any of the characters.
Evie loved to read.
Reading allowed her to do so much that she could never do in real life. She could travel to distant countries and different worlds, meet larger than life people, encounter magical creatures, and see lands filled with magic and wonder. She could connect with the characters and put herself in their shoes, living the adventure through them. In those moments she truly felt alive. She could pretend that she was the wistful princess in the tower waiting for her true love, the heroic knight slaying a dragon, the daring thief stealing the crown jewels, a secret agent undercover in enemy territory, or the wicked witch out for revenge.
And she could do it all safely in the comfort of her home, able to close the book and stop the adventure, the danger and excitement whenever she pleased.
If she grew bored of one tale she could reach for another, experience a change in landscape and people with a turn of a page. Her room was a haven of journeys. All around her room lay piles of books stacked on top of each other, others were piled on her drawers, vanity table and window seat. All along the walls, from floor to ceiling were bookcases overspilling with books upon books upon books.
It was her paradise. Her place to forget who she was and all the worries and responsibilities of her life. She could forget that she was just an ordinary girl in a mundane, magicless world. She could ignore that she was just a fashion design student at university, struggling to impress her teachers and idols with her work, all the while knowing that her mother was shaking her head in disapproval. No, none of that mattered here, not when she had a book in her hands.
A soft beeping drew Evie away from the book she was reading. She glared at her phone, letting out a mournful sigh.
Time for work.
Reluctantly, Evie placed a bookmark in her book and placed it down tenderly on her pillow. Mr Darcy and Elisabeth Bennet would just have to wait for her to return. With a groan, Evie gave herself a good old stretch, wincing at the crack of her bones and aching joints. How long had she been sitting there, curled up on her bed, wrapped in blankets with that book? She felt like she hadn't moved in years!
With an irritable mutter, Evie set off to work.
Despite her displeasure at being drawn away from the social politics of nineteenth-century Britain, Evie was excited to go to work. It was another joy of hers. She was a library assistant at the villages only library, Belles and Roses Library.
The library building itself was a stunning piece of architect; it was an old, eighteenth-century church that had undergone major restoration and renovations a decade ago. There were many gnarly gargoyles leering over the roof, silently protecting the building, their unblinking eyes never leaving the dark forest that surrounded the church. Whenever the sun shined, it would pour a rainbow of colours into the library through the tall, stained glass windows. Inside was even more beautiful. Some of the main walls had been sculpted with eerily, life-like, stone statues of characters from famous books, others having been painted with vivid scenes and quotes written in calligraphy. The best part was the books, rows upon rows of books. There was nowhere one could look without seeing them. It was like a maze of books, with bookcases instead of walls, and captivating books instead of traps. It was one maze you didn't want to find your way out of.
"Thanks for covering the late shift tonight, Evie," Belle said with a grateful smile. "Beastie's promised to take me out to dinner tonight, and Ben couldn't cover as he has assignments for university due in. You're a lifesaver."
"It's my pleasure," Evie said with a smile.
Belle was the owner of the library and Evie's boss. It was her who had given Evie the job, something Evie was eternally thankful for. It had allowed her to save up money and let her finally move out from her mother's house and get an apartment of her own. If Belle needed help, she would happily bend over backwards to help the women, knowing Belle would always do the same for her.
"Oh, before I forget, there are some new books that just came in that you might be interested in," Belle said, smiling excitedly. She pointed over to a dusty, old crate over by the wall, the shadow of little red riding hood and the big bad wolf's statue falling over it. "Non-fiction. Mostly physics but there is a fair bunch of chemistry books."
Evie grinned, giving Belle a wink. "You know me too well."
Belle smiled, giving her a wave as she picked up her purse and left.
Evie gave the place a quick glance over. There were only a few people in; one or two browsers leisurely strolling about and a hand full of students with their noses buried in their laptops and textbooks, their free hands wrapped firmly around their coffee canisters as though their lives depended on it. Seeing as it wasn't busy, Evie decided to check out the crate. She hauled the create over to the receptionist desk that sat at the front of the library overlooking everything. She gleefully pulled out the Chemistry books, scanning their covers for anything that tweaked her fancy.
All though her heart belonged to fiction, non-fiction would always hold a dear place there. When she was growing up it was the only books that her mother would allow her to read. Her mother had forbidden her from reading fiction and had only allowed her to read non-fiction works if she promised never to read them aloud. Evie could never understand her mother's disdain for books, especially not when she had first stumbled into this library and discovered the wonders of the written texts for herself.
As the hours flew by, Evie found herself alone in the library. The fierce weather that had picked up outside, trenchant rain and wailing winds, having prompted the scant guests to scurry home for the night. Evie was left to clean up the place, picking up students discarded coffee cups and rubbish - that really should never have been there considering the no eating policy - tucking in chairs, wiping down tables, putting back books that had been left in the wrong places and switching off computers that had been left on.
Suddenly, the room lit up in a white flare as lightning flashed across the sky outside. Evie jumped, startled when the lights flickered out, leaving her in darkness.
"Oh, great," Evie mumbled, digging into her pocket for her phone. She flicked on the torchlight, allowing her some limited sight. "Just what I need."
Evie crept down the aisles of bookcases, the safe and comforting sensation she always felt when she was in the library replaced with an uneasy tenseness. Evie hadn't ever thought it possible for a library to seem unwelcoming, yet in the dark with thunder and lightening raging outside and being all alone, the library seemed more like an ideal place for a horror movie. Her phone's torch cast tall, dark shadows everywhere it shone and occasionally she had to do a double take, her imagination convincing her that she had seen something out of place, as though there was someone... or something... lurking in the shadows.
Once upon a time... The girl with the red cape... Three little pigs...
Evie paused upon hearing the voices, like hushed and hurried whispers. Was someone here? She thought the last visitor had left an hour ago. She looked around, her phones light flying across the library.
"Hello? Is anyone there?" Evie called out.
Booming thunder was her only reply.
"That's funny," Evie shook her head. "I thought I heard-"
Open sesame... Follow the yellow brick road... The dream that you wish can come true...
Evie frowned, her head snapping up. She glanced around again, looking for where the voices were coming from. It sounded like there were several people, whispering and murmuring over one another, their voices strangely distant. She couldn't catch everything they were saying, just brief snippets. Evie continued walking down between the rows of bookcases, more and more voices speaking lowly around her. No matter how quickly she turned to the sound of the voices, she couldn't find anyone there.
Her hand carrying her phone began trembling, the beam of light shaking as it searched the darkness. She could feel her heart thudding painfully in her chest, it's hammering seeming almost as loud as the storm outside, slashing against the windows.
"Hello? If someone's out there then this isn't funny!" Evie shouted, her voice shaking. "Seriously!"
Evie decided to try and tune in on one of the voices, to try and figure out where it was coming from. If this turned out to be some childish prank, then whoever it was was going to get banned from the library, after she served them a world of hurt.
Second star to the right... Odd's fish... I hereby banish you...
Evie listened to the voice, lightly jogging down the aisle, her boots echoing off the marble floors. She found the voices grew louder and clearer as she tuned into it.
He can fly... How did Nana get your shadow?... No splash Captain...
She found the source, it was coming from a shelf on one of the bookcases against the back wall. Evie leaned closer, trying to pinpoint its exact location.
Tick Tock... That ain't good form you know?... But that's my speciality...
"Ah, ha," Evie cried triumphantly, pulling out the book where the whispers were coming from.
All of a sudden, the lights flickered back on. The moment they did the whispers stopped, silence filling the air once more. Evie pulled the book and her phone closely to her chest, her back pressed up against the bookcase as she looked around the library.
It was completely empty bar herself.
What in the world had all those voices been?
Evie frowned, raising a hand to her head. Maybe she had let her overactive imagination get away with herself, stress from uni and worries over bills getting to her. The frightening, nightmarish playground of shadows that the library had momentarily been turned into certainly hadn't helped.
She couldn't help the blush that spread across her cheek, feeling silly for getting so scared. Evie let out a soft laugh, pushing her hair back behind her ear.
"Oh, night shift was such a bad idea," Evie muttered.
She glanced down at the book in her hand, a smile spreading on her face.
"Peter Pan and The Adventures of Neverland," Evie said, her fingers tracing the cover. "Now there is a story that I hadn't read in years. Gosh, you were my first trip into fiction."
Peter Pan had been the first book she had picked up and dared to read when she had discovered Belle's library. The story had enchanted her. She adored it all; Neverland, the trouble stirring Peter Pan, the hot-headed Tinkerbell and the other faeries, the loyal Lost Boys, brave and proud Tiger Lilly and her tribe, and of course, everyone's favourite Captain James Hook and his pirate crew. There was also no forgetting the wicked son of Captain Hook, Harry Hook. She remembered him well. His character had always unnerved her. He had been an unruly child who had grown up to be as wild and intense as a storm at sea, and just as unpredictable. He had also killed off her favourite fairy Periwinkle, earning him a place on her spite list.
"Hmmm, I think it's time for some catching up," Evie said with a smile.
Her smile was replaced with a wince when she realised she was talking to herself again. That was becoming a bad habit. It was understandable, she did live on her own, after all, but she really needed to stop it. It was bad enough that Belle and her best friend Mal had caught her mumbling to herself on several occasions, the last thing she needed was anyone else catching her doing it.
Evie tucked the book under her arm, making her way back to the receptionist desk. She checked it out for herself, deciding she would enjoy the trip down memory lane. Besides, she had always had a soft spot for stories with pirates.
A quick glance at her phone told her it was time to lock up. She gave the building a routine sweep to make sure no one really was there and that no students had studied themselves into unconsciousness and were lying out cold under any of the desks - a regular occurrence. Once she was sure the building was empty she turned everything off and locked up, running through the rain and getting drenched int the process.
Oh, what a miserable night, Evie thought gloomily.
She couldn't wait to get home, dry up, slip into her pyjamas, tuck herself into bed and start reading her old companion. It was sure to be a peaceful and restful night.
By the time Evie got home and had readied herself for bed, the storm had yet to ease up. If anything it had gotten worse. Evie eyed her window warily from her bed, the glass rattling terribly in its frame.
She hoped the weather hadn't ruined Belle's dinner with her husband. The pair seldom got the chance to be alone together, what with Beastie - as Belle affectionately had dubbed her husband - being mayor of the village.
Evie turned to her book and flipped it open, a rush of excitement making her sit up straight with anticipation. Even after all these years, she still remembered the stories within this book off by heart. She decided to pick one of the adventures at random, leaving it up to fate to decide tonight's tale. She placed her finger at the top of the content page and began sliding it down, her eyes closed. She stopped randomly, opening her eyes to see the title her finger had stopped closest too.
Crocodile Creak, page 785. Evie rolled her eyes. Of course, she would pick a Harry Hook centred story.
With a sigh, Evie flipped to the page.
If she remembered correctly, this was the story of Harry Hook trying to entice one of the smaller crocodiles into biting off his left hand - something he had tried to do as a little boy. At the age of eighteen, that idea had become keen to him again. He was a strange codfish, that one. And this wasn't even the weirdest or most disturbing thing he had done.
"Harry Hook," Evie murmured aloud, reading the first passage. "A wicked young man with bones made of mischief and a sinister grin that could put even the hardiest of pirates on edge. He was well-built, tall and blessed with his father's roguish and handsome features, that for the Captain had long faded. For Harry, his father was the greatest man that ever lived, and to emulate him, Harry wore a red jacket and carried a silver hook in his hand, that he relished hooking people with. H-he was... w-wild... and... and..."
Evie began choking, something tickling the back of her throat. After a few moments of hefty wheezing and coughing, she managed to clear her throat.
I think a glass of water is in order, Evie winced, her hand soothing her raw throat.
Evie was about to put the book down when she heard it again... the whispers. She paused, her eyes roaming her walls at the murmurs echoing around the room. Much to her confusion, she swore it sounded like her own voice.
Harry Hook... Sinister grin... Wore a red jacket...
Panicked by the strange voice, Evie scrambled off her bed and rushed over to the main light switch, wanting what little comfort more light could give to her.
Who turned her back on evil... You know what they say... Leaving us here will be...
Lightning flashed and the window burst open, letting the storm hurl itself into her room. The wind ripped through her haven, the rain pelting in along with it. Evie screamed, flinching at the chaos erupting in her room. The curtains and drapes of her bed lashed through the air like angry serpents. Books flew off their shelves, their pages flapping madly. Items around her room toppled over, crashing to the floor.
Evie abandoned her quest for more light and instead bolted for the window. It took all her strength to push it shut and snib it securely once more.
"Stupid storm," Evie muttered, resting her head against the window pane.
"What the devil?"
Evie shrieked at the voice of a man behind her. She shot up from her knees and spun around, standing on her window seat with her back pressed up against the soaked window. She could feel the cold water from the glass seeping into her pyjamas but she didn't care, her attention completely absorbed by the character before her. She stared wide-eyed, mouth dropped up and a trembling hand point accusingly at him.
"What are you doing in my room? In my apartment?" Evie shrieked. "Get out right now before I phone the... the..."
Evie gave the man a once-over, taking in his very odd attire. He looked like a pirate straight out from the book she was reading. He had a sleeveless, long, red leather jacket on, opened up to reveal a shirt that looked like it had been torn apart by sharks. Across his muscled arms were strange, calligraphy tattoos, though she was too far away to read them. He wore the classic pirate hat, the edges of a blue bandana underneath slightly visible. Much to her alarm, there was a sharp looking cutlass sword dangling from his waist and a silver hook held in one of his hands. There was something very familiar about his face, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
"Why are you dressed like that?" Evie asked, frowning. "Wait a minute, no! Nevermind, just get out, like, now!"
"Ye want me tae get out? How about ye send me back, witch! Yer the one who brought me here!" the pirate snapped, taking a menacing step forward.
"What are you talking about?" Evie retorted indignantly. "You're the one who broke into my home! How did you even get in here?"
She was certain that she had locked both her front door and her bedroom door, but she hadn't heard either of those doors being unlocked or open. The storm was loud but surely she would have heard that?
"I didn't break in tae yer home! There I was, minding me own business at Crocodile Creek when I hear yer voice and the next thing I know, here I am," the boy said irritably, arms spread wide. "Now send me back or things are gonna get very nasty very quickly."
She was ready to snark back at him, refusing to be threatened in her own home when his words gave her pause.
"Wait a minute... Crocodile Creek... like the place in Neverland?"
"Aye," the pirate replied dryly.
Evie laughed, crossing her arms. Perhaps he was some random cosplayer who had gotten a little bit too into character?
"What, so you're supposed to be who? A cheap knockoff of Captain Hook?"
The look on the boy's face turned murderous, and Evie regretted making the dig. Her eyes darted to the side, finding the baseball bat that her neighbour Chad had left at her house the previous weekend. She estimated the distance between her and the bat, trying to figure out if she could reach it in time should the boy make a lunge for her.
"Close but no," the pirate said, taking another step forward. "Try his son."
"Harry Hook? That's who you're supposed... to be..." Evie trailed off, her eyes landing on the book on her bed.
Evie jumped off the window seat, ignoring the pirate and moving to her bed. She picked up the book, her eyes quickly scanning the page. It was on the same page she had been reading, the passage about Harry Hook in Crocodile Creek. Evie swallowed, lowering the book. It couldn't be. There was no way it was possible. Yet the only alternative was some random burglar who just so happened to be dressed as the character she was currently reading about in a book, had somehow appeared in her room.
Evie turned around to face the boy, looking at him in awe.
"Are you really Harry Hook?" Evie asked quietly.
The grin that spread across his face was answer enough.
That can't be possible, Evie thought, shaking her head.
"No... you can't be. Harry Hook isn't real! He's a fictional character in a fictional world!" Evie said in disbelief.
She felt ridiculous having even entertained the notion for a moment. With a shake of her head, Evie swept passed the boy, her hand wrapping around the door handle of her room.
"You need to leave now or I really will phone the police," Evie said sternly, trying to open the door. Her frown grew when she discovered that it was still locked. "What the... I did lock the door. How the hell did you in here then?"
The pirate growled in frustration. "I told ye, I just appeared here after hearing yer voice talkin about me!"
"What, so you've literally come from the storybook? That's not possible!"
Evie, you need to promise your mother this, Evie's mother's voice whispered in her head. Whenever you read something, you must never read the words aloud, Evie. Bad things can happen.
Her mother had never explained why she wasn't allowed to read aloud, and Evie had been too scared with her mother's serious tone to question her. Wanting to be the perfect daughter, and craving her mother's adoration and attention, Evie had obeyed her, all her questions tucked away at the back of her mind.
"You said that you heard my voice talking about you," Evie muttered. "I was reading a story about you... but I was reading it out loud without realizing. That couldn't have..."
"Ye were reading a story about me?" Harry said with a frown. "Are ye a Silvertongue?"
"A what?"
"A Silvertougue. I've heard stories about em. People who can read a book and bring characters and things straight out from the pages, but at a price," Harry explained, looking at her curiously. "But I'm no work of fiction, so maybe not."
"You are a work of fiction," Evie replied carefully, clutching the book tightly to her chest.
This couldn't be happening. This had to be a dream or stress or something! There had to be a reasonable, logical explanation. She would wake up any moment and laugh at how seriously she had taken the dream. Any minute now... any... minute... Evie pinched herself, letting out a yelp at the pain that followed.
"Oh my god... this isn't a dream," Evie gasped. "You're... really Harry Hook... aren't you?"
She couldn't help herself, she started giggling. She found absolutely nothing funny about the situation but all she could bring herself to do was laugh at the absurdity of it all. Harry Hook, the son of the infamous Captain Hook, was standing in her bedroom. Somehow, he had come straight out of the book and into the real world, just like magic. It shouldn't have been possible and yet here he was, as bold as brass, watching her nervous breakdown with a quirked eyebrow.
"Well," Evie said between laughter. "That's just... not cool."
Without grace or dignity, Evie fainted.