A/N: Thank you everyone for the reviews! Changing scenes again in this chapter. I can't say how much longer this story will be, I'm certainly not at the end yet, but I think I've gone past half way now! Yay. Thanks again for the reviews!

Chapter Twenty One

Just an Employee

Lord Carrion was sat next to Candy Quackenbush, and the girl looked sick at the thought of being so close to him. The lights were dim, as Carrion could no longer bear the bright light of day, and now every room had to be curtained.

Violet was torn between going further into the room, and running away. Her heart was sinking lower and lower. She had had envisioned all sorts for their morning meeting. She had thought he would acknowledge her at least, maybe apologise for the way he had left her.

But then she realised, this was Lord Carrion. He never apologised for anything, and what claim did she have over him anyway? She had thrown herself upon him like a starved woman, she didn't blame him for being disgusted with her.

Candy looked up at her first, she smiled a genuine smile of friendship, and Violet was sorry that they were enemies in this game. Carrion pulled a chair out with his free hand, but didn't look up from his papers.

"I want you to sign this," he said handing Violet a sheet of paper, again he avoided her eyes.

Violet took a pen and held it above the dotted line. Carrion watched her hand expectantly, he needed things to get a move on today, and Violet's pen hovering over the paper was infuriating.

"You should read that first," Candy warned. Her voice had started strong, and ended as merely a mumble when Carrion's eyes flashed upon her.

Candy's warning touched a nerve, did Candy know more than her? Was Candy Carrion's Mistress now? Was she signing a form that would send her home? She didn't think she could bear to be sent home in that way.

"Maybe later," Violet said setting her pen down.

Carrion snatched the paper from her, and without warning, ripped it in half. Violet sat alert, it was the first time she had been afraid of him in a long time. She remained ridged in her seat, waiting for something to happen, as it was clear that Carrion's mood was as dark as she has ever seen it.

"I have no time for your foolishness," he said maliciously to Violet.

Feeling Candy's questioning eyes upon her, along with everyone else's in the room, Violet got to her feet before she could begin crying in front of them all. Hurrying to the door in as fast a walk as she could manage, Violet broke into a run and hurtled to the garden, not really knowing where she was going.

The garden path took her to the boundaries of the garden wall, where she then found a gate taking her out into freedom. At least that was what it felt like. She was in public domain now, she was a no one again. Only, she knew she would never be a no one, she would always Carrion's Mistress, even if secretly it was all a sham.

He might have spared her last night, but he had used her in every other way, her only consolation was that she wasn't doing this for free. She let her tears fall as she walked, and longed for Elspeth's clearheaded reasoning.

In her mind she heard Elspeth's voice.

All men suck, you should know that. You're pretty old now, after all. Not as old as Carrion of course, and what is his problem? You are way hot. He's just stupid.

Violet smiled. Elspeth had said she would be seeing her soon, and Violet hoped that would be true. Having been lost in her thoughts, she suddenly had the feeling that someone was following her, and she turned to see Candy and Letheo heading towards her. Violet started at the presence of Letheo, and then she remembered that he was supposed to be Candy's friend now, not Carrion's servant.

"Violet, I was worried I wouldn't find you. Carrion hasn't hurt you has he?" Candy asked, her eyes filled with concern.

Violet couldn't understand why this girl had come after her. Why wasn't she with Carrion? He wouldn't have wanted Candy to leave, not after he had succeeded in getting rid of herself.

"I have to get out of here," Violet said, ignoring Letheo's frightened glance. He was aware at least that Carrion would not be please about this. "Carrion mustn't know that I'm going."

Candy looked sideways at Letheo as if trying to share her concerns with him, but Letheo looked straight ahead at Violet with a deadly impassive expression.

"Of course, I'll help you anyway that I can. But you can't go looking like that, you'll have to go in disguise," Candy said, her voice was calm against Violet's panicked tones. "Letheo, lend her some clothes, you'll have to go dressed as a boy."

Violet stared at her. She wondered whether Candy had thought about running away too.

"Trust me, I've had tons of practice running away from Lord Carrion," she added in a light tone, as if to invite a laugh, but no one laughed.

"I'm not running away," Violet protested. "I just, need to go home for a while."

Candy nodded, and knew that Violet would remain in her nervous mood until she was safely on her way. She didn't blame her. Her own situation here was risky, she was safe as long as everyone played by the rules. But if Carrion decided he had had enough of negotiations, she didn't know what would happen to her.

"Why don't you take Violet to get some clothes, and I'll tell Finnegan to take you down to the harbour," Candy said, her voice was almost questioning, as if she expected Violet to protest, and clearly she did not like taking control of this situation. "You be ok, I promise."

Violet didn't take her promise. There was no way Candy could mean that promise. Violet was in dangerous waters now, betraying Carrion, leaving when she had said she would not. But there was no time for regrets, she had made up her mind the moment Carrion had dismissed her.

Together they walked back through the garden, and Candy left them at the gate to take another path. Letheo, who had been itching to give his opinion, began to vent his feelings.

"Got a death wish?" he asked at first, but receiving not reply, continued. "You'll be in trouble once Carrion knows you're missing, he wont let you go you know."

Violet looked up hopefully.

"You know far too much," he concluded.

Violet looked back down at the ground. She supposed it would be too much to expect that Carrion would miss her, Letheo was right, she knew too much. If she wasn't on his side, she was against him, an enemy, and someone to be destroyed.

"I am an employee Letheo," Violet said, her voice shaking. "I am entitled to leave when I wish."

Letheo had nothing to say to this. He knew better than to argue with her when anyone could have overheard them, and besides, with Violet gone, he was yet again Lord Carrion's most faithful servant.

It wasn't with a heavy heart that he watched Violet climb onto the back of the bread wagon, along with Finnegan Hobb, both dressed in disguise. He watched her grow smaller as she disappeared out of all of their lives, and knew that he was only jealous of one thing, that she had somewhere to disappear to.

Candy's plan worked so well that Violet was sure she was dreaming. Letheo's clothes were long on her, but with the trousers tucked into her boots, and her sleeves rolled up, she passed the same people who had welcomed her like a Queen, disguised as a servant boy.

"I wish that I could go with you, to know you are safe," Finnegan said as they waited for the word that the boat was ready for boarding.

Violet smiled at him, but it was not the smile she had learned whilst playacting, but a true smile of her own. Maybe there were friends to be found within this mess of lies and pretend that she had created.

She looked into his kind eyes for a moment, and although they were lined with faint creases of age, but saw the same hunger for adventure that all young men were born with. But she had no more adventures to share, and looked away.

"If you need to find me, I shall be staying in Idjit, in the town of…" Violet said, she paused, she could never pronounce the name. she raised her hands, about the draw the letters in the air, her own strange invention from when she was a child, or spelling letters in the air. "D…" Violet said tracing the letter in the air. "I."

Finnegan snatched her hands out of the air and stopped them moving.

"What are you doing?" he asked sharply.

Violet stared at him stunned. People usually looked at her strangely, but no one had ever been angry before.

"I just…"

"You'll make the words real," Finnegan said.

"But I don't…"

Violet had nothing to say. Finnegan was talking about magic, but she had never done any magic in her life. She knew no one who could do magic, except for Lord Carrion of course.

"I am sorry," Finnegan said sounding ashamed. "You just need to be careful. Here, write it down."

Violet took the small notepad and pen, and wrote down her uncle's address. She gave him another small smile. She wanted to say a great many number of things, like, look after Candy, and to keep a ear out for news on Elspeth, but instead she said nothing.

Only on the boat did she give herself a chance to draw breath, and when the sky turned dark overhead, she felt relief. The island of Idjit, 2am, loomed out of the mist that hung over the water, and Violet walked to the railings of the boat. She was back, after all this time, she was almost home.