Plant your feet and stand firm. The only question is where to plant you feet.
- Seth Grahame-Smith
Chapter 23
"Esme!" Violet shot through the front door, quickly locating her adoptive mother in the kitchen. "Esme, Evan is missing. Have you seen him?"
Concern showed as Esme's brows furrowed. "No, he's not here."
"Well Alice came up to me after school and told me he was gone, and Jacob was there, so-"
"Oh, sure, always blame the ex," Jacob complained as he entered the kitchen.
"Violet's eye darted to Esme. "What is he doing here?"
"Violet, don't be rude," Esme chastised. "He's still family."
"He's not my family, Esme!" Violet retorted. "He did something to Evan." She glared at Jacob as she ran over, shoving him roughly against the wall.
"What are you talking about, Violet?" he asked defensively, putting his hands up as a gesture of surrender. "I just got here!"
"You liar! You were at school today!"
"At school?" Esme asked as Jasper and Alice entered the room.
"What's going on?" Jasper asked.
"Violet claims Jacob was at your school today," Esme replied. "And she thinks he has something to do with Evan disappearing."
"We just got back from searching the woods near the school; there's no sign of him. Rosalie and Emmett are looking around the city. They should be back any time now," reported Jasper.
"I know how to find Evan, and he's standing right here!" Violet shoved Jacob against the wall once more. Plaster fell from the ceiling, and the floor cracked slightly from the force. Violet suddenly felt herself flying across the room and into the counter.
"I told you not to touch my brother!" Rosalie growled, eyes on fire as they bore down with hatred on the girl laying on top of what remained of the kitchen table.
"Rosalie, please, that table was my grandmothers," Esme groaned as Emmett entered the room, placing his hands on Rosalie's shoulders to prevent her from going after Violet once more.
"He was at school, Rose. He was the one who took Evan." Violet appeared ready to pounce back at Rosalie, and Jasper cautiously inched closer to her.
"Jacob would never do anything to him! What, trading him over to the Volturi for years of torture wasn't enough? You think he deserves to be blamed for your boyfriend realizing what a disgusting person you are and leaving you, as well?" Rosalie shoved Emmett's hand off her shoulder, and Jasper inched closer to Violet once more, prepared to intervene.
"He was at school, you bitch, and you know it! Stop trying to protect him! He's changed, for the worst. He's just like Alexander now, self-righteous and hell-bent on revenge."
"He wasn't at school today!" Rosalie argued back, positioning her feet to lunge at her sister. Emmett wrapped his arms around her waist, tightening his grip on her.
"He was too!" Violet argued. "One of you saw him, right?" she asked, looking to the other three Cullens for support.
Nobody replied.
"Jasper? Alice?" Violet asked, looking between them. They both shook their heads. "Emmett?" She looked at him to see him shaking his head, as well.
"He wasn't there, little sis," Emmett answered quietly.
Violet's lip quivered. "So… what? None of you believe me? He came back into town, now Evan's missing…"
"He wouldn't hurt Evan, Violet," Esme tried, hoping to restore peace in the house.
Violet looked around at them helplessly. She locked eyes with Jacob, who continued to eye her as if she were crazy.
"Maybe Alexander is here," he suggested. "Maybe he was the one who rescued me, so he could place the blame on me when he did things like this."
"That sounds reasonable," Jasper responded, nodding his head slowly.
"Don't worry, Violet. We'll find him," Alice promised. "I still can't see his future. Which means you're in it."
"Or that he doesn't have one," Violet suggested, turning and running out through the patio door and into the woods behind the garage.
Violet had made it a mile into the forest when she heard something strange. A faint whooshing sound resonated through her ears. She braced herself for an attack.
"Expecting someone?"
Violet recognized the voice, turning to see Jacob standing behind her. "Just thought someone was trying to sneak up on me." Her eyes drifted to the ground for a moment before moving back up to meet his. "Sorry for blaming you for what Alexander did."
"Don't be," Jacob answered.
She smiled, glad that he had forgiven her.
"I did it." A smile appeared on his lips.
"You were the one at school, and you were the one who took Evan?" She began to feel her anger rising.
"Wouldn't you rather it be that way? At least you know that he'll live – that is, if you give me what I want."
She groaned. "Let me guess; you let him live if I help you get this item from Kathryn."
"I'm glad you see things my way," he answered.
"I suppose I don't have any other option, do I?" she asked.
He smiled at her. "It will be fun, I promise. Just you and me, the open road, nobody trying to kill us. You pretend to be Kathryn, you get what I want, you get what you want, we go our separate ways. A real adrenaline rush."
"And if I help you with this, you promise I never have to see you again?"
He shrugged. "Sure. If that's what you want. Which we both know it isn't."
"Yes it is, trust me," she said, hiding her fear as she shoved past him, taking her first steps towards their adventure.
She's so cold, she's so cold, cold. She's so c-c-c-old; but she's beautiful, though-
The song abruptly stopped as Violet pushed the button to turn the radio off. "Very funny, Jacob."
"I didn't say anything," he replied defensively, trying to hold back the smirk that was threatening to cross his face. "I just turned on the radio, and that happened to be the first thing that we heard. Not my fault The Rolling Stones are cool."
She glared at him, crossing her arms across her chest as she returned to staring out the window.
"So if we can't have the radio, do you want to talk?"
"No, I would prefer to ride in silence."
"Just like the last sixteen hours," he sighed.
"Where are we going, anyway?" Violet asked. "This trip is taking longer than expected."
"Just a couple of hours away. Try being patient for once."
Violet turned quickly, glaring at him. "You have. The love of my afterlife. And are threatening to kill him. I just want to get this over with, so that I can have him back and go home."
"When the item is mine, he is yours," Jacob promised. "Though I don't know why you want a Volturi spy back." She glared at him, and he rolled his eyes. "Here, I had this made for you." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small jewelry box, offering it to her. She took it, curiously looking to see what was inside. She frowned upon seeing what it contained.
"Very inappropriate, Jacob," she said disapprovingly, disgust in her tone as she looked down at the expensive looking ring. "I've already told you, I love Evan, not you."
"Wow, someone is full of herself, isn't she?" He rolled his eyes at her once more. "It's an exact replica of Kathryn's protection ring. So the guards think you're her."
Violet looked at him awkwardly for a moment, thankful that she were unable to blush. "Oh… right. So what is this item you want from Kathryn?" she asked, attempting to quickly change the subject.
"Kathryn has a key, and I need it."
"Isn't it the one Kathryn wears around her neck all the time?"
"Yes," he replied simply.
"So…" Sarcasm dripped in her voice. "Are we just going to walk up to her and ask for it?"
In response, he simply held up a syringe of Dead Man's Blood.
"Okay. But she's one of the world's two most powerful vampires. Are you really expecting to be able to just walk up to her and stick that in her arm?"
"No. You're going to distract her while I sneak up on her. She wouldn't hurt you; she loves you."
"And how do you know that, Jacob? That she won't hurt me? She hates me now. She believes I set you up to get taken by the Volturi to protect myself."
"You did," he answered bitterly.
"I did not. I told you, the Volturi set me up. That girl at the airport was working with them—"
"You can stop the lies right there," he interrupted, eyes showing that his mind was in a different place.
"Point is, I did something that could have gotten Alexander killed. She's not going to be happy with me."
"I'm free, he's safe. You're family. She'll be over it," he explained, boredom in his tone. "Don't worry; I'll be right there with the Dead Man's Blood."
"If you insist," Violet replied quietly. "So speaking of Alexander, did you mean what you said earlier? That you think he released you so that he could frame you for his actions?"
Jacob sighed. "I really don't know, Violet. I honestly have no idea how I got out. I just woke up one day in a room of an abandoned hotel. I struggled to the woods nearby, and just drained every living being that I could find until I felt somewhat normal. I still feel thirsty, though. All the time. A hundred years of starvation will do that to you."
"I'm sorry you had to go through that," she told him honestly. "I wish I could have helped." She waited for him to answer, but he said nothing. "What does the key unlock, that you want so badly?"
"Something that can kill Kathryn and Alexander."
Violet hesitantly laughed. "Are you serious? They're the original vampires, Jacob. Nothing can kill them."
"This can," he insisted. "Why else do you think she keeps it around her neck at all times? She even showers with it on."
"Why do you need to kill them, though? They're leaving us alone; isn't that enough?"
"Kathryn murdered my family, Violet. They need to be avenged. And for my one remaining relative, I can't exactly say Alexander is my favorite person in the world. Not to mention that our world will never be at peace as long as they're in it. We're here," he said before she could reply, pulling the car off into the woods.
"What's the plan?" Violet asked, fear coming over her as she realized exactly how much danger she was in. "We can't just go in there blindly."
"Kathryn is immune to my powers," Jacob told her, suddenly out of the car and holding her door open for her. Violet hesitantly climbed out as he continued. "But her guards aren't. You pretend to be her and walk in with confidence—"
"Why can't you just hide us both?" she asked, terror showing in her eyes.
"Because they need to open the gates for us to get through. They don't just randomly open them for no good reason. Don't worry, they'll think you're her. Put these on," he commanded, pulling a bag of clothes out from the trunk. "This is more what Kathryn would wear. Your current outfit just screams doppelganger."
"Look away," she demanded.
"Why? It''s not like I haven't seen you naked before."
She threw a nearby rock at him. "Look away!"
"Fine," he grumbled, turning his back to her as she began to change. "So you just get through the gates, we go in, we find Kathryn, we knock her out, we take the key, and we leave."
"That's it? That's your plan?" Violet asked with disbelief.
"What's wrong with it?" he asked.
"There is zero attention to detail. What if she has guards watching her? What if Alexander is in there with her? We can't take them both. What if she carries some kind of weapon? What if –"
"You always did pay too much attention to detail. Don't worry, I've taken precautionary measures. Neither of us will get hurt; I promise. Are you done yet?"
"Yes," she answered, adjusting the sleeves of the skintight jacket he had given her.
"Great, then. Let's go." He took off running through the forest.
"Great, then," she echoed quietly, fear overcoming the sarcasm in her tone as she followed after him. They ran a few miles before he stopped abruptly in front of her. He did not budge as she ran into his back. "Ouch. Thanks for the warning."
"See those gates up there?" he asked, pointing ahead to a large gate guarded by three men.
"I know, I know," she sighed, pushing past him and approaching the guards.
"Miss Kathryn?" Asked one of the guards, both appearing confused at the sight of the young woman approaching them. "We thought that you were already inside."
"Wow, great job at guarding the mansion," she snapped, surprising herself at how perfectly she had managed to manifest Kathryn's manner of speaking. "You don't even know if I'm in the mansion or not?"
The two guards shriveled, fear evident in their eyes. Violet couldn't help but felt a strange sense of pride in how well she was able to be Kathryn.
"Just let me in before I rip off your heads," she growled. Both guards obediently lunged forward, pulling the gates open and motioning for her to go inside. She nodded back, mimicking Kathryn's confident strut as she approached the mansion.
"Wow, spot-on impression. I have chills," Jacob said, appearing beside her as she made her way up the driveway.
"Thanks; that went better than expected."
"And now comes the hard part," he reminded her as they approached the door.
"Thanks for the reminder." Violet stopped short in front of the door. "Wait, how are we supposed to get in? Do you have a key?"
"Didn't think of that," he told her nonchalantly. "Just try opening it."
"That's not going to work," she hissed quietly. "She's so concerned with her safety, she's not just going to have the front door hanging open." She noticed the guards looking at her strangely, and remembered that they could not see Jacob. She glared at them, and they quickly turned away. She reached out, grabbing the knob and twisting… click.
"Told you so," said Jacob.
"Unbelievable," she sighed as she entered the mansion. "Things always work out so smoothly for you."
Jacob paused, looking around the room. "I think I know where to look first."
They walked across the grand entrance to a room towards the back. Violet marveled at the mansion's interior, amazed at the type of luxury Kathryn lived with. Jacob grabbed her, pulling her to the side of the doorway. He stepped as close to the doorway as he could without being seen by whoever was inside. He slowly moved his head around the doorway, pulling back quickly and nodding at Violet. Violet swallowed a lump in her throat before taking cautious steps forward.
"Kathryn?"
Kathryn turned from her place at a table, closing the book she was reading as she eyed Violet with surprise. "Violet? How did you get in here?" Upon another look, Kathryn smirked. "Dressing like me. Nice." She pushed her curls over her shoulder, walking to stand a mere foot in front of Violet. "To what do I owe this surprise?"
"I had to talk to you, and I wanted to make sure I could actually see you," Violet lied. "I thought if I were to just walk up to the gates and ask, you would tell the guards to send me away."
Kathryn nodded slowly. "And what did you need to see me about so urgently?"
Violet moved further into the library, hoping Kathryn's eyes would follow her away from the doorway so that Jacob could get in. Kathryn was on her guard, and Violet felt as though she were taunting the devil himself. Her plan worked, and Jacob slipped in the doorway as Violet began to speak.
"I was just hoping to see if you could forgive me. For what I did." She tried to look as though she were full of regret, head hung as Kathryn stared her down.
"That's not what you want, Violet." She stepped closer once more, the two of them a breath away. "What are you really here for?"
Fear reflected in Violet's eyes, but before she knew what was happening, Jacob had an arm wrapped around Kathryn. She tried to fight back, but he moved faster, shoving the needle into Kathryn's neck and injecting the Dead Man's Blood. For a moment, Kathryn's face showed total surprise. Her eyes then rolled back in her head, and she fell to the floor. Jacob leaned down and yanked the chain off of her neck, checking to see that the key was indeed on it. He looked up at Violet.
"Got it. Let's go."
"I cannot believe your plan worked so smoothly," Violet said, clearly shocked by how well they had executed his plan.
"I told you, you pay way too much attention to detail," he told her, unlocking the door to a shady motel room.
Violet shoved past him, running into the room to find Evan lying on the bed in a comatose state. An IV of a dark liquid dripped into his arm, and upon further inspection, Violet realized that it was Dead Man's Blood. She pulled the IV out of his arm, pulling him up into a sitting position in her arms. She put a blood bag to his lips, hoping the fresh human blood would wake him.
"Don't worry, he'll be fine. I had it on a slow drip," Jacob explained from the doorway.
She looked up at him, expression serious and concerned. "I really wish you would think about what I said earlier."
"What?" he asked, confused.
"About forgetting about revenge. It's dangerous messing with the original vampires, and you're on your own in your fight. You don't stand a chance against them."
"I have to try." His expression was grave. "Do you know what it's like to find your entire family and all of your friends murdered in cold blood?"
"Yes," she replied quietly.
He nodded. "Right, you do. But not to the same extent as me. You found three of them; I found nearly everyone in my hometown. And I don't have anyone now like you do; I'm completely on my own. I'm practically a ghost; just wandering around, nonexistent. Somebody has to pay for that."
"It's too dangerous," she argued, trying to make him see her point. "You may think I don't care about you, Jacob, but I do. I always have, and always will. I don't want to see you get hurt. Or worse."
"I appreciate the concern. But I'm still going through with my plan."
She nodded. "I figured you would say that. That's why I took this." She held up the key, dangling from its chain. She hooked it around her neck. "Good luck getting it away from me."
His expression fell. "How did you get that away from me?"
"Pulled it out of your jacket when you weren't looking. As long as I hold this key, you're safe. I'm not letting it out of my sight."
Jacob twitched, lurching forward to grab it away from her. He suddenly appeared to hit an invisible wall, stumbling backwards in confusion. He reached out, touching the strange force that separated them. "What the hell?"
Violet smiled. "I found out while the Volturi had you that I have a power, too. I can shield myself from both mental attacks and physical attacks."
"Violet, give me the key," he demanded, cool composure crumbling away.
"No. Go away, Jacob. Go somewhere you're safe."
"Violet, give it to me!" he shouted, voice full of anger.
"No," she replied calmly. "I don't think so."
"You're in danger as long as you have it," he warned. Kathryn will come after you."
"And if she does, I will happily hand the key back over to her. I got Evan back; that's all I wanted out of this little mission. You really didn't think I was going to let you keep the key, did you, Jacob? And get yourself killed? No; if Kathryn finds me, I will happily hand this key back over to her and explain what happened. I think it's time for you to leave now."
Jacob trembled with anger, glaring at her. "I need that key."
"No; what you need is to live. Goodbye, Jacob." She jumped up, shoving him out the door and into the motel hallway. She slammed the door shut; he pushed it open an instant later to find an empty room.
He sighed, running his fingers through his hair before retrieving his phone from his pocket.
"Hello?" answered the voice on the other end of the line.
"Hey, it's me."
"Excellent. How did it go?"
Jacob paused for a moment before speaking. "It went well until the part where Violet used an ability I was unaware of to steal the key away from me."
The other end of the line was silent. "No worries; I will go and retrieve it from her."
"Don't kill her," Jacob said defensively. "She doesn't know what's really going on."
"Don't worry, I won't. Goodbye, Jacob."
"Good luck, Alexander," Jacob replied, disconnecting the line as he moved towards the exit.
A/N: Hello, readers! I am so deeply sorry for the long wait between chapters; life got unbelievably hectic. But I hope you're all having happy holidays! I apologize that I never got back to the reviews I've gotten recently; I promise if you review this chapter, I will reply. Please let me know what you think! Is anyone starting to like Violet again? Is anyone a little angry with Jacob? What do you think of him working with Alexander? Please review and let me know what you think and what your theories about the future of this story are; I would love to hear them!