Chapter 11

"Geeze, Parker, live a little!"

Everyone but Trey shushed Ace at his outburst. They were in Trey's room, the vice housewarden having been relocated from the infirmary not long ago. He was out cold from medicine, Riddle told them. His right leg wrapped in a cast from the knee down. Even with magic, it would take weeks for it to fully heal. Violet could understand not keeping Trey in the infirmary, but she wasn't convinced the Heartslabyul dorm was an ideal place for recovery. The combination of red walls, checkerboard floors, and distorted windows could make anyone dizzy.

"If you're going to holler like a jabberwocky, I suggest you go," Riddle didn't leave room for argument, not that Ace was inclined to.

"S-sorry, housewarden," Deuce bowed at the waist. Meanwhile, Ace grabbed Violet by the wrist and dragged her out of the room. Deuce and Grim followed at their heels. The group didn't stop until they reached the lounge.

"You can't be serious," Violet snatched her arm out of Ace's grip once they settled by the fireplace.

Ace pulled a face, "Oh yes I can! C'mon. When's the last time we got to do anything fun around here?"

"The Unbirthday last week wasn't bad," Deuce muttered.

"Really," Grim crossed his paws in front of his chest. "That glorified tea party?"

Neither Deuce nor Violet could argue. While the mood had been festive, it was still Riddle hosting. There were too many rules at play to properly let loose and have a good time. Regardless, Violet rolled her eyes.

"I'm not going to Savanaclaw," she tugged on her cap to emphasize her point, "Its too risky."

"So was trying to fight Leona," Deuce said, earning a laugh from Ace and a withering stare from Violet.

"Who's side are you on?"

"None!" Deuce sputtered. "Both." When Ace and Violet each raised a brow at him, he sighed, "You're both right. Going might be risky, but… I don't know. It's not good to be too uptight. Even honor students party sometimes, right?"

Ace let out a single laugh and smirked, "See?"

No, Violet wanted to say. She didn't see. What was up with the two of them, anyway? Normally they'd be on her back for blinking the wrong way and now they wanted her to go to a party?

"Come on," Ace said, "If we go without you, loosey-Deucey's gonna feel all guilty and ruin the vibe. You might not like to party, but do it for us?"

Not like to party. Is that what they thought? Violet scoffed, "Are you kidding? The only reason I'm not going is so you don't get expelled."

That and the fear of even more humiliation at the hands of Leona or Ruggie or any other muscle-bound brute that decided she was a fun plaything. But hey, who was counting?

Grim slunk over to the back of Violet's armchair, settling on the spot over her shoulder," Well, if that's all we'll make we stick by ya. Can't get into trouble if you've got babysitters, y'know?"

"He's right," Deuce said. "We'll make sure no one bothers you. If they do, Ace and I can take 'em."

"Yeah we can!" Ace cried. "What do you say? You in?"

Violet fought the urge to bite her lip. She slid her gaze from Ace to Deuce to Grim and back again. All three wore expressions a little too beseeching for her comfort. She rolled their arguments around her hear like a box of marbles. They did promise to stick by her, and they had a lot to lose if they didn't stick to their side of the bargain... Plus, there'd be food. And probably music. Her shoulders sagged in defeat even as the corners of her mouth lifted.

She met their expectant grins with a tiny smile of her own.

Savanaclaw's dorm was nothing like the rest of the campus. They'd expected another building like Heartslabyul or Ramshackle. They hadn't anticipated to step into a completely different climate.

The air was as warm and balmy as a night nestled in the deepest part of summer. They were shrouded in humidity so thick the collars of their shirts were damp within minutes. Violet was the most startled, not by the weather itself but by how familiar it all was. The palm trees that reached high along the dorm's walls, the drone of cicadas that managed to rise above the muffled rhythm that thump-uh-thumped in the night. If she looked up and squinted at the stars above, she could easily convince herself she was back in Saint Florentine.

The four of them huddled just outside of the dorm's entrance. Grim rode piggy back on Violet's shoulders as they all leaned in.

"Alright," Deuce said. "We stick together. If there's any sign of trouble, we run to Heartslabyul."

"Yeah, yeah, we got the plan," Ace pouted. "Let's go! I'm dying here."

The four of them followed the stream of other partygoers through the halls of Savanaclaw. Though to call the network of rope bridges and airy walkways 'halls' was a stretch. Herds of students, both animal-eared and otherwise raced around them yowling and whooping as they went. The music got louder the further in they went until it mixed with the rumble of voices. Ace, Deuce, Violet and Grim stepped through a threshold and into a vast outdoor space. They'd found the lounge.

Violet almost took a step back from the crowd of students. She could feel the music pounding against her chest as she fought against everything bombarding her senses. A DJ spun tracks all the way to the right, his step-up just visible above a swarm of bodies dancing beneath. A group of partiers cleared space by the dance floor to throw around a MagiShift disk, and further back were tables spread with an array of foods that smelled rich, sharp, spicy, and sweet. And everywhere, everywhere, Night Raven students ran wild.

What stuck with Violet the most, however, was the waterfall. Across from the dance floor was a terrace—also packed with students— that spilled a stream of shimmering water down to a glowing pool below.

"This place is amazing!" Ace cried.

"Wait," Deuce squinted at a cloud of dust in the distance. What sounded like a motor roared faintly from it, "Someone brought a Magic Wheel!"

Violet opened her mouth to ask what, exactly, a 'magic wheel' was, but Deuce sprinted away before she could. By the time she called after him, he'd disappeared into the crowd.

"Aw, let him go," Ace waved him off with a troublemaking grin. "We'll give him crap for it later. C'mon, I wanna check out the terrace!"

Violet followed close behind Ace, weaving and ducking as they made their way towards a set of earthen stairs. Someone shoulder checked Violet halfway there, causing her to scowl in their direction.

"Watch it!"

The faceless boy didn't even notice. She huffed. Whatever. He wasn't important anyway. Violet turned back towards Ace and was horrified when she couldn't find the red head anywhere.

Crap.

"Ace?" she called. "Ace!"

Ace didn't come.

"Great," she muttered, turning to a spot by her ankle. "Looks like it's you and me, Grim. Grim?"

She turned to her other ankle. He wasn't there either. At last she faced the food table. Sure enough, she could make out two grey-black paws grabbing a plate across the lounge.

Figures. Not five minutes in and she'd lost all three of her friends.

Play it cool.

She gripped the edge of her cap and started for the food. Of all three, Grim was bound to cause the most chaos. It was probably best she corral him first. She made it to the table a handful of minutes later, though by then Grim had moved on. Probably to find a place to eat. She swiveled her head this way and that in search of flickering blue flames.

A voice cut through her search.

"Herbivore."

Violet spotted Leona to her left, perched on a pool chair like it was a throne. The water's glow illuminated his face in splashes of blue. Alarm bells rang in the back of her head. Of course she'd run into the absolute last person she wanted to see.

Leona cast her a lazy grin, not bothering to get up from his chair. "I didn't think you'd show."

"I'm here with friends." She wasn't sure what else to say. He didn't answer her.

She shifted from foot to foot, pinned under the appraising green stare of the dorm head. He raked his eyes up and down her body twice before he gestured towards a pile of boulders on the other side of the pool. "Your pet's over there."

That he was. Grim was perched atop the pile of stone, his face buried into a mountain of food he'd collected. Annoying little glutton. She was going to kill him.

"Thanks," she said, fully intending to march her way towards Grim. Leona, however, had other ideas. He stopped her with a bark of her name, beckoning her over to an empty chair beside him. Violet paused. On the one hand, she wanted to get away from Leona and back to Grim as quick as possible. He didn't own her, after all. She had every right to walk away.

Still, she hesitated.

By now, she knew things at Night Raven were never simple. Sure, she could ignore the command, but how did she know it wouldn't come back to bite her later? Refusing might only bring about the very humiliation she wished to avoid. Humoring Leona for a little while today might save her a massive headache tomorrow. Casting one last glance at Grim, she settled on the edge of the vacant chair.

When at last she sat, Leona hummed and said, "You've been holding out on me, Parker."

Violet's nerve's spiked. What did he mean by that?

He sat up now, leaning his elbows on his knees. His unbound hair swung forward off his shoulders. For the first time, Violet noticed he was dressed differently. In place of his gym uniform was a leather vest, a low-cut mustard shirt underneath. His muscles were on full display, along with a black tattoo inked on his left arm. He looked her over once more before practically purring, "You've been keeping secrets."

Ice cold dread opened a pit in her stomach. She fought to keep her voice steady, "Secrets?"

She met his piercing gaze with what she hoped was cool boredom. She didn't dare blink. Something in him blazed at the challenge. Neither blinked. All the while Violet's thoughts fired like pistons in an engine. What did he know? How did he know? More importantly, how long was he going to make her sweat?

At long last he smirked, "That strategy today. You've got brains under that ratty hat."

It took a second for Violet to register what he'd said, and longer for relief to breeze through her lungs. She held back the gust of her breath. "I'm full of surprises, I guess."

At that, Leona laughed, "You're about as useful as you are a pain, herbivore. Why not join in on MagiShift club?"

Violet's world came to a screeching halt. "What?"

"You heard me," he shrugged. "Watch us. Give me plays. I wanna see what else you got."

MagiShift club. He wanted her to join MagiShift club.

"I gave you one good play," she narrowed her eyes, suspicion sneaking into her tone.

At this Leona's attitude shifted. What was lazy and loose stiffened and became downright solemn, "No. You gave us a winning play. Against those pricks at Royal Sword. You know how long it's been since we beat them in anything?"

Violet rolled her eyes, "How long?"

"Over a century," Leona answered without a hint of hesitation.

She balked. A century. How old was Night Raven?

"Not so insignificant now, huh?" he laughed at her surprise, "I wanna see if today was a fluke or if you're the real deal."

Violet didn't expect his words to light her competitive spirit, "Is that a challenge?"

Leona cocked his head back as if to say 'checkmate.' She suddenly felt like a mouse caught under a cat's paw, "Come to club tomorrow. I'll clear it with Vargas." With that he stretched, and lounged back into his chair, "Now, scram."

She took a deep breath to keep the ire from his dismissal at bay. For a moment, she wished she were a girl in his eyes, if only to be able to flip her hair at him in disdain as she walked away. But alas, she was still Parker the magic-less boy. It was only right to leave like nothing had happened.

Although, something had happened.

Between the scare he put her through and his unusual request, Violet didn't quite know what to make of their conversation. She decided to dissect it later that night, when she was lying in bed and struggling to sleep. Right now, she had to get to Grim.

Deuce whooped as he managed to drift along the dusty, clay-colored earth. A chorus of cheers at his back from the small audience watching, waiting for their own runs on the Magic Wheel. Wind cut through his hair, sand and dust stung his cheeks as he put on a fresh burst of speed. A cluster of stones was stacked straight ahead, forming a natural ramp. He gripped the handlebars tighter, fed more magic into the machine as the raced closer and closer. His white dorm jacket whipped and wavered behind him. The wheel climbed the stones and he revved the engine.

The cheers at his back faded away.

He was in his element.

He was one with the wind, leaving behind his worries and responsibilities. His duties and stresses and fears.

His past.

None of that mattered in the moment the wheel left the ground. He could think of nothing, feel nothing but the air around him. Up here, he wasn't Deuce the delinquent, the dunce. He wasn't even Deuce the honor student. He was simply Deuce, wild and weightless.

All too soon the wheel descended, hitting the earth more smoothly than such a bulky machine should. He drifted one final time before racing back towards the party. It was someone else's turn now.

As he got closer, he could make out Ace standing among the other boys, but his friend wasn't cheering. Instead he scowled, arms crossed and looking right at him. Deuce scarcely hopped off the Magic Wheel before Ace was on him, only remembering to pull him aside at the last second.

"What's wrong?" Deuce asked.

"I lost her," Ace muttered.

"You what?!"

"Seven! Keep it down, will you?"

Deuce only shook his head, "What do you mean you lost he-him?"

Ace pinched his nose, "We were walking one minute. The next? No Parker."

The weightlessness from his Magic Wheel ride came crashing down, souring his own mood. "How did you let this happen?"

"Gee," Ace pegged him with a fresh glare, "I don't know. It's not like I was supposed to have help or anything."

Deuce didn't let go of his anger despite the guilt blooming in his chest. Right. He hadn't realized neither Ace nor Violet followed him when he ran off. "You know what? It's ok. Chances are Parker and Grim are together."

No sooner did the words leave Deuce's mouth that he realized they weren't comforting. Horror painted over the anger in both Heartslabyul boy's expressions.

"Yeah," Deuce said, "We better find them."

The throng of partiers was growing thicker by the minute. What should have taken Violet five minutes at most was proving to be an impossible task. Bodies replaced bodies, creating obstacles in spaces that were free seconds ago. She wove through slowly, still affected by the close call she'd had after the game that morning. One hand stayed planted on her hat always.

She was halfway to Grim now, at least. The crowd finally thinning as she got closer to the spot where the boys still tossed that disk. She let out a breath once she hit a decent clearing, taking a moment just to breath some fresh air. The music was pounding in her skull now; people pushed and shoved their way around; shapes rippled under the pool's surface; somewhere an engine revved; somewhere else someone broke out some glow sticks, or were they magic pens? Her environment began to blur together.

Out of the corner of her eye, she swore she saw a prom dress.

No. She shook her head to clear the memory. That wasn't right. This was Night Raven. There were no girls at Night Raven. A seat. A corner. Grim's rocks. She needed a place to sit and reclaim her thoughts. In the confusion, she wondered if it would be too much to hope for Ace and Deuce to find her.

"Parker!"

For a second, she thought her wish was granted, but it turned out to be Kalim who ambled towards her. That same sunny smile stretched across his face.

"Hey, Kalim," Violet managed to pull herself together.

The Scarabia boy launched an arm across her shoulders and gave a quick squeeze. To Violet's relief, he backed off quickly. "I'm so happy you came! Have you tried any of the food? Jamil and I spent all day cooking! Or, well, mostly Jamil," he laughed, "I'm hopeless in the kitchen. Anyway, what do you think? Are you having fun?"

Kalim's stream of questions, though well intentioned, was making Violet dizzy. "Oh, well-"

Violet stopped when she saw arms waving in her direction. Ace and Deuce were there, fighting their own way through the crowd to reach her. Her heart sang.

"Uh, hey, are you alright?"

Right, she thought. Kalim. She cleared her throat, "Sorry. I see my friends. I gotta get to them, but, uh, hey, enjoy the party!"

Kalim bounced back right away, "No worries, friend. You, too!"

He was absorbed by the crowd a moment later, though Violet didn't watch him go. Instead she began walking again, skirting the ground between pool chairs and water.

"Oi, Parker!"

They were close enough for her to hear now. She smiled, her own relief reflected on both their faces.

Until it wasn't.

Violet didn't know what hit her. Whatever it was was hard, dull.

And fast enough to send her toppling into the pool.