Chapter 14

The bell chimed through the halls of Ramshackle, spooking Violet in the middle of arranging her hair. She dropped on of her braids from the jolt of her shoulders, her other hand let go of the bobby pin she'd been prying open with her teeth. The metal cracked against her top incisors so hard she whined at the impact.

She glared at herself in the cloudy mirror. Fantastic. Not even breakfast and her morning mood was already shot. Since when did Ramshackle have a doorbell, anyway? Forgetting the hairpin, she slung her braid over the crown of her head and shoved on her cap.

"We got something!" Grim called from the foyer. By the time she arrived, he was pawing at a small white envelope laying under the mail slot. His nose twitched, trying the catch the scent of whoever dropped it.

"Anything?" she asked the cat creature.

Grim hummed to himself a moment, "Dunno. Kinda fishy."

Whether he found the note suspicious or was referring to an actual fish, Violet wasn't sure. She walked over to the door and peeked outside in case their visitor was hanging around, but the stoop was desolate, save for a distant crow and the creaking outer gate. She scowled. Whoever it was that startled her didn't even have the decency of sticking around. Typical.

Scooping the little envelope off the floor, Violet turned it over to find a purple wax seal shaped like a nautilus shell. Ah, suddenly her mysterious visitor wasn't so mysterious after all. She slid a finger beneath the envelope's flap until the seal broke open with a satisfying pop. There was a note inside.

Dearest Parker, your contractual obligations will begin this afternoon. Please report to the Mostro Lounge after classes for training.

Azul's signature adorned the bottom of the cardstock in elegant swirls of shiny black ink.

"He doesn't waste time, does he?" Deuce scratched at the back of his neck.

"Guess not," Violet adjusted her hold on Grim. The other first years were already halfway to the sports field. Only she and the Heartslabyul boys lingered by the entrance to the main castle.

"I still think you got played," Ace smirked. He'd swiped the note from her again, twirling it over his fingers like he was performing a card trick. She watched it flutter from Azul's handwriting to the Octavinelle dorm crest stamped on the back.

Both Deuce and Violet shot him their dirtiest looks.

"Really, Ace," the other boy said.

Ace shrugged, not pausing the constant flipping of the cardstock, "What? Can't a guy have an opinion?"

"Yeah, well, you don't have to be so blunt," Grim deadpanned.

When neither of his other friends disagreed, Ace relented with a smile, "Eh, fine. We'll walk you to the lounge to make up for it. How's that?"

"Herbivore!"

Violet squinted at the sunshine of the sports fields. Leona was yards away, but even at that distance she saw the glower marring his features.

She sighed deep, "I gotta go."

Ace flicked the note back to her between two fingers, a troublemaking grin spreading across his face, "What happened to 'Kingscholar's a prick?'"

She snatched the note back with a scowl, "He still is."

"So are you," Deuce muttered under his breath just loud enough for Ace to hear.

The red head spun on him, hand to his chest in indignation, "Me?!"

Violet chuckled, handing Grim off to Deuce before he and Ace were caught up in another argument. Still, she couldn't resist getting in her licks before running off to MagiShift club, "Second only to Leona."

Ace sputtered as she jogged off, calling, "See you at lunch!"

"Yeah, whatever!" came Ace's reply at her back.

The rest of the school day dragged in the same monotonous blur as every other. All the while, Violet kept fidgeting with Azul's note when no one was looking. By the end of her last class, the top right corner was bent and fraying at the edge. Thoughts of whatever the Octavinelle housewarden had in store for her weaving through her mind. She wasn't nervous, per se. Not even a little bit, but knowing how Night Raven could be she still wondered.

She gnawed at those same thoughts as she made her way to meet Ace and Deuce in the library. Grim's collar jingled at her heels, the cat creature going on about how he managed to raise Deuce's broom on his own for the first time. She hummed, only half listening to what he was saying. For once she was glad for his self-aggrandizing nature. It was the only thing keeping him from noticing the way she tugged on the bill of her cap.

Ever since her arrival at Night Raven, Violet was quick to decide how she felt about things. Her arrangement with Crowley, for example, still hadn't ceased to seem completely pointless to her, although with everything going on she'd been able to accept it and move on. Ace and Deuce were the embodiments of love/hate. Grim? Exasperating. Leona, infuriating. The list went on. But for the life of her she was still fighting to decide how she felt about Azul Ashengrotto.

She supposed she should be grateful, and part of her was. But aside from that she couldn't get a good read on him. Or Floyd's twin, for the matter. It occurred to Violet then that Ace might have felt the same way. Unable to make heads or tails of the silver-haired housewarden. Maybe that was why he kept insisting she'd been taken advantage of, joking or no.

Well, whether Ace was right or not, it was too late now.

The four first-years slipped through the Octavinelle mirror once again, finding themselves in the same glass tunnels from the previous night. Though, if they hadn't known any better they would have sworn they'd stepped into another dorm entirely.

The difference was… well, night and day, as the corals and schools of fish that surrounded them were vibrant as polished jewels. Sun-patterned rainbows danced on the blue tile beneath their shoes. When they came to the Mostro Lounge it was like running into a wall. Everything else around them had sprung to life, bursting with movement and light and color. The lounge, however, was dull. A carcass laying on the sea floor, eyes dim where they once glowed with warm, golden light.

"It looks so dead," Deuce mumbled.

"That's cuz its closed, genius," Ace replied.

Inside was no different. There was no one, not a sign of Azul or either of the twins anywhere. The only thing illuminating the dining room was the giant window overlooking the sea outside.

"Hello?" Violet called out. "It's me."

Only her echo answered her.

"Maybe they're in the office?" Deuce suggested. Ace strode over, knocked twice. He dared turn the knob and peek inside. That, too, was empty.

"Lame," the red head stretched high, ambling over to one of the cushy booths with an ocean view. He plopped down, reclining his back against the glass.

Deuce eyed him, "Should you really be sitting there?"

Ace shrugged, "Why not?"

Violet couldn't argue with that. If last time they'd been allowed to sit by the bar, this wasn't any different. Not really. Besides, it had a nice view. She slid into the booth across from Ace. A more cautious Deuce followed.

"Hmph!" Grim alighted on the seat next to Ace. "Two nights in a row they make us wait."

Aside from rolling her eyes, Violet didn't bother answering. Whether tired or simply devoid of anything to say, their conversation died before it truly began. Each spent their time instead taking in a different portion of the lounge. Silence reigned in place of the soft chatter and wafting jazz piano. The only sound aside from their shuffling came from the clock above the bar ticking away the minutes.

Tip. Tip. Tip.

The tentacle-esque hands pointed to the time. Violet only meant to glance at it when something struck her. The second hand wasn't one of those jolty ones that stopped at each second. Rather, it glided in a slow, smooth circle.

Tip. Tip. Tip.

Clocks like those didn't tick. She made a face.

"What?" Ace took one look at her and matched her frown.

She didn't answer him, not yet anyway. Instead she trained her hearing on that sound, trying to trace where it was coming from.

Tip. Tip…

Hold on, Violet thought. She knew that sound. Like fingernail tapping on glass. She turned to the window and came face to face with mismatched eyes and serrated teeth. Her friends looked in the same moment. As one, the four first years screamed and sprang to their feet. Quick as the fear came, it flushed through Violet's veins as she realized it who it was. On the other side of the glass.

The front door pushed open then, shinning a rectangle of light at their backs. Two pairs of footsteps stopped short as the first years turned around. Azul and the other twin— Violet grasped for his name— stood frozen in the doorway.

The twin shook his head. That ever-pleasant look on his face took on a longsuffering tinge with a mere lift of his eyebrows, "Really, Floyd, we've talked about this."

Deuce's already wide eyes stretched even further, "That's Floyd?"

An equally perturbed Ace followed with, "You've talked about this?"

Floyd seemed to be able to hear them through the glass by the way he burst into laughter. Every breath and chuckle escaped his mouth in a rush of tiny bubbles.

The lounge door behind them shut as Azul strode to where Floyd floated. That's when Violet noticed the cane he carried. He knocked the end of it against the glass three times, putting an end to Floyd's mirth. The sea creature seemed to wince at the sound, scrunching his nose like it irritated him.

"You've had your fun," Azul said. "Now, please, come inside. We haven't got all day."

On the other side of the glass, Floyd crossed his left arm over to his right shoulder, squeezing it as he scowled at Azul. Before the dorm head could say another word, he huffed once, turned, and sped off further into the water. In two blinks, Violet couldn't see him anymore.

"Where'd he go?" she asked.

Azul faced them once again.

"Off to sulk, no doubt," he readjusted his glasses and his composure along with it. All traces of annoyance melted away into a relaxed smile. "No matter. You'll begin your training with Jade tonight. Is there anything you require before you begin?"

Grim opened his mouth before any of the first years could stop him, "Yeah! Bring me a can of your fanciest tuna. It's the least you could do after the heart atta- mmph!"

Deuce clamped a hand over Grim's muzzle mid-sentence, "Ignore him. He's fine, thank you."

Azul chuckled once, "I see. Well, with all due respect I was directing the question to Parker."

Something about the way he spoke struck Violet. He didn't seem angry or bothered. On the contrary, his tone was friendly. Almost melodic in cadence and tone. But even so, it held an element she couldn't name, gave her a modicum— a sort of acknowledgment she hadn't known since waking up in Twisted Wonderland.

She stored the thought for now. If she allowed herself, she'd ponder away the rest of the evening. Better revisit it later, when she had the time.

"Violet," she pulled at her cap. "And thanks, but I'm fine."

A nod from Azul, "Excellent. I'll be in my office should you need me."

He strode away, dress shoes punctuating his retreat. When he was gone, Ace shifted.

"We'll head out, too," he said. "Flamingo duty."

Flamingo duty. Right. With a promise to see her after dinner, and if not, at breakfast the next morning, the Heartslabyul boys made their way out of the lounge with Grim in tow. Violet watched them go, surprised by how jarring it felt to see her three closest friends walk away without her.

She bit back a scoff. Please, she was being ridiculous. This wasn't the first time she'd been alone. Hardly! With that thought in mind, she turned to the twin— Jade.

"If you would be so kind as to follow me," he dipped his head in a tiny bow. She obliged him.

"So," she breathed, trying to get used to using her normal voice around him. "What's the plan?"

Jade's grin stretched half a millimeter, "So eager. We'll be starting with a tour."

Line

Training ran for the two hours before the opening of the Mostro lounge. By the end of it, Violet had visited every inch, every table, every crevice and corner— both in the dining room and back-of-house. Once she was thoroughly familiarized with her surroundings, Jade stationed her at a three-section sink. She'd be starting with the most basic of jobs.

Dish duty.

Violet had to mask several groans. Of all the things she could have been doing, she was stuck with the worst, most odious, squishiest job there was. Naturally she didn't let on to her displeasure, not until Jade was satisfied she had the job well underway. Only when he left did she allow herself to gag at the small pile of dirty plates to her left.

Unfortunately for her, her solitude became a sort of torture. Alone. Alone with the dishes, with herself. With her thoughts. She tried to empty her mind, become a blank canvas the way her professor instructed the other students to be before attempting a new spell. Instead of peace, however, static rushed between her ears in her brain's version of TV snow. It was only broken up by disgusted shivers whenever she accidentally stuck her fingers in soggy scraps of food.

She gagged again.

The door to the dining room opened again just as she finished the final plate in her latest pile. She clenched her teeth. She could never catch a damn break.

Ceramic clinked as a bucket was placed on the empty counter. Here we go. Rinse, scrub, sanitize, dry. Again and again and—

Bubbling laughter broke her concentration, "And I thought I was moody."

For the second time that day (or the third, if she counted Magical Analysis), Violet turned to find Floyd peering down at her. He seemed much better than the last time she'd seen him, and not just because he'd gone back to his human self. The playfulness was back from behind his cloudy pout.

"Azul said you were sulking," she said, by way of greeting.

Floyd shrugged, "Got bored."

He leaned against the shining metal table behind them, appraising the way she aimed the spray nozzle at her current plate. She didn't answer him. Not because she didn't want to talk, on the contrary this was a nice break from the long stretch of isolation, but she wasn't sure what to say.

In the last two days, her views on Floyd and their friendship had shifted somewhat drastically. Where she'd once seen a troublesome, puppy-dog of a boy with a penchant for games stood someone cunning and slick. He'd gained a certain edge to him, like a sharpened razor. That, and now she knew he was something… other. A creature she didn't have a name for. Had everything she'd known before been a lie? Or was she simply seeing a different side of him?

She rinsed through three more plates before she worked up the courage to say something. After much thought and careful consideration, she landed on the one thing she could trust herself to say.

"So."

Violet heard the rustle of Floyd's clothing as he changed his posture.

"So," he echoed her with a smile in his voice.

She sucked her teeth, bracing herself. Screw it. She couldn't keep dancing around the issue, "You're a sea… creature. Thing."

Another river of laughter. Well… good, she guessed. He wasn't offended.

"Betcha can't guess what I am," he teased.

Betcha he was right. Violet couldn't even begin to guess. She reached for another plate, flinching at something wet and lumpy sliding against her thumb. She sprayed at it little harder than she meant to. "A kraken," she said, hiding a gag behind the words.

"Nope," Floyd stepped closer now, bracing his long arms against the sink beside her.

She dropped the plate into the second section of the sink, "A sea monster."

He shook his head. This time, he said, "I'll give you a hint: I'm a merman."

Violet lost her grip on the spray nozzle. The water cut off. She aimed narrowed eyes at Floyd, "Yeah, right!"

"Don't believe me?" his amusement doubled.

"No," she didn't hesitate. "Mer-people are half fish. You're, like, part snake or whatever."

"Snake?" Floyd's eyes sparkled. "Ehehehe! You really are a silly little shrimp."

Violet squeezed the nozzle once again. Water burst through it with a satisfying bit of recoil, "Then what are you?"

Floyd rested his head on the palm of his left hand, "Half eel. Not all mers have fishtails, y'know. Look at The Sea Witch if you want more proof."

The octopus woman, Violet remembered. The Great Seven figurehead of Octavinelle. She was a mermaid? Granted, it was obvious with a title like "The Sea Witch" but Violet hadn't connected her with the colorfully-scaled figures from her childhood storybooks.

Violet bit her lip. There was no way to prove he was lying, not really. Even if he was, she could always track down Azul and ask him. He didn't seem like the type to play tricks. She decided to concede the point.

"I guess," she grumbled. "Fine. You're a merman."

Floyd raised his chin in victory, casting a look that seemed to say "See? I told you so." Violet just clicked her tongue at him, then turned her attention back to the stack of dishes that still needed doing. Almost immediately, she was knuckle-deep in someone's leftover pasta. She couldn't control her reaction this time. The plate fell into the sink with a loud CLANG! Starling both her and Floyd. She had to swallow back the bile that rose in her throat.

Deep breath through her nose. Violet sprayed the plate, then picked it up by its cleanest edge.

"You're always in a mood, Shrimpy."

Violet bristled. She refused to look at him, "That's not true."

Floyd tsked once. Violet's only indication that he moved closer to her level was the warmth emanating from his body, "That's twice today you call me a liar."

Still, Violet kept her face trained on the sink, the dishes, the spray nozzle, "If the shoe fits."

He snickered, softer this time. "See? You're proving me right. Your face is all puffy again." She sensed him moving again. Not by much, just his arm maybe. Electricity crackled on the back of her tongue for a split second, like the ghost of popping candy rocks. She'd learned what that feeling meant, having hung around with Deuce as long as she had. He'd just used summoning magic.

A pair of rubber gloves sailed into her vision. She gasped. An angel choir burst into song high above her. With a sigh dropped the spray nozzle and hunted down a clean dish towel, wiping down her hands to a chorus of "Thank you thank you thank you's!" Violet plunged her hands into the bright yellow gloves sighing contentedly as she no longer had to fear the dirty dish bin.

"And now you're smiling!" Floyd tilted his head. "Isn't that better?"

Violet tried to force her lips back into a neutral line, but no matter how she bit her tongue they didn't drop. "Floyd," she said, "You're a lifesaver."

"Ehhh? What was that?" he leaned in, hand to his ear.

Oh, no, Violet was not about to repeat herself. She pursed her lips together, turned up her nose the way Grim always did. He only came in closer again, "Ehhh? Eh?" She nudged him away once. Twice. By the third time, both were laughing.

The door to the kitchen swung open.

"Floyd," Jade's voice cut through the kitchen, killing Violet's laugh. Floyd looked up towards his brother, unbothered by his appearance. A beat of silence past so quickly, it was gone before Violet could process that it happened. "You're needed in the dining room."

"Whatever you say, Jade," Floyd stretched, glanced down at Violet and said, "Have fun with the dishes."

"Bye," she sprayed the last of the dishes as he walked out.

And there she was, alone once more. The quiet of the kitchen seemed more intense now, more spacious. Violet shook it off. It was better this way, she told herself. She could focus now. Clean faster.

And so she did, a tiny smile painting her face all the while.