We start the third and last Arc now :)
The Crow
(Third Arc: Another World)
(Part 20)
XxxxxXxxxxX
…
Settling in the library was routine. Sharing a chair, however, only became the norm recently. There was something forbiddingly pleasing about snuggling up to her sorcerer and share his body heat.
'Forget the oncoming summer… talking about summer, my birthday is coming soon' Violet thought absently, twirling a lock of hair between her finger tips – by the coarser and thicker strands, she'd have to say it was her own without looking at it.
Well, she was actually stalling. And trying to avoid Clow's eyes at the same time... A hard task indeed when the only thing said sorcerer had to do to gain an audience with Violet was turn her around.
A corner of his lips lifted up in a small content smile – the witch found herself returning the small gesture automatically. 'I've been smiling more these days' She's noticed, wincing inwardly at the mess she was when she first came to this world. A selfish part of her wished to throw everything to the wind and just stay, never return to her world and never worry about it again.
'But I can't do that…' Because she'd always wonder what happened that fateful day. Some days, her imagination ran wild coming up with possible outcomes… Best case scenario, everyone she loved lived and Voldemort was down – she's hoping for this one personally…
Had she been a little physics inclined, Violet would also wonder if that is how Schrodinger felt about his cat – since she's not, the witch just wanted to go back and see for herself what the fallout was.
Her waist tingled. A finger wiggled above the fabric of her dress, pressing and caressing at a very unlucky spot. The witch couldn't help squirming, a gasp and a squeak leaving her throat at the same time 'Is he tickling me?' Her thoughts halted, and Violet managed to tilt her torso out of the range of his gripping hands almost throwing herself off his lap.
"Careful, my dear" Her sorcerer's grin widened, as amusement made his eye shine. "Now what has you so thoughtful?"
'No more stalling now…' But just in case… "Are you really sure you want me to talk about this?" Her cheeks reddened, green eyes half closing as Violet hesitated.
"Only if you don't feel comfortable... There is no need to force yourself now if you're not ready yet" Clow seemingly read her mind and offered a way out – it only made the witch feel guiltier…
Not only was she spying on him, but now she was about to make things about her. "It's not about being ready or not... It's just… a little embarrassing!" The green eyed young woman fessed up, resisting the urge to hide her face like a child. Instead, Violet mastered her red cheeks and straightened, leaning back so she could face the sorcerer.
"Violet... The last thing I will do is judge you. I might advise you, I might find myself amused or I might not like what I hear, but never think ill of you" He said, and seeing she was not convinced, Clow swept forward and stole a kiss. Liking that distraction, the witch lifted an arm so she could brace against Clow's neck.
"Oh..." She breathed out breezily, lips forming a flirty pout as she tapped into them with the tips of a finger. "That's a very convincing argument" She saw what he was doing…
'Clear as day… he's distracting me from my embarrassment. Thank you' The witch focused on all the warm, bubbly feelings welling in her belly, and sent them over to her sorcerer, picturing their bond in her mind's eye and smiling in satisfaction when a foreign wave of warmth crashed into her being.
Clow caught her face with a hand, bringing their noses so close they shared a breath "I am not done making my point" he told Violet, capturing her mouth in a kiss so deep her toes positively curled – a breathlessness and a strange desperation for something lit in the witch, a need for closeness so great she wanted to feel his skin all over hers.
"Approved, oh, very valid, I think I've been convinced, though there are still lingering doubts" She flirted back, adoring the love and attention she was receiving. Hands roamed, hers and his, the young woman losing a great deal of inhibition when she knew she could trust her partner. Plus, she wanted it. This burning love promised to make everything better than amazing.
They separated briefly due to lack of air, Violet wishing they had a little more privacy – the library was awfully easy to peep in 'Though it adds the thrill of being discovered… Violet, stop being so naughty!' Because honestly? Her entire body felt as if it was about to be caught on fire…
And then trust her sorcerer to douse those flames… And not in the way she wanted 'Distraction ran successfully… now I'm not really thinking straight anymore'
'Clow you manipulative git' The witch twitched, forgoing her vindictiveness so she could claw her way out of his arms, shooting a very annoyed look at his innocently blinking eyes.
Until his entire demeanor softened… Clow caught Violet's arms with his hands, trailing his palms down until he held her hands. "What's bothering you?" He asked plainly, love shining in his eyes – swallowing thickly, the witch felt her heart give in.
"Hmm... It's really silly now that I think about it, but..." Violet started, trying to not think about her reasons for not wanting to share this. 'It's not private nor a secret… I just feel stupid for thinking about it in the first place' "When I saw Miss Li approach you, I couldn't help but remember something similar that happened a couple of years ago" She wasn't betraying her sorcerer was she? Her experience in relationships was dreadfully limited "His name is Remus Lupin, better known as Moony"
Her sorcerer nodded, a spark of recognition flashing through his eyes "Your father's friend"
"Yeah... He taught in Hogwarts during our third year, best teacher we've had for Defense Against the Dark Arts yet. He was also one of the few people who could tell me stories of my parents, and during that year I... Kind of fell in love with him" There. She's said it… However, her sorcerer didn't even twitch "I never believed I had a chance despite hoping, you see? But one afternoon I witnessed a scene just like you and Li. Tonks is a really good person... She's clumsy but brave and funny, and she doesn't mind that Remus is a werewolf... I saw them together and it dawned on me that I never really had any chance at all. Just now, I was thinking that this time I'd not give you up so easily, though I don't want to come off as a jealous woman"
And as her insecurities came pouring out of her, Violet realized what her problem was… 'I'm a horribly jealous and possessive woman' this revelation did nothing for her frayed nerves.
Her sorcerer squeezed her hand, a commiserating expression on his face as feelings of amusement and a faint line of worry spilled from his side of the bond – the sheer contrast between what she could peripherally feel from him and what she was currently feeling made making the difference easy.
Violet understood his amusement when he finally said something. "Your first love is a werewolf..." Clow teased, smiling brightly in response to her grumpy glare. 'Is that all he could make of everything I just said?!' Disbelief curled in her chest until the witch rationalized his intentions. 'No… it's not that he didn't listen… but that Remus is a werewolf is the only thing that matters'
'Is it because he thinks what I said was stupid?' No… the sorcerer's eyes were silvery blue, intensely serious despite his jest – and Violet understood the conveyed feeling. 'Time to leave the past behind'
Lighter, she smiled brightly back "Actually... He was a teacher in my primary school when I was eight. Remus was at thirteen"
"You have very peculiar taste in men" Clow pointed out rather unnecessarily. A married teacher, a werewolf teacher and now a tercentenary teacher… Her track record wasn't the best, was it? "Violet, I don't mind a jealous woman because I am a jealous man" He told her solemnly, smile turning into a wicked little smirk. "I want to drive into you that as long as I can choose, we will stay together for a very long time"
A shiver of pleasure ran down her spine. She could live with that if he could.
'Since we're back on to business…'
"Now how about we go do something about your wand?" Violet completely ignored her sorcerer's put out expression.
...
The witch decided she'd try this on her own, testing the limits of her powers in this way was thrilling.
Wind blew through the cracks between windows panes. The candle's fire flickered, twisting and dancing, bending but not extinguishing. The gloom of the room perpetuated through the shadows cast by the fire, creating phantasmagorical puppets against the walls.
In the middle of the room was Violet.
The young woman's hair seemed to shine like blood as she bent over a circle, drawing runes and glyphs as she did, constructing the magic. Hands white from the chalk she was using, the witch hesitated in wiping the sweat from her forehead, lest a white streak be left on her skin – again – a cheek and an eye were already sporting chalk marks.
'Who knew this could take this much effort?' Violet thought tiredly. Her back and thighs hurt from the bent position, and her arms were getting tired.
'But I want my wand, a wand I'm making myself' made everything worth it.
It took two and a half days for Clow to finish studying the receipt they got from his contact, with Violet watching over his shoulder the whole time so she could be familiar with the process herself.
The basic lied over an alchemic transmutation circle, where the chosen materials would be converted into the conduit – shape depended on the caster's will – it is important to pick magically malleable materials, things like plastic or other industry derivates were out of question. The caster then has to input their wishes upon the creation, using the pre-existing circle to guide their enchantments upon the new conduit.
In Violet's case, a wand, since it's what she was most used with. And since she'd be inputting her will and magic on the circle, the resulting conduit would be most compatible with her – unlike Clow's mismatched collection.
"Ugh… my back" Violet groaned to the room, voice swallowed by the whistling wind. She had copied the circle in a lose scroll beforehand as a cheat sheet, and was using that as a crutch.
'Two days is not enough to memorize all these lines…' Though Clow said that more experienced magicians could imprint entire circles in their memories and conjure them instantly… The witch is not one of them – her experience in sorcery is two months old, tops.
But the circle was coming along, under Violet's steady, though tired hand. A couple more minutes and she was doing the last touches, tired, the green eyed young woman sat at the edge of her circle, checking on her cheat sheet to see if her drawing was correct.
Eager eyes traced over each line, making sure there was not a single mistake. There wasn't.
Now the materials she's chosen as base were to be put in the center of the circle. Holly wood and a phoenix feather - although different from the ones back home, this world's version of phoenixes resembled red and yellow peacocks more than anything – at least they still existed here…
A grin lit up the witch's face as satisfaction coursed through her blood. Her heart was pumping rapidly. Concentrating on the spell to activate the circle was a little hard, being one to learn through a hands on approach, Violet thought she wouldn't have trouble, and indeed not.
Words blurred out of her lips in a language long forgotten – having memorized that at least, the witch was confident that she could do it – having thus dismissed the help from Clow. 'I can do this on my own'
The string of weird syllables continued for a minute as the witch chanted calmly, slowly as to not stumble over some of the more complicated sounds. As she chanted, the green eyed young woman willed her magic into action, imagining the shape of her desired wand.
Magic ignited, the lines drawn became iridescent and light spilled from them, glyphs floated off her spell and started to spin around the materials, joining them and helping the witch mold them to her liking. A thin cylinder, with holly engravings, feminine and sleek with an indomitable fire core that would fit nicely at the palm of her hand…
When everything calmed down, Violet was hunched over, breathless and trembling from exhaustion.
Clutched in her hands was a brand new wand, created from her efforts and magic, and pulsing eagerly in tandem with her heart.
…
"On your first time practicing advanced sorcery and you manage to create a focus" Clow told a satisfied Violet in the next morning. He looked proud of her, prompting a large smile from the witch – who lifted up her brand new wand for the sorcerer's inspection. "It's beautiful… the wood and core resonate with your magic perfectly, it should be able to handle the stress of your powers"
"Yeah… it feels good to have the weight of a wand in my hand again… I felt vulnerable without one" Violet admitted, yawned, then proceeded to look sheepish. "I forgot to erase the circle last night…"
"I erased it… you fainted from exhaustion" The sorcerer let her know how displeased he was with her carelessness by pulling lightly on the ends of her hair.
Stung, the witch scowled at Clow. 'Way to make a witch feel bad…'
"I was knackered beyond belief! Just spent the day drawing that humongous thing, then had to bleed out a large amount of magic in one go… anyone would be too exhausted to even think straight, never mind erasing the circle!" She protested.
The sorcerer sighed, tugging on her hair again. "It's not about erasing anything… it's about how vulnerable you were, drained of your magic. What if someone else beside me entered the ritual room?"
"Oh…" The witch exhaled, understanding his point. "You were worried" she stated, eyeing Clow through hooded eyes. 'Even though he worried, he didn't interfere until I was done… though I'm sure he'd have done something should things gone haywire'
"We can work on your control next, Violet… as I said; it is impressive that you even managed to power such a powerful ritual. Though brute force has limits, you must improve finesse" The sorcerer lectured, entering teacher mode. Feeling like she had to wrench him out of it, the witch stood from her seat in his office, and made use of an alternative seat.
His lap again.
'Well, how comfortable…'
"I'm still feeling tired" the witch told him, getting comfortable. "Lecture later"
'I'm getting better at this' Violet thought, losing shame around her sorcerer was becoming natural 'He likes when I give in to my silly urges anyway…'
Chuckling under his breath, Clow nodded against her tucked in head, wrapping an arm around her back to keep her steady, and using the other to pick up a book.
"Very well" He murmured, but Violet was already dozing off, leeching off his warmth and magic to replenish her own – no wonder she was still so tired.
A dark shape moved quickly from the door left ajar.
XxxxxxXxxxxxX
The sound of cutting air filled the room. A glint of light caught the end of the swinging sword, as beads of sweat dripped down the man's face.
Eduardo de Parole was training, hard, trying to make sense of what he's just witnessed. No… he understood what he saw. Knew it was coming. 'It's always like that'
It wasn't that he disliked the Apprentice personally, though her deceptively subdued personality was deceiving… something told him she was like that for a reason.
He remembers the first time he saw her, laying unmoving in Teacher's arms as he carried her off… 'I could smell the ozone, like she was birthed by the thunderstorm'
Next time he met her was when she was stepping down the stairs beside Teacher, awkward and shy, uncomfortable with all the attention she was getting. Obviously not a woman of good cradle, though saying she felt powerful was an understatement. She hid behind Clow Reed, eyes sad and a lonely aura painting her ethereal image blue.
"Deceitful snake, that's what she is" He growled under his breath, muscles tensing as he lifted his sword for another practicing slash.
…
"Alexandro, Eduardo, Fernando, Helena… come my children, meet your foster sister" Father called them all to his office. They went like good children, unknowing the fate that waited them.
The creature their father introduced looked as if she was made of the purest gold. Fair colored hair like spun golden wheat glowing under the sun, skin healthily tanned didn't hide the red of her cheeks, and brown eyes glinting ember with inner fire.
"Who is she?" Alexandro, his eldest brother asked for them all.
"Your new sister. Her name is Eldora" The girl smiled back at them, shyly, hiding behind her golden bangs. "She's Estela's daughter, born with talent. I agreed to foster her with us to teach her the ways of magic in our house"
…
Eduardo shook his head, wet bangs clinging stubbornly to his forehead. He's fallen inwardly into an unwanted memory. Although he remembered Estela fondly – she was his and his siblings wet nurse – with her soft caramel curls and mocha colored skin, always smelling of coffee and molasses. He saw her as his surrogate mother once upon a time, since his own mother was distant and superficial.
It wasn't hard to accept Eldora the Golden as their sister. At eleven, another playmate was more than welcome, though the girl shared his brother's age of thirteen – She liked playing dolls with Helena, and was always ready with a basket to help him and Fernando catch wild fruits through their property.
Eldora wasn't particularly talented in their family's magic – a Fire element orientated clan, and wasn't that inclined to pick up a weapon with which to practice with. Father tolerated her. Indulged in her whims even more than he did Helena…
'I should have known then…'
It didn't help that as the years passed the Golden one became more beautiful. 'I fell in love with that puta' The next slash of his sword was particularly vicious.
…
"Preciosa de Oro, I have come to love you. You outshine the very sun, your beauty eclipses the stars, and you are my best friend"
"Oh querido, come here" And she was in his arms, letting him love her in his adolescent way, fumbling and awkward but so very beautiful.
…
'A couple of weeks later, I was called to my father's office'
There she was, sobbing brokenly against father's shoulder. Alexander stood beside them, glaring at him as if he was made of the plague. The gold he so loved in her hair was dull, and her cheeks weren't that lovely shade of red, but an ugly blotch of clogged snot and tears.
…
"What is going on?" Eduardo asked with dread in his voice. The voices raised as one, both his father and Alexandro yelled almost at the same time.
"How could you?!" He was only fourteen, whatever did he do to enrage his brother and father like this? Though taking a look at Eldora's pathetically sniffling self made his blood run cold.
"How could I what?" He demanded, nervously keeping an eye on the woman too.
"Do this to Eldora!" Alexandro accused, offering a comforting arm to the bawling creature.
"What did I do?"
"Taken advantage of her! Against her will! And now she's fallen pregnant with your child" Father explained coldly. Dread pooled in his stomach… it was too much… he didn't…
"I didn't take anything against her will! If anything, she has spread her legs more than willingly!" He let his fiery temper run the best of his mouth, though the burst of wild flaming magic his father let out, slammed Eduardo against the far wall.
"Keep your mouth shut! You shame me Eduardo. Eldora and Alexander were engaged to be wed, and you've spoiled her now… luckily your brother is willing to accept this blight against him, but you are to be moved away to your mother's estate"
…
Fury burned in his veins. Conniving, worthless cunts, all of them… His mother's words cemented his hatred.
"Your father has been fucking that girl since she first stepped there, why do you think I left? And that whore let him have his way docilely, do you wonder why? She wants our power for herself. She will suck our family dry through her cunt, and when she can't anymore she will leave just like the succubus… have you learnt your lesson son? All a first generation magician like sweet Eldora wants is to belong to a powerful clan, and now she's tied by blood…"
She's used him. Used him then turned his family against him.
Violet Potter was the same. Getting close to Clow Reed just to snatch his power, controlling him through her sex like the little baseborn worm she is. It wasn't his problem though. He cared little for what the Master Sorcerer did or what he chose to warm his bed at night.
But when he looked at Violet, all he saw was Eldora. Ambitious, cunning and poisonous... the urge to wrap his hands around her neck was hard to control.
So he poured all his heated feelings into his sword, slashing at unseen targets until all anger has bled out.
He never saw a small mirror in the corner. It lit up in a miasma cloud, purple and venomous, flashing once with his image before fading out of existence.
XxxxXxxxX
TBC~
Extra notes:
1) Oh dear... this chapter turned huge! I could have cut things out at those last scenes, but decided to keep them together.
2) Yes, a wand... She sees herself as a witch, not a sorcerer - and is more familiar with a wand, not a staff.. I'm sorry if it disapointed you, but this has been written for months now so if I change a single detail, I'd have to go through the ending to edit things.
3) Poor Eddie Word.