Outside the entrance, Stanislav's silver car was parked neatly, and behind it loomed a dark SUV with its headlights cutting through the evening gloom. I stepped cautiously over the icy pavement, holding Dasha's hand to steady her, when suddenly the driver-side window of the black SUV slid down, and Violetta's head appeared.
"Asya!" she called, chewing gum lazily. "You won't all fit. Come sit in mine." She tapped the open palm of her hand against the car door, inviting me in.
Dasha and Tanya exchanged a look that was difficult to read. Violetta moved closer to me and whispered, "She gives me chills," before freeing her hands and adding, "Good luck."
Tanya circled the car and flitted to the front seat next to Stanislav. As she opened the door, the interior light came on, and I glimpsed Smirnov leaning toward her, their faces drawing close… and then the light went out. I didn't need to see more to understand. My stomach twisted, and I turned instinctively toward the black SUV. Why hadn't Stas just told me they were together? It was obvious.
The SUV's back door swung open just as I approached, silently inviting me in. Once inside, I saw Diana smiling at me from her seat, her eyes appraising me carefully.
"Hey," I said, reaching for my seatbelt. "I didn't think you'd come too."
"Why not?" she asked, genuinely surprised. Before I could answer, Violetta's sharp exclamation rang out:
"You didn't close the door."
Her hand waved in a swift, precise motion—and the door obeyed, sliding shut with a resounding bang. I froze, realization dawning. Violetta could move objects with her mind. It wasn't any gadget or trick; that explained why the house doors had always seemed to move on their own.
"You look…" Diana leaned closer, studying me. "Surprised?"
I nodded, still staring at the seat in front of me. Diana's hand rested gently on my knee, and I flinched at the unexpected touch.
"Asya," she asked cautiously, "are you okay?"
I had no answer. Just when you start to relax in this city, life seems determined to bury you under new revelations. Violet unbuckled her seatbelt and moved into the aisle, her eyebrows furrowed, giving me the serious, almost divine look of a goddess scrutinizing a mortal. Despite her severity, her voice was careful:
"Did you drink, like your friends?" She sniffed, leaning slightly forward. "Though I don't smell anything strong."
Diana chimed in, quick and practical: "Do you need water? Or anything else?"
I looked from one sister to the other, silent. Did they not realize what had shaken me? Perhaps, living so long in a hidden, mysterious world, even something as astonishing as telekinesis became ordinary.
"You…" My voice trembled. "You just… closed the door with your hand."
Diana chuckled softly, while Violetta's expression tightened. Under her piercing gaze, my throat constricted, and I silently hoped it was nerves, not an attempt to intimidate me.
"Do all vampires do that?" I asked.
"No," Violetta replied after a pause, already turning away.
The door in front swung open again, and Arthur, Violetta's classmate, lumbered into the seat beside the driver. The car rocked under his weight, and the dark, musky tang of alcohol mixed with sour berries filled the space.
"Ugh," Violetta groaned, sensing it too. "Arthur, go… where you drank!" She pushed him toward the door.
"I only had a little," he protested.
"You smell it from a mile away!" Diana supported her sister.
"Come on, nobody noticed at school," Arthur waved dismissively, leaning back with a pleased grin.
"It's strong even here," I admitted. Immediately, the girls redoubled their accusations.
"Really!" Arthur groaned. "Do I have to walk now?!"
"You should've thought of that earlier. I warned you not to drink!" Violetta's voice rang with sharp authority. But Arthur just tilted his head, brushing a stray strand of golden hair from her face. The gesture was tender, but Viola's expression remained unsoftened.
"Arthur," she said slowly, each word deliberate, "you're putting us all at risk. Father trusted you to go unsupervised, and you—headfirst into trouble. Have you considered how you'd embarrass us in front of the school?"
"It was just one sip," he protested, "Tatiana insisted, I tried it for fun. Look at me—do I seem drunk?"
Violetta leaned closer, scrutinizing him like an inspector. Her jaw tightened. Then, unexpectedly, she puckered and pressed her lips to the tip of his nose.
"That's convincing, Smirnov. But grab gum from the glove compartment and crack your window. I can't breathe otherwise." She settled behind the wheel, hands poised casually on the steering wheel and gear shift. Then, as if nothing had happened, she looked at everyone and said:
"Well, can we go now?"