Violet and Ryder scramble to their feet, Ryder's damaged door offering a view of their mother walking though the crack. Violet turns to Spencer, blinking in surprise at the empty spot before her.
"She vanishes a lot." Ryder explains, his eyes nervously flickering around the room. Violet frowns but pulled open Ryder's door fully, the hinges crying louder than it had before.
"Sorry." Violet whispers as their mother called out in greeting, chopping carrots in the kitchen. Peeking at her brother from the corner of her eyes, Violet walked towards her mother, trying not to think of all the secrets that seemed to spread before them like a chasm.
"Mother." Violet swallows the lump in her throat. Her mother pauses chopping the carrots, looking up at Violet, her golden eyes widening in a mixture of fear and shock.
"No." The only word that left her mother's mouth. The knife clattered to the floor and Violet jumps at the noise. Ryder rushes over to retrieve the knife, his eyes darting between her and their mother worriedly.
"I'm stuck between shifts." Violet pointed out. "I don't know how to fix it."
"No." Her mother repeated, shaking her head with the word. "What did you do?" Violet reeled back as if she had been slapped, as if she were to blame.
"'What did I do'?" Violet repeated incredulously, "Why are we here?" Her voice rose alongside her temper, claws pushing out of her fingers where her nails had been, her vision sharpening to see the beads of water on the carrots' flesh. "Why do we live in a place that holds a sword over our necks?" Her body felt like it was pulsating, and all Violet wanted to do was scream her rage into the sky, hunt down Rodrick and push her claws into his wrists, let him see the beast he challenged earlier—
A hand gently encircles her wrist and Violet turns her furious gaze to her brother, whose eyes looked at her with understanding. Compassion. Her brother, who had the same questions but couldn't find the words to ask.
She closes her eyes, shuddering as she tries to force the shift. Razor sharp pain scaled down her body and she whimpers, a tear slipping from her eye. "Don't." Her mother cups her face gently. Violet hadn't heard her move. Her body relaxes in a silent sigh as she stopped attempting to shift, gazing into her mother's fearful golden ones.
"Your body is exhausted. You can shift back tomorrow."
"I'm sorry." Violet felt the guilt redden her cheeks, the way her temper had overtaken her so easily. The way she enjoyed the feeling of it, the way her body seemed to hum from the fight. "Rodrick and I had argued earlier. He had made me so mad. I don't understand." Violet fell into her mother's hug with tears finally escaping, a soothing hand falling into her hair. Her mother hummed into her ear, continuing to drag her fingers through Violet's curls until her tears dried.
"It's my fault." Her mother whispers, pulling back to look into her eyes. "Your Fielien nature has been suppressed for so long, it's overtaking you."
"That can happen?" Ryder asks fearfully, scratching at a red splotch near his neck.
"I hoped it wouldn't." Her mother whispers woefully. "Can you illusion my eyes?" Violet wonders hopefully. "Like when we were kids…" Her voice trails off as she reads her mother's expression.
"I can illusion your eyes, but your nature is overtaking your shift. Your eyes are only the beginning." Violet stumbles backwards out of her mother's embrace, dropping into the small chair by the fireplace. She buries her face in her hands, her heart cracking inside of her chest. She thought of the recommendation she should be receiving by the end of the week and how she could never accept it. How she could never work in the castle when the people inside wanted her dead.
"So, what do we do?" Ryder asks, determination deepening his voice. "We leave." Violet looks up at her mother in surprise. Her mother stares at Ryder and wordlessly points to the carrots. He hesitates only for a moment, moving to where she stood and continuing where she left off as their mother began speaking.
"My Fielien nature is Time." Her mother fiddles with the strands of her braid, her eyes somewhere else. "I should have taught you more of your history. In truth, I was scared to do so. As if speaking of what we were would attract attention to us." Her mother's laugh was bitter. "Perhaps I hoped to convince you both that you were fae." Violet meets her brother's eyes from across the room. His jaw was locked, the carrots forgotten as he turns his attention back to their mother.
"My Fielien nature is closely related to seer abilities in fae," Her mother continues, "I can see events that will come to pass but these events are not written in stone." She began pacing. "Look at it as a spider web and I am in the center of it. The silken threads spiral every which way. I see one path but look to the right and fate has changed. I didn't see this." Her mother's faraway eyes locked onto hers. "I didn't see you go into the market today."
"I didn't plan to." Violet whispers. "I just woke up and it was the first thing on my mind." Her mother turns again, pacing as if the movement helped spur on her words.
"I try to look into your paths daily." Her mother admits. "At night when you are asleep, I search for the stars. I saw you reading today. I saw your brother trying to hunt down the assassin, missing her by several feet before going home in frustration." Violet flicks her eyes to Ryder who looked briefly annoyed at the reminder.
"Wait," Ryder interjected, "just how much do you see exactly?" He asks slowly, his tone careful. Violet suppressed the sudden urge to laugh as her mother raised her eyebrows at the red splotches growing on his skin.
"Only enough to ensure you live another day." He lets out a breath, clearing his throat. "The walls are thin son, remember that." Ryder's eyes widened and Violet snorted, unable to suppress it despite the severity of the conversation. Her mother returns to her pacing and Violet's humor sobered as she listens. "Many Time Fielien have additional abilities with training; however, I wasn't so fortunate. I taught myself most of what I know, and I failed you both in not passing that down. There are thirteen elemental Fielien and most don't know what element they will be born with until they mature at twenty years. Genetics has no effect on the elemental chosen and I cannot even predict what they will be with my seer ability. It is strictly based off the environment the Kitsune grows in." Her mother paused, glancing at Violet before turning to her brother. "I believe your elemental will be Forest or Earth, both very strong gifts to hold."
"Aren't those the same?" Her brother asks and their mother shakes her head.
"Forest Fielien are one with the forest. Some have the ability to speak with the creatures that inhabit it, bend them to their will even. Some can manipulate the trees themselves, grow or destroy the plants and even blend into the woods. The powerful Fielien can do it all." Ryder looks at his mother with wonder in his eyes. "Earth Fielien can manipulate the rocks, minerals, create with it, shift it beneath their feet."
"What am I?" Violet asks softly, drawing her mother's gaze back to her.
"I wasn't sure," her mother began, "until earlier. I think you could be a Thunder Kitsune. You were easily angered, impatient. I'm not certain, but it is an extraordinary element, Violet. So long as you keep your temper in check." Her mother's words settle on her softly and Violet drops her eyes to her hands, staring at the long black claws sticking out where her nails had been that morning. "I don't have much information on Thunder Fielien ." Her mother softly admits. "But your father may."
"My father?" Violet whips her head up, mixed emotions surging in her chest. She wondered her entire life what her father was like, where he was, why he left. Then she wondered what kind of a man he could be if he left them, if he left her.
"He lives in Rivverte." Her mother sighs warily. "He is the reason I made a home here."
"Is he wicked?" Ryder asks in a gentle tone.
"He is kind." Her mother answers softly, looking at Violet. "He is too kind." Violet bites the inside of her cheek, trying to steady the temper she felt rising inside of her again
"You moved us to a place that would see us dead because my father was kind?"
"Your father doesn't know about you." Violet blinks at her mother, at the words that washed over her like a tide, unable to fully sink in. "He couldn't know about you Violet!" Her mother rushes as Violet stands. Her body seemed to act on its own, telling her to move, leave, run, anything but sit there a moment longer.
"There are certain paths that must come to pass and wouldn't have if your father had been there—" "Who is he?" Violet was yelling. When did she go to the door?
"Erebus Rotresso. Violet, honey, sit down you can't go out there— "You aren't allowed to tell me what I can or can't do anymore!" Violet yells, her nails digging into her palms hard enough she felt blood draw. Her brother looks stricken, his eyes darting between her and their mother.
"I can if I need to." Her mother's voice held a hard edge, the words causing Violet to stiffen.