Alexandria

The rest of Foxglove had left at a considerably slower pace, eyes shifting to and fro anxiously as giggles ripped through the air solicitously.

Alex smiled nervously, eyes on their leader who was clearly miles and miles away, she could almost picture his mind racing in every direction. They ran into Rachel, Caladium's leader, she smiled awkwardly, "Clearly we've all been told, I saw Violet leave at the speed of light. I'm pretty sure Shou was looking for her," Kieren tensed, "he asked her where she was going and all he got, without a backwards glance mind you, was 'library'."

She chuckled shaking her head, "this is shit." She left.

"The nearest library is downtown, almost an hour away, I hope she doesn't spend all day there, she won't fine a..." Ted stopped speaking when he noticed Kieren's gaze on him, it was uncharacteristically cold.

"You should all go find a date," he began to walk away when Alex called out, "Kieren.... who will you ask?"

He turned around, not bothering to hide his anger, "Julie is in the neighboring school, she's of the Hao family, like Zen, I'm sure that's who it's expected I'll bring. I'm sure she will ask me." He strutted away, back taunt, annoyance oozing out of him like mud.

The four of them let out a sigh of relief, they had all feared his answer.

Zen attempted at peacemaking once he was gone, "Well, he and Julie used to be close, it could be a source of stress relief if they..."

"Oh, shut the fuck up Zen," Alex snarled rolling her eyes, "their families kept trying to pair them up, she's so easy to control. He fucked her twice several years ago and she'll never let it go. She's useless and he cares for her about as much as he cares for Shou. Stop wasting your breath." She pranced off hands balled into firsts.

Ted and Tom hovered awkwardly for a moment staring at Zen's shocked expression before Tom dragged Ted away, a steely glint in his eyes.

Violet had made it to the library, she walked along the back, entered, and borrowed a private room. Keeping the door closed and the shades drawn she used her dagger to disappear. A few hours later she found herself sitting outside a small shop breathing calmly and faking her smile. A kind looking chubby woman approached with her food, she seemed to spot Violet's tumultuous mood and in rapid Arabic fired away that good Koshari can fix it all. Violet relaxed a little and replied her thanks, the Koshari was indeed amazing. A heaping portion of chick peas, lentils, pasta, topped with friend onions and a heavenly tomato chile sauce, the whole thing was to die for. She gazed out, she wasn't worried, it was just a stupid dance. Without realized it she caressed her knuckles, he wouldn't be stupid enough to ask her right? She would be kicked out of the school if she showed up with the 'King'. Violet frowned, her beautiful face somehow managing to look angelic even with a frown, he most definitely wouldn't ask her, he would ask some other girl, and that didn't upset her in the least. She stabbed the food haughtily. Pushing aside her thoughts, and rubbing on her knuckles as if that would get rid of the ever lasting heat, she faced ahead once more. She had mapped out the entire area, her entry and exit was covered. Time to move.

Violet had paid for her meal, thanked the owner multiple times and disappeared into the crowd. She had changed in a public restroom, if anybody from the school saw her, they would never recognize her. Blue contact lenses, a blonde wig, a frilly outfit, she was still beautiful, but she looked nothing like Violet. The Citadel of Qaitbay loomed before her, it was a warm spring afternoon and the area was swarming with tourists. She had adapted her character for the occasion, she joined a tour careful to slowly turn up the charm for the guide who was smitten from the start. He was a young man in his early thirties and by the end of the tour he promised to show Violet- Hara today- the lower more intimate sections of the Citadel. Giggling and holding hands they walked down into the lower chambers, it was off limits so they had to be careful. He showed her into a smaller hallway expressing that he had never met a more beautiful girl, -Violet wanted to vomit- she smiled shyly and asked him to show them someplace more private. He did, a tiny janitors closer with so much porn plastered on the walls it might as well be a teenagers computer, became their hideout. He gazed into Violet's eye and leaned forward lips sticking out as he made his move, she knocked him out. Rolling her eyes she locked him in the closet and left carefully. She made several left turns following an old tunnel that smelled timeless, the walls themselves seemed to whisper of times now forgotten. As Violet approached an old wall soundlessly, she felt it call out to her, the air was heavier here. There was nothing special or different about it this wall, not to the naked eye at least. It was meant to seem normal, but the door was guarded by magic itself and she was aware that it would require a sacrifice. The tour guide had really come in handy, Violet rubbed some of the blood from a cut she had caused him onto the wall. The wall absorbed the blood greedily and a door like shape appeared. Violet entered cautiously, she heard voices to her left and ducked beneath a large ornate desk. There were guards, two of them, bored, and clearly drinking on the job.

"Nothing ever happens here, we are forbidden from touching anything, and the only visitors we get are dusty-ass old men. This job is such a drag." Violet listened to their continued whines as one of them spilled liquor on the floor leaning against a bookshelf worth more than their entire houses combined. The bookshelf tittered dangerously and for a moment Violet feared for the library's safety, the second man caught the bookshelf and leaned it back. This was clearly a routine. They had not noticed her, too engrossed in their banter, she looked around, a grand distraction was in order. She smiled, thankfully she had come prepared.

If Violet could throw one fault in the face of the upper community, it would be that while their abilities made them extremely powerful, they lacked common sense. She had no qualms against the men here, all they had to do was sleep. Violet procured two canisters of knockout gas from within her backpack, the things you could buy online. She pulled out the pins, slid one under the desk, moved away in a fast crawl and waited for the smoke to engulf the room as the men ran forward before releasing the second. Violet covered her face with a gas mask, and waited for the men to hit the floor in a dead faint, before emerging from her hiding spot.

The books in the room should have made her happy, but for once Violet looked, and truly felt sad. So many stories, such extraordinary knowledge, hidden behind a fake door. Words concealed by those who felt threatened by their existence.

She was here to make sure these words lived on, as she walked around a sealed bookshelf caught her attention.

A small gasp escaped her mouth, rage and regret invaded her mind.

She would never forgive them.