Unlikely

"Jaaaacee..." Violet sang softly, her tone laced in gentle laughter.

Jace looked up from the fresh bowl of fruit he was cutting and preparing, "Yes Violet?"

"If I was going to 'kick the bucket' that would have occurred earlier this week, I am more than capable of cutting up some fruit."

Jace frowned before turning his attention back to the strawberries, "You are still injured, just because you've begun healing faster than we expected does not mean I am willing to incur his wrath. He's left you in my care during the day, and in my care you shall remain."

Jace placed the tantalizing fruit bowl in front of Violet and turned to leave, "call me when you need something. Understood?"

Violet shook her head, "you all are such strange creatures... fine fine.. no need to look at me that way, I'll holler."

Violet picked a kiwi slice from the bowl and bit into it watching Jace's retreating back. Ever since she had woken they had been treating her like a porcelain doll. Unnecessary. She ambled out into the patio and took a reprise on a lounging chair.

It was a beautiful day, bright, warm, and calm. Tomorrow would make a week since she had been injured. Her healing would return. Violet looked down at her encased wrist, some of her Injuries had begun to heal after the third day surpassing the timeline she had given them. She sighed, she kept making light of the situation but she knew very well she had cut it extremely close. The bones in her wrist, while set, were not close to being healed and were it not for her extraordinary healing abilities they might never heal right. Was there any point to even thinking about the rest of her injuries?

Her thoughts drifted to Kieren who had taken over-protective to a whole other level and she tried to suppress the smile that emerged.

Very unsurprisingly, their team was not 'disqualified' from the academy, they had instead returned like veterans from war and the entire school was joyfully alleviated of the fear that their darling prince had been harmed.

Much to Kieren's displeasure all but Violet were expected to return, and so it came to be after much deliberation that Violet would be moved to Kieren's safe house by the school and remain under Jace's watchful gaze.

Over the last few days she had spent most of her time with Jace and learned that he was truly dependable.

Jace was kind, straightforward, and resilient. His relationship with Kieren was more harmonious than with the rest and once or twice -upon Kieren's return from school in the afternoons- she had caught the two of them actually joking around.

Kieren seemed more at ease when it was just the three of them and every day after ensuring that she was unharmed the stiffness in his shoulders slipped away revealing a more carefree personality Violet was easily soaking in. Nights were a story of their own, try as Violet might, Kieren had refused to move from her side. After the first night she had caved, allowing herself to be cuddled into bed and held tightly.

Violet bit down on a strawberry, this false sense of safety could turn treacherous instantly and she would be dropped on her head. She needed to push him away.

After several quiet minutes of internal toil Violet gave up. Opting instead for a distraction she called out for Jace.

He opened the patio door, book in hand and questioned, "Do you need something?"

"How did you meet Kieren?"

Jace moved a chair over to face Violet. "I'll tell you."

Violet blinked, she had expected him to deny her the story or simply give her the runaround. Jace smiled, accurately interpreting her stunned silence. "You should know, he's going to need you to stick around. I won't ask you not to share, as I know you won't. The rest of them don't really know the story."

A breeze ruffled their hair and Violet turned to Jace attentively, "I am the son of what was an opposing faction in Germany. My parents helped plot for the downfall of the Ruenen, what their reasoning was, I won't share, it's something I've never even told Kieren. Though... I warrant he knows, he always knows. When I was ten, I met Kieren, he was seven. I met him as I walked, chained by the hands and legs, to be executed. My parents had been found out, they had been killed in front of me and I had been captured."

Jace chuckled, "He's always been that abnormal. I attacked him, plotted for the perfect opportunity. I claimed that I would only tell the truth it if was too him, figured if I was going to die I might as well take him with me. I knew they'd never let him see me, but I hoped if he heard the rumor he'd come to me, he did.

Actually I knew I stood no chance against him, I'd heard of his brilliance on the training grounds and yet, he didn't raise a fist against me. With a knife pressed to his throat on the floor of the dungeons he just smiled at me. A real smile. He asked me if I wanted to change the world with him."

Jace took a grape Violet offered and continued pensively, "Of course I didn't believe him, I was set to be executed the following evening. To my shock, he had procured a body, another boy, around my age, dead from the earlier clash. He faked my death, snuck me out and left me to my own desires."

"Half a year later I snuck into one of his houses and to my 'surprise' there he was waiting for me. Said he knew I'd come back, I was in rough shape and he hid me, from his tutors, from them all. I tried attacking him multiple times and he just allowed it. He always lied too, when his injuries were discovered, said he was training to be stronger. I could not comprehend his reasoning and so finally I asked him."

Jace laughed, "what an idiot. He said he was also a toy, a pawn on the other side, and that if I stuck around he would finally have someone willing to tell him the truth. Several weeks later, he killed for the first time, to save me. After months of him playing dead when I attacked I was starting to think that perhaps the rumors of his talents were just rumors.

He killed three fully grown and talented assassins from my own faction. They had seen us together and deduced that I had deflected. The rest is history. To this day the Ruenen does not know who I am or what he did."

Violet put down the bowl looking out into the sky, something had clicked, no, she had made up her mind. "He's an Anomaly, as are you."

Jace smiled, "there is no bigger anomaly in this world than you Violet. You came crashing down, wrecking everything brilliantly, and refusing to offer even the slightest hint as to why. You two mesh well."

Violet rose suddenly, "Jace..."

She turned to face him and he was surprised by the fierce expression on her face.

"I need to give you something, she held out a hand. Come."

Surprised Jace took her hand and shouted out when he felt the space beneath his feet warp, the air changed and when he opened his eyes he feel to his knees, "What is this place?"

"A special library. I've decided you should be the first to see it." She began walking forward while Jace looked around, he was astounded.

Marble pillars rose up eighty feet high every ten feet support a beautiful glass ceiling that stretched out in every direction. Sunlight filtered in giving the entire area a godly glow. The stone floor had rivers flowing through it, small and powerful leading to an enormous pond in the center of the library.

All around there were bookshelves, stairs led to a second floor and upon closer inspection he noted that all of the bookshelves were made of the same sort of wood. Ancient, powerful, he traced a rune on a shelf. There were runes everywhere.

The air itself flowed into his body differently, peace and nostalgia tore into his soul. A whisper of unrivaled power came to his mind. There was unknown 'magic' here, he looked ahead to Violet, the air loved her here. Every particle seemed to fight for her attention, jealously encircling her as she moved.

"Just what are you?"

He had whispered, and if Violet heard him she did not respond. After a few seconds he followed after her turning every few steps to admire the stunning beauty of this place.

He followed her to a shelf, she pulled a red leather-bound book from within and gave it to him. "Here, you'll enjoy this."

"I can't read this?"

Violet chuckled, she bit a tiny cut into her index finger ignoring the indignant noise that escaped Jace's mouth.

Taking Jace's palm in hers she drew a rune in his with her blood. "nhraee."

The rune glistened, set into his skin and disappeared.

Shocked Jace opened the book, "holy fucking shit, I can read this."

Violet laughed, "I've decided to trust you, come it's time we return. When you've finished that book, I'll get you another."

"Wait, Violet! What is this? How?"

Violet smiled, she pulled him out and back into the patio. "I'm giving you the opportunity to find that all out. I'm going to take a nap now." Eyes twinkling she vanished into Kieren's room.