Lost and Found… Dead.

Violet hissed angrily, she looked around the wrecked cave. Why? Why did things always have to get more complicated.?

A horse roar rang in her direction and Violet dodged as another ridiculously powerful blow carved a ten foot hole in the ground she had previously been standing on.

Soon there wouldn't be cave left, just chunky bone and blood splattered debris. Although, that might make this gate harder to find.

She retaliated jumping forward, weapon appearing in hand. As the creature's attack subsided she placed her sword in between its armpit succeeding in removing one of ten massive arms.

"Huh?"

It had re-grown that arm, lower on its torso, it wrapped around Violet's ankle intent on slamming her into a wall. With a second blow she cut off the wrist and consequently went flying towards the ground.

She landed catlike on the ground and issued a matching hiss. This was really starting to piss her off, dodging another attack Violet scanned her surroundings. She needed a plan.

Her eyes landed on a particular gory sight, the strongest of the castors was laying on the gate lines- hellbent on opening the gate he had been stomped on, leaving behind only his shoes. All around him were the casualties of his fellow castors who had attempted to flee, to no avail- she refocused on the lines… that might work, she dodged again, stabbed it thought the shoulder and moved away. It 'had' to work.

She couldn't believe the fools, when she had returned from her scolding - to a flying knife, that she had caught and returned by lodging it into the mans eye- she had realized that they were decently powerful and much to her disdain three quarters of the way done with opening the gate.

She had flashed about deciding wholeheartedly that if she killed them all before the gate opened it would be fine. Unfortunately, for Violet at least, the fissure had been large enough, and as the second-to-last man hit the ground, the creature had emerged.

"Ugh" Violet rolled her eyes, it was not a 'creature' the only things that emerged from gates…"fucking demon… can't you stay in your realm?"

It charged stupidly in her direction and as an angry Violet cut off hands, enraged more every time they kept growing back, she realized she was going to have to use just a little.

The real problem was *Violet made*, she had for the entirety of her life been hiding the powers of the muse from the world and especially the high Ruenen members who knew it was not a tall tale. They all assumed the next one had simply not been born.

This was a measly demon, only ten feet tall, blotchy gray, unintelligent, born with brute strength, no language, and zero magical control. A class nine at best, easily taken down by any shadow of her true power. The downfall, to using her real power was, her 'transition' would be felt by everyone in the magical world in the "mastery category". Not that they would know what it meant, most would only feel that someone had let in a huge amount of power. She would have to cheat, all she needed was to connect both of their bloods onto the gate lines.

It picked up a boulder, speckled with something that looked an awful lot like human entrails and flung it in her direction as it charged. Violet dodged and spend the next few minutes bouncing from rock to crack to demon and back making small openings and drawing it closer to the lines of the gate.

Once she was in position she vanished Murasame and pulled the small dagger into her hand. Another attack landed them in the appropriate range and Violet punched it as hard as she could. It hit the ground hard kicking up a cloud of dust.

She blinded it quickly then placed her hand over its eye and stabbed straight through. It roared in agony swinging its arms wildly. Violet pulled back, she had what she needed.

"Frsshagt"

From their connecting flow of blood a chain of sigils appeared, Violet danced around the demon slicing cuts into every open surface and connected another chain with her own blood.

When she was finished the demon could not move, chains etched into walls, the floor, and it's bones held it in place as it grunted its displeasure. Violet healed her arm easily keeping a close grip on the dagger, using it to tighten the grip of the chains. She moved for the kill, beheading would much easier when it couldn't move. Just as Murasame reappeared and began slicing through thick grey skin the demon -sensing its defeat- opted for self annihilation.

It exploded brilliantly and Violet -stunned- flew back in the aftermath.

"Urgh" Violet wiped blood and guts from her face before opening her eyes. "Fucking disgusting." She looked down to a protruding bone from her ankle, "Just great."

She ambled over to a crack in the ground, dangled her ankle in the crack and pulled left crudely setting the bone before healing it.

She turned back to the gate, it would be best if she solidified it. It was much too unprotected, hence why it had opened so easily. A disfigured face caught her attention, one of the sacrifices, she let out a whistle.

"No wonder I could not easily find you after Russia! Harbey… they decided to use you as a sacrifice." Violet turned over the body with her foot, there wasn't much left: burnt bits of skin, bones, and half of his face. "So, what exactly do you want from the gates, and why do you need Kieren dead?"

— — —

"Have you seen Violet?"

Alex and the twins looked to Kieren confused, "no? Isn't she…? Wasn't she with you?"

They continued their walk to the classroom, Kieren ruffled his hair without looking at them. "We were, she said something really important happened. She would meet us here. I just haven't seen her."

Alex stoped walking, "Wait? You let her go?"

Kieren scowled, "she didn't give me much of a choice, you know how she just up and…"

He made an exasperated flying motion with his hands, one moment she's there and next nowhere to be found."

His companions chuckled darkly, "that's Violet alright. Two whole days after being healed and she up and wanders. I hope she isn't late." Alex agreed with Ted as they met up with Zen at the door.

Kieren repeated his question to Zen who looked even more shocked that Kieren had let her out of his sight.

A distinctive laugh reached their ears and with incredulous eyes they realized Violet was already inside, sitting next to Kuznet (off to the side near his office) and laughing as though she was having the time of her life.

Upon closer inspection, it seemed that it wasn't just Violet who was having a blast. Kuznet was smiling and rattling of a full blown story in rapid Swahili. The students who had arrived early were staring without pretense, they had never seen Kuznet smile, let alone laugh.

Kieren, a deep jealous frown on his face, thought back to a similar occasion, upon which they had emerged from the same classroom laughing, right before the ball. "Maybe I should kill Kuznet. He's the real danger."

He had muttered it under his breath, but the knowing glances his guards gave him made him realize he needed to practice his whispers. Kuznet looked up, gave Kieren an amused look, patted Violet on the head -Kieren bristled angrily- and sent her off to her seat.

Violet approached them, and her seat cheerily, "Good Morning. You all look as though you've seen a holy apparition, what's the matter?"

Alex pulled on one of Violet's braids, "since when have you been friends with Kuznet? And how many dammed languages do you speak?"

Violet sat pensively, "fluently? Or otherwise? And he's our teacher, he's very knowledgeable? I'm learning."

Kieren scoffed, unwilling to hide his disdain, "what's he knowledgeable on Violet?"

Violet grinned, "plenty. What's got you all riled up so early in the morning?" Kieren pulled on her cheek a little too roughly, "you vanished! Where did you HAVE to go so hurriedly?"

Violet smiled up at him, full doe eyes, pouty face, and a contrasting mischievous smile, "I had an appointment at a dog shelter, I'm looking for the perfect companion."

Silence, Kieren let go of her cheek, he rubbed his eyes with both hands as the rest of the team stared incredulously. "Did you find the dog you wanted?"

Violet grinned wickedly, she was well aware of how her lies always caught them off guard, for how could they call her liar to something like that? "Nope, still looking. But I know he's out there! I shan't give up."

She faced forward smirking slightly and well aware of the confused and silence exchange of glances happening behind her.

Kuznet dived right into an explosive -literally- lesson. He had set explosives in the field, timed for twenty-five minutes and promised to set one in their rooms if they, in their teams, could not solve the riddle and destroy the one assigned to them.

— — —

She yawned, it had been an eventful first day back, taking scissors from the vanity she trimmed of a scorched piece of hair. Alice and her team had failed to disarm their bomb in time and the finished unsuspecting teams -sitting above the bridge assigned to Alice's team- had also been hit. Several had left without eyebrows so really a trim was alright.

Violet plopped down on her bed, there were only six members left, well not including Travis and the ringleader. Travis would be too complicated to touch now, seeing as how Kieren had his eyes on him, Violet would have to wait.

Four of the other six moved together -siblings- and she had it on good word they would arriving in Shanghai in two days. Violet pulled over her map of their family home. Blind spots, unfamiliarity, overall tricky kills, "it's good to have backup."

Violet frowned, this was going to unravel fast, she had slept with Kieren, and retaliation from the queen was bound to come. She touched the mark on her wrist, this she did not comprehend. She stared at the roof, she needed Jace to move along faster in his discoveries, he would prove essential if Kieren found out too early. Picking up her phone she dialed for Jace, "how dare you not come home? Kieren waited all night!"

"He's fine Jace, and moving right along, there's a new book for you… yep… in your room. I hope this one gets you thinking. Let me know if you have any questions!"

Before Jace could assert even a single question or comment Violet hung up.

"Whomever you were talking to, I'm sure they have questions. I always do."

She jolted up in her bed and faced the window, only to lay back down after catching glimpse of those iridescent blue eyes. "I hate how I can't hear or feel you coming. And should you be sneaking into my dorm so late at night? And through my window?"

He shrugged, moved closer onto the bed, crawled over to lay on top of her and whispered. "I wasn't locked, I think you wanted me to come?"

He pulled her in for a kiss, incessantly licking and sucking on the bottom of her lip. He pulled back inches and pulled of his shirt. "I want to sleep here, with you tonight."