Ravenna “You remember me? I’m shocked.”
Snow shook her head, “No…I just know you.”
I shrugged my shoulders, “Well we are twins after all. So did you escape from the fairy or have you been shacked up the whole time in this little love shack with…fancy face here?”
I said gesturing to the guy she was with. He suddenly spoke up, “Triton.”
My eyebrows shot up, “Triton…well that’s a name.”
He came closer, “And what do we call you, Red?” “You could. The name’s Ravenna.”
It was his turn to shoot up his eyebrows, “Ravenna huh…now that’s a name.”
I just rolled my eyes. I could tell I was not going to like this guy. Snow quickly jumped in, “The fairy, her name is Rosalie. She raised me, but then she turned on me for some reason…I still don’t know why. So Kamaria helped me escape, but she had to go back. So after a few years on my own I met Triton.”
I noticed that they exchanged a look that I would definitely look into later, “Kamaria wouldn’t happen to be a witch would she?”
Snow’s eyebrows furrowed, “Yes. Have you encountered her?”
I scoffed, “Her and…Rosalie, or whatever you call her. We got into a little altercation.”
Both of their eyes flew open, and they immediately started scanning me for wounds while checking if anyone was outside. “Geez, no one is coming! And for goodness sake I’m not wounded.”
Once I got them to calm down I told them the whole of what had happened. Snow just stared at me intensely, “Rosalie said you were dead…that you were all dead.”
I rolled my eyes, “She is evil, which definitely qualifies her to be a liar.”
She shook her head in disbelief, “Our parents?” “It’s…complicated. She took a doll when she took you, do you still happen to have it?”
She looked confused but went to grab something from the back room, “This doll?”
I could not help but be overtaken as I felt my father’s presence. I walked up to him and whispered, “Papa…”
Snow stood beside me, “Are you trying to say that this is our father? I don’t understand.”
I painstakingly tore my eyes away from him, and turned to her, “It’s hard to explain, but the short version is that they were turned into doll form, and have been trapped since we were infants. Have you never felt a presence? A warm feeling as if someone was watching over you, listening to you?” “He has been with me all this time…What about our mother?” “She has been with me.”
Her eyes filled with tears, “I thought I was alone. That I had no one, but all of you --”
She suddenly hugged me hard enough to knock the breath out of me. “Oh dear, you are a hugger.”
I patted her back awkwardly, “There, there then.”
RosalieMy guest came stomping into the room. “I do not take kindly to being summoned like a servant!”
He hissed. I just ignored his anger, “Mr. Van Gould, I can see that you are of ill spirits this evening so I’ll get to the point. I request your services. First I need you to retrieve someone --” He began shouting indignantly, “Do you know who I am?! I am Lord Ayden Van Gould, High Elder of the Van Gould Coven, and I will not be lowered into completing menial tasks!”
I calmly waited for him to finish his temper tantrum, sighed, and gave him a pitying look, “Do you know who
I am? Wasn’t there a time when your daughter, Emelie I think her name is, was involved in some romantic business with a young boy from the Wolff Clan? Ooh that’s very shameful, hm?”
I saw his body stiffen at the mention of the issue, as I circled him like a vulture, and I laughed as I continued, “Who was it that made the Wolff Clan cease to exist, effectively fixing that problem as well as your long standing issue with them in this town? Oh that’s right, I did. So I do believe you owe me a...what did you call it...menial task or two. Now then, do you wish to be rid of me, or continue to be in my debt?”
He narrowed his eyes, “Name it.”
I smiled, “I want you to turn someone into a vampire.”
He looked at me with hard eyes, “I do not know how you fairies do business, but vampirism is not something that is just bestowed upon anyone.” “Do this and you’ll never have to see me again.”
He turned his back to me, and thought for a long while before calling back over his shoulder. “Who is it?” “Search my mind, you will see her.”
I waited and braced myself for the intrusion. I felt his presence as he swept across my thoughts, and took care to place guards up where I did not wish him to linger. SnowGoodness knows I had a ton of questions for Ravenna, but she convinced me it would be best if we saved it all for the next day. Only problem was that I could hardly sleep, because I was so worried that she wouldn’t be there when I woke up the next morning. But it seemed like the only thing I needed to worry about was keeping her and Triton away from each other. First thing in the morning and they were already at each other’s throats. “How do I know you won't go back to the fairy?!” Ravenna shouted. “My loyalty is the one being questioned? You just arrived here with some crazy story! Not to mention that there’s something about you that’s just…not human.” “You are skirting the edge of humanity yourself pal! I know what those marks on your hands mean.”
He suddenly grabbed her shoulders, “How?! Where did --”
They both stopped as soon as they noticed me, Triton dropped his hands, and they said at the same time, “Snow, when did you get up?”
“Only just now.”
I said nervously. Ravenna and Triton exchanged a look with flushed faces, and then she came over to me and smiled, “Hey why don’t we go eat breakfast outside, and we can have that talk you wanted.”
I plastered on a smile and nodded, but this tense mood in the room still had me worried. What were they talking about? I guess they would tell me when they were ready, but I couldn’t help but be a little sad as I followed Ravenna outside. Why did it seem like she knew more about Triton and his past than I did? We managed to have a really good talk though. She told me all about our grandparents, Sebastian, and what it was like growing up back in Bridgeport. She went on to explain the night I was taken, and how she ended up here. There was just something that seemed strange. It was as if there gaps of information she were tip toeing around. Curiosity finally got the better of me, “Ravenna, I feel like there is something you are leaving out.”
She just looked at me blankly for a moment, and I started to question whether or not I should have asked but then she finally said, “Do you remember earlier when fancy face --” “Triton.” “Whatever. The point is he mentioned there was something not human about me, and he was right.” “I knew it.”
I suddenly heard Triton say. Ravenna stood, “You eavesdropping now fancy face?”
I spoke up before they could get into it again, “What do you mean, not human?”
She turned back to me, “It’s probably easier if I just show you right?”
After that she stepped out into the yard, took off the hood I noticed she wore even when she slept, and transformed into a beast that shook me to my core. “I’m a werewolf. That hood there keeps me from transforming…Snow?”
A beast. It was a beast. A beast with Ravenna’s voice coming out. It was evil… THE evil! Evil. It took a step towards me. “Stay away!”
I screamed. It looked confused, “Snow…I’m not going to hurt you.”
I shook my head and hugged myself, “I don’t believe you. Kamaria warned me that there would be a great evil that I would have to overcome soon. An evil that was practically a part of me, and as my twin you fit the bill pretty well.”
It looked angry, “The witch?! You are going to believe the witch over me?”
I had to overcome. I had to trust the knowledge. “She saved me from Rosalie!”
It roared, “She is also the reason that Rosalie found you in the first place! Did your “savior” tell you that? Huh? That she used her powers to find you, so Rosalie could come knock out our grandparents and steal you from your crib!”
It lies! It will say anything to get me to trust it! “SHUT UP! I don’t believe you! Just go away. Please…just…go…”
I covered my ears and cried. It looked wounded, but resigned. “Fine.”
It turned and fled into the trees. The evil was gone. I overcame the evil. However, I thought you were supposed to feel gratification or euphoria after overcoming something, but I just felt numb. I took a step and almost toppled over, Triton rushed to my side, but I held my hand up. “Just leave me. I want to be alone.” “Ok…”
I couldn’t get over that hurt look on its face. Now that I think about it, how long has it had to live with being part wolf? How has that affected it’s…her life? Has anyone looked at her like that before, like she was a freak? Has anyone pushed her away? Has everyone pushed her away? This wasn’t right! She was my sister, my real family, and I had sent her away. I had to go after her, but I didn’t make it two steps before I was caught. TritonIt had been hours since the shouting match between Snow and Ravenna had reached its climax, and Snow still hadn’t come inside so I decided to go after her. Perhaps I could talk some sense into her. I mean Ravenna was a lot of things: mysterious, mean, and…a werewolf to name a few, but she wasn’t evil, of that much I was certain. I hoped I could get Snow to see it that way, but if not she could continue to have alone time if she wanted, but I at least wanted her to do it inside where it was safer. However, when I got to the spot where I left her I only found something that made my heart sink. In place of Snow sat a table with a flower in a vase and a small note reading: I decided to have Snow brought home,
I hope you don’t mind.
You’re welcome to come and play,
But who knows what you’ll find.
--Rosalie