Blue Violet

chapter 36



Gideon tipped his head to the side with a grim smile. “Have you decided to give yourself to us?”

Ellie barely heard him; she certainly didn’t acknowledge his jibe. She was concentrating. Hard. She’d been thinking about everything this man and his pack had done to Griffin and her. The beloved family they’d lost. The pain. The fear. The loneliness and isolation. Ellie allowed her hatred for Gideon and his Vyusher to wash through her. She stoked the anger up inside her like a fire, centering all of her rage and despair on Gideon. A deep trembling shook her body. She just barely held on to her last vestige of control.

“Alex! Freeze them all now!” she screamed. Knowing Alex would act immediately, she waited only a second. And then, she knelt to the ground.

Her form appeared to shimmer in mirage-like waves, wavering as if the air around her was distorting. In the span of moments, she shifted, so fast that it was difficult to make out more than just flashes… scales replaced skin, a tail whipped through the air with a massive crack of the air, claws each the size of the largest wolf gouged the earth, powerful jaws snapped, the shadow of massive wings unfurling blanketed the clearing in an eerie kind of shadow, and a deeply ominous snarl reverberated through the forest. In an instant the girl no longer stood before them, replaced by a form that was midnight black and shimmering, obsidian scales gleaming, and violet blue eyes blazing.

“Oh shit, she did it!” Nate found his voice first, as they collectively backed away from her.

“Oh… my… god!” Lila and Adelaide exclaimed together.

“Whoa! She really wasn’t kidding about the whole dragon thing, was she?” Alex muttered to Griffin who stood beside him.

“And you thought your sisters could cause trouble,” Griffin muttered back, a grim set to his mouth. He couldn’t hear his sister’s thoughts.

She unleashed all of the rage and hatred built up inside her on Gideon, who was suddenly frozen in place, his face still a comical mask of arrogance. Gideon had just started to unfreeze, fighting Alex’s hold on him, when she attacked. She used her great jaws to crush the enormous black wolf, killing him instantly. In a display of years of rage and pain being unleashed on the perpetrator, she dropped his limp form to the ground. Using her talons to pin him there, she ripped his body to shreds, flinging each rag-like piece at the pack that he’d led in such sinister and villainous acts. With an intense roar more terrifying than anything the measly wolves could produce, Ellie took to the air.

The human part of Ellie registered that her family’d instantly regained their powers and stood ready to defend themselves. The wolves didn’t move, still frozen in place by Alex’s mental commands. But the rage of the dragon overrode her humanity, and she bore down on the pack, ignoring the fact that she was also bearing down on her own family.

Violet blue fire the color of her eyes erupted from her jaws. However, none touched the wolves or people on the ground, hitting an invisible barrier above them. Griffin was shielding them all from her. Then the flame went out completely. Some part of Ellie realized that Ramsey was using his powers on her and she roared her mighty wrath, consumed with rage. The dragon remained in control now and would show no mercy to anyone or anything.

“Ellie,” she heard a whisper. She shook her massive head.

As she made to dive again, she felt a sudden force stop her. Alex had frozen her in mid-flight. Showing incredible strength, he slowly lowered her to the ground, pinning her there. The wolves also remained like statues.

Furious, Ellie tested the strength of Alex’s hold on her and found that he was struggling to control the fire inside her. She gathered the fire deep in her belly and unleashed it at the humans standing before her. The deep blue flames hit an invisible wall and bounced back on her. Griffin was obviously using his shield, but now it surrounded her. Then she felt the inferno in her go out, like cold water had been poured down her throat. The small human part of her applauded Ramsey. That couldn’t have been easy for him.

But the dragon in her still ruled. Her massive body heaved with loathing and unfulfilled purpose. Ellie vaguely registered the form of a small girl approaching her. Lila laid her hands on Ellie’s side, and a feeling of total peace engulfed her. She felt the embers of rage and hatred slowly extinguish.

With a nod from Lila, Alex and Griffin came over to her. They bravely moved directly to her head where it lay immobile on the ground.

Ellie could see Alex shaking from the effort. As they lay their hands on her, Ellie heard Alex’s voice in her mind. “Come back to us, Ellie.”

She snorted, the dragon part of her still very much in control.

“Come back to me, my love”.

The dragon snorted again.

“Te’sorthene. Please.”

Something inside Ellie collapsed, like a breaking dam. Her humanity came rushing forward, overpowering the fierceness, the hatred, the fury. She stayed in monster form, but Ellie was the one in control now.

Love, she thought incredulously. Love is the answer. If I hold on to my love, I hold on to my humanity.

She felt Griffin’s relief as he heard her thoughts. “I’m in control now,” she clarified.

Griffin relayed the message to Alex, who furrowed his brow dubiously. But Griffin grinned from ear to ear. Her brother let out a loud, uncharacteristic whoop. “She’s got it,” he assured Alex. “We can let her up now.”

Alex glanced back at the enormous dragon beside him, the images of the great beast in full and dreadful glory still fresh in his mind. But he nodded.

Ellie felt the forces on her release. Free to move, she shifted into a stand, folding her immense wings into a resting position on her massive back. The overwhelming peace left her, but she held on to the love that was so much stronger than the rage, and she no longer needed any help to feel the peace. She truly had control. She even felt the fire reignite inside her belly but kept it in check easily.

She leaned forward and very gently nuzzled Alex.

He flashed a cheeky grin her way, relief clearly evident on his handsome face, in the set of his shoulders. He turned back to the wolves still pinned in place, and Ellie took a moment to appreciate the extent of Alex’s powers. To be able to keep control of the entire wolf pack, while also taming her, must’ve taken immense strength. He’d told her how difficult containing just four attacking wolves had been.

Alex turned to address the wolves. “You are defeated,” he declared loudly enough for all of them to hear. “You have to accept this. Your leader and your greatest asset in battle is dead. You will leave here and never return. You will never attack another being. If we hear of any wolf attacking a human, we will hunt you down and kill you!”

He glared at each of them, and an unhappy whimper erupted from the pack.

“Silence!” a female voice suddenly called out from the woods. A pure white wolf, gloriously beautiful, appeared at the edge of the clearing, the small brown wolf standing at her side, like it had been at Gideon’s.

Ellie bristled, but stopped as the wolf morphed into human form. Before them stood a lovely girl, with blonde hair so pale it looked like moonlight streaming down her back. Ellie heard Griffin’s indrawn breath.

The girl held up a hand, almost like a peace offering.

“As my brother’s sister, I speak for our pack,” she said. “We will abide by the terms that my brother agreed to.”

Adelaide quietly confirmed, “Gideon is… was her brother.”

She glanced at Griffin and opened her mouth as if to expand on something but then closed it again. Griffin shot her a look of disgust, and she shrugged her shoulders in return. Ellie stayed out of the mental conversation going on between Adelaide and Griffin, keeping her sole focus on the girl in front of her.

“If you let us leave in peace now,” the ethereal figure continued, “you will not need to fear us again. Nor will any other living being. I swear it.”

Lucy and Lila both spoke at once—

“Her intensions are true.”

“She’s sincere. We can trust her.”

“Griffin?” Alex glanced at him.

Griffin shook his head. “Only silence.” He clenched his hands at his sides. “I can’t hear anything.”

Alex looked up at Ellie. A moment later, she shifted back into her human form and walked over to the girl.

“What is your name?”

“Selene.”

“May I take your hand?” Ellie asked softly. “I need to know what your powers are before we make a decision.”

With only a slight hesitation, Selene offered an elegant wrist.

Ellie closed her eyes and concentrated. Satisfied, she returned to her family.

“We can trust her, I think,” she murmured to them.

Looking from person to person, Alex received nods from each in turn.

“You have our permission to go,” he said. As he released them from his hold, the pack heaved a collective breath and then all disappeared into the woods.

Selene watched the retreat. As the last wolf disappeared, she said, “I wish you well—”

The last word cut off as Griffin moved to stand in front of her. They stared at each other intently for a long moment. Finally, Selene reluctantly turned away and disappeared into the woods.

Ellie had only just registered the fact that Griffin still stood staring after the girl when Alex grabbed her, spun her to face him, and then roughly pulled her into his embrace. “Don’t you ever do anything so rash again. Do you hear me?” He buried his face in her hair and squeezed her waist tight.

Ellie smiled, wrapped her arms around his neck, and gave him a lingering kiss. She pulled back and grinned at him. “You don’t have to worry anymore. They’re gone. And we’re all safe and alive.”

“I thought you were going to kill us all, Ellie, and not just the wolves…” He pulled her back close, his expression pained. “What if I’d had to kill you? What if Griffin would’ve had to help me?”

Ellie shook her head. “We were all going to die unless I did something drastic,” she insisted. “And nothing bad happened to us. You and Griffin… you saved me from myself. And now I can control it.” Her excitement about this new ability was clear.

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.”

Alex looked deeply in her eyes for another heartbeat. And then, blowing out any remaining fear he’d held inside him in a long breath, he grinned.

“You were pretty bad ass,” he said. “I mean, how many guys can say their girlfriend turns into a frickin’ fire-breathing dragon?”

“Yeah?” Ellie asked. She’d been a little worried about what they would all think of her in that form. The dragon was slightly terrifying after all.

Alex’s eyes glowed with a desire that pulsed through her, letting her see exactly how much he was okay with this part of her. Speaking so only she could hear, he murmured, “It’s seriously sexy, if you really want to know. Jeez, baby, you are so damned incredible. You take my breath away.”

Ellie breathed a ragged sigh of relief, laughing a little. “Oh really?” she practically purred. “I think we might have to explore this a little further when we get home.”

She received a sweet kiss in response.

They turned their attention to the rest of the family, who gathered around hugging one another and laughing. Ellie looked for Griffin but didn’t see him. Looking over her shoulder, she finally found him still standing at the edge of the clearing, still staring off into the woods. Adelaide came to stand beside her, watching Griffin with a concerned expression.

“What did you see, Delia?”

She shook her head. “I don’t usually share the relationships I see unless they’re pretty well solidified. But this time…” She shook her head again and sighed. “Honestly, I’m not entirely sure what I saw. Definitely something I’ve never seen before. There’s definitely a connection there. But it’s all mixed up. Multiple colors fighting for dominance. Lovers. Friends. Enemies.” She looked at Ellie with a helpless shrug. “It’s all jumbled up.”

“Thank you for telling me, Adelaide,” Ellie said quietly.

Ellie walked over to Griffin and silently took his hand.

“She can’t be evil, Ellie,” he murmured.

“I know,” she agreed quietly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw his head turn.

“What did you see?” he asked, frustrated. “Something was blocking me. I couldn’t follow along.”

“I saw that she was the one removing our powers, not Gideon. His power was the ability to control anyone, make them do exactly what he wanted. Sort of like what I do, only he controlled their minds, forcing them to think they’d made the decision themselves. He was controlling all of the Vyusher…including her. But she was the one in the pack with the ability to turn off a power. As soon as someone uses theirs in her presence, she hones in and takes it away. But she never wanted to. Gideon was forcing her… forcing all of them, all along.”

Ellie felt Griffin’s despair building. “So now she’s left to clean up after her bastard of a brother?” he asked, a bitter edge tainting his words.

Ellie squeezed his hand and made a conscious effort to stay out of his head. Whatever her brother was thinking and feeling right now was private. She wouldn’t violate his trust that way.

“Come on…” She gave his arm a gentle tug. “Let’s go home.”

Griffin seemed to physically shake himself out of his thoughts. Turning to his sister, he was suddenly struck by happiness that they’d managed to survive this ordeal. Together.

Sensing his sentiment, Ellie laughed and flung her arms around his neck in a playful hug. “Me too…” Then more serious, “Thanks for saving me, Griffin.”

“Again,” he reminded her with a wink.

She stuck her tongue out at him.

They joined the rest of the family exchanging more happy embraces. Joining hands, Charlotte teleported them home.