Book 3 Chapter 1 - An Enemies to Worse Enemies Romance

Hedron are not always a danger to us.
Sometimes, they even keep us safe.

The most obvious example is this school itself.

Chromatic Academy rests right on the bay, yet there is
no danger from the horrors of the oceans.

This is because of the violet coral nest.
The same which blocks off the bay from the rest of the ocean.

All hedron which attempt to approach Prism City are devoured by this nest.
The coral nest is passive and self-sustaining, acting more like a spider’s web than
a home for packs of hunting monsters.

It would take a hedron with incredible bloodlust to pass through safely,
and no such threat is known to exist.

As such, we are safe not despite the violent threats surrounding us,
but because of it.
—Virgil Clay, Lecture

Chase desperately wanted to ask Violet to leave. She could see it all over his face. But they shared an understanding. The harder he tried to convince her to leave, the longer she would spend with him. He’d broken and begged her to leave exactly once in the past three months. When his roommate was staying with a friend and he’d had to face her alone. Those were always the worst days for him. When she actually had him alone. She liked it either way, of course. He hated it when he had no social buffer, and she could just speak plainly with him. But it was funny watching him forced to play pretend when he had an audience, too.

It was a cathartic mirror of her childhood. Chase used to save his nastiest jabs for those brief moments when he was alone with Violet. The rest of the time, he was... still an asshole. But he and Violet at least pretended not to completely hate each other. Chase even acted amiable when their company consisted of more than Alex. It always pissed Violet off. She would have liked him more if he’d simply insulted her all the time. 

But things had changed. He was so kind and supportive now. Even when she wasn’t around, or at least when he thought she wasn’t. It was exactly as fake as it had always been, but it was a lie she’d collared. And when they were alone? Well. His foul and overly aggressive hate was there, but it was choked by his terror. 

Violet left with a little more clarity every time she spoke with him. Even more than she got from killing a red, in fact. As far as she could tell, anyway. It was possible she just enjoyed it more, since it was retribution for eleven years of mistreatment.

The day he finally begged for peace and quiet, she’d actually spent the night in his room. She walked him through some of her recent kills, and she lamented the social events he’d missed. As she did every time she visited him.

She told him about the first month after the Cruel Ivy Killer was revealed to the world. She’d killed only six people that month, which was a far slower rate than it had been in the weeks before the reveal. Only four of them were attributed to her, of course. Two had been for Cyan, and she didn’t tell Chase about those. She hated working for her uncle, and only did so as her situation demanded. She preferred gloating to her pet about the deaths she'd chosen herself. 

She told him about the last woman she'd hanged, using Quiet Ivy instead of the rope that killed Caitlyn. 

Then she laughed her way through a story about hustling Guy in a game of pool.

She detailed the death of a man she forced onto her stationary scythe, using her ivy to push his chest into the still blade. 

At the same time, she laughed about catching Aubrey cheating at Monopoly. 

When she was done, she slept in the vacant bed. Across the room from Chase, the boy who wanted her dead. It should have been a position of total vulnerability. All Chase had to do was sneak out and find a witness. Violet’s presence in the red dorms alone would have been evidence that she was a dangerous liar. She was unconscious and undefended from attack or betrayal. 

She’d woken up with drool running down her cheek and onto an unfamiliar pillow. Her night had been uninterrupted, and Chase clearly hadn't slept at all. For a while, she’d thought that act had broken the boy for good. The absolute demonstration of trust. Not trust for Chase as a person. She clearly didn't believe in his integrity or honor. She didn't think he’d have too much loyalty to turn her in. 

She hadn’t even done it because a red Statistician would struggle to kill a red Reaper, even as she slept.

She’d trusted in his cowardice. And she’d slept like a baby.

He never begged her to leave again. 

So she only spent an hour or two with him, when she needed a pick-me-up. Or after a fresh kill. She’d often take her blank cards to his room. Or she’d summon him to a common area, if it was too dangerous to sneak into the red dorms. And she'd draw her latest card, all while she explained what happened to the subject on it.

He always came when she called. It was funny, and it consistently put her in a good mood. The boy who’d tormented her for years was all but dead, and she got to take revenge whenever she wanted.

Today, she sat with her back against a tree and worked on her latest card, a small picnic of tuna fish sandwiches spread out before her. Chase sat next to her and forced a smile. It was his pathetic attempt to play nice so he would someday be believed when he accused her. It was cute.

“Anyway,” Violet said, "I needed actual rope this time, because I needed to tie him to the train. I’d have needed to be on board to use my ivy, and that would defeat the purpose, you know?”

“Someone is going to fucking hear you!” Chase hissed.

“Relax! Abel gave me a green privacy tool. Like that time I baited your dumbass in the cafeteria! No one can hear us outside the, like, five-foot bubble around us. Anyone who could would still need to be close enough to see. I appreciate the concern, though! That's seriously so sweet of you!” Violet replied cheerfully.

Chase held back a grimace. Violet kissed her hand and blew it in his direction, then returned to her drawing. 

“Where was I?” she asked.

“Didn't you say you had plans with Kiera today?” Chase tried.

Violet let out a sigh. “She's been in a mood all day. She’s a little mad at me, I think. I don't suspect that's happening,” she replied. “Lucky you, right?”

“Oh...” Chase whispered. “But... I thought she... helped you sometimes? That's what you said, right?”

Violet shrugged. “Here and there, when I need a low-category witness who will fall for her illusions. She doesn't know the whole truth. Not like you. You're still my special project, don't worry,” she assured.

Chase swallowed a little too hard at that, and Violet felt a thrill run down her spine. “W–Why, then?” he tried.

Violet gave him a brief, but suspicious, glance. But as he immediately buckled under the weight of her casual attention, she shrugged.

“Stupid party game last night, with Kassie's team. Kiera is grumpy ‘cause of a frankly too-chaste game of Spin the Bottle. She didn't land on Guy once, but I got him twice. And he kept landing on Dustin almost every turn. Actually, I think she and Guy were the only ones who never landed on each other. Excepting Zach, who didn’t play. The right call, truth be told. I’d have killed him if he tried, you know? I’m still pissed about how he treated Kiera before. Anyway, it was more funny than anything. As the game is supposed to be. Kiera's just a bit jealous. She'll get over it. If she can cover up my crimes, she can forget a stupid game,” Violet explained.

She was casual about it, and she smirked internally at Chase's horror at her words. Not the story itself. That was fairly typical high school behavior. Rather, he was mortified with the ease she’d had switching from the violent murder she was describing to something so... pointless.

“Anyway, I tied him to the back of the train, just before it left the station. It wasn’t easy to avoid the Conductor’s attention, but I managed it. When they drove off, or, uh... what do you call a train leaving? ‘Rode off’? ‘Chugged away’? I’ve never actually used a specific phrase for it before, which is funny since our whole-ass society is based around trains. I can be a bit silly and inattentive sometimes, I guess. Let’s say ‘as the train left,’ yeah? As the train left, this asshole bounced along the tracks like a rock on water. It was wild. Messy, but the mess was pretty far away and didn’t stain my clothes, which was nice,” Violet rambled.

Chase stared at her as he tried to hold his breakfast down. “Why?” he asked. “W–Why would you do that?”

Violet looked up from her card and tilted her head. She gave him a baffled look, until she colored it with scandal and allowed herself to blush a little.

“I don’t know what stories you’ve been reading, or what you’re picturing, but they were just quick little pecks on the lips. We weren’t feeding each other our tongues or anything! I’d get why Kiera was jealous in that case, but you need to get your mind out of the gutter, weirdo. All I did was follow the rules of the game. The game Kiera suggested, for the record! It’s not my fault the stupid bottle didn’t land where she wanted,” Violet answered.

Chase blinked. “Why did you have to kill him that way?” he clarified. He was so off-balance, his fear didn’t even remember to fight the blunt question.

Violet snorted and put her hand over her mouth in a fit of amusement. “Oh! Oh, I thought you meant... Well, never mind. Sorry, I know you’re a gentleman. I should have figured that’s what you meant,” she admitted through intermittent giggles. She let herself laugh for a moment rather than struggle to answer. Finally, she wiped water from her eyes with one thumb, then let her smile fall from her face. “I’ll answer your question with a question. Why did you have to make me so miserable for so long when we were growing up?”

“I... because I was an angry jerk. But even then...” He trailed off. He clearly wanted to point out the obvious difference, but was too frightened to do so. 

Violet finally waved him off. “It was for the spectacle more than anything. He probably barely felt it, to be honest. There’s, like, a 70 percent chance he wasn’t conscious for the whole deal. Maybe 60 percent. Either way, it was about the discovery. The train was headed to a busier platform, and I wanted a large number of people to find it. You know, for the rumors and shit. The exponential clarity requirements on categories are a bitch, and I’ve been stalling in low yellow for months. I figure that’ll give me a solid boost, though, once the story gets exaggerated and spread around more. It might even prevent people from taking the train for a while, which would be funny,” she finally answered. “You haven’t eaten your sandwich yet. What’s wrong? I’m pretty certain you haven’t had lunch.”

Chase looked like he was going to vomit. It was obvious there was little he wanted less than fish in a sandwich at the moment. Even if he liked tuna, and even if Violet hadn’t given it to him. She never actually expected him to eat. But it always amused her to ask. She wouldn’t press the issue, if only because puke grossed her out. But there was a certain satisfaction in watching him wonder if he should try.

He didn’t, of course. Instead, he tried to change the subject. “Doesn’t that risk alienating Kiera?” he desperately tried. “She’s not like you. She’s helping because she thinks... because she wants to help. But something so openly vindictive...”

Violet shrugged. “Nah. I was careful to escalate a little at a time at first. She convinced herself that the bulletins and rumors were mostly lies, like, two weeks after I told her who I was. She hasn’t been reading them, and if she did, she wouldn’t believe it. Biggest risk is she witnesses it herself one of these days, but she’s so very good at self-deception. It’s not an issue,” she dismissed.

“W–What about the police? The public outcry? Bouvier won’t be able to keep them off campus for much longer. They’ll replace him if he doesn’t break soon. Aren’t you worried about what will happen when we aren’t exempt from investigation anymore? I’ve heard the rumors. Most of the city is all but certain the killer lives or works at Chromatic,” Chase scrambled.

Violet pouted at him. “You know, I put all this effort into my stories. I try to keep them fresh. Keep them interesting. I always take time to share them with you. Yet you never react to the cool or clever bits. No ‘That was impressive,’ or ‘How did you manage that’? or even ‘Good job, Vivi.’ It’s all just criticism, all the time. Sometimes it almost feels like you don’t even want me around! And honestly? It is starting to seem like you don’t appreciate my efforts at all,” Violet whined.

Chase stared at her, suddenly grabbing one hand with the other to stop the building tremor. He didn’t manage any type of decipherable response, so Violet sighed.

“Sorry. That wasn’t fair. It’s always good to be open to feedback, after all. I understand you’re just trying to help. But seriously, don’t worry. I wasn’t even expecting the months Bouvier gave me. I didn’t ask for them at all. I’ve been prepared to handle the investigation since day one, and I’m even more ready now. The only evidence tying me to this are the two living witnesses. One of them likes me, even if she is throwing a pity party right now. And the other is a spineless little weasel who will only clear me of suspicion if he tries to start shit. It’s fine, really,” Violet continued.

Violet watched as despair settled over Chase, the final comment still drawing blood even after all this time. He didn’t try arguing with her anymore. He simply picked up the remaining sandwich, then started to eat. Hungry or otherwise, it would allow him a few moments of silence. It was clear she’d gotten all the clarity she would from him for the day, so she tucked her half-finished drawing away and climbed to her feet.

“Well, I’d better get moving. I have some things to attend to. Thanks for the picnic!” she announced. She picked up her messenger bag and put it over her shoulder, turning to walk away. Before she did, however, she paused. She looked over her shoulder and winked at Chase. “You know, if you’re jealous, too, I’m happy to give you a kiss goodbye?”

The abject disgust that Chase failed to suppress didn’t offend her. It was the exact response she’d expected. So she shrugged. “Relax, I won’t push it if you’re not into me. I just thought I’d offer! But I’m happy to respect your boundaries! Let me know if you change your mind, though, ‘kay?”

When he failed to respond again, she shrugged and finally left. She had a call from Cyan and a meeting with Bouvier to attend immediately afterwards. She’d had a nice afternoon, at least, before being forced to deal with those assholes.