Chapter 65 - Wake Up Call

David.

Monday.

Man, last night was a total wreck. We barely escaped the covenstead in one piece, and now Violet's stuck in bed, looking like she's sleeping but not really. It's been over a week, and I'm losing my mind. Javid and I almost got into a fight, but Fergus and Sam stepped in. I couldn't even look at him without picturing Violet's limp body in his arms.

I went to school all day, trying to pay attention in class, but my thoughts kept going back to Violet. After school, I headed straight to Mildred's coffee shop. She'd told me about some old books she had up in her attic, stuff about magic and healing. I figured it couldn't hurt to check them out.

As I walked into the shop, the smell of fresh coffee filled the air. Mildred was behind the counter, wiping down the espresso machine. She looked up and gave me a nod. "Afternoon, David. You here for the books?"

"Yeah," I said trying not to look like the dumb-ass that I felt like.

She smiled and pointed to a door behind the counter. "They're all yours. Just be careful up there. The attic can be a bit of a mess."

I climbed the creaky stairs to the attic, my pulse jumping like Saturday night at a club. Couldn't see much from the lone light bulb, but I managed. Stacks of books and boxes covered every surface. I started searching through the piles, looking for anything that might help.

***

Tuesday

Slapped the books open after school, gotta keep digging. Scrounged through them dusty stacks like a bloodhound. Me and Mildred, we had a long convo before I bounced outta there. Turns out, the magic whammy Violet got wasn't meant to, you know, shuffle her off into deathsville. Nah, it was supposed to drag her back through some nasty memories, the real stinkers in her past. Gotta let it play out, that's what Mildred said, then bam! Violet wakes up to sunshine and rainbows. Rough childhood in the system, losing her mom thanks to her old man... that probably left some serious scars. No wonder she'd been out so long.

I felt helpless, man. Like I was stuck on the sidelines while the clock was ticking down. I couldn't shake the image of Violet's empty eyes, so I vowed to hit the books every day until I found a solution.

***

Wednesday.

I stood in the doorway of Violet's room watching as Javid read to her. Some sappy love story. The book looked dog-eared enough so it was probably one of her favorites. Man that girl loved to read. Javid had the right of it, maybe hearing that crazy story would bring her back, 'cause I hadn't turned up nada, nichts, nichego.

Javid turned, giving me the side eye from where he was sitting. Yeah, I was pissed that he didn't have to bust his ass going to school. Dad made me and I couldn't go against him, because I screwed up enough already and we all knew it. Even Jasmine passed me in the halls and wouldn't say shit.

Javid got to be there for Vi while I couldn't. And I didn't like that one bit. I knew it wasn't fair, but I couldn't stop myself from lashing out. We exchanged some heated words, and I could see the hurt in his eyes. But I didn't care. All I cared about was Violet.

***

Thursday.

Another day, another round of reading those dusty old tomes. I was so focused on finding a cure for Violet that I barely noticed the world around me. Fergus tried to check in on me, but I brushed him off. I didn't have time for small talk or sympathy. I needed to save Violet.

As I was reading through one of the books, something caught my eye. It was a spell meant to help someone trapped in a dreamlike state. I couldn't believe it. This could be the answer I'd been searching for. I spent the rest of the evening reading through the spell, memorizing the words and gestures. I knew it was a long shot, but I had to try. Violet needed me, and I wasn't going to let her down. It said it had to be performed outside the "inflicted one's dwelling at dawn". Well that was gonna be me, parked in my car, hands moving along with my mouth, saying spell that would wake Vi up.

***

Friday.

I bolted through the door at Joyce's place, heart pounding like a drum. There they were, Violet and Javid, sitting at the kitchen table. Vi was chowin' down on a whole pizza, looking like she hadn't eaten in days. Javid shot me a sour look, but I didn't give a damn. All that mattered was Vi.

"Hey, David," she said, waving a slice at me. "Want some?"

I shrugged, trying to play it cool. "Nah, I'm good. You, uh, you look better."

Javid snorted. "What would you know? You only came to see her once."

I glared at him. "What's your problem, man?"

Violet rolled her eyes. "Both of you, knock it off. I'm right here, you know."

I took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "Sorry, Vi. I just... I was worried about you."

She gave me a small smile. "I know. And I appreciate it. But I'm okay now."

"So, uh, did you... did you dream about anything while you were asleep?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

Violet nodded, swallowing a mouthful of pizza. "Yeah, I did. It was... it was weird. But I think it might be important."

Javid leaned forward, his eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," she said, wiping her hands on a napkin, "I think it might be the key to unlocking the prophecy. But I need to finish eating first, okay? Then we can have a meeting and I'll tell you everything."

I nodded, trying not to let my excitement show. "Sure, Vi. Whatever you need."

Javid scowled, but he didn't say anything. I could tell he was just as anxious as I was, but he was doing a better job of hiding it.