Blue Violet

chapter 3



As soon as Ellie got home, she could tell Griffin wasn’t there. Her heart sank a little. Maybe he wasn’t coming after all. Maybe he’d changed his mind.

She ran upstairs and changed out of her generic, trying-to-blend-in high school outfit and into something better. She nodded at her reflection, appreciating the way the red, cowl-necked sweater brought out the color of her violet eyes, and the way the black stretch pants clung to her slim figure. A look more suited to the woman she was, rather than the teenage girl she pretended to be.

Feeling more like herself, Ellie returned to the kitchen and got busy making dinner, trying to ignore the loneliness that crept up on her.

“Well, at least they picked a nice place to live,” a low voice grumbled.

Ellie jumped and let out a little yelp. Then she turned to see her twin brother standing by the back door. “You came!” she squealed as she flung herself into his arms.

Griffin hugged her back, his bronze, muscular body engulfing Ellie’s petite frame. His golden blond hair, cropped short, was a stark contrast to Ellie’s long, ebony locks. To look at the two of them together, one would never think they were related, let alone twins. When they were little, their mother had teasingly dubbed them Artemis and Apollo after the sibling Greek gods associated with the moon and the sun, the night and the day.

Griffin pulled back and regarded her silently with solemn concern clouding his tawny, almost leonine eyes. With a sigh of frustration, he glanced away.

“I won’t have anything to do with these people,” he eventually replied. “But I also won’t leave you alone. You’re the only family I’ve got.” His expression was resigned as he added, “I guess you counted on that fact.”

“No… but I hoped. You know things just don’t work without you.” She gave him another big hug to emphasize her words. “I’m so glad you decided to come. And I won’t push you to get involved with my… little project.”

Leading him out of the kitchen into the main floor of the house, Ellie couldn’t keep the chuckle out of her voice as she pointed and said, “Your room’s right down that hall…the master bedroom.”

“Nice pick for the house,” he said, as he headed down the corridor.

“Hey, it’s cozy,” she called after him. “And it’s bigger than it looks on the outside.”

The three story house appeared to be deceptively small, and because it sat fairly high up on the hill, it had an unhindered view of the entire valley. There was a spacious wrap-around porch from which to enjoy the beautiful scenery. But with all the snow, Ellie hadn’t spent much time out there yet. Even so, she’d caught glimpses of the wildlife from the panoramic windows, including some elk and even a bear. It was quaint, comfy, and unlike any place she’d lived. Which was saying something, given how long she’d been alive. Ellie adored it.

Returning to the kitchen, Ellie choked back a laugh when she heard her sibling’s low grumble of annoyance. When she’d moved in a few weeks ago, she’d set up his room exactly as she knew he’d want it, hoping Griffin couldn’t stay away too long. At the sound of his footsteps in the hall, she swiftly hid her amusement.

“So what are you planning to do while we’re here?”

He took a seat at one of the three stools at the bar situated between the kitchen and the dining room. Reaching for a bowl of candy, he popped a couple into his mouth.

“Why do I have a terrible feeling that you’ve already got something lined up for me?” Griffin eyed his sister suspiciously.

She threw him an innocent look over her shoulder. “Not really.”

“What’s your set up?”

She lowered her gaze and grimaced. “I’m a student at the high school…Again. Today was my first day, actually.”

Griffin’s eyebrows shot up. “Why on Earth would you do that willingly?”

“Three of the people in the family still attend high school—”

Griffin held up his hands. “Forget it. I don’t want to know.”

“There’s too much I need to tell you,” Ellie confessed, shaking her head.

“Jeez, Elle,” he growled. “You’ve only been at school one day. How much trouble could you get into in that amount of time?”

“I’ll tell you more about it while I’m making dinner. But you should know that you’re playing the role of my guardian while we’re here. I’ll be introducing you as my older, though not necessarily wiser, brother.” She set a bowl of salad on the table and gave him a playful nudge to the ribs on the way by.

“Huh,” Griffin grunted. “And why is that?”

“Same reason we always use. If you’re not in school with me, you couldn’t be my twin. You’d have to be older. And as a high school student, it would look odd if I didn’t have adult supervision. You know how it goes.” She opened a drawer, scooped up some silverware, and handed it to him along with some plates.

“Yeah, but you didn’t even know I’d be here until today,” he grumbled. Taking the hint, he hopped up to set the table.

Ellie ignored his comment. “Also, while you’re here, I wanted to know if you’d mind if I tapped in periodically to help me with my—”

“Snooping? Spying?”

“I was going to say investigation,” she corrected with a grin. “Thanks!”

“Hey! I didn’t agree to anything—”

“You will!” She laughed and returned to the kitchen.