As they drove along the main street, the rain reduced to a gentle drizzle. When the reception returned to Destiny's phone, Destiny felt the vibrations of the alerts in her hand. She scrolled through the endless webpages. Searching for Violet Springs. The town's official website described the town as a modern and innovative place with an old-world charm, enveloped by a foggy mist that seemed to cling to the supernatural wonders of the forests, blurring the lines between the past and present. On the border of south Australia and Victoria, the scent of eucalyptus hung in the air.

A delicious, yeasty smell filled the car and Destiny's mouth watered, reminding her it had been hours since she'd eaten breakfast. A low grumble emanated from her stomach. She wished they would halt and buy something to eat soon.

While waiting for the traffic lights to change, her father squinted at the street signs, trying to make out the words. He turned north and heard the distant sounds of honking horns and car engines as he headed downtown. Employees moved in and out of the buildings, the acrid smell of smoke still lingering in the air.
"I heard the houses around here suffered damage from recent floods," Alaric said.
He turned down a narrow road. The tarmac cracked and the white lines faded. hooligans tagged the abandoned houses with graffiti and strange tags covered the fences. Towards the end of the street, a three-storey sandstone building with white colonnades and thick stained-glass windows towered above the dilapidated homes that surrounded it. A beautiful, painted sign read, 'Winter Hall Welcomes The decedents of the Ember Warriors.

Alaric stopped the car, and they all felt a sense of awe as they looked up at the building, its walls illuminated by the sun. Destiny felt her empty stomach churning, a reminder of her hunger. Selina suggested they walk to the small market in the square, the distant sound of people chatting in the background. Despite the chill, the market was full of people, the sound of their voices mingling with the aroma of fresh fruits and vegetables.

They meandered between the stalls, taking in the chatter and laughter of the vendors and shoppers. Selina chose some ripe fruits and vegetables to take with them to the house, and they purchased flavourful meat rolls to enjoy for lunch. They sat on a bench, sheltered from the last of the drizzle by a large tree, and gratefully ate the delicious spiced meat.

A cat-like woman approached them. Selina's face darkened. The stranger's edgy presence contrasted strangely with her heart-shaped face and pale skin.
She brushed her hair behind her ears and smiled at Selina as if greeting an old friend. She cleared her throat and spoke in a soft sing-song voice, The Morgan's, I presume." Selina's brown eyes darkened with a chilling coldness. The woman perched awkwardly on the end of the bench. 'I'm Amanda Thyrein, from the real estate office.' Her introduction fell into silence and the tension crackled between the two women. Amanda pulled out a business card. Selina slipped it into her pocket without even glancing at it, but her face shifted into a tight smile.
"My office is just over on the other side of the street. When I saw you, I said to myself," "Why, that must be the Morgan's!" and sure enough, I was right!" Amanda said brightly. She brushed her hair back again–it was clearly a nervous habit, then handed a set of keys to Selina.

"You've picked well! It's a charming house. At the end of Light Court Avenue, I just checked it over this morning and everything should be in order. The view of the forest from the second-story windows, Uggh to die for!" Amanda said.
She stood up to leave, momentarily placing her hand on Destiny's shoulder. A spark passed between them, and a whisper of magic flowed into Destiny's mind.
"Don't trust a word your stepmom says, or your curiosity will be the death of you, little mouse." The words were as clear as if the cat-like woman had spoken them out loud, but her pretty mouth only smiled blankly. Destiny stared into Amanda's eyes. "I hope you settle in quickly at school, Destiny," Amanda said brightly, releasing Destiny.

Her parents didn't seem to notice anything strange. They thanked Amanda and headed back to the car, making their way through the streets until they reached the new house.

The removals van was already waiting in the driveway when the Morgans pulled up to the house. Destiny hopped out of the car, itching to explore. She walked up the gravel drive, the scent of pine from the adjacent forest filling her nose. The old wooden porch creaked under her boots. She traced the outline of the stained-glass panel in the front door–a black raven with golden eyes perched on the stem of a blood red rose. The glass was smooth and cold beneath her fingertips. She stood aside so that Selina could unlock the door to their new home. The moment the door swung open; Destiny explored. By the time she got back to her bedroom, the removal men had stacked all the boxes marked 'Destiny' against one wall, along with her father's old wooden phoenix chest.

The sunset glowed like a sea of flames beyond her window, creating the illusion that the forest was on fire. It had been a long day. As the sun dipped below the horizon, Destiny climbed into her bed and read by her phone's flashlight, until the book slipped from her fingers. Outside, strange mists lurked around the boundaries of the forest, curling towards the house.

The next morning, Destiny pulled on a long-sleeved black top, faded blue jeans, and her well-worn combat boots. She skipped breakfast, and instead wrote a quick note saying, 'Gone to explore, back later.' She placed the note on the kitchen table, grabbed her jacket, slipped a sketchbook and some pencils into her backpack, and softly closed the door behind her.

Destiny grabbed her bike parked by the garage. She rode down the street; they drove down the morning before, twenty minutes into the ride, she arrived back in downtown.
She made mental notes of her surroundings, and the street names. She turned left, heading towards the main street, through the broken neighbourhood. Music thudded and dogs barked as she passed the derelict houses. Old-fashioned gas lamps rose from the pavement. The town was a strange mix of past and present. They paved the main street with cobblestones, and the Victorian shops with their wooden porches vied for space with more modern buildings.
As she passed the bakery, the smell of fresh bread filled the air. Her stomach growled, reminding her she'd skipped breakfast.

Destiny slowed down, bringing her bike to a halt. Flashes lit up the alleyway beside the bakery. She dismounted her bike, inspecting closer. A girl around Destiny's age was standing in the alleyway, with a camera taking photos of a red fox rummaging in the rubbish bins.

"Excuse me, what are you doing?" the girl jumped, startled by Destiny appearing behind her. The owner of the bakery came out the side door. The women shooed the creature away with a broom, yelling. "Vermin! Next time, I'll call animal control. Opal, I told you to stop coming down here. This is your last warning." She folded her arms. Opal walked away disappointed. The baker scared the fox away.

She wore a sleeveless white top and a long black skirt, with glossy black midnight hair failing around her shoulders. Destiny awkwardly waved. Hope nodded. Destiny picked up her bike.
"I'm Opal."

"Nice to meet you."

"Nature has the most amazing subjects, don't you think?"

"I love animals but can't work a camera," Destiny said, shaking her head.

"Are you hungry? I skipped breakfast."

"Me too."

"Since you're new in town, let me show you a great little place," Hope said, smiling. She grabbed Destiny's hand with an impulsive, child-like joy and dragged her along. Destiny stumbled to keep up, but there was something so infectious about the girl's enthusiasm.

"Ta-da! The Phoenix Bistro!" Opal couldn't have looked prouder if she'd owned the café. Heading inside, she took a seat at one of the corner tables. Destiny slid in opposite her strange new acquaintance.

Destiny soaked into the warm and cozy atmosphere. The smell of coffee lingered in the air. The crackling fireplace brought customers to the comfortable couches. Where they texted on their phones, laptops, and notebooks sat open on the coffee table.

She slipped her jacket off, revealing a large patch of discoloured skin. Weirdly, it looked to be in the shape of a bird.
Destiny covered the birthmark, glancing around as nobody had seen. She concentrated on what they had on the menu, choosing what she desired for breakfast.
Opal folded her menu. She smiled when a boy approached them. "This is Taylor. He waits tables here every Thursday. I met him when he fell off his skateboard, bleeding on the sidewalk, in front of my house. He needed eleven stitches. "Opal laughed.

"Nice to meet you. Opal, please stop telling people that story. It's embarrassing." Taylor ran a hand through his brown shaggy hair. An eye patch covered his right eye. His icy blue eye looked between the girls.
"What can I get you?"
I'll have a flat white and a blueberry muffin, thanks,' Hope said brightly. Taylor scrawled her order down. 'Hot Mocha and scrambled eggs on toast, thanks,' Destiny smiled. Taylor wrote her order down and headed to the kitchen. Giving the orders to the chief and began making their drinks.

Destiny pulled out her sketchbook and pencils, sketching on a blank page.
"Taylor is handsome. He could be a model, but he's too shy. I'm heading to the bathroom. Destiny will you be alright?"

She looked up from her drawing. "Sure, go ahead."
Excusing herself, Hope went to the bathroom. Taylor returned with their drinks. Destiny made some space so he could place the cups down. She dropped her sketchbook onto the floor, Taylor picked it up. He frowned. Turning the pages, he stared at the image of her face. He flicked through the pages, seeing drawings of Ashton and Christos Hunter.
He handed the sketchbook back to Destiny. "Hey cool drawings," he said nonchalantly. "Thanks, but next time, don't rifle through someone's personal property." She mumbled.

"I'll come back with your food." He walked away, serving the next customer at the counter, before bringing over the hot food.
Where was hope? She sure is taking her sweet time. Destiny sipped her mocha. "Is there anything else I can get you?"

"No, thank you," Opal returned. Distracted, she glanced down at her phone.
Destiny cut into her toast. Experiencing the unusual taste of buttered sourdough. She tried the scrambled eggs next, finding them well seasons with salt and a touch of pepper.

"Hey, Opal, I'll be starting at Ash Heaven soon. What can you tell me about the classes?"

"Oh, well, Taylor and I share math together. We might have art together with another friend of ours named Esmeralda. You would share history with Taylor. Mr. knight loves to give group assignments. And English is a class worth skipping."

"The school itself has suffered several unexplainable natural disasters. A fire broke out in the old library a few months back. They just completed the new building," Hope said.

ate her blueberry muffin. "So why all the questions?"
"I am home-schooled, so a lot of my schooling has been online with teachers, so this will be my first time going to an actual school."
She slid her sketch book over to Hope. Destiny had been sketching Opal and Taylor. She flipped the sketchbook round for Hope to see. 'What do you think?' she smiled. "You two look cute together."

"Me and Taylor? No thanks! We're chalk and cheese!" She passed the sketchbook back to Destiny. "Taylor isn't that bad when you get to know him, honestly," Opal said.

"He seems to have a kind of chip on his shoulder, though. What's his deal?" Destiny asked.
"Oh, he's shy around people. He acts guarded," Hope replied vagally. Destiny finished her mocha. She left ten dollars on the table. "Thanks for showing me this place, but I should head home. I have unpacking to do." She grabbed her backpack, leaving the café.

She grabbed her bike. "See you at school, Destiny," Opal called after her. Destiny waved and set off for home.

***

Destiny maneuverer through the crowd of people, walking alongside her bike. Her journey wasn't very extensive. In the beginning, she hardly acknowledged his existence, but as she rounded the corner, she could sense his proximity. She came to such an abrupt stop that Ashton almost crashed into her. She looked him up and down with disdain before turning on her heel and walking away. He paused for a second before jogging after her. He walked alongside her in silence for a few moments before sneering. "I see you've met the shifter prince."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Destiny answered, although she had an uncomfortable feeling that she knew what he was going to say next.

"Your new friend—Taylor," Ash replied with a dark smile. Didn't he mention he is royalty?"
"No, I can't imagine a prince being a server either. Are you messing with me?" Ash smirked. "Surprising he's not usually the subtle type."

She wondered if this was part of a joke, but he wasn't laughing at her. She glanced at Ash; he slumped with his hands in his pockets, his laid-back attitude vanishing. He seemed preoccupied, not meeting her gaze.
"Where are you headed? "He asked.

"Home. Not that it's any of your business," she replied, but her voice was softer now. She didn't trust him. How could she? He'd stolen her father's journal, but she could sense a deep sorrow in him. "I could give you a lift."

'Thanks, but I have my bike, unless you're going to explain why you broke into my house and stole my father's journal.'

Ash opened his mouth to counter, but Destiny turned away. She turned her head. "I wasn't sure at first, but Detective Willows emailed the report. The blood matched nothing in their database."

"What is your point?" Ash asked.

"Either the Veil Agents are covering for you, or they have not caught you, but your eyes are distinctive and I remember their unusual colour in the darkness. Plus, you favouring your good leg. Guess failing from a window leaves a nasty wound."

Ash glanced around. People walked around them. They were in the middle of the sidewalk. Destiny parked her bike beside a bench. Ash sat down with an irritable grunt. Destiny lifted his jeans. The smell of alcohol burned her nose underneath the bandage.
"It's healing. I've kept the wound cleaned. But the cut is deep and needs twelve stitches."
"I stole the journal because they ordered me to do so. The veil agents think your father's research into Andreal is dangerous. The secrets contained within those pages are a risk to the agency's plans, and if humans discover Andreal, it would cause a disaster." Ash inhaled.
"What plans?" Destiny asked. Ash shrugged. "You think they would tell me? I'm just their errand boy, but I no longer have the journal. I promise it's in safe hands," He said.
Ash stood, glancing down at his phone, before turning his attention to Destiny. "I could give you a ride to school tomorrow. Consider it a peace offering."
"Ash, I don't accept rides from thieves. I can make my way. As far as first impressions go, you're untrustworthy," Destiny said. She mounted her bike, riding down the footpath. Did Ash speak the truth? Do the vail agents consider her father's work dangerous? Are they hiding in plain sight?

Destiny heard a motorbike, a black Harley driving down the road. She guessed the bike belonged to Ashton; She rode back home, wondering where the veil agency was within the town.
The black Harley passed her, driving out of town.