Violet's Arc

Chapter 1 of 10

Violet walked out past the last purple fence post, carrying her notebook and a small silver jar. She was made of violet iced tea, and she wanted to brew the brightest cup ever tasted. Her garden could not give her that. The wild slopes might. She stopped at a small tea house tucked into a slope of lilac blossoms. Carved wood framed the door, and flowers spilled over the eaves. She set down her pack and made it her base. From here, she would search. Cornelius Whisperwick was already inside, brushing dust from his purple hat. "I saw your tracks," he said. "Thought you might be cold." He poured her warm water and watched her unpack the silver infuser. Its engraved petals caught the light. He nodded once. "That's a fine tool. Use it well." Violet climbed past the tea house at dawn. High on a rocky shelf, she found them — wild violets in a thick, bright cluster. Purple petals shook in the wind above heart-shaped leaves. She knelt and pressed her palm to the soil. These were the flowers she remembered. She filled the silver jar with careful handfuls. The bitterness inside her did not lift, but now she had something new to test. Tuesday minus one day could wait. Tomorrow, she would brew.