Page 124 of Dance With Death

“I wouldn't have told you Violet’s plan if I’d known this.” Grayson blurs across the clearing towards us. “You can’t risk Holly’s life; we’re supposed to help her. I wanted you to protect Violet!”

“Grayson.” Tears prick at my eyes. “You all promised not to tell anybody.”

“No. I wasn’t prepared to risk you dying, or worse,” he replies. “I believed Eloise would help end this.”

I’d do anything, Violet.

“Grayson!” I say in despair.

Two other figures emerge from the trees, and my heart lodges in my mouth. Did Viktor have others nearby all along? No. Leif and Rowan. Leif has a firm grip on Rowan’s arm as Rowan struggles against him.

I throw a thought to Rowan. Not the shadows. Eloise is here.

Rowan doesn’t respond, locked in the altered state of mind I saw the night he protected me from shifters. I’m under threat, and my bonded witch will give everything to protect me.

Exactly the reason I never wanted Rowan here before Viktor died.

The snake-like gray wisps curl around Rowan’s fingers, and I shake my head at Leif as they grow. He looks down then snatches Rowan’s hand and holds tight, eyes closed in either concentration or pain. Leif stopped Rowan’s magic the night he threatened to kill a shifter, but Rowan has grown more attuned to the shadows since then.

“Get the hell off me, Leif!” shouts Rowan.

“Eloise. Don't release Viktor. I’m begging you!” I say, grabbing her arm in desperation.

“I can’t keep the witch here forever, Violet. You’ve done a very stupid thing, but at the very least the decision will assist us.” She closes both hands over one of mine. “There’s a serious threat to your father’s government. To you. Us. What do you think will happen if this plot against him continues?”

“But an innocent human will die!”

“A lot of innocent people will die. That’s the reality caused by these peoples’ actions.” She nods at Viktor. “But if we get enough information from him, there’ll be fewer deaths, Violet.”

My chest tightens, and I can’t look at Holly. My mother never condoned killing innocents, and she’s always worked to calm Dorian’s reckless behavior. But at the end of the day, Eloise’s loyalties are to him. To her family.

“Doesn’t how I feel count?” I protest. “She’s somebody that I love. I’m the reason this happened to her. Save Holly.”

Eloise’s eyes widen momentarily, and she drops my hand to seize Grayson who’s edging away. He trips as Eloise yanks him to her. “Do not kill Viktor if you value your own life, Grayson.”

“You’d kill Grayson, but not Viktor?” I shout.

“No. But Dorian would. If any of you end that witch’s life, you’ll face the full, violent force of Dorian’s fury.” Grayson winces at his grip on her. “As a Petrescu, that will be even less pleasant for you.”

“Dorian will not touch any of the people I love,” I shout. “Neither will you. Viktor dies.” I manage two steps before I’m sprawled on the muddy ground, landing heavily on my front. My limbs feel like lead, and I can barely lift my head. No. No.

Fighting against Eloise’s magic is useless, and I shout at her to stop and think as she takes slow steps towards Viktor. “I can only hold Viktor for so long without wasting spell energy, Violet. I need enough magic to keep Viktor subdued while I take him to Dorian.”

As Eloise advances on the terrified witch, a scream pierces the air.

Mine. Not Holly’s.

What would I do if I could move? Attack my mother? No. I lost control of this situation the moment she stepped into the clearing—the moment Grayson involved her.

“Take Holly!” I shout at him.

As I watch Eloise though blurring eyes, a gray figure streaks across the space, and the wolf snatches Viktor around the neck, claws ripping at his chest. Blood covers the wolf and splatters across the stony ground, some hitting Eloise as she darts forward.

Too late. Dashiell’s ferocity ripped into the witch, bringing him close to death in seconds.

The wolf streaks into the trees. Eloise could pursue and catch Dashiell with ease and prepares to follow, but Leif runs in front of my mother, creating an obstacle for long enough to give Dashiell the head start he needs. Eloise stumbles and yells at Leif to move.

The magic holding me snaps, and I clamber up and launch myself towards Leif, knocking him to the ground to cover as much of his body with mine as I can before Eloise retaliates. At the edge of my vision, Grayson runs forwards to the dying witch, pauses in front of him for a second, and then vanishes into the woods.

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