Page 30 of Dance With Death

A brief kiss. Very brief. “Rowan. This is urgent. I can kiss you later.”

My mouth tips into a smile as I lick the sweet taste of her from my lips. “Promise?” No response. Oh well. “How’s Leif? Any better?”

“Not well enough to join us.”

“But he’s alright? You’re telling the truth?”

“I always tell you the truth. I sat with Leif earlier, but he was asleep. His friend stared at me too much, so I left." She waves a hand. “Listen. I saw Marci and the other two witches sneaking around in dark clothing.”

I blink. “Where?”

“Leaving Pendle. The girls never saw me, and I followed them.”

Sitting on the bench, I look up at her. “And what did you do?”

“Nothing. Came back and waited here, for you.” She tugs at my sleeve to get me to stand. “But now we can track them down.”

“Have you told Grayson? He could join us. Safety in numbers.”

“No. He won’t walk campus at night. You know he’s paranoid about the consequences if he’s found allegedly stalking witches. Understandable, since he once accidentally brought one to the brink of death. Come on. I saw where the girls headed.”

Now I’m confused, and a little concerned. The cloisters are empty apart from us, and campus is quiet, especially with the human curfew. “Where are we going?” She says nothing. “Violet?”

“I didn’t follow the girls all the way. Just observed.”

“All the way where?” I ask suspiciously.

“Into the woods.”

My eyes widen. “No, Violet. We can’t go into the woods at night.”

“Why not?” she snaps. “There isn’t a body in the woods every time we walk through.”

“Bad things happen in the woods,” I warn her.

“Good grief. Are you worried about local shifters? They won’t touch us, even if they are wandering close to town.”

“I’m uneasy,” I admit. “Why don’t we look for the shifter on campus again?”

“Not a priority tonight. Marci is. The woods might be a shortcut to whatever SIW is? But we need to be quick. I’m not a shifter and can’t follow their scent well.” She tugs at me again. “I can hear people from a distance but not too distant. Hurry.”

“I’ll send Grayson a message to tell him what we’re doing,” I say and pull out my phone. “He might change his mind about joining us if we’re leaving campus.”

“If you wish, but I’ve no time to wait for him.”

Violet sets off across campus at a speed I can’t match, and I have to pause in order for her to notice. She slows, and we stick to the shadows on our familiar secluded route from campus to the edge of the woods.

I pause by the tree I met Violet beneath the day after we discovered our bond. “If we see or hear anything unsettling, we leave the woods straightaway,” I warn her, darting a look around the quiet campus grounds.

Violet runs her tongue along her top teeth. “Then what is the point in entering? We’re looking for something unsettling. I don’t mind going alone if you’re worried.”

I run a hand across my head. “How many times, Violet? I can’t let you go alone. Bonded witches. Danger.”

Violet doesn’t respond, instead pushing me further into the dark and against the tree. My eyes widen in surprise. That’s not enough of an argument for Violet to start kissing me.

She doesn’t, instead placing an index finger to her lips. “I hear humans breaking curfew and headed this way.” Violet’s eyes sparkle, delight shining through. “Girls. They must be meeting up with Marci. I bet one is Isabella. This is most excellent.”

I groan. “We’re following humans into the woods. Perfect.”

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