Page 58 of Dance With Death

Grayson remains silent as we retrace our steps, but the ongoing rain doesn’t help as the soft ground covers with puddles. I enjoy that rain dominates the local weather conditions, but not when a new downpour soaks the mud and makes my detective life difficult. We’re forced to trace our steps by memory, frustratingly so since the shifter veered off the makeshift path.

To me, trees are trees and undiscernible from each other. Grayson knows the woods better than me from years using the shortcut to town but spent more time passing through than pausing to admire nature.

“How far ahead of you was the shifter?” asks Grayson. “Far enough to pause and hide his clothes without you catching up?”

“I doubt that,” I retort. “Perhaps his jacket and shirt, but I can’t imagine he’d succeed in removing his pants while running. If the guy paused, I would’ve found him.”

My phone sounds an alert, again. I’ve ignored several over the last half hour, focused on something much more important.

“Oh.” I scrunch my face up at the screen and pause.

“Who messaged you?”

“Rowan. Then Dorian. Then Leif. Then Dorian three more times. Then Rowan.” I look up at Grayson. “Dorian’s at the academy, and he’s pissed.”

Grayson’s face takes on the pallor my father’s name usually prompts in him. “About Holly?”

“In a way.” I straighten and place the phone back in my pocket.

“You haven’t spoken to Dorian today!” Grayson snatches my sleeve, utter horror on his face. “Violet! Why?”

I pivot to face him. “In case he arrived, took Holly, or did something that might hurt her.”

“Dorian knows not to hurt a human, Violet.”

I take a ragged breath. I’ve fought this decision since I encountered Holly’s body, as my care for Holly tore at my duty to tell my father. My hospital visit never gave me an answer to my greatest question, and the answer could threaten Holly’s life further if Dorian gets to her before I do.

“What if Holly isn’t human anymore?” I whisper. “I never got close enough to tell.”

“The hospital would know.” Grayson draws me to him, and I tense as his arms surround me.

“Not if she’s a construct. You know that from Oz’s experience—they took him to the hospital. Holly’s body would function as normal, apart from her mind.” My voice muffles against his jacket as the thoughts I’ve stomped on over and over snake into my mind. “Only supes would know.”

My voice grows smaller, and I blink away the unfamiliarity of tears. “And if she isn’t a construct, Holly is still in danger. If my father hears about the shifter connection and hypothesizes that this links to Viktor or the plot against him, Dorian’s priority will be to get all the evidence he can. Quickly. From Holly.”

Grayson’s silence confirms that I made the correct decision, however much trouble this will cause for me. Holly’s life hangs in the balance because, if she isn’t affected by supernatural interference in her mind now, she soon will be. The fragile girl, lying in a hospital bed who’s fed everything her human body needs to fix her broken body, could have her mind broken too.

By Dorian and his men exploring with magic.

I pull away and rub at the tears on Grayson’s jacket, glad the rain camouflages them. “Change of plan.”

“Yeah. We go to Dorian. Blood runes. Now.”

“No. We return to the hospital and check out Holly. Properly.” Controlled, considered thoughts ease their way back in as my brain resumes normal patterns.

“And how do we get past the detectives?” asks Grayson. “No way can you use mind magic on them without getting caught."

I smile, and Grayson sighs, knowing the triumph in my look. “I won’t need to. The detectives are with my father.”

21

VIOLET

Grayson sits beside me on the bench outside the hospital where I once sat with Leif and a toy dog while waiting for Rowan. Rowan, who’s speaking to me on the phone and growing increasingly pissed.

“Violet. You have to return to the academy and speak to Dorian and the detectives before the situation gets any worse. Where are you? What are you doing?”

“I’ve explained why I’m not telling you. Dorian will read your mind if he hasn’t already.”

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