Page 83 of Dance With Death

Another photo shows an outdoor scene, in the dark, reminiscent of the footage we found of Madison and her friends, but at a different location. This isn’t a wooded area with cars, but teens sitting on the top of a rocky outcrop. Robert is in the photo again, sitting with a couple of guys, and the photographer has taken pictures of half a dozen girls sitting on the ground in a circle.

“Take a photo of this. Research the other individuals,” says Violet.

“How are we supposed to find out who random people are from a photo, taken in the dark, twenty years ago?” I complain.

“Kai. Is your mother in contact with old school friends?” asks Violet. “Do you know any of these people?”

“I don’t think so,” he says. “She has a different life now. When she gets pissed with me, Mum goes on and on about how lucky I am, and that she had nothing, blah blah.”

“She cut ties with her old life?” I ask.

He shrugs. “I don’t follow Mum’s social life.”

“Did any of your mum’s school friends come to her fiftieth?” asks Leif.

“Maybe. Don’t know.”

“Well, what a wealth of knowledge you are,” mutters Violet, and picks up the last picture. Pursing her lips, she peers closer. “Look at this.”

The photo shows a limestone wall—possibly the cave that the other picture was in—with various names and initials carved into the rock from people leaving their mark. Some have love hearts around, but there’s no Madison or Viktor, or Robert, but Sarah is etched along with other girls’ names to check. “Right. I’ll try to match the names to Sarah’s old school friends and photos.”

Kai watches quietly, one foot jiggling as he listens. “This is good stuff, right?”

“Possibly,” says Grayson.

“Look. There’re more than the names, Rowan,” says Violet and points to the bottom edge of the picture. “Runic symbols. They’re not clear and the image cuts off, but that’s definitely runes carved on the rock.”

“Where is this place?” asks Grayson. “Kai? Do you know?”

“How the hell would I know where my mum hung out as a teen? She’s never taken me anywhere like this.”

Violet’s eyes remain on the picture, and I can practically hear her mind whirring. “We check the geography for caves in driving distance of Mrs. Sawyer’s home town. Kai, do you know about any gatherings in caves? That town isn’t far from this one.”

“No. We only have—had—fire night.” He sits back. “I’d know if town kids went somewhere else.”

Violet pauses. “Ah. Yes. Due to your social standing as the individual everybody wishes to garner favor with. You’d be the instigator.”

Kai looks to me. “Does she ever make sense? Was that an insult, or what?”

“Violet means you’re popular and included in everything,” says Leif.

I take photos of the images with my phone, then Violet gathers them to return to the envelope. “I’m disappointed there’s nobody familiar from our investigations into Madison, but we must locate this cave,” she says.

“Who’s Madison?” asks Kai.

“The girl in the picture with your uncle,” says Violet, and I raise my brows at her giving out the information.

“Is she involved in the plot against your father?” he whispers.

Violet gives a tight smile, and the envelope, to Kai. “No. Did you happen to notice anything else in the box?”

He wrinkles his nose. “Just a handgun on top of a pile of papers and envelopes.”

“A gun?” I choke out. “Do your family have a lot of guns?”

“Maybe there’s one in Dad’s safe too, but none that I knew of until now.” He blows air into his cheeks. “My parents should give me one.”

“Are you insane?” asks Violet. “The supes that we’re dealing with possess spells more damaging than a gunshot wound.”

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