Page 110 of Dance With Death

Interesting. “You’ve no compulsion to stay with Holly at all costs?” I ask.

“No. I want Holly to stay safe. She isn't safe with me,” he whispers. “Take her back. Now.”

“I am totally confused.” I shove Grayson out of the way to face Dashiell. “Holly insisted she would free you, and then you’d leave together as exiled lovers.”

He’s silent for a moment. “And I agree with you that Holly’s idea was insane.”

“You weren’t intending to leave with her?” I ask.

“Aren’t you listening?” he snaps. “Holly’s safety is my priority. I care about her, yeah, but I’m not crazed like she is. That spell—whatever it is—needs breaking.”

38

VIOLET

Dashiell sits on the bottom of the concrete basement steps, while I stand opposite him with Rowan. Grayson hangs back on a step directly behind the shifter. Leif agreed to remain with Holly, since he’s the one of the three guys she’s most comfortable with.

The stifling basement only contains an upturned orange plastic crate, and as this prompts images of Holly abandoned on the cold concrete floor for days, I’m a breath away from grabbing this shifter by the neck.

But Dashiell’s brow furrows, his eyes darting around the space that’s lit by a single hanging lightbulb. “Someone cleared the basement out. There was a mattress. Blankets. I brought Holly a book.”

“Wow, how generous,” says Grayson. “I’m sure she would’ve preferred you bringing her her freedom.”

Dashiell’s demeanor shifts, and he swivels around to grab Grayson by the jacket. “I fucking tried! And when I couldn't get Holly out, I tried to get Violet’s attention instead.”

Grayson snarls and slashes at Dashiell’s hand, then shoves him from the step. “Careful, wolf.”

Dashiell trips backwards into the basement and steadies himself on the wall. “Are you taking Holly back to Eloise, or what, Violet?” he demands.

“In the morning. I want a chance to talk to Holly, and she’s sleeping.” I cross my arms. “Now. Who did you fight with in this house?”

“Sam.”

“Why?” asks Rowan.

Dashiell sinks down onto the bottom step. “On one of the nights I went to Thornwood, he caught me coming back into the house. Lost his shit. Told me I’m not supposed to leave now that I’m ‘part of this’.”

“And you fought?” asks Rowan.

“I’ve been through this over and over,” he says and drags a hand across his head. “I tried to free Holly once, and Sam caught me. He locked me in here with her for a day.”

My jaw slackens. “You spent a whole day in here with Holly? Alone?”

“Yeah.” He lifts his eyes to mine.

“What did you do to her in this room?” I demand.

“Nothing! Talked. Holly talks a lot.” He smiles, and that weird faraway look enters his eyes again. “I’ve never met anybody like her. Holly has such a big heart, and she’s a beautiful soul. I felt sick that I was involved, and after that day, I knew I had to protect her, whatever happened to me. I promised Holly that I’d try to find you and bring you to her.”

“Don’t you have a phone?” I retort. “Holly knows my number.”

He glares. “No. Taken from me when I arrived. I had no chances to help Holly leave because when Sam was out doing whatever, another shifter hung around. One of several, and I couldn't take them all on. I snuck out at night twice and tried to find you as the wolf. The first time, I couldn’t locate you. The second time, the human kids interfered.”

“Why did you run when you saw me?” I ask.

“The kids. I couldn’t risk anybody else at the academy seeing me unshifted—Holly told me she was taken from the campus, which means someone on the inside would know who I am. They might’ve killed me. Moved Holly. Worse. That was the night Sam caught me coming back to the house. I couldn’t get out of the place after that.”

“Was this before or after Viktor visited?” asks Rowan.

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