Page 35 of Dance With Death

“A possible motive, yes.” Violet tips her chin. “By now, nobody believes Holly is sick. A couple of random posts on social media do not fool anybody or prove she’s safe.”

“And you thought I’d done something? How about you? What secrets of yours does she know? The sudden vacation to Scotland was a bit bloody suspicious.”

“You have a lot of secrets,” snaps Nita. “You’re hiding the truth about Rory. What happened to the shifter Oz? Everything’s hush hush again.”

“You’re aware that my father struggles at forging relationships with the shifter community. He knows little.”

“But you know something,” Nita continues. “The town’s covering up events. We’ve been back to the reno house and?—”

“What?” I interrupt. “When?”

“We saw the blood, Violet.” Marci’s voice lowers. “Now the shifter, Trent, has disappeared too. Something is happening, and everybody is lying to us. Including you.”

“Returning to that house was a stupidly dangerous thing to do,” says Violet. “I assumed you possessed intelligence and common sense, but after tonight’s revelations I no longer believe so.”

“Did Holly go with you to the reno house?” I ask sharply.

“No, because she’s missing,” says Marci with scorn.

“Did Holly ever come to this place with you or sell brooches?” Violet asks, pointing at the ground, and Marci shakes her head.

Marci and Violet glower at each other and I tense, waiting for a conflict that might become painful for Marci if she doesn’t back down.

“You have some nerve accusing me of assaulting or abducting Holly,” says Marci. “You’re the one she’s frightened of.”

Violet stills. “What?”

“She knows you attacked Grayson, and he’s supposed to be a close friend—or whatever these guys are to you. Holly worries that if she upsets you, she isn’t safe either. People saw you out of control at Kai’s house party,” says Nita.

“Wait.” Violet lifts a hand, palm outwards and slants her head, eyes shifting to the gloom. “Who else knew you’d be here tonight? More customers?”

“Nobody,” says Zoe. “We only deal with Helen and Isabella.”

“But this is a secret meeting, and I sense another presence nearby. Either your human stooges remain in the vicinity and thus heard your admission.” Violet pivots and points into the trees. “Or somebody else followed from the academy.”

In a blur, Violet dashes into the woods, the witches open-mouthed by the speed at which she moves.

“Violet! Stop!” I shout.

Violet insults others for lacking common sense, but then runs into the woods alone to follow an unknown person. Someone who could be worse than the duplicitous coven?

What a perfect night we’re spending together.

With a weak smile to Marci, I take a deep breath and charge after Violet.

12

VIOLET

Shifter.

Watching us or watching the witches?

I can follow a shifter’s scent more easily than a human’s, and this isn’t a bear. Wolf? The Ursas aren’t the only shifters living in the area. But this one would face trouble if caught in the area, as local elders banned their residents from entering the town or the part of the woods bordering it.

Did the wolf follow or merely come across the meeting when disobeying the rules?

Or is he one of Viktor’s constructs?

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