Page 7 of Dance With Death

Marci Holly? Let me know you're okay.

Marci Where are you?

Marci Violet didn't leave. I'm worried. Did you upset her, and she hurt you?

Marci Holly??

Marci I reported you missing to Mrs. Lorcan, but she's lying. Told me you were sick. If that’s true, you'd still reply. If I don't hear from you by tomorrow, I'm going to the town police and making a report to them.

Ah. Marci did approach Mrs. Lorcan. The headmistress will need to announce something soon.

The one-sided messaging stops, and I re-read the next text three times, heart lodging in my throat.

Holly I'm okay I have mono sleeping lots will call soon.

"What is mono?" I ask.

"Glandular fever." I look at Leif blankly. "Virus that can make you really sick."

"Not me."

"No. I mean humans and witches."

"Holly didn't send this message!" I say. “Marci’s threat prompted somebody else to reply.” I check the time stamp. “Ten minutes ago!”

Rowan re-reads too, quietly. "Whoever sent the message knows the story that Holly's sick, but Mrs. Lorcan hasn’t told all the students yet. There's an academy connection, Violet."

"But Holly isn't on campus. We've looked everywhere."

"Yeah, maybe someone at the academy told whoever actually has Holly what’s happening here. Mrs. Lorcan?"

I thrust the laptop at Rowan and stand, head whirling as I walk to my investigative wall. No. This is Viktor. I know he did this.

"Marci sounded genuinely concerned in her messages," Rowan suggests.

"Perhaps, but there's something odd about their 'committee.'" I run my finger along the paper on the wall where I've listed the girls' names. "I'm not discounting Marci yet. Secret meetings. Nita possibly knowing about the necromancy situation. That would be a link to Viktor."

I turn when nobody replies, and they’re wary. "Viktor may not be the one who took Holly, Violet,” says Leif when they all look at him to be the brave volunteer.

"He's involved," I say through gritted teeth. "I'm going to ask the so-called dance committee about Viktor."

Rowan rises and moves over to take my hands. "Again, tread carefully. Don't stomp in, Violet style."

"But I have to do something!" I protest. "I should be out there looking for Holly."

"Tell Dorian what you've found but ask him not to tell Mrs. Lorcan."

Dorian. I swallow hard. My father hasn't bluntly refused to help Holly as he did when I asked for help to find Madison, but Dorian isn’t as concerned as I believe he should be. Unless Holly’s whereabouts could lead him to Viktor, the fact that Holly’s my friend would mean nothing to him.

At least Dorian sees the other connection—Holly’s relationship with me means that the blame for anything befalling her would land directly at my feet.

“Closet next,” I say. “I looked under Holly’s bed earlier and discovered nothing but empty wrappers and chip packets.”

I enter Holly’s clothing jungle again, this time kneeling and focusing on every inch of the wooden floorboards. None are loose, and the painted runes from the last time I investigated have been scrubbed away.

Leif assists me in checking through her plethora of organizational boxes that she evidently doesn’t utilize. An inspection of the drawers reveals nothing but the same scarves and jewelry items as when I last searched.

Behind me, Grayson rummages through every pocket in her jackets and dresses. “Rowan!” he calls out. “Holly replaced her pink coat. Do you want to borrow the new one too? Violet told me how much you liked the cut and color.”

---