Page 98 of Dance With Death

“No. The duckling’s name. Dash. Suits him. Look how fast he ran to the pond.”

Good grief. “This obsession worries me, Holly.”

“He’s a good person,” she tells me. Again. “If Dash hadn’t followed me and the other shifter that night, I swear I’d be dead. Once Dash discovered me at the house and who I was, he watched the academy hoping to find you. Dash wanted to tell you where I was.”

“Can he not use a phone?”

“Dash didn’t want to risk that.”

I sigh. “Or leave a note? Email?”

Holly huffs. “He wanted to see you face to face, okay? He couldn’t risk anybody knowing what he was doing.”

“Rather a stupid idea. I was upset and angry that you were missing and may’ve reacted… unkindly. Dashiell also terrified your paranoid friends.”

She stands and straightens. “A lot of humans at the academy are frightened of the supernatural now and they want to protect themselves.”

I slant my head. “Ah yes. The brooches your little gang created.”

“What? How do you know? I wasn’t involved, Violet!” Her cheeks redden from more than the chilly breeze. “Is Marci in a lot of trouble?”

“No. But I’ve eliminated her from my suspects. There is something sinister within the academy, and I believe there’s a plan to drive a wedge between humans and supes. I’m concerned there may be more unfortunate incidents.”

“‘Unfortunate incidents’. Do you mean deaths?”

“Possibly.”

“Now I definitely don’t want to return to Thornwood.” Her voice rises in pitch. “Who do you think is behind everything?”

“Witches.” I relent and crouch to pet the white duck, who I swore I wouldn’t re-form any attachment to. “Perhaps Mrs. Lorcan.”

“Wow,” breathes out Holly. “Is that why Wes died?”

Holly’s expectant expression unnerves me. This human, on the edge, yet in the thick of everything surrounding a plot against Dorian, wants to know more. Everything. Issues and facts she’d struggle to understand. I’m unable to explain and daren’t tell Holly about Viktor and the link to her mind. He may know her whereabouts and thoughts. I may be keen for Victor to detect where I am and what I’m doing, but not for him to know too much.

And Holly can’t know my plans for Dashiell.

“Investigations are ongoing,” I say stiffly, and she scoffs. “Holly, we will ensure yours and Kai’s safety. Everybody’s. It would help if you could remember more. Who took you from campus?”

She pushes curls from her cheek. “I’ve spoken about this over and over. I can’t remember anything between looking for Chase and waking up in that house.”

Orchestrated by somebody in the academy; the one who used her Instagram account?

Bizarrely, Holly’s distress over that invasion by the unnamed person matched the pain caused by her wounds. Therefore, nobody mentioned that a second person also hacked her account; Holly dislikes Rowan already.

“And nobody hurt you physically?”

“No. I was alone most of the time. Plus, Dash sat outside the door a lot.”

“On guard against you leaving,” I say derisively.

“On guard against anybody hurting me. I’d told him that Sam scared me.” Holly’s face becomes earnest, and I brace myself for another speech about her affection for her captor. “And I don’t remember the man who came, but one did. A witch. He must’ve put the spell in my head. He’s why my memories are fuzzy.”

“Oh, I know exactly who that was,” I say. “And I’m on the verge of finding him.”

“But your father wants me to stay here until you do.” She turns away from the ducks, her expression imploring. “Will you stay with me?”

“I do not wish to stay in Scotland for long. As a person on the inside in the academy, I’m best suited to uncovering who and why, but I shall visit. Daily.”

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