Page 16 of Dead and Gone

I arch a brow. "There would be succumbing but not to shadows."

Tipping my chin, Rowan places his lips on mine in another soft kiss, and my hand curls around Rowans neck as I return his affection. The buzz of our bonded energy tingles through me.

He rests his head on mine. "Is that yes or no?"

Once over, I would've threatened to fling Rowan halfway across campus if he attempted to demonstrate physical affection. I've hated people touching me as long as I can remember, and I never expected the witch who delighted in infuriating me would be the one to change that.

But then I never knew about our connection, nor would I admit that although I'm half my psychotic father, I'm also half of my mother, Eloise, who's less about killing people and more about connecting and caring.

A realization that I did not welcome at first.

Not that I'd ever lose the dark and deadly hybrid who runs through my soul and becomes more uncontrollable as the days pass, especially when people threaten those I care for.

If anybody hurt my four friends, they would forfeit their lives.

7

I spendbreakfast with Leif and Holly in the cafeteria, the pair side by side at the table with the coffees and cakes I bought them. The place is half-empty; most students are now in class, but as usual, the quiet burr of conversation stopped when I entered the room.

"You want to find Marvin?" asks Leif through his mouthful of carrot cake.

"The missing mole manikin," I say firmly.

"Yes.Marvin," says Holly with a snicker. "Why? You had no interest in solving that crime."

"Reprobates from the high school took the mole. I want the item."

"It's too late for you to create a familiar out of the mole," says Holly and sucks her lips together, fighting a laugh. "And didn't you prefer birds and rabbits surrounding you, Princess Violet?"

"Droll, Holly. And as an aside, necromancer's creations areconstructsnot familiars. Familiars have free will. That's why I no longer have one."

Holly's jaw slackens. "You had a familiar? I've never met a witch who does."

"Because familiars have free will," I repeat. "If they've had enough of living with the witch, they leave."

"What was yours?"

"A fire serpent. And don't ask me where he went, the creature never sent me a forwarding address although there was a minor increase in local arson crime for a few months.Nowback to the mole."

"Marvin." Leif gives me a mock stern look as if I'm insulting the object by not using the moniker that the idiotic teens gave it.

"Who has the mole?" I continue.

"How would we know?" Holly frowns.

"Both of you are accepted by your human peers, and Holly in particular operates at the epicenter of student society. It's unlikely an academy student took the mole, but they may know who did." I sip from my tall cup of black coffee. "Uncovering rumors is your forte, Holly."

Leif pulls out and studies his phone, curls falling across his face. "You could look through Marvin's Instagram profile for clues?"

"Or Holly could discover his...itswhereabouts via subtle questioning." I look at her expectantly.

"Here's the last thing Marvin posted." Leif holds up the phone, and I take it from him. An image dated a couple of days ago shows the mole wearing sunglasses too large for its head positioned on a bridge with the London Eye behind.

I return the phone. "Good. Holly can discover which individuals visited London recently."

Groaning, she drops back against her seat. "Really? This is stupid—I'llsound stupid asking to see the mole."

"You need to help. I plan to contact the curator and offer to find his mole."

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