Page 37 of For Dear Life

“Oh, really?” I lower my voice. “The ruse worked?”

“Yes. Has Sawyer hauled you and Grayson in front of him again yet?” asks Leif. “Didn’t he say you had twenty-four hours?”

“Oddly, no. Not yet. Perhaps Dorian intervened.” I hand him the drink, which he takes. “And that tastes disgusting.”

“I love how you’re such a gracious and grateful person, Violet.”

“How? I’m not.”

“Exactly.” He sips through the straw. “You’re funny. It’s endearing.”

I straighten. Not this again. “Perhaps ask Grayson what makes me un-endearing.”

“Yeah. He told us. You’re also scary.”

“Thank you.”

“We haven’t spoken about what happened when you...” He wrinkles his nose. “Died.”

“I presumed you didn’t want to, which helped because I don’t enjoy people’s focus on the event.”

He sits and grips the cup. “I never spoke to you when you uh…came back because everything felt surreal, and I got caught up in fixing what happened. Autopilot. But since then, I can’t get images out of my head. I was the one who...” Leif swallows.

“Removed me from the fence post?”

He’s pale now, rubbing his forehead. “Yeah. Rowan had already lost his shit—a thousand times worse than the night the shifters attacked you.”

I nod. “Understandably.”

“At first, I thought Rowan would run into the building, but luckily Grayson came out. I felt useless, sick, had no idea what the fuck to do, and then the shadows came.”

“What?” I ask sharply and sit upright.

“Shadows came from Rowan.” Leif shakes his head. “I’ve never seen that magic from him—like when he sparks magic into lightning energy but more engulfing. Black. Even if I hadn’t been sitting on the ground with you, I doubt I could’ve touched and calmed Rowan. He wasn’t... him.”

“Good grief,” I mutter. Rowan conveniently missed telling me this. “Did he use the magic in any way?”

“No. Grayson yelled at him to calm his shit, that the witch was dead—too bloody loudly—and that you weren’t.” Leif swallows hard again. “Then Rowan took you from me and just sat with you in his arms, totally still and silent.”

“But the shadows left?”

“Yeah, what was that? A bond thing?”

I sigh. “A Blackwood thing. I’ve warned him against using them.” Leif scoffs and I frown. “Why is that amusing? Shadows are not amusing, Leif.”

“Rowan wasn’t in any state to decide at the time. You... your death triggered them.”

“This is not good news,” I say. “Rowan isn’t strong enough for, and nor should he encourage that magic. I shall have words with him.”

Leif smiles wryly. “And what would happen if someone ‘had words’ with you about your abilities, Violet?”

“I’d ignore them.”

“Rowan’s the same and he will ignore you. Whatever Rowan thinks and feels about you, the guy will never allow anybody to tell him what to do.”

“Rowan normally does what I tell him.”

“Are you serious?” Leif’s mouth parts. “You think he’ll run around after you and always do what you say?”

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