Page 122 of Live To Tell

“And?”

“And part of the Circle.”

Light blinds me as Rowan lifts it to my face. “No,” he says roughly.

“Yes, they are. We established that.”

“No, I will not attend a Circle meeting,” he says, the coldness in his tone setting the hairs on my arms.

“I wasn’t suggesting you do. I’m merely reiterating the connection.” Whitegroves. Brightgroves. The similarity in names—a close enough relationship that they’d protect Viktor on the family’s behalf? “I’ll find a different way to figure out their connection and how to visit the Brightgroves. Lilac—or whatever her name is—was easy enough to use mind magic on, despite the deafness.”

“Elizabeth. Her name.”

“Uh. Okay.” Rowan doesn’t speak again as I crawl around the room, checking each disturbed floorboard and examining the walls. Not surprisingly for a witches’ house, there’s residual magic infused into those walls and floors.

But did I dismiss Rowan’s theory too quickly? Was Madison’s body once here?

“Sienna felt like she couldn’t breathe when wearing the tiara,” I say to Rowan as I stand and brush dirt from my jeans. “Do you think Viktor hid her under the floor or in the walls?”

“Don’t,” he says. “And no. Like you said, whoever wouldn’t be stupid enough to leave a body here when the place is under investigation. Sienna’s response might be the poison and how it affected Madison’s heart and lungs.”

“Perhaps,” I say quietly, but that doesn’t rule out a body hidden here in the past.

Rowan sets the flashlight on the floor and his arms wrap around me, and I’m suddenly aware my heart beats faster. “I know you’re not coping with this,” he whispers.

“I believe our investigations are going well.”

He pulls back and strokes a strand of hair from my face. “The way Madison died. Viktor’s necromancy threat to her. It disturbs you.”

I take a shaky breath. “Only because I imagine something like this happening to Holly. Before, I wouldn’t’ve cared, but knowing a girl who’s Madison’s age too adds a different angle. Holly’s vulnerable.”

“Chase is a bit of a dick, but he’s harmless,” says Rowan and rubs my cheek with a thumb. “Not a great witch, either.”

“No,” I whisper. “Holly’s vulnerable in every way because she’s human. Do you think I should end our friendship?”

“What? Why?”

“In case she gets hurt.” I swallow. The idea she’ll die becomes more a possibility to me as the days pass. “Or worse.”

“That’s your decision, Violet,” he says quietly. “But you’ll upset Holly. She cares a lot about you.”

Again, all issues that would never bother me in the past.

“Speaking of. Holly approached me today,” says Rowan and rubs a cheek. “Which is odd because she rarely does.”

“That’s because Holly doesn’t like you much.”

He snorts. “Yeah. I know. She asked me if I enjoyed building furniture with you the other night. I’m confused—did you use that as an excuse when you never invited her to a meeting? Because that’s a weird choice.”

“Hmm. Did she giggle? And had Holly consumed alcohol?”

“Maybe? Holly said something like ‘I hope you followed the instructions’ and then walked away snickering.”

I sigh. “She’s referring to the night I stayed at yours and alluding to sexual activity between us.”

“Huh?”

“We need to leave.” Grayson looks up from the bottom of the narrow stairs. “There’re people in the house.”

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