Chapter 22

22

VIOLET

Humans allow the hospital inmates to receive visitors between certain hours, and, by lucky chance, we're within that window of time. Although, I'm perturbed by whether this will aid or interfere should I need to move Holly from the premises.

Blood runes and the girl who faints at the sight of bleeding? Holly may not like that spell, but it's our easiest way out of the hospital.

Grayson stands beside me by the elevator and fidgets. I'll attempt to keep to our agreement, but what if Viktor or whoever abducted Holly did injure her mind? The worst scenario possible attempts to sneak into my head again— or she's a construct . I slap the thought away.

Once Holly leaves here, I'm avoiding hospitals. They're awful places that trigger the part of me that now picks up on the decay and sickness. I'd rather stand in the morgue for hours than pass the rooms containing weakened humans trapped by their race's inferior physical state and the nurses who stand guard.

"What if Holly's parents are still here?" whispers Grayson. "Humans stay close if someone important to them is in the hospital. You can't shove her parents from the room."

As we leave the elevator to walk towards Holly's room, Grayson ducks his head. A uniformed man pushes a metal trolley along the hallway, not paying attention, and I glance at the contents as he passes. Vials and bottles. Packets. I point. "Humans could ask for witch help with medical issues. We've more advanced treatments for many ailments."

"That's not allowed under the accords," says Grayson. " No medical interference with humans by supernaturals . Besides, humans would never trust a supe's motives."

"Hmm." I wrinkle my nose at the disinfectant smell that does nothing to disguise the sickness pervading the atmosphere.

"Pharmaceuticals are big business," adds Grayson.

"Yes. Rowan informed me that Circle members hold positions in many big business human organizations, and always have done. Interesting, correct? Why would witches crawl into such positions if they want the status quo unchanged? And look at all the vamps in the legal profession."

"Yeah, but supes always worked in those professions—they just do it just publicly now."

Something stinks about the Circle. What kind of organization would allow Viktor's disappearance and not bring justice for a girl's murder? Not all members may know, but Cornelius would need help in wiping his son's existence from the world. Someone besides Viktor's father is complicit.

The sooner I gain access to their sphere, the better.

A couple of visitors take up all the attention from one of the nurses manning the station, whereas the other writes names in boxes on a whiteboard, her back to us as she scrawls in a thick blue pen.

Perfect.

The hemia vampire passes them unnoticed, and each step I take towards Holly's cell fills my stomach with fluttering trepidation at what I'll find. I'm reluctant to meet Holly's parents and pause outside the heavy door. "How many humans do you detect in the room?" I whisper to Grayson.

"One. But be prepared for Holly's parents or the nurses to return."

"I'll be quick."

Grayson follows as I creep through the door into the dimly lit room. To be fair, the hospital attempted to add some homely touches with a small TV and an upholstered chair or two. A painting consisting of swishes of pale blues and greens faces the bed; its creator evidently failed art class.

The number of machines surrounding Holly has reduced since this morning, but tubes still protrude from her hand. Grayson immediately crosses to the window and pulls the glass to one side, revealing metal grills behind. Damp air from the rain seeps into the room.

Oh. "Is the human scent inside the hospital bothering you, Grayson?" I ask.

He doesn't turn. "I manage to ignore blood scents at the academy, don't I?"

But does he? My mouth parts—is this the reason he avoids many mixed classes? "Yes. But hospitals contain bloodier humans than the academy. When I visited the ER, there were many bleeding?—"

"Can we not talk about this?" he hisses. "Check on Holly."

I'm several steps away from the bed, ones I'm desperate to—but also don't want to—take. Holly's lying on her side, covered by a white sheet and a blue waffle blanket that matches the poor artwork on the wall. The flowers Leif brought are now in a tall glass vase on the nightstand beside the bed, and the plush pig is tucked between the pillow and pale wood headboard.

Holly breathes steadily, not snoring loudly as she sometimes does, her curls spread across the pillow. Somebody positioned a chair with a cushioned seat close to the side of the bed, which I take slow steps closer to.

Holly's aura isn't different, but then Leif's never was after Viktor's spell. No. I tense. Her aura is different. Holly's energy has dulled and the brightness drained away, but not through magical interference. She's faded beneath her injuries. Gingerly, I take the seat and cross my arms tightly against my chest, gazing at her face where the freckles stand out more against her pale skin.

"Be subtle," Grayson says from behind me.

"What if she opens her eyes and screams?" I ask. "The day Holly passed out in my room, her response to me brought humans running to us."

"Talk to her."

"She's asleep."

"Talk to her quietly ?"

I glare at Grayson. "What is the point in conversing with someone who doesn't reply?"

He chuckles. "Really, Violet? You've never noticed how many people ignore you?"

"Good grief!" I say. "Stand by the window again. You're not helpful."

"Violet?" Holly's weakened voice pulls me away from Grayson, and my heart speeds as Holly stares at me through half-closed eyes. "Rowan?"

"No. Grayson's with me."

She blinks in my direction. Holly's voice sounds faraway, thick, a little like when she's inebriated. I eye the pouch of liquid and the tube feeding the concoction into a vein. Drugs.

"Hello," Holly mumbles, then turns her head to the other side. "Where's Dash?"

"You mean Chase?" Definitely drugged.

"No. Dash. He was here."

Grayson joins me, standing at my shoulder and looking down. "Hey, Holly."

I recoil when Holly snatches my fingers, purely because that tube-thing taped into her arm almost touches me. "I need Dash."

"She's confused," whispers Grayson, then raises his voice. "How are you feeling, Holly?"

I squeeze her fingers. "I'd like to examine your mind and then question you about your recent whereabouts."

In a move reminiscent of Rowan, Grayson nudges me in the back. "Violet!"

"How are you feeling?" I add.

Holly rasps a laugh. "I don't remember."

"How you're feeling now , not in the past. You can't forget the present."

"Sore. The room's a bit… spinny." She takes a labored breath. "I can't remember much."

"Not to worry, I'll discover all your memories," I say and pat her hand. Holly winces as I knock the thing inserted into her skin. Honestly, human medical treatment is macabre.

With each second that passes while I hold Holly's hand, I sense her . The girl beneath the pain and confusion hasn't gone; she's merely subdued. But Holly's mind. I can't go anywhere before I examine her mind, and certainly can't return to Dorian until I do.

She blinks again. "Violet?"

"Yes. We established that."

"Where's Dash?"

Good grief, are we entering a circle of repetition? "Chase isn't here."

" Dash ," she continues. "He is. Was. Coffee."

I'd dive straight into Holly's mind, but I'm cautious. Viktor taunted me about his superior mind magic. The witch tore apart Leif's mind, and I've heard of people's minds breaking altogether from spells. Hence, why I'm risking such trouble with Dorian by reaching Holly before him.

One thing's sure, the girl has lost touch with reality due to magic or drugs.

"You want a coffee, Holly?" asks Grayson.

"No. Dash is bringing me a coffee. Where is he?"

"Chase isn't here," I whisper.

"While we wait for uh… Dash, can Violet take a look at your mind?" asks Grayson gently.

"Grayson," I hiss, turning to him. "Don't confuse her further."

"We have to look quickly and leave," he urges. "If somebody sees us…"

Holly's eyes go wide, and she sits, struggling to push up on her elbows. "Is your father here?"

"No. Holly. This is important. I want to look at your mind before anybody else does."

"Why?" Holly's voice wavers. "Someone attacked my body and mind?"

"I don't know."

Holly sinks back again. "Don't tell me if there's something bad inside my head."

I only want to check if you're a construct. I attempt a smile. "I'll only glimpse to check if there's any supernatural effect. Your memory loss could be a human reaction."

Holly's hands are warm in mine, and, as she looks at me, and I gently look into her mind, the affection, the hidden fears, and anger mingle and surge. I catch a breath. Holly is here. She's alive . And, although Holly's mind swirls in a mass of sounds and color stirred into undecipherable thoughts, it's her's .

I breathe more easily as she doesn't react in pain, but I'd need a lot of time to unpick what's in Holly's memories. Is she similar to Leif, and Viktor knows where she is now?

Grayson jerks his head up and edges away from the bed as the door to Holly's room opens, and I ready myself to defend the hemia's presence in the room.

The heavy blue door falls closed behind the dark-haired guy who doesn't move a muscle, gripping a tall coffee cup, eyes wide. He darts a look to Holly, then us, and reaches behind for the door handle.

There's no doubt in my mind that the person standing in the room with us is the shifter I wasted time pursuing an hour ago.

I edge closer to Holly, and Grayson steps between the bed and the guy.

"I see you found clothing," I say coolly. "How fortunate you have a rain jacket and spare jeans."

The guy remains still, fingers around the handle. "I had spares," he replies in a heavy Scottish accent.

"I told you Dash would bring me a coffee," says Holly in her drugged voice.

Dash? Good grief.

"Don't open the door, Dash ," says Grayson, his tone filled with violent warning. "Or you won't leave this room."

"Grayson!" protests Holly. "Neither of you touch him."

Dash edges over and hands the coffee cup to Holly who smiles gratefully. "I'm not sure I should've brought you this without asking a nurse," he tells her.

Ignoring him, Holly takes a sip.

The shifter stands across the bed from me, and I instantly shove my way into his mind. Instead of finding a construct's void, I hit fear of me and Grayson. Well, at least he's sensible. Dash winces as I pull apart his thoughts, but they're garbled like Holly's, and not through magic, but with shock at seeing Grayson and me.

"How do you know this shifter, Holly?" I demand. "I've never met this person before."

"I don't remember much about him," she admits. As Holly's hand shakes around the cup, Dash gently takes it from her. "But I know he's a werewolf."

Dash takes a sharp breath.

" Shifter , Holly; ‘werewolf' is an offensive term," I say, fixing my eyes on his wary brown ones. "Who are you? Did you lead me to Holly last night?"

"And lead us into the woods earlier today?" asks Grayson tersely.

"Dashiell. And yes to both."

Yes.

Anger flashes, and the guy lands on his backside, coffee cup flying from his hand and splattering brown liquid across the carpet and wall. I stride over and look down at him.

"Did you hurt Holly?" I snarl.

"You think I'm dumb enough to say yes?" he retorts then swears at the magical stab into his brain.

"You're dumb enough to come to the hospital to visit the girl you abducted and attacked," says Grayson from behind me.

But he's not stupid enough to move, and I ignore Holly's protest to stop. "Do you know who I am?"

"Yeah. Violet Blackwood. He's the Petrescu vamp."

"Leave him alone!" Holly says weakly. "Dash helped me."

I look over my shoulder. "How do you know he helped if you can't remember anything?"

"I remember him attacking the other werewolf."

"He isn't a werewolf, Holly," says Grayson. "Dashiell's a wolf shifter."

"Isn't that a werewolf?" she asks.

Have we not already had this conversation?

"Regardless what definition you wish to give this person, did he attack you?" I ask.

"No. The other werewo… shifter did." Her hand goes to her chest, and she cringes.

"And I killed him," says Dashiell flatly, "before he could kill Holly."

"You just happened to be wandering the woods and came across the attack?" asks Grayson derisively.

"Can I get up now?" Dashiell asks me. "I doubt the nurses would be impressed if they walk in on this."

"Answer the question."

He sighs. "No. I followed Sam when he snuck out with Holly. Something felt off."

"Out? From where?"

Dashiell shuffles backwards and manages to sit. "Look, I came to check on Holly because I had to know that she's okay. But I can't hang around. I didn't expect you to come here a second time today."

"How unfortunate because you're going nowhere else today," I say. "Apart from to see my father."

"Fuck. No. I wasn't involved, I swear." He darts a look to Holly. "Tell them."

"I can't remember everything, Dash," she says in a small voice. "But I know he helped me, Violet."

"This shifter knew the person who tried to kill you!" I protest. "Dashiell is involved in your captivity, or he knows who took you. Dorian will want answers."

"I'll die!" he protests.

"Dorian doesn't arbitrarily kill any longer," I reply. "Especially not shifters."

"No! He'll kill me. He kills others, I swear." Dashiell edges to the wall.

"He? Viktor?"

"I don't know his name."

"If Viktor has touched you at all , he'll know exactly where you are, Dashiell."

Dashiell's throat bobs. "I never did anything to Holly. I swear. I thought about talking to you this afternoon and asking you to keep an eye on her."

"But you ran," I reply.

"Yeah, I realized what a stupid idea that was." He swipes a hand down his face. "That you'd blame me."

"I don't want to be here," whispers Holly. "Listen to you all. I'm in danger. What if someone comes to take or hurt me again?"

"Like Dashiell?" I say and advance on him.

"No. The man."

Holly's half out of the bed, supporting herself on the edge as she drags the medical attachments from herself.

"Holly!" says Grayson in alarm. "Violet, stop her."

"Take me away. Please."

"Stop!" I rush over and take hold of Holly before she collapses. "You're not physically able."

Dashiell lurches for a red button close to Holly's bed, slams it, and turns to the door. Before I register what said button does, the door opens. "Are you okay, Holly…?" A male nurse halts to stare at us all. "What the hell is happening here?"

As the nurse advances on a protesting Holly, Dash lives up to his name, and disappears through the open door.