Chapter 26

26

VIOLET

I take my drink from the café counter and join the others in our now-adopted place beside the window. As I slide onto the booth seat beside Leif, I swallow down the irritation—no, downright annoyance—I brought with me from the hospital.

"Why are you all staring at me?" I ask.

"We didn't expect you to arrive this early," says Rowan. "Leif barely finished his meal. Did you speak to Dashiell? How's Holly?"

I glance at the plate stained with ketchup, knife and fork placed on top, and Leif slides it to the far end of the table. Tight-jawed, I explain to the others what occurred at the hospital, including Dorian's betrayal in moving Dashiell without allowing me to speak to him.

"He's excluding me!"

None of the three guys comment. But Dorian is . I certainly made the right decision in visiting Holly before Dorian had the chance yesterday. He might've taken her too. What if he's hiding things from me? Important information that's pertinent to Holly's welfare? My worries that Dorian will harm her won't stop nagging at me.

"I'm glad Holly's improving," says Leif.

"Yeah, but that's a messed-up story." Grayson crosses his arms and looks out of the window.

"What is your opinion about Dashiell?" I ask Rowan, setting down my cup. "Anything come up in your research?"

"You know shifters are secretive. It's hard to track down info on where Dashiell came from. There're few records of the shifter ‘who's who', let alone their missing people."

"Yes, but I'm concerned by Holly's repeated requests to see Dashiell. What if he's biding his time and may harm her? Or if someone used mind magic to force Holly to like and trust him so he can kill her?"

"Dashiell isn't allowed near Holly," says Grayson. "She's safe, especially now that he's gone."

"Safe from him, maybe, but Dorian needs to move Holly somewhere safer." But would Holly be safer with my father? "He could allow Eloise to look at her mind?" Leif takes a sharp breath, and I side-glance him. "Look gently ."

"What has Dorian done with him?" asks Rowan.

"Secret location." I press my lips together. "Even to me."

"Because Dorian knows you'll interfere," Grayson replies.

"Did Dorian tell you anything else before you left?" asks Rowan. "Has he found anything at the place the shifters kept Holly?"

"Dorian's men found nothing in the house that would indicate who Sam worked for, although there were traces of magic suggesting witches had visited the house. They found no paperwork of any kind, not even with Sam's name." I glare at the window. "This was not the news I'd wanted."

Since I walked into the café, the group from last time we visited have watched me, but concentrated on avoiding my eyes in the pretense that they aren't. If the teens do catch my eye, they'll see the warning to keep away. I do not have time for moronic zombie comments from people as brain dead as the imaginary creatures they're obsessed with.

The group aren't in uniform today, and others I recognize from Kai's party sit with them, along with another pretty girl and her golden-haired boyfriend.

Holly's Ollie. Ex Ollie, since somebody told him to stop interacting with academy students. With humans under curfew, none frequent the café, but even before the restriction on movements, I rarely saw town humans with those from the academy.

Now, Dale furtively types a message on his phone, whispering to the others. I watch their odd behavior and faintly catch phrases like "I'm not doing it" and "Tell him".

Interesting . These individuals require further inspection, even at risk of banal conversation about the undead.

I make to stand but don't need to as Dale has already stood and now edges towards the table. I'm too surprised at his audacity to scowl. More questions about Holly?

"Hey," he says weakly. "How's it going?"

Leif returns the greeting as Rowan and Grayson exchange confused looks. Across the café, the rest of the group now openly stare.

"Define ‘it'," I say.

"So. Yeah. You asked about Kai, right?"

I blink at the confusing comment. "Is Kai here?" I ask. "I haven't sensed him."

He gives me an odd look. "No."

"Is Kai meeting you?" asks Rowan.

"No."

"Then I don't understand your question," I say.

"Is he okay?" asks Leif cautiously.

"Nah."

"Hurt? What happened?" I sit upright. "Where is he?"

Another glance at me before Dale looks at Leif. "Kai can't leave the Sawyer property. Not even to meet up with his mates at the café. No school. Nothing. He's pissed about that."

"Kai isn't dead?" I ask. "That's positive news considering events of late."

"Yeah." Dale really does not like meeting my eyes. "I've seen him a couple of times at his place."

"Could you hurry up whatever this conversation is for?" I ask.

"Kai wants to see you."

"Me?" I ask. "I highly doubt that."

"Nah. I mean, yeah. Whoever."

Good grief. Are any of these teenagers capable of coherent speech?

"Kai wants us to visit him?" asks Grayson. "Why?"

"Is he home?" I ask, and stand.

"Uh. Yeah. Obviously." Dale rubs the back of his neck. "Kai asked us to keep a look out because he doesn't have your numbers. I just messaged to tell him you're at the café, and he replied."

"He's home now?" I press. Dale nods. "Then inform Kai to expect our visit presently."

"You what?" he asks, forced to step aside as I leave the booth.

I sigh. "Tell Kai that we've accepted his invitation and will visit him today. Soon. Now."

The fortuitous news buoys me after the earlier disappointment at the hospital. Kai wants to speak to us and not through Dorian. I finally have the chance to ask Kai something that has played on my mind since the day I discovered the tiara.

The Sawyer house. One place I never thought I'd return to unless under cover of darkness and during covert investigation. Certainly not via invitation from Kai. Kai asked us not to inform others of our visit, so I'm keener yet to meet up.

Since the Sawyers, and their home and business, remain under surveillance by my father's witches for the family's safety, Kai can't slip out without an explanation. Although, I'm intrigued as to what explanation he gave for Violet Blackwood's visit since we're hardly friendly. That my father sent me?

On the night of the fateful party, we entered the main premises by the rear, past the swimming pool, and through the terrace and plethora of fruit trees. This afternoon, Grayson takes us to a separate, single-story building on a part of the property reached by an alternative driveway.

Kai's part of the Sawyer home. Interesting. Why did he hold his party in the main house and risk the damage that occurred? Once I step inside, I discover why. The detached building is smaller.

With false pleasantries exchanged, Kai mutters at us to follow him into a room. A wide sofa is covered in crumbs and an oversize TV displays a fake war zone. Game controllers sit on the table beside beer cans and an empty bowl . Kai's stained gray trackpants and unshaven appearance, along with the sullen mood, suggests the place he's living isn't the Nirvana that's written on his scruffy T-shirt.

Leif engages in enthusiastic questions about Kai's prowess within the game, so I take in the environment, looking for runes.

Kai crosses to a bar fridge tucked into a corner of the room. "Beer?"

I raise a brow at Leif as he almost accepts. This is not the time for a drinking session. Rowan stands in the doorway to the area, eyes slightly narrowed as he takes a slow look around the room too, whereas Grayson flops onto the sofa.

"Can you see any runes?" I ask Rowan.

Kai inclines his head. "You'll find them under the rugs. Etched into the door frames. I wouldn't sleep at night without them."

This time I raise both eyebrows. "Yet you denied your pendant held any protective magical properties the night we spoke at the party."

He regards me, then grabs a beer before closing the fridge. "I'm not supposed to talk about magic and I denied a lot to myself, too."

"Why talk to us now?" asks Rowan, now examining beneath a rug, where he finds tiny runes in a color to match the pale wooden floor. "These are basic protection runes, Violet," he adds.

I crane my neck. The same as the ones beneath the Sawyers' nightstands that I saw at the party.

"I heard what happened to Holly. If these people can get to one of your closest friends, I've no chance." Kai swigs. "I need your help to get the hell out of here."

I glance at Leif. "Mine? Why do people always presume I'm willing and able?"

"Who else can help me get past them ?" Kai points to the window. "Your father has the place under guard by witches. My father also employs that bloody dumb security guy you met at my eighteenth. Do you know how crap constant surveillance is?"

I purse my lips and examine the runes that Rowan uncovered. He is correct. Protection.

"From memory, your father expelled you from the family when you refused to sign the documents at your eighteenth- birthday gathering," I say. "Yet, you're living in a rather luxurious annex, and there's a car parked outside. Yours?"

"Yeah. Had the Audi for a year. Dad's still pissed with me, but not enough that he'd risk my life by making me leave home."

"Yet you would like to?" I ask.

Rowan replaces the rug and stands. "And you'd trust us?'

"Like I said, Violet can get me past her dad's watchdogs."

"You presume that I can and will?" I shake my head. "Kai. I am concerned for your welfare, too. The threat to your life could be greater than you realize."

"Like you give a shit about me." Kai snorts.

"Wes was supposed to be you," says Leif. "Rory killed the wrong guy. The people responsible are still out there."

"Yeah. I know. Necromancers." Kai drinks again. "But if I get away from here, and have nothing to do with the Sawyers anymore, I'm safe, right?"

"Incorrect," I reply.

"Look. I know he—" Kai points at Rowan "—is a better than average witch. And you're… whatever. Powerful. You could protect me. Spells or some shit."

"‘Spells or some shit?'" I repeat. "Kai. Until we've caught those responsible for the deaths, nobody can risk your life. No. Your request is not possible currently."

He goes silent, and a muscle feathers in his jaw as he stares into space. Conversation over?

Kai turns his eyes to me, and he speaks again. "What if I could tell you things about my father that nobody knows?"