Chapter 34

34

VIOLET

My nagging at Dorian during dinner to allow me—and possibly Holly—to visit Dashiell wasn't welcomed. The act led to an extreme response from Dorian that almost sent Holly crawling beneath the table.

I interrupted his ire with a comment to Holly that the steak we're enjoying proves that Dorian doesn't eat children. This did deflect conflict but did not get an enthusiastic reception from anybody, and silence ensued.

As Holly takes time to speak with Eloise post-dinner, my mother no doubt using her soothing mind magic on my friend, Dorian suggests we have ‘a chat'. We retreat to his study, and Dorian sits on the edge of the desk, reminiscent of the time he stood with Eloise and informed me of my move to Thornwood Academy.

"You're doing what ?" I ask, unable to fathom his information.

"I'm done with Dashiell and I'm letting him go," he says.

I'd vainly hoped the meeting would be a change of heart, but no. Dorian called me here to inform me he's letting Dashiell go, and I'm convinced this is a euphemism for his demise.

No. I need Dashiell.

"Why?" I say.

"The most specialized witches combed through the shifter's memories earlier today, as others have daily since we caught him, and they discovered nothing new. I've all the information I can extract. Dashiell is useless."

"Useless because he doesn't have information or useless to you?" I ask.

"Isn't that the same thing?"

"Are you planning to kill Dashiell for his crime against a human?" I ask. "The human authorities want him tried in one of their courts."

"No. Someone else can kill him." Dorian meets my eyes. "I'm releasing the shifter in order to watch where he goes. If somebody else wants to eliminate the guy, I'd like to discover who, and catch them in the act. Fingers crossed this is Viktor."

"You're using Dashiell as bait?" I ask. "That's unfair."

Says the girl who's trading Dashiell's life for her best friend's.

"Unfair?" Dorian scoffs. "I don't do fair. I do what gets results. The shifter created the situation for himself."

"But I haven't had a chance to speak to him yet."

"Dashiell knows nothing," says Dorian with a sigh. "Every word he told my people is true, and his story complete."

"He didn't abduct Holly?" I ask. "Dashiell did save her life?"

"No, and probably yes, but the shifter isn't innocent in all this, Violet. He conspired to keep Holly rather than inform somebody. The reason? Dashiell is frightened of someone he has never met. I'm hoping that someone is Viktor."

But Dashiell tried to inform me , albeit uselessly in wolf form.

At this moment, telling Dorian about Viktor's communication would be the right thing to do but also the very worst. I don't do fair. I do what gets results. Viktor is correct that if Dorian achieves his aim and locates him, my father wouldn't care who gets hurt in the process. Dorian would capture or kill the witch in a single breath if they met head-to-head, but Viktor would know Dorian is nearby first. The witch would trigger the spell-bomb in Holly's mind before my father even reached Viktor.

And I'm not taking the risk that Viktor is lying—hasn't he already proved his hold on Holly with her episode at the hospital?

"I never said Dashiell is innocent, but you've denied me the opportunity to speak to him!" I repeat. "And you're stupid to let him go."

"Watch your tongue, Violet," he snaps. "If there's a possibility that Josef may be involved, I'll find him too. The Petrescu threatened me and my council. I'll take any chance to locate him."

"Josef still hasn't contacted the Sawyers?" I ask.

"Nobody has seen him since Kai's party. I've noted Sawyer's unease about this." Dorian waves a hand. "I want to know if Josef is involved with Viktor."

"I'd say Josef is very obviously involved with Viktor since both voiced opposition to your government and their intention to depose you."

"Depose is a bit strong, Violet." He crosses his arms. "And no, not obvious. Josef double-crossed witches at the factory that night. I'm exploring the possibility that there're two factions against me—three if you include shifters, but they never act."

No, but they threaten Leif. How long until that situation rears its ugly head again?

"If these factions are in opposition too, that will aid me. Josef Petrescu is old school Confederacy. The witches we've encountered are much younger, but old enough to have lived under Confederacy rule. Perhaps the witch group doesn't favor the return of an old regime, even if they hate mine." He sits and smiles at me. "Whoever controls supernatural society needs to either garner human support or subjugate them. Perhaps the factions have opposing opinions on that too. Viktor especially dislikes humans, and Josef appears to protect the Sawyers."

Dorian may be piecing this together but he's missing parts.

"Have you discovered anything else about the Sawyers? Are the connected to the Circle at all?"

Dorian reaches across and pulls out a bundle of papers. "Sawyer has a lot of business dealing with the witches we're investigating. The man has investments everywhere."

As I supposed.

"And the tiara and deeds? Connected to Sawyer or not?"

"Again, still looking for a definitive link as to whether somebody planted that or if Sawyer hid the items himself. The deeds do support the shifters' claim on the land but that takes delicate handling due to the human legalities. Under their laws, Sawyer owns the land." Dorian sighs. "I agree with the elders that the interference in the shifters' relationship with the town is an attempt to push them from the land. Hence, I believe different factions are at odds, unless Josef is also double-crossing Sawyer."

"And shifter constructs? Have Ethan and Zeke found anymore?"

"No." Dorian's expression hardens. "The fools still won't allow us access to their people in order to discover."

"Everything is growing out of control."

Dorian drops the papers on the desk and moves closer. "I have outsmarted and brought down powerful people in my time and achieved that through more than my physical and magical power. However complex, I solve the puzzles. I outwit. I win. How else would I stand here now as a leader who idiots believe they can usurp, when I was once hunted and exiled?" I narrow my eyes as Dorian attempts to push into my mind and slam down a wall against him. "Do not question my methods or decisions. Dashiell walks away, and I watch. I'd say ‘free', but the boy never will be. Not now."

And again, Dorian demonstrates who I forget he is—a stark reminder that Holly could be in danger from my father too. But I can't hide everything.

"If you allow me to speak with Dashiell, I'll share something with you," I say.

He arches a brow. "I do hope you're not hiding information from me. That would not end well for you, especially following the attempt to keep me away from Holly. I've been lenient but will not tolerate that behavior again."

"Will you allow me to speak to Dashiell?" I repeat.

"Share your information, Violet."

I blow air into my cheeks. "The person in the photograph with Madison is Kai's uncle. Sarah Sawyer's brother."

Dorian's expression darkens. "How long have you known this?"

"Since we spoke to Kai the other day." I pause and choose not to disclose our latest conversation with Kai. "I request that you don't storm into the Sawyers' house, guns blazing, demanding answers, in case that alerts Viktor. Please allow me to follow this up myself more subtly. After all, Madison's murder is the investigation you deemed inferior."

The room falls into a thick silence as Dorian turns away, sliding hands into his pockets as he walks to the window. When my father decides to end a conversation, he'll either lose his temper and leave or send the person away, so I wait impatiently.

"I'll give you two days." He turns back to me. "Then I take over. If, in that time, the four of you discover something that imminently threatens you or others, inform me immediately. And if you find precise details about Viktor's location, again, do not deal with that alone. The last time you met him almost ended in several unwanted deaths, including the bastard necromancer's." He pauses. "Viktor can not die until I have everything I need from his mind. You are not to kill him. Understood?"

I take a steadying breath. "Very well. And Dashiell? Can I speak to him before you let him loose?"

Tell me where he is.

Dorian gives me a long look. "I'll consider your request and let you know the answer tomorrow."

Seems that the world's most powerful supernatural creature can behave exactly like any other father. And I can be like a typical daughter—I'll ask my mother instead.