Chapter 43

43

VIOLET

The early sunshine filters through the tall tree canopies, and the damp morning chill touches my face. I stem the bleeding, kneeling in the muddy ground, all senses focused on detecting any supernatural presences. None. Not even Grayson and Rowan. Yet.

We're at the edge of the clearing Viktor asked we meet in, far enough from the open to remain hidden from view. The witch will sense us if he's nearby, but then so will I sense him.

But I have another problem.

Dashiell sits close by, pale-faced and perspiring, disorientated by the spell, but I barely notice him. Instead, I spin around, looking for the intruder. Holly rests against a trunk, her breath coming in short bursts, the tears still wet on her cheeks. Anger and fear meld together as I stare down at Holly. What has she done?

She looks at me warily and pulls her index finger from her mouth. "Don't be mad," she whispers.

"Mad? I'm furious!" I hiss. "I worried that the guys would follow too soon, but at least they could protect themselves! I'm meeting Viktor, and he told me not to bring anybody apart from Dashiell, Holly."

"I doubt I count," she says. "He's only worried about powerful people."

Her voice cracks, tears welling in her eyes again. Powerful people: not weak ones easily preyed on by witches.

"What the hell is happening?" asks Dashiell hoarsely. "What do you mean Viktor told you not to bring anyone? Isn't the idea that we all take the witch down?"

I look away. "Yes."

"I'm confused why you decided to bring me without…" Dashiell trails off. "Shit. No way." I prepare for him to shift forms, readying myself to pin Dashiell down before that can happen, but his eyes are on Holly. " Shit ," he repeats.

"What?" asks Holly, looking between us.

"Violet wants to hand me to Viktor!" Dashiell runs a hand across the top of his head.

"Omigod! Is that true, Violet?" Holly asks, and I stay quiet. "I knew you were all lying to me. You hated Dashiell. You'd never let him go."

"How were you in the basement?" I demand. "I left you with the others in the lounge room."

"As soon as Grayson came back without you, I knew something was wrong. I told them I needed to use the bathroom, and the stairs are in the hallway. You weren't in the kitchen; you had to be with Dashiell. Why are you doing this?"

"Why did you come?" I demand. "Are you delusional enough to think that you can stop any plans I had for Dashiell? Don't you understand this is to help you?"

Holly laughs, the sound hollow, and she struggles to her feet. Dashiell hooks his arms beneath hers to help, but she pushes at him. "Dash. Shift and run."

"Don't you dare," I warn the shifter.

"Holly did you a favor by coming with us," he says harshly. "I can't try to escape; I'm not leaving her with psychos."

"Psychos?" I tune my senses to the surroundings again. "No. There're no other witches here. I can't detect Viktor yet."

"I mean you're the other psycho!" he snaps. "You told me you'd kill Viktor to help free Holly from his control, but never mentioned I was bait!" He bares his teeth.

I regard him silently for a moment, wishing that Holly's distress wasn't disturbing me. "Did you believe your actions against my friend would go unpunished? That I helped you escape Dorian out of the goodness of my heart?"

"What heart?" Holly's voice rises. "You're no better than your father!"

I ready a response, but Holly's voice cuts dead. I turn my head, to where she's staring from the trees towards the open clearing. Viktor?

"Who's here?" I ask her.

Holly doesn't register my question, or Dashiell, who's touching her face, speaking gently. She's lost again. That recently all-too-familiar blend of fear and anger bubbles as I brace myself for the scream.

Dashiell pushes a curl from Holly's face and strokes her cheek. "Holly?"

No response. No scream.

The first time I met Viktor, I didn't sense the witch's energy until he stood close to me. Now, I'm acutely aware of Viktor's magic from a distance. He's drawing the world to him rather than creating a barrier, as if a fire consuming oxygen. My parents contain a similar energy, but theirs projects outwards to smother the environment. This witch sucks away life.

"Viktor is nearby," I say.

Dash draws Holly to him, face determined, but his breathing speeds at my mention of Viktor. Holly's stiff, her body hardened by the spell, as she continues to stare ahead. I swallow. Will she be pliable under Viktor's control like Leif was at the reno house?

Is this shifter really ignoring the chance to run due to Holly's presence?

My fingers band Dashiell's forearm, and I drag him with me as I move to the direction Holly stares in. I step into the agreed meeting place, and an invisible imprint of horror from the day Holly could've died fills the clearing in the woods. The true culprit stands at the edge opposite.

Last time, we met at night, and although shadow masked Viktor's face, the thick-set witch's soulless eyes stood out to me. Even completely visible in the early morning light, those eyes still stand out the most.

He doesn't move or speak as we regard each other, but his lips curl into a smile as he looks at Holly a few meters behind me.

He came alone? Mistake. Viktor dies. Now.

I take one step towards Viktor before I'm stopped—not by his magic, but a high-pitched scream behind me. I whirl around to where Holly mirrors the day at the hospital, mouth open, eyes vacant, close to a wide trunk at the edge of the clearing.

"Now, now, Violet," says Viktor, holding a palm out towards me. "I may not have companions, as I promised, but I have ways to protect myself from a hybrid who's gone soft."

"Stop," I say through gritted teeth as the scream pierces the quiet morning. "I brought the shifter. Leave Holly alone."

We remain apart at opposites ends of the clearing. Viktor wears his false personality's uniform; a blue polo shirt embroidered with his company name, khaki cargo pants and heavy work boots. Ordinary, as if dealing with a small personal matter before he starts work.

"Fine." He shrugs, and Holly's screaming stops.

I twist my head. "Holly?" She doesn't respond, expression and eyes blank, locked inside the spell.

"Why did you bring Holly?" asks Viktor curiously. "Rather a stupid move."

"She followed. I couldn't stop her thanks to the spell that created her obsession with Dashiell."

"Spell?"

"You know what I'm talking about!" I snap.

"Oh. I thought you brought Holly as part of a clever plan since the shifter wouldn't leave Holly and run into the woods away from us." Viktor moves closer, and I sidestep to prevent him from reaching Holly. He laughs at me and looks over my shoulder. "Hello, Dashiell. Remember me?" He pauses then grins. "I don't suppose you do."

Dashiell makes the ridiculous decision to lunge at Viktor, and Holly's scream pierces the night again before he manages to make contact. Arresting himself, Dashiell swears at Viktor and takes hold of Holly. "Stop hurting her!"

Although Viktor is still blocked from reaching Holly, he doesn't try to move any closer. Viktor doesn't need to touch her to inflict harm. The hybrid dances in my veins, trying to take hold as I'm pulled between instinct and thinking. How do I kill Viktor before he can hurt Holly further?

"To be honest, I'm surprised you took my threat seriously, and your hangers-on aren't with you." He slants his head. "Although I expect they'll arrive soon. Shall we get on with our business while we have time?"

"You have Dashiell. Take the spell away from Holly."

"Technically, I don't have him since he's standing with you, the poor guy torn whether to run or protect his little human," says Viktor, and Dashiell snarls at him. "I don't want Dashiell."

I blink. "Then what is this meeting for? You asked me to bring the wolf shifter to you. If you believe you've trapped me in any way, you're wrong. If any of your accomplices are nearby, they won't survive."

"But, Violet, I already have you trapped due to your emotional responses to the situation." I don't budge as he steps up to meet me, face to sneering face. "Emotions are such tricky little things. They lead to trouble. Downfalls. I have no need to ask for help against you."

A sharp desire to snap his neck springs into my mind, immediately shoved away by the sound of something hitting the ground.

"Holly!" gasps out Dashiell.

I spin around to where Dashiell kneels beside my friend, who's clawing at her neck, eyes wide. "I can't breathe!" she rasps.

"Take the spell away from Holly!" I shout at Viktor, shoving him hard in the chest. "If you harm Holly, I'll kill you. More than once."

He stumbles. "Like I said, tricky little emotions. Your father would be disgusted with you. Here I am, inches away from your teeth, and yet I'm untouched. All because you can't stand the thought that an insignificant human could die."

Holly continues to choke, and Dashiell talks to calm her as her struggling breaths echo in my mind. I can subdue the hybrid long enough to calculate the best time to unleash on Viktor, but can't stop every response, and my teeth and nails sharpen.

"If you don't want Dashiell, what do you want?" I snarl, baring teeth that should be tearing into him.

Viktor's face moves closer to mine. "Kill him," he whispers.

"What?"

"Kill the shifter." Viktor steps back, his malevolent aura spreading to his smile. "I could do it myself, but I want you to. Holly can watch."