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“I’m sure they do,” Rowan says. “But after class, you need to give us a full debrief on your meeting with Dorian. You’re…” He takes my hand and frowns at my fingers. “Odd.”

“Odd? How is that an unusual state for me?”

“You know what I mean.”

“Rowan, I had an argument with a furious Dorian Blackwood. We exchanged words. Anybody would be ‘odd’ in that situation.”

Rowan snorts. “It’s the words that you exchanged which worry me.”

“Have you seen Grayson?” I ask. “He informed me he would return.”

“Wow.” Leif pauses in his measuring. “He’s brave if he does. What if Dorian arrives?”

“Stop changing the subject, Violet,” says Rowan.

“What are you doing?” a male voice snaps.

Across the room, Chase stands over Logan, holding a sheet of paper in the air. “What’s this?”

“None of your business.” Logan stands and snatches the paper back.

“Why is there a list of witches’ names on here? And what does all this other shit you’ve written mean?” asks Chase.

“Chase. Sit down and continue your work,” Julius demands.

“The humans are passing this around and adding names to it!”

“Including yours?” asks Julius.

“No, but?—”

“Then sit down.”

“Some are crossed out! And there’re other things written that I haven’t read yet, like?—”

Julius slams a hand on his desk a second time, and those watching Logan startle and look to the teacher. “I said, sit down .”

Ignoring him, Chase snatches the paper.

“It’s not what you think! Give it back,” says Logan.

“Taking notes on us now, Logan?” He scans the words. “‘Blood Moon amplifies witch magic.’ ‘Witches seen gathering after dark.’ Locations. Planning something, are you? Or just spying on us?”

Logan stands too and rounds the desk to face the witch. “They’re observation notes. We’re watching for unusual activity since the witches are keeping everything to themselves about the Blood Moon.”

Instead of watching their exchange, I scan the room to ascertain others’ reactions—especially Marci and her friends’. Marci murmurs something to a witch beside her, and Darian sits forward in interest, resting his arms on the desk beside the potion-making equipment he hasn’t touched.

Chase walks across the room and hands the note to another witch.

“What do you reckon, Simon?”

Other Pendle students look over the witch’s shoulder.

“Research? That’s what you’re calling it? Looks more like paranoia,” Simon replies. “Blood Moons don’t amplify witch magic. Who told you that?”

“And this isn’t a Blood Moon, Logan,” says Leif. “I told you.”

“Paranoia? How can we trust you when you’re secretive?” Logan points to Sara’s brooch. “And why create and sell protective talismans for humans unless you know something will happen on campus?”

Marci straightens and whispers to Nita who nods. “The brooches are for more than the full moon,” Marci says. “In case you hadn’t noticed, people are dying.”

“But no witches seem bothered by the Blood… full moon. Suspicious, much?” Dale asks.

“Because we don’t buy into hysteria. If there were something weird happening, we’d sense the magic,” replies Nita.

Interesting. The human girls who sold the brooches say nothing, although a couple of them touch their gold adornments.

“Tell me why you’ve made a list of names. If you start up Wes’s night-time ‘games’ again, you’ll regret it!” snaps Chase. “We’ll get to you first.”

“Ah! Threats, see?” Logan waves a hand.

“You’re just scared because you don’t understand magic,” says Marci. “Humans who spend time with us know we’re here to learn, not threaten you. Right, Holly? Isabella?”

Holly nods but Isabella stares ahead. Not backing up her witch friend?

“We’re scared because you’re hiding things! What are you brewing over there? A defensive potion for when the Blood Moon hits?” asks Sara.

Julius now rests against the table arms crossed. “Defensive potions are part of the curriculum and always have been. As per academy rules, we don’t teach potions that can be used to influence or injure a human.”

Darian clears his throat. “A little curiosity isn’t a crime, Chase.” The vampire smiles. “But if you do have something to hide, be careful.”

“See? Even Darian thinks you’re hiding something.” Dale nods at him.

“No, Dale, I think humans are overreacting. Maybe next time, don’t wave your ‘research’ around in plain sight.”

Chase stalks over to look down at Darian. “Don’t pretend you’re neutral. Your kind are always lurking; now you’re stirring things up.”

“Stirring things up? I’m pointing out that secrecy breeds mistrust. If witches were more forthcoming, this wouldn’t even be a conversation.”

“Yeah. Are you afraid we’ll figure out what you’re really up to?” Logan calls out to Chase.

“You know, they do have a point,” cuts in the vampire beside Darian. “If witches are sneaking around, that does make you look a little... suspicious.”

Murmurs of agreement fill the room. “Bloody hell,” says Rowan. “How dumb are Chase and Logan?”

“I’m more interested in why Darian suddenly involved himself,” I say. “I haven’t heard a word from Sheridan House about the Full Moon.”

“If anyone’s plotting something, it’s probably Sheridan vamps,” Chase says. “You’re the ones who sneak around.”

“Sneak around? Like your merry little human gang sneaks around on campus every night?”

“We’re looking for suspicious activity ,” Logan retorts. “Maybe we should check out Sheridan House next time.”

“Shifters don’t live with us. And we’re not dumb enough to believe in full moon drama or so-called Blood Moons,” the other vampire says, and the pair laughs.

“I bet hemia like you are, Darian!” says Sara. “Nobody trusts hemia.”

“Are you serious?” A vampire scoffs. “Sheridan isn’t getting involved in your dumb battle.”

Chase snorts with derision. “No, you sit there and laugh while we get the blame. Seems a bit weird .”

“Such hostility. Maybe that’s why no one trusts witches. Always so quick to blame someone else.” Darian’s flash of his sharp teeth does not help the situation.

“Enough!” Julius’s voice arrests everybody. “Logan, give me the note. I’ll need to report this ridiculous conflict to Mrs. Lorcan. Somebody needs to sit you all down to talk about the imaginary threats and clear the air.”

Logan hesitates but hands over the paper. The teacher glances at the note briefly, his expression tightening before he folds the paper and tucks it away.

“This discussion is over. Get back to your potions and experiments, all of you.”

The class slowly resumes, but the tension lingers as the humans and witches continue attempts to outstare each other. The vampires hold a quiet conversation, smirking to themselves, and at the end of the lesson they slip out before the other students, leaving their work untouched.

Is Josef the only vampire involved in misdirecting blame onto witches?

Grayson needs to discover his uncle’s links to the full moon rumors.

Dorian has researched Josef’s connections to families of vampires inside the academy and, as with witches, there are too many family interconnections to single out anything specific within Sheridan.

I’ll tell Dorian my suspicions straightaway.

“We need to get out of here quickly,” I whisper. “Julius wants to speak to us; I don’t wish to speak to him.”

A phone alert sounds, and I quickly check the screen. If this is Dorian changing his mind and heading to interrogate my guys or Holly, I have another reason for a swift exit.

Grayson.

I’m back. Need to talk.