Page 58 of Violet

His words fill me with rage, but there’s nothing I can do.

Then Violet squeezes her eyes tightly shut—something she’s done the last few times she shifted into her skunk—and I don’t dare breathe.

Come on, Violet. You can do it! Shift!

One second. Two. Nothing happens.

A look of defeat flits over my old friend’s face, and she starts to struggle in earnest. All it does is send more blood trailing down to her collarbone.

Violet’s vampires hiss. Nole growls, Liam clenches his large hands into fists, and Cash gives my shoulder a squeeze. But none of them do anything to save my Violet... which means it’s up to me.

Before my mates have time to react, I shift into a homing pigeon and flit past them. By the time Liam lets out an outraged roar—and Nole, Cash, and some of the townsfolk start shouting—I’m halfway to Raicus.

His minions set torrents of purple-black magic loose, creating a laser show of destruction. I end up flying through a life-or-death obstacle course, but guess what, witches? My mother trained me for this!

I don’t mean she actually knew this was going to happen. I don’t think anyone could have predicted that I’d be pelted by evil witch magic while trying to fly through it in bird form. But all my mother’s chameleon flight training—and all those days spent battered and bruised after crashing into trees—finally pays off.

I easily dodge every attack and swoop down toward Raicus. Then I brace myself, ready to shift, because there’s only one way to save Violet. One way I can make sure she lives to see another day.

I summon my chameleon magic, and at the last possible second, I shift into a dragon. My talons loop around my friend’s arms, and I lift her up, out of the evil witch’s grasp.

She lets out a yelp and blood trails down her chest, but in tiny ripples, not in spurts.

The moment Violet and I are clear, the crowd breathes a collective sigh of relief. A second passes when they all remain frozen, but then they converge on Raicus and his minions. The fight is over before it’s even begun.

Witches incapacitate them. Shifters and other supes stand guard. Then cops swoop in, handcuffing them and dragging them off toward squad cars. Taking them to the station... or straight to Silver Springs Penitentiary.

I count five witches in all, not six—Raicus, with his arms bound behind his back, cursing the entire time, and four of his minions. I realize the blue-haired witch somehow managed to disappear, but I’m not afraid. Not anymore. She wouldn’t dare show her face in Silver Springs. Not knowing the whole town will band together to defeat her.

Knowing that I’m safe—that we’re safe—I set Violet down on an empty stretch of grass and shift back to my own body.

“Letty?” I cry, shaking her limp form. But her eyes remain closed, her face pale, as blood trails down her neck.

“Birdie?” Bert zooms up to her a second later and drops to his knees beside her.

“Can you hear me, little dove?” Hugh cries as he cradles her head on his lap.

“Check if she’s breathing!” Aldo orders. “Come on, breathe, duck. Breathe!”

I don’t realize I’m sobbing until Cash pulls me to my feet. He hugs me tightly against his chest, and Liam wraps his arms around me from behind.

“Is she... dead?” I wail as I look at her loving, pale, unresponsive face.

“Undead,” Aldo says, tearing open his wrist.

“She said...” that she didn’t want to be turned. The words hover on the tip of my tongue, but I can’t seem to get them out. I can’t tell Aldo that Violet never asked for this. I can’t watch her die.

So I stand by quietly and watch the vampire force blood down my best friend’s throat. Watch as her mates hover over her, begging her to live.

“Is it working?” Hugh cries when Aldo pulls back his wrist. “Does she need more blood?”

“She’s had enough.” Aldo cups her cheek lovingly. “I’ve seen many a turn, and she’s taking to it nicely. But only time will truly tell.”

I don’t know how much time he means, but we all wait silently as the moments tick away. A few paramedics rush over to see if they can help, but when Bert explains about the turn, they pack up their stuff and go.

April June comes over next—without any dildos this time—and apologizes for missing the fight. She says something about testing merchandise, inspects the area as if looking for something, or someone, and heads back the way she came.

My sister and her mate, Julian, announce that drinks are free all day at Jewels Cafe. Then Rose and the vampires who own Club Vee say something about an after party... though I’m not really listening.