Page 46 of Violet

This is all my fault! My fault for dragging sweet, old Violet into this. My fault for losing control of my wonky powers. My fault for shifting out in the hallway. And definitely my fault for trusting Nole to keep my secret, when I could see the hatred on his face!

Why didn’t I just grab my bag the moment Nole left last night? Why did I just go to work instead of asking Cash to take Violet somewhere safe?

Tears stream down my face as I spin around the empty living room. What do I do? Where do I go?

I know what Violet would want. She’d tell me to grab my stuff and leave before it’s too late. She’d say she’s lived a long and happy life, and it’s my turn to live mine. But I can’t... I won’t... not if it means sacrificing Violet.

I race back toward the bedroom and rummage through her nightstand. Past her medicine, hand cream, flashlight, and poetry book, until I find it... Violet’s emergency flip phone!

It’s not a smartphone, so I can’t go on Screech and message Cash, but there is one other person who could help. Maybe... it’s not like I really have a choice.

I only have one number memorized. One number I’ve called from the library’s landline enough times to know it by heart.

“Hello?” Betty picks up on the third ring.

Betty, who probably hates me right now... and who’d definitely hang up if she knew it was me.

“Hello, Betty. It’s Bert,” I say instead. After shifting into the vampire, of course.

“Bert?! Did something happen to Liam?” Betty’s voice takes on an edge of panic.

“No. Liam’s fine. Everything’s fine.” And the real Bert would have probably led with that, knowing she’d worry. “I’m actually calling because I need Liam’s number.”

“His phone number?” Betty asks, sounding either confused, or suspicious, or both.

Shit, shit, shit! She knows I’m a chameleon. She’s going to figure out it’s not really Bert. And then she’ll hang up on me, and I won’t be able to find Violet, and...

“Don’t you already have Liam’s phone number?” Betty presses.

“I... er...” I try to think of something. Anything! “had it programmed into my phone, but it somehow got deleted?”

“That happened to me, too!” Betty exclaims. “I had Violet help... well, never mind that.”

And now she’s definitely going to guess it’s me, and hang up, and...

“Where is Liam?” Betty asks suddenly.

I almost say I don’t know before I realize Betty still thinks I’m Bert. “He’s... outside... in the squad car...” Come on, Violet! Come on! “We went on a donut run...” Way to stereotype cops, Violet! “And I don’t want to lose my place in line.”

“Well, why didn’t you say so,” Betty exclaims brightly. “Are you at Buttercup’s Bake Shop?”

Is that some sort of test? Did Buttercup’s shut down, just like Minerva’s Bakery? Except I’d seen people walking around town with those cute pink polka dot boxes, which is why I take the risk. “Yes, Buttercup’s Bake Shop.”

“Oh, good. Liam loves her berry donuts. The ones with the sprinkles.”

“Yes, of course...” Because the real Bert would probably know that... “But we promised to pick up donuts for the entire station. And Liam has the list. Could you give me his number so I can give him a call?”

A silent moment passes. I think Betty’s going to hang up, or tell me she’s going to call the police, but she starts to recite the number instead.

I grab the pad of paper and pencil from Violet’s nightstand, scribble it down, and hang up. Then I brace myself and call Liam.

Chapter 20

Violet

“Yes?” Liam barks into the phone, and I start to panic.

The troll’s got no reason to help me, none except that he’s my mate. But Nole’s my mate too, and look how that turned out. After almost a year of knowing each other, he still turned on me... while Liam and I literally just met.