‘She couldn’t have fallen; I fear that she was planted here,’ he tried to say as calmly as possible.

‘Don’t say that.’ Henry’s whole body shook. ‘Who would do that to my little girl?’

‘The Rennigans. They’re the common thread.’ He scoffed.

Poor Henry looked like he was going to be sick.

‘I know you hate them. I heard you and Bethan last night, and I thought that too,’ Henry said while clutching his chest. ‘They always showed an interest in us, and it used to irk me. Ally would always dismiss it, saying it’s because Elnora and Bethan are such good friends.’

They walked farther into the clearing, and Henry continued, ‘But they helped us so much, I remember they came over to our house and stayed with us for one night. And we all became sick from being without Dana. That’s what made our magic leave us. Bethan was already a ghost of herself because of that Elmwood boy. Sunni gave us that potion, and our—mine and Ally’s—magic came back almost immediately. They helped us. They couldn’t have done it. I can’t imagine Kai and Sunni being so cruel.’

Kellan didn’t want to think of the girl that Bethan was before Tharin. He wished he could know her, but he knew she was slowly coming back in herself; it would just take time.

‘You’re right. She couldn’t have fallen; someone must have done something.’

‘Did you see her body?’ Kellan asked.

‘I can’t remember.’ Tears shone in Henry’s brown eyes. ‘Maybe I should ask to get her body exhumed, but I don’t want to mess around with her afterlife.’

‘Don’t, I shouldn’t have distressed you like this.’ His brows knitted together. ‘We read Dana’s journal last night, and she said some things that worried me.’

They walked back and trailed down the mountain; there was no way the grimoire would be in the clearing unless there was another hidden cave.

Kellan took his thoughts back to his journey to Aalexyia; Henry had talked about a man in the car.

‘You mentioned Dana had a boyfriend; is it possible that he could have?’

Henry practically convulsed and dismissed him entirely.

‘I don’t think anyone could have adored and loved her more than he had. He would have to be one Hells of an actor.’

‘But he disappeared the day after the funeral,’ Kellan argued.

‘He moved because he couldn’t be in the city anymore. He told us this. He moved to Phaistos. We haven’t heard from him since.’

Kellan shook his head. He needed to know more. ‘What happened?

‘During the autumn, we stopped getting calls,’ he said. ‘When Dana first brought him home, I was nervous; I had never met a vampire before. I didn’t have the best impressions of them. But he was so kind.’