Violette nodded, grabbing herself by the arms as she again felt how her body started trembling, being still wet and cold. The freezing air embraced her fully and for a moment she got jealous of Dante’s ability to not feel anything, after all, being a vampire has its pros.
But instead of moving forward, he suddenly stopped and spun to her. With the words “I think it's yours,” he extended her magic wand.
In a cascade of events, Violette completely forgot about it, she might have dropped it in the water. She couldn't be more grateful to him for saving it – the dearest thing to a wizard's heart.
“Oh, thank you,” she whispered, her eyes shone brighter. Taking it back, her fingers brushed his palm, surprisingly warm and soft, not at all what she'd imagined.
Shaking off the strange feeling, Violette finally was able to cast a spell to dry her clothes and hair.
“Much better,” she breathed contentedly, a pleasant shiver running through her body. Then she cast the spell again on Dante as he was already taking a step in the other direction.
He turned his head slightly, glancing at her from the corners of his eyes.
“Thank you.”
“And,” Dante pulled out the dagger from its sheath and offered it to her, “take it as well.”
Violette, astounded, looked at the blade, the jewels on the hilt sparkling in the candlelight of a lonely lantern.
“Why?” She couldn't understand.
“You definitely don't stand a chance with your bare hands.”Somehow his words
managed to sound like an accusation. “Maybe, at least, this will help you to stay alive. At some point.”
Her lashes fluttered as she carefully tookthe dagger. She remembered he didn't fear she'd use it but she didn't expect him to simply hand it to her as if it wasn't a lethal weapon to him. Has he trusted her that much or just underestimated?
Chapter 17
SPECIAL CHARMS
They stopped by the wooden bridge over a narrow fast river. Violette raised her eyes to the stars, the clear sky made her heart flutter. The moon illuminated the river's waters as Dante unrolled the scroll.
A warm glow radiated from the paper written in gold ink:
Violette looked over to read the message. She couldn't say if the paper was enchanted or it was just a regular sheet with a clue.
“I see she definitely loved riddles,” she pointed out.
“Oh, yes,” Dante sighed, “she'd loved to make life difficult, especially to others.”
“Why do we follow her riddles? What if they lead to nothing?” She finally risked asking the question that couldn't leave her head. “It can be possibly just a trick to distract us and lead us in the wrong direction.”
“Of course it's a trick,” Dante said with a placid and faint smile, which made Violette raise her brows in surprise. “But even tricks have something that can help, Little Witch. I'd nevertrust someone like her but it can lead to what I want to find.”
“This doesn't make sense,” she retorted.
“You just had never met her. Luckily for you.”
Violette looked at the piece of paper again, her eyes plunged lower to a small black inked picture of two flowers in the corner.
“This looks like a hand drawing, not a stamp,” she noted, pointing at the drawing.
Dante slowly switched his gaze to the place her finger showed.
Violette’s forehead creased. “It looks like a lilac and a lupine. Does it tell you something?”
He shot her side-glance. “Only that it's flowers.”
