Dead To Me

THORNWOOD ACADEMY 2: DEAD TO ME LJ SWALLOW Copyright © 2023 by LJ Swallow All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. vA2 Contents For You Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Other Books By LJ Swallow SOMETHING EXTRA FOR YOU Did you read the bonus content I linked at the end of Thornwood Academy: Never Say Die? If you want to read some diary entries from the guys and take a look at Violet’s investigative notes, grab your copy here: THORNWOOD ACADEMY BONUS You’ll find chapters from the guys’ point of view in this new book too. Enjoy! Here’s some character inspiration voted by the readers… there’s artwork too if you check my Facebook page or Facebook group here. Chapter One VIOLET "The blood is mine." I stare blankly at Grayson as he wipes at his face with a damp, dark blue towel. Not the explanation I expected from Grayson. "The blood? On your face?" "Is my blood. Yes." There're two disturbing issues here. Firstly, why? Secondly, I'm attracted to that blood. His blood. Well, I guess you missed an ingredient in your potion, mother. Sure, I couldn't differentiate vamp blood by smell, but I sure as hell liked the taste. And now I've tasted it, I can scent it. Or just Grayson’s? Crap. "Oh." My hands dangle uselessly by my sides as I remain by the door leading out of his room. I'm certainly notching up my academy rule-breaking tonight: two guys’ rooms in one evening. Unlike Rowan's chaos, Grayson's is immaculate, as if staged for an academy brochure as one of "wood's premier rooms. I'm increasingly annoyed that my father never arranged one for me. He frowns. "Is that explanation enough for you?" I shake my head. "Why are you quiet? It makes me nervous." "Uh. I've never seen a vampire covered in their own blood." Obviously, otherwise I might've engaged in some face-licking. Good grief, Violet. Grayson mistakes my pained expression for something else. "Don’t worry. I'm not hurt anymore." "Anymore?" I wrap my arms around myself, debating the sense in staying in Grayson's room. But I did demand an explanation and I agreed to speak to him alone. I smelled Grayson's blood. I tasted his blood. Now I've seen him in the light, I can tell this is vamp—it's darker and thicker like mine, something I couldn't see both times I encountered Grayson in the dark. "What happened? Did you fight? Or did the people you killed fight back?" Grayson goes deadly still. Is he about to strike? "I did not kill," he snaps. "And if I did, wouldn't I have shifter blood on me right now?" I recoil as he holds out the towel. "Smell." My eyes widen. "I'd rather not." "Don’t panic, it's vamp blood. That won’t tempt you.” He waves the navy towel. Sensible color choice—less persistent blood stains. "I believe you," I shoot back. This is bad. Very, very bad. "Or is my blood tempting you?” His lips twitch into a smile. “Violet?” “Certainly not,” I retort, perhaps a little too quickly. “You're freaked out by something," he says and drops the towel onto his bed. "Yes. Like you said, another body, another Blackwood rune." I swallow. He's wearing a partially buttoned black shirt, but I can smell the blood on that too. "Violet?" I blink up at him. "Normally you gaze into my eyes, not at my chest." "I do not gaze into your eyes." "'Kay." Grayson grabs the shirt by one shoulder and pulls it over his head before dumping it next to the towel on his perfectly made bed. "Is this a weird mating display, Grayson?" I ask, now presented with his naked torso. "Because if you're about to strip in front of me, don't." "Otherwise, you'll leave?" "No, otherwise the response you get will be painful and not the one you're looking for." "And there she is." Grayson grins and grabs a clean black T-shirt from a drawer, the scent of detergent at last obscuring his own. "So, what should we talk about first?" We remain standing and I'm ready to bolt if he comes any closer. I need to speak to Eloise. Some daughters might approach their mother to discuss 'confusing feelings about boys', but this is next level. "I'm glad you healed quickly," I say truthfully. "What hurt you?" "The people I met." He moistens his lips. "If they hurt you the first night, when Wesley died, why meet these people again?" "‘These people’ often hurt me." Grayson moves to sit on the bed and kicks off his boots. “That wasn’t the first time.” "Right. And that’s acceptable to you?" I pause. "You like their treatment? Because you don't seem particularly concerned." "It's complicated." I sigh. "Why is that always people's answer to awkward questions? If you don't want to tell me, just say so." "Oh, I'll tell you the whole story some time, but right now I just need you to believe the blood isn’t Rory’s and I haven't killed." "I can unequivocally say I believe that is your blood." A thought hits. The night Wesley died, that's why I obsessively followed the trail—it was Grayson’s blood. "Did anybody see you in town or the woods tonight, Violet?" Grayson pushes long fingers through his hair. "Where were you before I found you?" "With Rowan." "Where?" "In his room." "Doing what?" He shakes his head. "Or don't