Page 50 of House of Ruin
Jolene pouted, tilting her head to the side. “Why don’t you let it grow wild then?”
The question was so unexpected that Alecto just glared at Jolene for a long moment, mind blank. The truth was, such a thing didn’t even cross Alecto’s mind. Going full bush was never an option because Alatar preferred for his little girl to never grow up into a woman.
Uncomfortable, Alecto shifted away, her cheeks heating. Fortunately, Jolene mistook it for something completely different than it was as she chuckled.
“Oh, is it due to someone in particular who has issues with dealing with women’s bodies as they come?”
Alecto turned, her eyebrows drawn together. “What do you mean?”
Jolene’s eyebrows rose. “Really? Are we going to pretend about this? Val and Andro literally walked in on you two basically fucking from what I’ve heard. And it’s obvious that Blaze’s been panting over you like a dog recently.”
“What?” Alecto asked, feeling her cheeks heat. “He’s notpanting.”
“Ah, yes, he fucking is,” Jolene said, her eyes going wide. “You should see the way Blaze looks at you when you’re not looking. My Gods, it’s as if you’re a fucking star in his dark night’s sky.”
Laughter bubbled from Alecto’s chest.
“Frankly, I don’t know what you see in that boy,” Jolene continued, scrunching her nose. She shivered as if Blaze Leveau were the most distastefulthingin all three realms. “Sure, he’s handsome as fuck. I don’t need to be straight to see that. But he’s like…Dorian Gray, you know?”
“I wouldn’t know. I’ve never read the classics,” Alecto baited.
She knew exactly what Jolene meant.
“Yeah. That’sanotherproblem of yours,” Jolene said with an exasperated sigh. She waved her hand to emphasize how terrible it was. Like that, lounging on the expensive couch with her pristine clothing, she looked like Reverie’s identical twin. “Let me explain it to you then.”
Alecto stifled her grin as she waited for Jolene to speak.
“Blaze is Dorian Gray because he’s all pretty exterior yet rotten to the core,” Jolene said, smoothing the wrinkles of her pants. She then brushed a hand over her hair, pushing the chaotic waves—the only thing that still looked like Jolene—away from her face. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a portrait of himself stuffed somewhere that reflects all his sin. You should really check on that one.”
Alecto didn’t remember the last time she’d laughed so hard. Jolene grinned, rolling her eyes.
Finally, when the laughter died down and Alecto brushed the tears away from her face, she said, “You really don’t like the guy.”
Jolene shrugged. “Ilovethe guy, don’t get me wrong. But I know his shortcomings.”
Before they could continue the conversation, the door opened and the sprite flew in, carrying Jolene’s drink.
“Here you are,” the sprite said, putting the glass bottle on the coffee table. “I apologize for the delay, but another guest of yours arrived.”
Right then, a slender young woman walked in through the door.
She had golden skin that was glowing even in the depth of Inathis’s winter. Strands of thick straight black-as-tar hair hung from her head like curtains. Alecto resisted the urge to touch it. She bet it would feel like the purest gerberry silk between her fingers.
When she closed the door behind her, her focus was only on Jolene, dark-coffee eyes shining with excitement.
“You can leave your coats right here,” the sprite said, opening the door in the wall leading to a walk-in closet. “Svetlana will be with you in five. If you need anything while you wait, just say ‘Elodie,’and I’ll be right with you.”
“Thank you,” Alecto said, smiling.
“Jolene,” the unintroduced young witch said, a slow smile growing on her face. “It’s so good to finally see you without a mask.”
“Leigh.” Jolene’s smile was so bright, it could blind. “Good to see you too.”
They stared at each other—smiling—for a long moment. The silence stretched, and Alecto was about to leave and give them both some room, but then Jolene snapped out of it.
“Oh, right,” she muttered, gesturing at Alecto. “This is my friend from Venefica, Alecto Black. We’re from the same House. I’ve mentioned her to you.”
“Alecto Black, so nice to meet you,” Leigh said, walking over to Alecto with an outreached hand. Alecto took it, smiling. “I’m Leigh Cheveron.”
