Page 59 of House of Malice
And she hated every moment of it.
Part of her wished Blaze were here. It would have been a scandal for her to bring a Leveau boy, but oh, that would have been a rather refreshing turn of events.
Her father would probably be furious. Galliermo would find out and probably punish Blaze. And maybe find a way to punish her too.
It would be the end of them.
Thinking about it only further soured Alecto’s mood. By the time they made their way to the event hall where the tables were set up, Alecto was skulking.
Once the hall filled with witches and every single table was occupied, the air buzzed with voices and laughter.
Jolene leaned in to whisper into Alecto’s ear. “You look upset. Could you try to look a bit less upset?”
Her friend’s words made her smile. Jolene smiled in return and nodded in approval.
“So, young ladies.” An unnaturally skinny and tall warlock with a bald head and red eyebrows addressed Alecto and Jolene. He held a small spoon between his forefinger and thumb, his pinky lifted in the air despite being weighed down by a massive pink diamond. “I hear you attend Venefica.”
“Yes, Mister Martinez,” Jolene answered politely, stirring her own tea. “I’m in my third year, and Alecto is in her second year.”
“And of course, they both belong to the House of Snakes,” Lyra said. “Proud legacy members.”
A few witches at their table oohed their approval, nodding to one another.
“Your gran must be proud,” Mister Martinez said to Jolene. “She always valued tradition, and following your family’s tradition is the highest honor.”
Jolene nodded her head, smiling an unnaturally sweet smile. “Yes, she sure is.”
“I wanted my grandkids to go to Venefica too,” said a stout witch with an elaborate hat on her head. The ornaments on top of her hat were made from live branches and colorful berries, and there were even a few firebirds buzzing around the arrangement. “But my daughter married a mortal man. And he was against the whole concept of the Game, so they chose Darkmire instead. What a pity.”
Another wave of chatter went around their table. This time, the witches were expressing their disapproval. For both the mortal husband and the decision to choose a school other than Venefica.
“Darkmire is not too bad,” Jolene said. “My girlfriend graduated from Darkmire, and now she works for the top publications in Avalon Hills as a freelance journalist.”
A few witches inquired more about Jolene’s girlfriend. Lyra surprised Alecto by only casting a quick glance at her niece, but not saying anything about Leigh.
Alecto wondered how much Jolene’s aunties knew. She didn’t even consider that they might not approve of Leigh. What would happen if they didn’t?
With a sigh, Alecto pushed those thoughts away and focused on her tea. She took a sip, tasting the bitterness on her tongue, and then decided to add oatberry milk. Sadly, that didn’t help much with the flavor, for it only left a film over her tongue and made the tea too creamy for her taste.
After thirty minutes of tea, mini sandwiches, and tiny desserts, Alecto knew all the latest gossip about the Avalon Hill’s elite. There wasn’t anything groundbreaking. The scandals were always the same—family feuds, disappointing offspring, secret children, and lovers.
Alecto wasn’t quite sure about Jolene’s plan anymore. They were surrounded by too many ears for them to speak with Lyra about private Snake matters. It would be impossible to get any information out of her.
“How are we going to ask any questions when there are so many ears around?” Alecto quietly asked Jolene. “These witches are starving for more drama—we can’t say anything about our House in front of them.”
“Don’t worry,” Jolene whispered back discreetly. “After the tea is over, my auntie likes to go check out the flower maze outside and take a long walk there. That’s where we’ll have her alone. Just be patient and trust me, okay?”
Alecto nodded. She returned to the conversation at the table and continued to nod, smile, and when appropriate, offer a comment or two.
Jolene was right. Once the main part of the afternoon tea event was over and all the attendants were full of sweets and gossip, Lyra invited the girls to join her on a walk around the flower maze at the back of the property.
“Helbents have tended to this flower maze for generations now,” Lyra told them as they made their way through the mansion towards the back entrance. “It is a truly spectacular form of art, and I absolutely adore that you can see the work that each generation had put into it.”
Jolene and Alecto exchanged glances and smiled at Lyra.
“Do you think they store their excess magic in those plants?” Alecto asked Jolene quietly.
Jolene shrugged. “Would make sense. But they allow visitors to their flower maze, so I’m not sure if they’d do that knowing anyone could steal the magic they have accumulated.”
