Page 47 of Venomous Lies
“How is she going to tell?” I asked, a sinister smile curling my lips at Z’s question. “Maybe this will be a good lesson for her to remember to whom she speaks.”
Wells dropped his hold on her as I laughed softly, then I headed outside without a backwards glance. Allison’s face had paled as I turned, as if she was just then realizing that I fully intended to leave her as she was.
I knew Bones would follow me outside, but I was more than a little surprised to find my other friends with him too.
Echo and Bones were studying each other, both of them wearing blank expressions. Z and Aizel were standing together with his arm around the wolf’s waist, holding her close. Wells approached me with his breakfast sandwich in hand and a coffee that had me wrinkling my nose.
“I need coffee like you need tea, Isla, so you’ll just have to deal with the smell of it,” he joked. “Do we want to talk about what just happened or avoid it and lose yourself in your potion making for now?”
“As if you even need to ask.” I rolled my eyes at him. “Obviously, the potion. Build-a-bitch Barbie isn’t going anywhere even though her mouth did. I think I have everything I need, and the rest will be at the greenhouse.”
“Is the professor going to be okay with you using their stuff?” Z asked.
“From my understanding, everything in there is free for me to use,” I answered vaguely, remembering that she didn’t know about the magicked greenhouse. Only Wells, Echo, and I knew anything about it.
Did I want to share that with others? Could I safely share it?
I knew I could trust Bones. My gut told me that I couldtrust her and Aizel, but there was something that made me hesitant to bring them with me. A passing thought had me wishing that I could reach out to my moms to get their opinions, but I wasn’t sure if I could share this with them either.
I had no idea why though.
“Miss Hallowes, a moment if you would.”
Chapter 15
Isla
SATURDAY
“Miss Hallowes?! Why the fuck?—?”
My brain short circuited when I whirled around. Demir was at Greywood, calling me fuckingMiss Halloweswith twinkling amusement in his eyes. Then my mind caught up. Why was he with Professor Falke?
“I’d hazard you’ve decided not to finish that sentence,” Professor Falke drawled before looking at the people behind me. “We need to have a word with Miss Hallowes, then she can find you all again, I’m sure.”
“We’ll meet you at the dorm after,” Z said before waving for all of the others to follow her, including Bones. He started talking to Wells as they walked away.
My mate looked over his shoulder and nodded in acknowledgment before he turned back to my friends. Echo didn’t protest Bones joining them, but I did notice he stayed on the far side, keeping his distance from him. At the moment, I’d take it as a win. Later, I could start questioning why he was acting so different.
Right now, my brother, of all people, was standing in front of me with a professor.
“We have some questions for you,” Professor Falke began, stepping close enough that I had to tilt my head back to meet his gaze. “Have you seen anything suspicious happening on campus lately?”
Besides me making Allison’s mouth disappear?
‘I don’t think that’s something you should necessarily volunteer, beastie.’
‘Well, of course not,’I replied sarcastically.‘But what counts as weird here? All the dead bodies, no information, the technology ban?—’
‘True, but maybe come up with an actual answer since they’re standing here, waiting for one they can actually hear.’
Smartass.
“Just the dead bodies, lack of answers from the conservatory about what’s going on, and the communication ban that just recently started. Outside of that, no, I haven’t seen anything I would categorize as strange here, Professor and…” I gestured, waiting to see how Demir would introduce himself.
Just why the fuck is Demir here, anyway?
Cas sighed in frustration.‘Solid start, beastie.’
