Page 52 of Venomous Lies
“She?” Wells asked before I could.
“Feels like a she,” Isla answered off-handedly. “Let’s go in. Heads up, she’ll feel you out as you go in.”
“What if she doesn’t like me coming in?”
“Let’s hope that doesn’t happen.” Wells clapped my arm, then they led the way inside.
Warily, I ducked down and entered.
Awareness surrounded me. An ancient, powerful magick began weaving through my illusion until my bones began to ache.
Looking down, I could see my skin thinning until my full bone fae form was all that remained.
I was assessed.
Judged.
Seen.
The building shuddered around me before it settled. The only things I could hear were my blood pounding in my ears and my shuddering breaths as I tried to find my bearings again.
I waited for the inevitable horror or fear from Wells at my full bone fae form, but my transformation was met with silence. Glancing around, I saw that they were both looking around at the building instead of focusing on me. Their distinct lack of fear was more disconcerting than I was prepared for, though the hint of nerves I could feel from Wells made me feel a bit better.
Bone fae were supposed to be feared after all.
Isla’s voice broke the silence. “It’s bigger.”
“The door is too,” Wells observed.
“What thefuckwas that?”
“The magick felt you and approved,” Isla answered as if it was the most obvious and normal thing in the world. “Follow the stone path when you’re coming through. There’s a few plants that would poison even you, fae.”
Taking her warning to heart, I slowly made my way through the greenhouse, approaching what appeared to be some kind of study room where Isla and Wells wereunpacking their backpacks. I could make out a small desk, some books, and a bed shoved into the room as well.Just what was this place?
Settling on the bed, I let out a long breath and focused on bringing my illusion magick back up so that I would look like a normal high fae once more. Without asking, I pulled out a cigarette from my pocket and lit it while pointedly ignoring the slight tremble in my hands.
“Okay, so I’ve finally decided on the potion I’m going to make for the new professor,” Isla said. “It’s something I’ve wanted to brew before, but the academy felt it wasn’t something I should dabble in.”
“I’m almost afraid to ask what,” Wells joked.
“What potion?” I asked, blowing out a large cloud of smoke.
“It’s a potion of decay,” Isla replied with glee. We were close enough now that I could see her black lips spreading in a vague grin. “And the biggest trick will be brewing it in three days. Everything I’ve read about it says it takes a week or more to finish. Depending on the moon and weather, obviously.”
“Obviously,” I deadpanned, then rubbed my face. “I don’t have time magick, witchling.”
“The greenhouse will help us,” Isla said confidently.
“You can’t know that,” Wells retorted.
She shrugged. “I can feel it.”
“Before you start ordering us around and go into potion-making mode, I think we should discuss something.”
“What about?—?”
Wells cut my mate off, his voice harder than I’d heard it before. “Mainly that you somehow erased Allison’s mouth.”
