Page 98 of Venomous Lies
“I’d hate to miss a dick measuring contest,” an unfamiliar voice drawled. “Oh, darling, did you not tell them about us yet?”
ISLA
Right behind Kazimir were my friends. They eyed the fae warily, but clearly he had kept up his end of the bargain.
Echo was helping a limping and very hurt Aizel while Zhara walked in behind them, her eyes a bright, glowing blue that told me that she had recently shifted.
“Aizel!” I pushed myself up and pulled my hand awayfrom the healer. I could deal with being sore. My friend needed healing more than I did.
Without looking back, I hurried over to them, brushing past Kazimir, and lifted the incubus’ head to look him over.
One eye was swollen shut, and his skin almost looked gray. He must have a more serious injury under his clothes, but there was no way I was going to get him more worked up than he probably already was, so it was time for my go-to—humor.
“You look horrible.”
“Always a boost to the ego, Isla,” Aizel joked, groaning when he started to laugh. The groaning turned into a cough that left his lips flecked with bright-red blood.
“Shut up and sit down,” I reprimanded him, gently helping Echo guide his brother to where I had been sitting.
I looked back to find Z right beside us, her expression tight with worry. Despite their current fight, she still cared about him a lot, and Aizel reached over, seeking her out. I moved out of the way, so she could be beside him.
I faced the new herbology professor. “He needs more help than I do. Can you please heal him?”
He searched my face, his sharp features gaunt in the lighting and gold eyes duller than the first time I’d seen him. Healing me beforehand and now was obviously taking its toll. Or maybe he had helped others during the fighting as well? I wasn’t sure, but Aizel needed to be looked over.
As he nodded and started assessing my friend, I checked on Echo. He was staring at me, checking over my new collection of injuries just as I was doing to him.
He had a busted lip and was out of breath, but generally, he seemed fine. A small smile from him signaled to me that he wasn’t too bad. His concern was mostly for his twin who’d begun to groan as the professor worked on him.
“What have you done, Isla?” Demir whispered in horror as Kazimir rested a hand on my shoulder, pulling my attention from Echo.
“Collecting mates, it seems,” he taunted.
A cruel smile filled his face. Illusion magick showed off the full effect of his fae beauty. The magick hid the torn skin I had seen earlier beneath high, chiseled cheekbones. Now, there was not a blemish to be seen. A sinister smile twisted his lips, and his light-gray eyes were laser focused on me. That smile grew into a grin when he caught me staring.
Mates… What the fuck is he talking about? We aren’t mates. I’d know if we were. Is he just trying to get a rise out of them?
Well, if he was, it worked.
The tension in the room rose with every passing second.
“Like what you see, Isla?”
“In passing,” I quipped, but it lacked the dryness that I was going for, which only made him smirk and laugh.
Fuck.
‘Focus, beastie.’
‘There's a lot that I could focus on right now, Cas. What do you suggest I start with?’
“Or were you going to surprise them with our bargain?”
“A bargain?" Hellsing asked from behind me.
“It helped me get my freedom,” I replied, keeping my stare trained on the fae.
“And Thatcher?”
