Page 51 of Venomous Lies
Friends were odd.
That was the only thought I had as I listened to Wells and Isla discuss random things as we walked in the forest. Not that Wells was a friend ofmine, but it was odd to see him interacting with my mate. The two witches talked about classes, other people’s drama, and what Isla needed for the potion she was creating.
In the past ten minutes, they had talked more than I’d probably talked to anyone in the last month.
It wasn’t a bad thing, but it was… different.
“Bones, what do you think?”
I blinked a few times, unprepared for the interruption of my thoughts. Isla was staring up at me with what I thought was an earnest expression. Over her shoulder, I couldn’t make out Wells’ face, but I could almost sense his slight amusement at my confusion.
“Think about what, mate?”
“Why don’t we continue the conversation in the greenhouse?” Wells suggested as he tapped his ear.
My intrigue was instantly piqued. Just who did he thinkcould be listening to us? What had I missed while my thoughts wandered?
“You’re right,” Isla agreed after a moment, then she let out a long breath before turning to me with what looked like a grin on her blurry face. “You ready to see my greenhouse?”
“Yourgreenhouse?” I raised my eyebrows at her claim of ownership. “Anything here is part of Greywood, witchling.”
“Not this,” Isla answered, and there was a dark rumbling of power under her words that made every part of me come to attention. “This place is mine.”
“It’s… Well, you’ll see,” Wells interjected smoothly, gesturing toward a small opening in the woods ahead of us. “Why don’t you show him?”
Isla looked back and forth between the two of us before rushing ahead.
“There are no buildings out here, witch. Where are we going?” I asked Wells as we watched Isla easily pick her way through some overgrowth.
“It’s a magicked greenhouse,” he replied in hushed tones. “Only Isla could see it at first. I’m honestly not sure what kind of place it is, but it’s strange. That says something considering the places I’ve seen.”
I looked over at him and saw him studying me instead of Isla.
Wells Hawthorne.
I was familiar enough with the Hawthornes to know they were a powerful witch family. His fathers were influential members of their government, however, it was his mother that was the one to watch out for. They were barely tolerable people to ones they considered outsiders, meaning anyone who wasn’t a witch.
“You’re not like your family.”
“My parents,” he immediately corrected me with a hardened voice. “My siblings and I are nothing like them, much to their disappointment.”
A sentiment I could definitely relate to.
“Your parents,” I corrected myself with a slight nod. “We should go after Isla.”
“We should.”
Wells led the way without another word, though I noticed that he took his time, carefully picking his way through the blur of tangles and roots. At first, I thought he was just a slow walker, but after a second glance in my general direction, I knew for certain that he was doing it for me.
My chest burned with resentment, but I stopped myself. He didn’t point it out or make fun of my inability to see. No, he just adapted and helped without calling attention to it.
My pride didn’t allow me to thank him directly, but I tried to come up with a sufficiently fae equivalent as we reached my mate.
Isla was standing in the middle of a forest clearing in front of a structure I’d never seen before. My lips parted in shock as I approached it slowly. Carefully, so as not to touch the building, I reached out a hand to let myself feel the magick that was pulsing around the structure.
“This is the greenhouse?” I asked, immediately clearing my throat at the rough tone.
“Yes,” Isla replied with happiness. “I’d be careful though. She doesn’t like to be touched unless invited.”
