Page 74 of Venomous Lies
‘Well, he is mated to you, Cas. Maybe it was just?—’
‘You have a new mark on your arm.’
A small detail I really could have gone without him pointing out.
“Miss Hallowes?”
“I think,” I said, my voice sounding odd and far away, “you’re not the only one with questions. I want answers of my own, like why the hell my brother is here and why the fuck I’m talking to any of you and not the head of the conservatory. What is going on?”
Ambrose’s smooth voice joined the conversation next. “Lots of things, witchling.” A hint of sweetness, tinged with smoke, signaled him getting closer. “But we’re definitely your best bet in this case, a scary thought I’m sure.”
“Why should I trust any of you?”
“Trust is such a strong word,” Ambrose crooned.
“You’re not helping,” Demir complained, and someone else sighed.
“You know them, Demir? How?”
“Bats, this isn’t?—”
“This isexactlythe time!” Panic rose inside of me, the anxiety making my heart pound loudly in my ears.
Bones tried to comfort me, but I pushed away from him, needing space. Thankfully, he let me go, though I didn’t try to go far.
I just needed to know I had some control, that I could stand on my own two feet. A very painful prospect, but I needed to do it.
Every bone and joint in my body ached as I forced myself to stand up. The constant level of pain made my eyes well with tears that I refused to let fall.
It must have been Falke’s turn to step in and try to reason with me since he spoke next. “We can’t help you if you don’t tell us what happened.”
But I didn’t want to be reasoned with.Why are everyone else’s questions more important than mine?
“Just how are you going tohelpme?” I sneered, lashing out as my pain kept rising. “I can’t fucking see! My entire body hurts, and now I’ve apparently tried to scratch my own eyes out. How are a centaur, a fae, and a vampire going to help me withanyof that?”
“Miss Hallowes?—”
“Bats, trust us.”
I scoffed disdainfully as my head started throbbing. “Oh, I’m sorry. A kelpie too. So much more potential with you added into the mix, Demir. How much more are you lying about?”
“Lying?!”
“Let’s give her some time,” Bones cut in, and the air around me chilled fast enough that I shivered. Despite everyone quieting down, the pain in my head continued to escalate. “The more you agitate her, the more my control slips. And you definitely don’t want that to happen.”
Bones’ hand gently touched my arm, but I flinched away from him, the pain now bad enough that I doubled over in pain.
I had to get away from here. Somehow, I had to be anywhere but here.
Every part of my body felt like I’d been flayed, and muscles I didn’t even know that I had, ached. The pain had invaded every inch of my body, sinking so deeply that my bones resonated with it.
Even without my vision, some of the people around me didn’t feel right.
I couldn’t make sense of it, and my panic reached a fever pitch. My breathing was too fast, and my hands shook as I started to feel lightheaded.
I couldn’t do this.
‘Beastie. Breathe.’
