Page 80 of Venomous Lies
“I’m sorry,” I whispered brokenly.
“Let’s be friends again, Echo,” she said softly, her fingertips sliding down until she laced her fingers through mine. “Work on building that up and see what follows? I don’t want to be just friends with you either.”
My gaze snapped up, staring at her incredulously. I was shocked that she felt the same way as me.
“But maybe we need to prove some things to each other before we’re actually ready for more.”
Isla squeezed my hand softly, and, moving slowly, afraid this was some type of dream, I squeezed her handback. Her mismatched eyes stared up at me as a small smile curled her lips then mine.
“I can agree to that.” I cleared my throat roughly and tried to move the conversation along, though I didn’t drop my hold on her hand. “So, as afriend, can I ask about this Cassius person and what the fuck is going on?”
“Cas is… complicated.”
Exactly what she had said in that dream.
‘Well, you’re not wrong there, beastie.’
“And why is it that I can hear him talk now?”
“You can dowhat?” They asked at the same time. Slowly, an image of the man started to form on one of the glass panes.
“And see him too.”
CASSIUS
“I saw him at the greenhouse when the magick overtook you,” Echo said, his gaze moving to stare right at me as I finished materializing. “And now.”
My eyes immediately swept him from head to toe, trying to figure out why and how he could do any of these things. In all of our years together, no one besides Isla could see or hear me.
What was different about this incubus that he could do what no one else had been able to do?
‘But now you can hear me too?’I asked to clarify, and he nodded as he scratched his head with his free hand.
“It feels… itchy when you talk, though.”
‘Itchy?’I asked, confused. I could tell that Isla felt the same way.
“Maybe it has to do with the magick of the greenhouse?” Isla speculated. “But Wells and Bones never mentioned being able to sense Cas.”
“How did this all happen?” He waved his hand in the open air.
Isla started to explain after a long pause. “Cas has always been there.” She bit her lip, glancing from me to the incubus. “We haven’t always been on the best terms, but we work together now. Or at least we don’t work against each other.”
A rueful smile and a small laugh escaped us both, making Echo look between us quickly, trying to get a read on what was going on.
It was so odd having someone else to interact with. Definitely something to investigate.
“And it seems like Mr. Hellsing knows Cassius as well?”
I winced at that, and Isla let out a long, exhausted sigh.
“Are my eyes still mismatched?” she asked, not answering Echo’s inquiry just yet.
“Yes,” Echo replied.
“Well, if you peeking through the kiss didn’t tell him, then my eyes definitely cemented it. We won’t be able to avoidthatdiscussion.”
‘No. Not at all. He isn’t the type to let things just slide under the rug.’
