Page 81 of Venomous Lies
“You knew him?” Echo questioned thoughtfully. A hint of some kind of understanding lit his face, and some of it must have been right considering how somber his expression became. “Ahhh, well, that will be… Wait, you can take over or come up to the surface, you said?”
Isla and I looked at each other.
She started looking around at the plants by us while I gave him a sardonic, lazy smile.
“Did we…?”
‘Oh yes,’I purred, delighted by the shock and blush darkening his copper skin. ‘It was quite a good time.’
“Oh gods.”
“Cas!” Isla chastised me while squeezing Echo to reassure him. “I get that this is a bit unusual.”
“A bit?” Echo asked in disbelief, eyes wide.
‘Beastie likes to understate things.’
“I can see that.”
“You two won’t be allowed to talk if you’re just going to join forces against me,” Isla huffed as she rolled her eyes. “Anyway… How did you get here with me? Did I?—?”
“Your magick snagged me too when you were rushing out of there.” Echo tilted his head. “You didn’t do it on purpose?”
“I have no idea what I did!” Isla muttered as she tugged at Echo’s hand. “Well, while we are here, I need to look at my potion that’s long overdone. Do you think the professor will still accept it if I redo it?”
“Isla… uh...”
“Yes?” she asked absently as I moved from one panel to another, following them.
“Considering that professor is the one that helped heal you, I’m sure he’d give an exception for the potion,” Echo stated as he let her drag him along. “But one more question, I think. How can you see now?”
“I have no idea,” Isla replied as she shook her head, black hair flying around her. “But I’m really fucking glad that I can see. It was awful.”
‘We have a lot more questions than we do answers, beastie. I think it’s time we start figuring some things out.’
“Can’t we just?—?”
Powerful magick filled the air, rumbling through the ground until everything was covered in pitch black.
A wail tore through the darkness, and if I had had a body, I would have shivered at the unbridled rage. It sounded like a predator warning its prey of its presence.
What the hell was that thing?
“No, Isla, I don’t think we’re going to be able to leave it be,” Echo deadpanned. “We’re being hunted.”
Chapter 25
Ambrose
SATURDAY
Ilaid back on the chaise in my room, fiddling with my pipe, considering if I should smoke more. The drug wasn’t working nearly as well as it had just months before.
Numbing myself to give myself distance sounded like a great idea, but some gut feeling told me I needed to be alert.
I scoffed and tossed the pipe onto a table.
The source of all my issues could be placed squarely at Isla Hallowes’ feet.
