Page 35 of Heart of a Witch
“An orchard.”
“Oh.”
“My family owns it.”
She let out a sharp exhale. “Of course they do.”
We walked in silence, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. A gentle breeze shifted leaves across the ground, sweeping between us. I should have had the staff pack us a picnic. It was a good thing I didn’t have anything to do until the evening. The club wouldn’t open for a few hours yet, and I wanted to check in. I’d hoped to talk to Father after his sermon about my career path, but it would have to wait.
I looked at Victoria, my eyes moving to her pockets, unusual things to have on a dress. My eyes bulged. They were moving “What is…” I stepped back when a snake’s head popped out. “Victoria.” I reached for the head of the viana, hoping to pull it out before it bit her. How it got into her dress I had no idea.
She turned, her skirt swirling back as she did. “Don’t hurt her!” she shouted, pulling it from her pocket. It curled around her fingers and nestled into her palm.
“That’s a fucking snake.”
“Yes,” she drawled and pulled a second from her other pocket. “Sorry if they frightened you.”
“They?”
“There are two.”
“You knew they were in there?”
“They’re my pets.”
“Good gods.”
She stroked one’s head. “This is Ebony. She’s the sweet one.”
My eyebrows furrowed. “Those are venomous. Kill-you venomous.”
“They won’t harm me,” she stated. “This one is Buttercup. I’d be wary of her though. She won’t bite me, but I wouldn’t put it past her to go for another.”
I was wary of both. I shuddered back. I didn’t want to appear as a coward, but they were nicknamed man-killers. “How… did you acquire them?”
She placed them back in her pockets. “I found them when they were babies.”
I scratched the back of my neck, hoping I didn’t look too flushed. What could I say? She definitely made an impression. “We’re here.” I glanced at her pockets, my heart still pounding. If she had in fact had them as babies, then they must be safe. They were fully grown at twelve inches, so she must have had them for years.
I pushed open the creaking gate to the orchard. Apple trees ran in uniform lines down a stretch of green as far as the eye could see. I grabbed one of the rosy-red apples hanging from a low branch and handed it to her. “It’s good. Trust me.”
She crunched into it, her eyes closing. “Gods, what is this magic?”
I laughed. “Redforest apples are famous. You should try our cook’s famous apple pie sometime.”
She took another bite and walked under the tree. “I’d love to, if you ever invite me to your house again that is.”
She sat in the shade, flicking her black strands over her shoulder. I crouched next to her, then sat back against the trunk. Her skin looked darker in the dappled sunlight, warming her brown eyes. “I’m having a ball this weekend.”
“Is that an invitation?”
I smirked. “Do you want it to be?”
“Depends. Will there be any of this famous apple pie there?”
“I’ll make sure of it.”
“Then I may come.”
