Page 19 of A Witch’s Guide to Love and Poison

19

B isma and Xander continued to work together on the cure. She spent every free moment she had with him, and along with her poison business, running errands, trying to find evidence of Eleanora’s involvement (the only lead she had) and the general work of being Baji, she felt she was constantly running from one place to the next.

After a few days of relentless work, Bisma was at her absolute wit’s end. They had tested out numerous different mixtures. In the beginning, Xander had suggested consulting Eleanora on the matter, which Bisma had vehemently refused. She knew Xander trusted his mother wholeheartedly, but Bisma did not.

Besides, Xander had no shortage of theories himself, and while some didn’t work right away, others seemed promising before failing. He made more of the freezing potion in case any of the other girls were poisoned.

It was no wonder that Bisma and her sisters were in low spirits. Nori began crying at every little thing, particularly because Deeba wasn’t there to play with her; Mei was just sad, letting out great big sighs; Azalea was angry, more sassy than usual; and Luna still refused to go to town, which made both her and Haru forlorn.

The Enchanted Forest seemed to be influenced by their drab energy, as well, for one day when Bisma went down to Mirror Lake, which was usually as clear as a glass—hence the name—it was murky.

It was unnerving, and only gave her a heightened sense of urgency. While working with Xander was a necessity, it was also exhausting.

Some days they worked startlingly well together, so well, in fact, it felt they operated as one entity. Often, they worked in silence, but that did not undermine their communication skills; they could almost read each other’s minds now, knowing what the other required before they even had to say it.

Then, other days—like today—Xander was his usual, insufferable self.

He was standing beside her as they worked, and she felt him staring at her, smiling to himself.

‘What?’ she finally snapped, turning to him.

He leaned against the table so they were facing each other.

When he didn’t reply, she said, ‘Well?’

‘Come to dinner with me.’

She balked. ‘Excuse me?’

He smiled. ‘You heard me.’

‘I don’t like to be commanded,’ she said, though this was not the complete truth. But he did not need to know about the types of situations she liked to be commanded in.

‘Darling Bisma, won’t you accompany me to dinner?’ he asked sweetly. He plucked a red rose from one of the bushes in the greenhouse and offered it to her.

Bisma pretended to consider it. She gave him a sweet smile, then said, ‘No.’

He frowned, sighing. He must have been bored and more than that, tired. She had to confess, she was exhausted as well. But that did not mean she intended to take leave of her senses and go out with him.

‘Why don’t you direct your efforts elsewhere?’ she asked, just to bother him. ‘You’re sure to be met with more favorable responses.’

He looked peeved. ‘I don’t know what you mean.’

Bisma rolled her eyes. He was being willfully obtuse.

‘Step outside, I’m sure you’ll have an offer from a number of girls within the minute,’ she said. The idea of it added an edge to her tone.

Suddenly, Xander didn’t look irritated, but amused. ‘Is that so?’ he asked, cocking his head. ‘Are you quite sure?’

She scowled, thinking of the village girls she routinely heard talking about him.

‘Yes, I’m quite sure. I’ve heard Christina and Racquel going on at length about your ridiculous hair on numerous occasions, not to mention Famke and Umamah’s obsession with your height.’

‘Keeping track of all my admirers, are we?’ He smirked.

She rolled her eyes.

‘Of course not,’ she said, her cheeks warming. ‘They’re all so loud and obnoxious, one cannot help but overhear.’

‘Ah, of course.’ He echoed, tone amused. He thought about what she had said for a moment, which vexed her. ‘I really would take your suggestion if only one name was added to that list.’

This immediately intrigued her. ‘Who?’ she demanded.

‘I’m not sure you know her,’ he replied, and Bisma furrowed her brows. ‘She’s whip-smart, probably the cleverest person I know, definitely the cleverest in town—second only to me, of course. And beautiful—fierce as the rising sun, lovely as falling snow.’

Bisma scoffed. He was being dramatic, as always. ‘I doubt she even exists,’ she said.

‘Yes, sometimes I do imagine I dreamed her.’ He laughed, a fond expression on his face.

Irritation laced through her. Who was this perfect girl?

Xander straightened from where he was leaning against the table, taking a step forward to dip his head by hers.

‘Here, I’ll give you another hint,’ he said, whispering into her ear. Little electric jolts skipped over her skin. ‘She’s terribly ill-mannered, but I’m growing rather fond of her bad temper.’ He pulled back, looking into her eyes.

With a start, Bisma realized who he was speaking of. Heat flushed through her.

Heart beating unreasonably fast, she looked up at him. Even though he was surely teasing her, she saw his green eyes were genuine, kind. She couldn’t tell if his earnestness was better or worse than his jests.

‘You are so full of shit,’ she scoffed. ‘I am definitely cleverer than you . ’

He looked surprised for a moment—then he laughed out loud, dispelling the tension.

She laughed, too.

‘Now focus.’ Bisma grabbed his arm. She turned him to face the table, hoping he didn’t notice the color that had undoubtedly risen in her cheeks. ‘Come, I’ll teach you how to grow.’

‘Oh yes!’ he said, delighted. ‘I’ve been waiting for this.’

She brought a fresh pot of soil in front of him.

He made an excited sound, like a child about to receive a toy.

‘What shall we grow?’ he asked, practically bouncing.

She thought she would be irritated by his enthusiasm, but she found she rather liked it. It was nice having someone who was as excited by magic as she.

‘In the beginning, I didn’t know what to do with my magic,’ Bisma explained. ‘I just knew I had it, and when I put my hands in the soil, I could focus and grow something that I needed, based on what I was feeling. So just try to feel and see what comes out.’

His mouth gaped open as he gave her an incredulous look. ‘Those are your instructions?’ he asked. ‘To feel and see what happens?’

‘Yes.’

Bisma could see how this would be disconcerting to someone like Xander, with his precise notes and outlines and instructions and plans. But she had never had any of that, and this was her specialty.

‘But—’ he started. ‘I need more than that—I need details!’

‘That’s all I have,’ she said. ‘Now do as I say!’

‘Have you ever considered being a teacher?’ he asked dryly. ‘It might be an ideal profession for you.’

‘I’ve been following your mixing instructions fastidiously,’ she told him, ‘despite how tedious it’s been, and now you must follow my instructions.’

‘Alright, alright,’ he said. Taking a deep breath, he put his hands into the soil.

‘Focus,’ she said. ‘Close your eyes and feel .’

He did as instructed, a wrinkle appearing between his brows as he concentrated. Some time later, he peeked open an eye, looking for results, then sighed.

‘It’s not working.’

He frowned like a petulant child, which made her bite back a smile. She wondered if anything had ever been difficult for him; it tickled her that this one thing she had never had trouble with was what would give him a tough time. The superiority she felt added a little pep in her step, actually.

‘Here,’ she said, taking one of his hands out of the soil. He let her, pouting like the dramatic person he was. She cleaned his hand with a cloth, then set it against his heart. Then she put her other hand into the soil.

‘Do you feel that?’ she asked, holding his hand above his heart.

He swallowed, looking down at her.

‘I sure feel something,’ he said. His eyes were dark.

Shoving aside her murderous impulses, she gave him a disapproving look. ‘Focus, Alexander.’

‘Yes, right, but how exactly to do that with a pretty girl’s hand on my heart?’

She scowled. ‘Be serious.’

‘Bis, I am deathly serious.’

He was telling the truth, she could feel it in the soil, and in the pound of his heart. He was allowing himself to feel, opening himself up to the magic. She drew closer, pulled in by the magic, and felt the heat of his body beside hers. She inhaled the sweet scent of cloves.

‘The magic will wait for instruction inside you,’ she said. ‘Don’t think about it too much; just imagine what you want to happen and make it happen. You have to be a little bossy with the magic.’

He smiled at that. ‘I’m not at all surprised that you excel at the magic in which a key quality is being bossy.’

‘Now do it,’ she said.

He released a long breath, and she waited, watching. Then, slowly, something began to grow.

A flower sprouted from the soil: it was pretty, pink with red streaks. They both pulled their hands out of the soil, and she let go of his hand.

‘I did it!’ Xander exclaimed, clearly proud of himself.

They both looked at the flower. Xander held it up between them. It had a sweet scent.

She breathed it in.

All of a sudden, she felt … parched. But not for a drink, for him .

She looked up at him, into those gorgeous eyes, a perfect glinting green the color of grass after summer rain. Though there was hardly any green left now; his pupils were blown wide. His eyelids fluttered as she looked up at him, and he set the flower down, his hands empty for hardly a second before they came to seize her waist.

With a swift tug, he pulled her close. Her heart started pounding in response, a haze coming over her. Everything around him blurred, fading away until all she could see was him: the fall of his copper hair, the cut of cheekbones, the full shape of his mouth.

He was similarly focused on her, his attention razor-sharp. His fingers dug into her skin, the pressure deliciously painful. She brought her hands up to his neck, slipping her fingers into his beautiful hair.

‘So soft,’ she whispered, running her hands through the locks. She twisted his hair around her fingers, pulling.

He made a strangled sound.

‘Bisma,’ he choked out, his nose brushing her cheek.

Heat flushed through her.

She needed him.

‘Xander,’ she sighed back, nipping his ear.

He held her tighter, gasping. His teeth grazed the sensitive skin of her throat. As her heart hammered, she didn’t understand why he wasn’t already kissing her. The bed was right there. What on earth was he waiting for?

She pulled back. His eyes were almost entirely black. He was focused solely on her, drinking in the expression on her face. She didn’t even care to hide just how much she needed him, but it seemed to confuse him.

He blinked.

Then his gaze jumped to the pink flower on the table beside them. He released her, which almost drove her mad. As she was about to pull him back to her, he snatched the flower and plucked it from the soil.

He ripped it apart in his hands, then ran halfway across the room before she realized what had happened.

Bisma felt as if she’d been doused in ice water. The fog that had come over her cleared, leaving her lightheaded.

‘What was that? Xander, what did you grow?’ she asked, catching her breath. Her head was spinning. She grabbed a nearby glass of water, drinking it with shaking hands.

‘Nothing!’ Xander replied, his voice high. He was standing behind a table, gripping it so tightly his knuckles had turned white.

Dots connected in her mind, drawing a most infuriating conclusion.

‘Alexander Chapman, did you grow a lust plant?’

How quickly his face turned red was answer enough.

‘XANDER.’

‘You’re the one who said to just feel it!’ he complained.

She groaned into her hands before glaring at him. ‘Oh, I’m going to kill you.’

‘God, Bis, don’t look at me.’

He had very purposefully not stepped out from behind the table.

She forced herself to turn around, still reeling from the fog of lust that had overcome her. Her entire body pulsed.

She felt nauseous, her stomach in painful knots.

The sooner she found the cure, the sooner she would be free of Xander’s company—free of all these emotions .