Page 31 of A Witch’s Guide to Love and Poison

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B isma ran back to the greenhouse, where Xander and the girls were sitting and laughing at something ridiculous Nori was doing.

‘Hey, where did you go?’ Xander asked, standing. He reached for her.

She took his hand, then looked past him to the girls. ‘We need to go now,’ she said, out of breath. ‘The Forest is in danger.’

The girls jumped to their feet, questions tumbling out of their mouths.

‘What?’

‘What’s happening?’

‘From who?’

Bisma held up her free hand to silence them. ‘The Forest is weak—the border fog is gone—and they’re going to cut it down. We need to go and stop them.’

Fear entered each of their expressions, followed by resolute anger. They would fight to protect their home.

‘What we going to do?’ Nori asked.

For a moment, Bisma blanked. She didn’t know.

‘I’ll get Haru!’ Luna said. ‘He can help!’

‘I can ask Diego!’ Mei added.

‘And Razan!’ Azalea said.

Bisma hesitated, the old habit kicking in—she did not want to ask for help—but then she looked at the girls; she wouldn’t jeopardize them because of her misplaced pride.

‘Go,’ she said, her voice thick. ‘Get whoever you can and meet me by the Forest. I’ll try to hold them off as best I can.’

The girls ran off, and Bisma turned to Xander, who was watching with a worried expression.

‘What’s happening? Who’s cutting the Forest down?’

‘Your uncle,’ she said miserably.

‘Uncle Fredrick ?’ he said in surprise.

‘It’s his expansion plans. The Unwanted Girls are tied to the Forest. He’s been poisoning us so the Forest would be weakened, and now that it is, he’s going to cut it down. Eleanora made him the poison, but she didn’t know what he would use it for.’

It was a lot to throw at him, but she didn’t have time to ease him in.

Xander stumbled back, shocked. Seeing the grief caused by his uncle’s betrayal made her glad she had been wrong to suspect Eleanora—well, she was right to suspect Eleanora made the poison, but wrong about the rest of it.

‘I—Wha—How did you find out?’ he asked.

Her heart broke at the sadness on his face. ‘He just told me,’ she said. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘You’re—Bisma, I’m sorry,’ Xander said, stepping forward to hold her face in his warm hands. ‘I had no idea—I swear I didn’t. And my mother …’ He was upset. ‘How could she?’

‘I don’t blame her,’ Bisma said.

Hadn’t Bisma made poisons and given them to people, trusting they would use them for justice and good?

‘I know she would never do this if she knew what Uncle Fred was using the poison for, I know it,’ he said. ‘She adores you. But Uncle Fred …’ He paused, realizing something. ‘That’s why Uncle Fred was always asking me about the Unwanted Girls … Bisma, I’m sorry. I always answered his questions, I never realized he might be plotting something like this.’

His green eyes were wide with fear now.

‘Please forgive me,’ he said.

She reached up to take his hands in hers, squeezing them.

‘I forgive you, Xander,’ she said. ‘And I trust you.’

It was the truth. She did trust him, and she trusted herself, as well. Xander would not betray her; he had proven himself over and over. She had no reason to doubt him.

Her words seemed to make him melt and he released a long breath, pressing his forehead against hers.

‘Good,’ he said, his voice a whisper. ‘I was afraid …’ He paused, swallowing. ‘Well, I was afraid if I ever did anything wrong … that you wouldn’t want me anymore.’

‘I’m sorry if I’ve made you feel that way,’ she said, pulling back to look into his eyes so he could see she meant it. ‘That isn’t fair to you—you don’t have to be perfect all the time. We’ll both make mistakes and let one another down. I’m sure to be prickly and unruly, and you’re sure to be too trusting and too good, but as long as we’re in this together, we can do anything.’

‘We are in this together,’ he said. ‘Always. Forever.’

She wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him, and his arms tightened around her, holding her close.

He smiled down at her. ‘My little porcupine.’

She smacked his chest. ‘Don’t call me that!’

‘Fine, fine.’ His eyes glinted. ‘How about my feral kitten? Pumpkin? Honeybunch?’

He was trying to make her laugh now, and it worked.

‘We need to work on your terms of endearment,’ she said.

‘Anything you say, darling dearest,’ he said.

She smiled. ‘That’s better, beloved.’

His entire face lit up. It was the first time she had called him a term of endearment and would most certainly not be the last.

Hand in hand, they ran back to the Enchanted Forest.