Page 26 of Venomous Lies (Greywood Conservatory for the Arcane #2)

Isla

FRIDAY

N o, no, no.

No.

This couldn’t be happening.

I tried like hell to pull away as Cassius tried to put up a barrier between us, but it was useless. Magick ripped through both of us and into the vampire then back again.

Bonding, mating, binding us together.

I didn’t realize just how cruel fate could be.

And even through all of this, I still couldn't see.

Darkness was my new world, and I hated it.

The aches in my body made it impossible for me to get up even when Hellsing finally pulled away, whispering Cas’ name.

Before I could figure out a response, the door to the room opened and I heard Demir call out to me. Just another question among the many I had at the moment.

“Bats, how you feeling?”

“Like shit,” I managed with a groan, desperately hoping to focus on something other than what had just occurred. “I feel like I got run over.”

“You look like it too,” Demir deadpanned followed by a grunt. “Wait, is that?—?”

“Z, you’re here!” I laughed, but the sound quickly turned into a pained cough.

No one but Zhara would have hit Demir. It made me like her even more than I already did.

“Still can’t see?” Hellsing asked, concern in his voice, as his fingers ghosted across my face. Despite the concern present, I could almost hear the professional coolness in his tone. Glad he could gather himself together faster than I could.

‘A horrible habit of his, beastie,’ Cas informed me roughly. I could feel his pain and shakiness in my mind.

‘Cas—’

‘Later. Right now, let’s get through this.’

‘One day, I’m going to ban later from your vocabulary.’

He gave a rough laugh that made me smile—or at least try to. A pained hiss slipped past my lips instead.

“Isla?”

“No,” I answered as I groaned at pain and soreness radiating throughout me. “My whole body hurts. Wait, am I on the floor?”

“It’s the only place you would settle,” Zhara answered with a snort. “Wait a second… your eyes!”

Hellsing slowly moved away from me, letting someone else get close to check me out.

Familiar iciness brushed along my skin, and I immediately leaned into Bones, humming softly as I settled into the comfort his presence brought me. Long fingers felt along my body as he quietly rumbled, likely reacting to the bruises he was inspecting. Gently, he nudged my chin upward.

“You look like someone tried to scratch your eyes out.”

“She was having some kind of nightmare and started doing that to herself,” Hellsing explained stiffly from farther away in the room. “I was holding her hands away from her face to keep the damage to a minimum.”

“Your eyes are two different colors,” Echo added from somewhere else in the room. There was an odd note in his voice that I couldn’t place without seeing the expression that accompanied it.

Was that a dream earlier? Him and Cassius in my mind.

The odd note in his voice made me think it wasn’t made up, but where the hell did that put things?

Wait… Did he say my eyes are two different colors?

“They’re what?!”

I reached up and hissed. My face stung with the contact, likely caused by where I’d presumably scratched up my own face.

“Look, I know a lot has happened in a very short amount of time,” Hellsing started, his voice firm and controlled, “but before we get into all these new developments, we need you to tell us what happened in the dorm during your attack. Every little detail.”

Cas popped into my head again, his voice rough. ‘Like I said before, same old Julian. Always sticking to the facts and business when things get complicated.’

‘Cas, I didn’t ? —’

‘I know, beastie. I think I can confidently say none of the three of us expected what just happened.’

‘Do you know what they’re talking about with my eyes?’ I asked after a beat of heavy silence.

‘You have… One of your eyes is the same color as mine,’ he finally answered, stumbling over the words. ‘The other is your usual hazel.’

‘Well, he is mated to you, Cas. Maybe it was just ? —’

‘You have a new mark on your arm. ’

A small detail I really could have gone without him pointing out.

“Miss Hallowes?”

“I think,” I said, my voice sounding odd and far away, “you’re not the only one with questions. I want answers of my own, like why the hell my brother is here and why the fuck I’m talking to any of you and not the head of the conservatory. What is going on?”

Ambrose’s smooth voice joined the conversation next. “Lots of things, witchling.” A hint of sweetness, tinged with smoke, signaled him getting closer. “But we’re definitely your best bet in this case, a scary thought I’m sure.”

“Why should I trust any of you?”

“Trust is such a strong word,” Ambrose crooned.

“You’re not helping,” Demir complained, and someone else sighed.

“You know them, Demir? How?”

“Bats, this isn’t?—”

“This is exactly the time!” Panic rose inside of me, the anxiety making my heart pound loudly in my ears.

Bones tried to comfort me, but I pushed away from him, needing space. Thankfully, he let me go, though I didn’t try to go far.

I just needed to know I had some control, that I could stand on my own two feet. A very painful prospect, but I needed to do it.

Every bone and joint in my body ached as I forced myself to stand up. The constant level of pain made my eyes well with tears that I refused to let fall.

It must have been Falke’s turn to step in and try to reason with me since he spoke next. “We can’t help you if you don’t tell us what happened. ”

But I didn’t want to be reasoned with. Why are everyone else’s questions more important than mine?

“Just how are you going to help me?” I sneered, lashing out as my pain kept rising. “I can’t fucking see! My entire body hurts, and now I’ve apparently tried to scratch my own eyes out. How are a centaur, a fae, and a vampire going to help me with any of that?”

“Miss Hallowes?—”

“Bats, trust us.”

I scoffed disdainfully as my head started throbbing. “Oh, I’m sorry. A kelpie too. So much more potential with you added into the mix, Demir. How much more are you lying about?”

“Lying?!”

“Let’s give her some time,” Bones cut in, and the air around me chilled fast enough that I shivered. Despite everyone quieting down, the pain in my head continued to escalate. “The more you agitate her, the more my control slips. And you definitely don’t want that to happen.”

Bones’ hand gently touched my arm, but I flinched away from him, the pain now bad enough that I doubled over in pain.

I had to get away from here. Somehow, I had to be anywhere but here.

Every part of my body felt like I’d been flayed, and muscles I didn’t even know that I had, ached. The pain had invaded every inch of my body, sinking so deeply that my bones resonated with it.

Even without my vision, some of the people around me didn’t feel right.

I couldn’t make sense of it, and my panic reached a fever pitch. My breathing was too fast, and my hands shook as I started to feel lightheaded .

I couldn’t do this.

‘Beastie. Breathe.’

Flashes of the forest I’d dreamed of filled my mind along with whatever had been stalking me.

Nothing here is right.

Nothing is safe.

There is no safety in the open space.

I need to hide.

“I— I have to go.”

“Isla!” Demir called out, but I wasn’t there anymore.

I was there, yet not, as I felt my body become weightless.

Safety.

I needed to be somewhere safe.

After my attack, my room didn’t have that association anymore.

Fresh rain and cool air rushed past as I felt my being starting to unravel.

‘A place, beastie. Think of a place!’ Cas commanded, forcing my racing mind to focus.

I knew exactly where I wanted to go.

I gasped loudly as my body suddenly solidified. My knees slammed onto familiar stones hard enough that I cried out at the impact.

What the fuck was that?!

‘Beastie!’ Cas’ voice was full of urgency, but when I looked up to see him, I was still stuck in unending darkness. ‘Are you okay?’

‘I have no idea what happened or how I got here,’ I said wryly, groaning as I slumped onto the ground. ‘So I’m going to say no. Please tell me this is my greenhouse.’

‘It is,’ Cassius answered with a relieved sigh.

The rich smell of earth and soil filled my senses, urging me to relax. Exhaustion pulled at my limbs, making it impossible to get up. Fully lying on the ground, I closed my eyes and focused on taking deep breaths.

Nearby plants hummed in my mind, my awareness of them like a buzzing sensation. Roots beneath the soil branched out in my direction as if seeking to cradle me, to reassure me that I was safe in their domain.

‘Isla?!’

‘I’m just tired,’ I told him, my voice quiet. I whimpered as I attempted to get comfortable. Small tendrils of what felt like roots slowly snaked up my legs. ‘I came here to learn things, to become better at magick, and now… Now, it’s just a fucked up mess. Echo, Bones, Hellsing…’

‘You have mates,’ he replied softly, attempting to comfort me. ‘Most witches would be thrilled about that.’

‘I don’t want mates!’ I yelled, guilt hitting as my true feelings came out for the first time. The plants’ movements slowed as I lashed out. I opened my useless eyes to glare at him, but with my luck, I was fucking glaring at an empty pot. ‘I never asked for any of this.’

‘Having a mate is never an easy thing.’ Cas’ voice was gentle and full of so much pain.

‘Right now, I’d at least like to be able to see,’ I muttered against the cool stone underneath me. The plants weren’t moving anymore, but the ones on my legs didn’t try to move off of me. I wanted to reassure them that I wouldn’t lose control, but honestly, I wasn’t sure if that was true or not.

‘The man that healed you wasn’t in the room with the others. He could possibly help more now.’

‘The herbology professor… Maybe. I’m so tired, Cas.’

‘Rest, beastie. We will watch over you.’

‘We?’ I whispered confusedly .

“If you both are always this talkative, no wonder you space out.” Echo’s voice broke the silence outside of Cas and me. Careful footsteps approached, but he didn't get close. “Rest. I’ll be here when you wake up, then we’re going to talk.”

How was he here? I wanted to ask, but I was too exhausted. Emotionally, physically, magickally… I needed to rest before I tried confronting anyone.

But I still had to ask, needing to know just what it was we were going to talk about.

“About the dream?”

“About everything.”