Page 28 of Venomous Lies (Greywood Conservatory for the Arcane #2)

Echo

SATURDAY

I sla slept fitfully on the ground, and despite myself, I let her stay there instead of transferring her to the bed.

After what had happened between us, I didn’t think she’d trust me to take her there, and with what I’d done hanging over me… I didn’t even have the right to touch her.

Hell, I didn’t know if I trusted myself to take her there.

The incubus in me didn’t like to take no for an answer, and as soon as I began to spiral, it took over.

Excuses.

That was all it was, but it was my life.

Of course, it had always been my reality. My dark side was always right under the surface, ready to come out and play at a moment's notice.

Apparently, I wasn’t the only one with secrets lurking beneath the surface.

Cassius and Isla.

What the fuck was that arrangement?

At first, I had thought the dream was all my imagination. I mean, it was crazy to think that Isla had some dude living in her head.

But, apparently, Isla was crazy because that was exactly the situation.

Maybe.

I thought.

Definitely something I planned on clarifying once we could talk. Not to mention all the things we needed to discuss anyway.

Another top priority question—how the fuck did she bring me here and why?

Make that two questions.

Or a million.

“Echo?”

I jolted at her husky voice, and when I looked over my shoulder, I found her staring right at me with those mismatched eyes. One hazel and one amber, they watched me closely as she carefully pushed herself up off the cool stone pavers she had slept on.

Wait… She was staring right at me?

“Can you see?” I asked, not moving. I had made myself comfortable a few feet away from her, careful not to touch any of the plants.

“I… Yes,” she struggled to reply, groaning as she stretched her body. “I shouldn’t have slept on the ground.”

“I thought about moving you, but I wasn’t sure…” I waved a hand before letting it fall uselessly on my lap.

“Let me freshen up.” She got up and started walking away with a slight limp. “Give me a minute, then I’m holding you to the promise that we’d be talking.”

Thankfully, she didn’t leave me alone with my thoughts for too long, rejoining me after just a few minutes. She sat back down about where she had been sleeping, her black hair falling into her face. Unfortunately, it provided no break from her gaze, which was still steadily trained on me.

“You flinched away from me when we tried to start sorting through things at self-defense class,” she began. Leave it to her to go right for the throat.

“I don’t— I don’t have the best track record with the women in my life,” I replied gruffly, my throat tightening as I pushed away memories better left alone.

“Incubi are viewed as less than among my kind—useless, really. To her eternal shame, my mother had two sons, and I paid the price for that shame every day of my life.”

I rubbed the back of my neck as my gaze traveled around the greenhouse, not ready to see Isla’s expression.

The story was a long way from over anyway, not that I’d tell her everything . Some things I’d take with me to my grave and beyond.

But she’d earned the right for something.

“So yelling or shouting by a woman, specifically, can?—”

“Make you afraid?” she finished for me as I choked up. I nodded instead of speaking, and she let out a long, shaky exhale.

The silence between us was heavy, and it almost felt like the greenhouse itself was listening in on our conversation.

“My mom isn’t really someone I like to talk about,” I explained, finally forcing myself to meet Isla’s gaze.

Hazel and amber eyes stared at me intently, and although there was no pity to be seen, I could feel strong emotions simmering just under the surface.

“But I owe you an apology for how I was after the rut… I fucked up.”

“You did.” She nodded before a crooked smile curled her lips. “To be fair, I think in the end, we both fucked up. But I tried to explain things and?—”

“My incubus side took over,” I told her ruefully. Remembering Aizel and Zhara’s current fight, I knew that I couldn’t run or hide from what I’d done this time. If there was to be anything between Isla and me, then I had to tell her everything.

Even though it turned my stomach to think about it.

“And since we’re clearing the air, there’s more I need to tell you.”

“Okay…” Isla replied. The end of the word dragged, her brow scrunching up as if she was trying to figure out what I was going to say.

“Before the rut happened and everything…” I swallowed hard, “The times Aizel and I would go away, we’d leave to feed.”

“That makes sense, Echo.” She studied my worried face, seemingly puzzled by what I was trying to prepare her for. “You’re an incubus, and you need to feed.”

“But after the rut,” I continued, forcing myself to get this out, “I fed on people, here at school, needing to just… feel.”

“You—” Her face paled.

“I think it was about three different women,” I told her, bracing my body for impact or yelling.

Instead, Isla stilled, her soft breathing the only reason I could tell she was alive.

“They didn’t make it through the experience, but at that point…

I didn’t care. Every part of me wanted to forget you, to let anyone else take over, yet instead… Instead, there wasn’t anyone but you.”

Isla remained silent, eyes careful as she stayed still. I didn’t know how to handle this kind of reaction from a woman. Honestly, I was getting very close to the rambling territory.

“All the things I remember haunt me. It fucking gutted me to avoid your question and just leave you with the fall-out of my stupidity. My fault for brushing you off, but that’s not something I could face… Then, when you came back, you had a mate… I snapped.”

Isla licked her lips and slowly stood up. Despite my best efforts, my body tensed. Would she finally lash out with her voice or her fists? I wouldn’t even blame her if she did.

But she didn’t do any of that.

She stepped back a few steps from me. Whether she needed that distance from me because she was disgusted or pissed, I couldn’t tell.

“Witches have multiple mates, Echo,” she explained after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence. “Which I was trying to tell you after you asked me out on the date.”

“Wells explained that a few days ago,” I started, but I snapped my mouth shut when she held up a hand to silence me.

“And fated mates, at least for witches, aren’t something we can predict or control. Something I’m sure Wells also mentioned.” Her voice turned bitter at that. “I can deal with you having fed on people, even the ones after the rut… We weren’t together.”

“But?” I asked, knowing in my bones that there was more. There was always more when it came to bad things.

“You turning away and refusing to listen to me…” She took a deep breath. “It made me start to doubt myself and who I was. Your actions made me feel smaller, less, when all I wanted was a conversation. But instead of me, you had to hear it from someone else.”

My mouth dried, guilt twisting my gut .

“When I was growing up, plenty of people made me feel like I was a freak or that I needed to be less. That’s not something I’ll ever endure again.

” Her tone was fierce even though her volume stayed even.

“I’m me. Twisted magick and dark hobbies, along with a warped sense of justice if Allison is any indication. I refuse to make myself small again.”

“I wouldn’t want you to,” I interjected as I stood up, careful not to come too close to her—partially because I wasn’t sure I could handle it, and secondly, it didn’t seem like Isla would welcome it.

My heart was pounding in my chest. Would she be able to forgive me? Had I done enough damage that it was too late?

“But your actions did make me feel that way,” she replied bluntly.

My stomach dropped, blood rushing from my head at the hardened expression on her face.

“But…” She slowly stepped toward me, just a hint of friendliness softening her face. Reaching out a hand, her fingertips touched my arm. “I can see that it’s not a straightforward thing, what caused you to act like you did.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered brokenly.

“Let’s be friends again, Echo,” she said softly, her fingertips sliding down until she laced her fingers through mine. “Work on building that up and see what follows? I don’t want to be just friends with you either.”

My gaze snapped up, staring at her incredulously. I was shocked that she felt the same way as me.

“But maybe we need to prove some things to each other before we’re actually ready for more.”

Isla squeezed my hand softly, and, moving slowly, afraid this was some type of dream, I squeezed her hand back. Her mismatched eyes stared up at me as a small smile curled her lips then mine.

“I can agree to that.” I cleared my throat roughly and tried to move the conversation along, though I didn’t drop my hold on her hand. “So, as a friend , can I ask about this Cassius person and what the fuck is going on?”

“Cas is… complicated.”

Exactly what she had said in that dream.

‘Well, you’re not wrong there, beastie.’

“And why is it that I can hear him talk now?”

“You can do what ?” They asked at the same time. Slowly, an image of the man started to form on one of the glass panes.

“And see him too.”

CASSIUS

“I saw him at the greenhouse when the magick overtook you,” Echo said, his gaze moving to stare right at me as I finished materializing. “And now.”

My eyes immediately swept him from head to toe, trying to figure out why and how he could do any of these things. In all of our years together, no one besides Isla could see or hear me.

What was different about this incubus that he could do what no one else had been able to do?

‘But now you can hear me too?’ I asked to clarify, and he nodded as he scratched his head with his free hand.

“It feels… itchy when you talk, though.”

‘Itchy?’ I asked, confused. I could tell that Isla felt the same way .

“Maybe it has to do with the magick of the greenhouse?” Isla speculated. “But Wells and Bones never mentioned being able to sense Cas.”

“How did this all happen?” He waved his hand in the open air.

Isla started to explain after a long pause. “Cas has always been there.” She bit her lip, glancing from me to the incubus. “We haven’t always been on the best terms, but we work together now. Or at least we don’t work against each other.”

A rueful smile and a small laugh escaped us both, making Echo look between us quickly, trying to get a read on what was going on.

It was so odd having someone else to interact with. Definitely something to investigate.

“And it seems like Mr. Hellsing knows Cassius as well?”

I winced at that, and Isla let out a long, exhausted sigh.

“Are my eyes still mismatched?” she asked, not answering Echo’s inquiry just yet.

“Yes,” Echo replied.

“Well, if you peeking through the kiss didn’t tell him, then my eyes definitely cemented it. We won’t be able to avoid that discussion.”

‘No. Not at all. He isn’t the type to let things just slide under the rug.’

“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.”