Page 4 of Venomous Lies (Greywood Conservatory for the Arcane #2)

“And you’re just going to ‘beam me up, Scotty’ to get us there?”

Wells burst out laughing. After a few minutes, he managed to get himself together enough to reply. “It’s magick, yes. Trust me?”

The funny thing was… I did. We’d only been friends a few weeks, but there was something about Wells that exuded trustworthiness.

“Okay.”

I slipped my hand into his, and a second later, I was hit with the sense of déjà vu.

The world around us was blurry, so I kept my gaze on Wells, who stayed focused on me. It was just like how I’d arrived at Greywood with Bones and equally as disorienting.

Our feet hit the ground, and he immediately grabbed my waist, keeping me upright. I swore, if people kept traveling like this, I was going to have to make a potion or something for the nausea.

Note to self: look that up or ask Cassius when he comes out of hiding .

“You feeling okay? I know it can be a disconcerting way to travel if you’re not used to it. At least the shop isn’t far from here.”

I nodded a few times while I got my stomach under control. Once my body settled, I thanked him for keeping me steady. He let go and stepped back, the sheen of sweat on his brow and pale complexion the only hints as to how the magick had taxed his body.

Wells wasted no time leading the way through a forest that was similar to the one we had just left.

The cooler fall weather had settled into the area, lulling the plants into their seasonal slumber.

Leaves covered the ground. The hint of salt grew stronger as we kept walking, and a new sound registered among the others, calling me forward.

Picking up my pace, I walked past Wells, speeding up until I was almost running through the forest. Finally, the trees came to an abrupt end. There was a small dirt road, and right beyond it was a sight that took my breath away.

There was a big rock cliff that stretched as far as I could see and a small sandy beach down below. Waves crashed into the huge rocks that jutted up from the ocean, and the loud calls of some animal filled the air. My body jolted, startled by the unfamiliar noise. What was that?

“Sea lions,” Wells said from behind me, his voice startling me enough that I jolted. “At least, I think they’re sea lions. Don’t quote me on that.”

“It’s beautiful,” I whispered, completely in awe of the sight before me.

More than a little bit of me was jealous that he could easily magick himself here to get away. Even if we never got to the shop, this view was worth the trip.

I’d only ever seen the ocean twice before, and that was while the water was much calmer. Here, it was almost as if the water were slamming its fist against the land, demanding its attention.

“The shop is right down there.”

I glanced over, my eyes following my friend’s pointed finger.

There was a small house along the top of the cliff with a sign right beside it.

The building was just far enough away that I couldn’t read it, but the fact that I’d still be able to see the waves from the shop’s windows made me begrudgingly start heading that way.

“Next time, can we sit on the beach?” I asked, keeping my focus on the water below. I trusted Wells to lead me safely to the shop.

“We can bring some stuff and just spend the day down there,” Wells agreed. “Though, there’s no way I’m getting in the water. It’s frigid.”

I snorted, amused by his warning glare. I tried to play innocent, hoping my dream of pushing him in wasn’t written too clearly on my face.

The chill in the air made me all too aware of how much colder the ocean would probably be, too.

Like me, Wells had siblings, which was probably why he’d read my mind.

I would totally push one of my brothers into the water.

If things ever settled between Echo and me, maybe we could all come together. That was an optimistic thought, but I couldn’t let myself believe this stalemate with Echo would go on forever.

Would Bones come if I asked? Would my friends be okay with him joining us?

Wells and Aizel were the only ones that knew I had bonded with him—unless Aizel told Zhara, but I wasn’t sure. It was all such a fucking mess, and I didn’t want to force her into the tension-filled situation.

My life was just chaos.

“Here we are!” Wells announced proudly.

I blinked a few times before my lips parted in shock.

The Singing Bones.

Familiar hollow clanking filled the air, and my eyes darted around, marveling at the bone wind chimes along the porch.

The door to the house was propped open, letting a hint of incense smoke drift out. The musky scent was welcoming despite the shiver that ran down my spine.

Wells gestured for me to follow him, though I moved slowly, trying to take in everything around me.

The shop was cozy, with just enough items on display to feel full but not completely overwhelming.

Warm-looking blankets, each imbued with quietly humming runes, were displayed by one of the front windows.

Further in, a fire crackled, the flames hugging the stereotypical black cauldron that was nestled in the stone fireplace.

A deep breath brought me hints of pine, cranberries, and cinnamon.

I loved it.

“Hello, dearies,” a warm voice greeted us. “Oh, witch, it’s you. I was wondering when you’d be by again. And you brought someone else along this time.”

I glanced around and found a woman standing nearby.

She had long dark auburn hair and green eyes that studied me shrewdly before switching to my friend beside me.

She was gorgeous in a threatening kind of way.

Her high cheekbones were sharp, and her slightly tan skin was flawless.

She was wearing a flowy, dove gray dress that fit her perfectly, softening the strength that her inhuman body undoubtedly contained.

This woman was dangerous; I could feel it.

She felt… oddly familiar. Strange .

“This is a friend of mine,” Wells answered with a nod in greeting. “Your shop is right up her alley.”

“Look around safely, children,” she said, a hint of steel in her voice. “There are things in here that bite back, after all.”

‘Don’t you dare, beastie,’ Cassius warned as I fought to keep the jokes that immediately popped into my mind to myself.

‘Ah, so you do have some restraint,’ he observed wryly when I didn’t say anything to the shop owner.

‘What the fuck have you been doing?’ I grumbled as I turned to look around at the items near me. ‘You’ve been silent for days.’

‘I think there’s a more important question. Why are you in this shop, beastie?’

‘You can’t just ignore my questions forever,’ I complained, pointedly not answering his.

‘Beastie… You are standing in the presence of Maude, the most renowned fae healer who was cast out of not one, but both fae courts. How did you get there?’

Well, that explained the familiarity, at least somewhat. Cassius must know her.

‘You know her name… How?’

Cassius had always confused me. I knew he was something other , a spirit of some sort that lived in my mind, but that was the extent of my knowledge. Cassius was never too keen on letting me into his thoughts even though he easily burst into mine on a daily basis.

He remained a being of mystery, always leaving me with more questions than answers. If he had always been in my head, how could he know things that I didn’t? Whenever I tried to ask what he was, Cassius side-stepped, deflecting until the questions were forgotten.

I was tired of people running away instead of talking to me.

‘That’s not ? —’

‘Important?’ I asked, hating the way my voice broke. Unfortunately, with all the recent strain, I wasn’t up to the challenge of keeping my emotions locked away from him. ‘Why is it that the questions I want answers to are somehow unimportant?’

“Keep your talking to a minimum, little witch. If you’re going to argue, take it outside.”