Page 6 of Venomous Lies (Greywood Conservatory for the Arcane #2)

It had been days since I’d seen Julian, and the distance between us made the knots in my stomach twist ever tighter .

Anxiety, excitement… My mind was a complicated mix of emotions.

Actively avoiding him had become my default after Isla and I unexpectedly mated a week ago. I’d only go to the library when he wasn’t working, and even then, I wouldn’t stay long.

There was no telling how he would react to the news that I was bonded to Isla.

How that would affect our arrangement, I had no idea, and that was also something I had to tell Isla about sooner rather than later.

Ideally, that discussion would happen before I ran into Hellsing, but so far our lives had been too hectic to see each other outside of class.

Even if we found the time, bringing up the topic was easier said than done, especially since I wasn’t sure of my own feelings about my mating with the witch—or my ties with Julian if I were being honest with myself.

Isla had drawn me to her since the night I saw her wielding a baseball bat in her garden. Never flinching or showing fear when faced with my bone fae form, she was a breath of fresh air.

I’d never been sought out or needed, much less wanted , by someone before, and a mate bond included all of those things.

But change wasn’t easy.

Acceptance wasn’t either.

A mate bond didn’t guarantee love no matter what myths delusional people told about it.

Lust and attraction were already there between us, but that was all.

Could love come to exist in time? I still had to share all my baggage with her, and who knew what she would think once she started unpacking that bullshit.

“Bricriu. I was beginning to wonder if you had died without me being aware.” The familiar clipped voice brought my racing thoughts to a screeching halt.

Forcing myself to appear unfazed, I remained seated beneath the large pine tree, refusing to look in the vampire’s direction.

Slowly, I was surrounded by the faint smell of leather and paper that always lingered around him.

I had no idea how much of that was his natural scent and what could be attributed to the time he spent in the old library.

At least it’s not Ambrose. I doubted he would react with words once he found out about the bond.

“I’m a student. I’ve been busy.”

“Helping Miss Hallowes catch up as well, I’m sure?” He clicked his tongue as I nodded silently, then his clothes rustled as he moved around. Out of the corner of my eye, I could make out him sitting down on the top of the half wall by my tree.

We sat in silence, the weight of his gaze trained on me even though mine remained on the dining hall, watching blurs of color enter and exit as dinner time approached.

The hum of chattering students and the breeze rattling the stubborn leaves that still hung on the trees were the only noises between us.

“Is there something wrong, Bricriu? Some kind of offense that I have committed to make you avoid me so thoroughly this past week.”

“I’ve been busy,” I repeated, keeping my voice bland.

“I don’t buy that petty excuse,” he replied too softly.

“Well—” I started.

“We have an agreement ,” he cut in, his voice hard as steel.

“You recently?—”

“I’m still talking.” The ice in his voice made me snap my mouth shut. “We have a deal, and I expect you to uphold your side of the bargain. If not, I’ll find someone else, but avoiding me like a child will not be tolerated.”

“Feed on me then,” I growled, inexplicable anger making me lash out. “Or would feeding on me out in the open make you lose some of your control?”

There was a beat of heavy silence as he considered me.

“I’ll overlook your tantrum just this once. One day, I’ll do just what you asked, and it will be burned into your very soul. For now, our usual room will work just fine. Tonight.”

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to stay calm. “I can’t tonight.”

“Give me one good reason, one , and I’ll consider it.”

“I need to tell my mate about my being your blood source before we continue.”

I didn’t hear him breathe after that. Hell, I couldn’t even detect the slow beating of his heart, though maybe that had more to do with the increasing rate of mine. The anxiety buzzing through my veins was making me feel lightheaded.

“Mate?” His voice sounded so calm that the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.

“Yes.”

I finally glanced over in his direction, finding myself surprised by how close he had come to me.

I could clearly see the shock in his dark brown eyes and the paleness of his skin.

The scar across his face stood out starkly, and his pinched expression made me realize just how much he did need to feed.

“Who?” he growled.

My mouth opened and closed soundlessly. As I tried to find the words to explain, understanding flickered across Julian’s face. He leaned back, effectively cutting me off from being able to read him .

“It’s Isla Hallowes, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” I rasped, roughly clearing my throat. A hint of cold amusement came from the blurry vampire beside me. Part of me wondered how he’d guessed Isla, but I knew he wouldn’t explain.

“Bring her with you. Tonight.”

“What—?”

“That wasn’t a request, Bricriu.”

The crunch of leaves signaled his exit. I was left alone with my mind in even more of a tangle than before.

Apparently, I was talking to Isla tonight whether I was ready or not because I knew what would happen if I didn’t listen to Julian. Since the beginning of our arrangement, I’d only ever disobeyed his directions once, and that one time was enough.