Page 23 of Whispers of Wisteria

“I believe it,” Brayden replied carefully. “That’s… definitely something someone might say.”

“He said it like he had the right!” I continued pacing. “Like he knew what I was like.”

“Maybe he does.”

I stopped and looked at him. He had his hands behind his back, and his posture was loose. Plus, he wouldn’t meet my eyes.

He was hiding something.

“You know who he is, don’t you?”

“All the fae on campus know who he is,” Brayden answered, still vague.

Excellent! This knowledge would give me a strategic advantage for our next conversation.

“Tell me!” I demanded. But then—

“Wait.” I pressed my hand over Brayden’s mouth before he could speak.

What if knowing ruined it? Despite our moral disagreement, I quite liked him. His blunt disregard for empathy and his cold logic were both refreshing and necessary.

In fact, his soulless approach was precisely what I required in my personal sage. There would be plenty of time for formal introductions once I was officially prepared to bring about law and order to the fae. I would recruit him—he wouldn’t be able to ignore my summons.

Yes, it would be more exciting to maintain the mystery.

“Don’t tell me,” I told Brayden. “Not yet.”

“What’s the point of waiting?” Brayden asked after I removed my hand.

Couldn’t he see the vision? “It makes his words sound wiser.”

“He just told you that you needed a chaperone.”

“Exactly!” I replied. “So now I can prove I don’t.”

Brayden watched me, then rubbed the back of his neck. “Fine, I won’t tell you who he is. But…” He seemed hesitant, then swallowed. “About the chaperones. Why not?”

His traitorous words caused a coldness to settle in my heart. I stepped back. “What?”

“I’m just saying, theoretically,” Brayden said, waving his hands. “Would having a chaperone really be that bad?”

I might never recover. “You—you’d make me have one?” I asked, touching my lips.

“That isn’t my decision to make,” Brayden cajoled. “But also… maybe you’d feel safer. They’re not there to run your life.”

“No.”

Brayden’s shoulders dropped, and my stomach sank.

“I used to be against it because I thought they’d boss me around,” I admitted. “But I know what chaperones do now.”

This was, in part, thanks to my sage. His bluntness had sparked my interest in learning more about this topic.

The sections on blood oaths, ritual sacrifice, chivalry, and the eternal bonds of friendship had been particularly fascinating.

“I don’t necessarily disagree with theconcept,” I explained. I twisted my hands together. “Plus, I’m pretty sure everyone watches me anyway. So that part… I can live with, even though I don’t like it.”

I was rambling, but I needed him to understand.