Page 7 of Whispers of Wisteria (The Garden of Eternal Flowers #5)

I couldn’t get Brayden’s comment about my secret libraries—and his thievery—out of my head. It reminded me of the place that’d I’d once found and hadn’t returned to since.

I ended up in front of the nearly hidden bookcase before I could talk myself out of it.

I wasn’t sure if I wanted, or didn’t want, him to be there when I arrived. I still wasn’t entirely sure that a bookcase hadn’t fallen on my head and I hallucinated the whole thing.

But my hand still moved through the rippling air, and I didn’t stumble nearly as much when I passed through the veil.

He was already there—the man whose alias I couldn’t pronounce, because I was pretty sure that wasn’t his name—sitting near the fire with his legs crossed as he read the paper.

He looked up as I was catching my balance.

“You’ve returned,” he stated plainly. Or maybe he was surprised? It was difficult to tell.

“H-hello,” I greeted. But then I wasn’t sure what else to do. So I stood there, looking stupid, while he watched me before I finally broke the silence. “I—I wasn’t sure if I was going to come b-back,” I admitted.

“Still, you did,” he responded.

I shuffled my weight between my feet. “Am I bothering you?”

“No.”

“Oh, okay.” I wrung my hands. “Can—can I hide here for a while?”

“Hide?” He folded the paper and added, “If that’s what you need.”

I let out my breath—I hadn’t even realized I cared that much—and crossed the room, making sure to keep extra space between us, before I sat in the other chair.

Honestly, I shouldn’t be here. Finn would definitely lecture me if he knew—he was always so paranoid.

I mean, I was too. But the fae had a foolproof built-in security system.

“You—” I probably shouldn’t ask this, but they’d said fae couldn’t lie. And I needed to know. “You’re not going to murder me, are you?”

He’d been in the process of placing his paper on a side table, but froze at my words. “Is that a common concern for you?”

What kind of response was that? It was a perfectly rational question. One that he hadn’t answered.

I narrowed my eyes. “Well?”

“No,” he answered slowly. “And if anyone tried to harm you here, they’d be dead already. You’re safe.”

Well, that was good to know.

He sat forward. “Who are you hiding from?”

“No one,” I said. “I—I don’t even know… I guess, I’m frustrated.”

He lifted a brow.

“Brayden wants me to meet D-Declan,” I admitted. That tight feeling rose in my chest again, and I curled my fingers under my sweater. “But… I don’t think I can.”

“Why?”

My shoulders tensed. “I…”

I didn’t know why I was even telling him this. But he was easy to talk to despite his dark stares and snobby old man aesthetics. It was nice to have someone who didn’t care about my feelings.

“What if I meet him and it still doesn’t feel right? What if I’m not right?” I asked.

He pressed his lips together. “Explain.”

“You’re all fae—and I guess I am too,” I began, suddenly nervous. “But I—I don’t know what that means.”

He didn’t reply and my skin flushed. I couldn’t bring myself to look at him. But maybe if he understood—

“Kieran never said anything,” I explained.

“And…” My words trailed off as my thoughts fumbled for the language.

“When I m-met people at the next place, they—they were human… I thought. But I—I guess they were shifters. My adoptive parents never mentioned it either. I d-didn’t know this world existed. ”

I looked at the fireplace. “I—I just thought I was weird and could see ghosts. Now Brayden is helping me learn, and gives me books, and I’m trying.

But there are things I still don’t understand, like how to tell what people are, and controlling how to blink, that sort of thing.

I don’t think I feel things the way other fae do. ”

“I see,” he said finally, voice lower. “The problem lies with everyone else, not you. You weren’t ‘weird,’ you were unrooted.”

My breath hitched. “But, l-like, biologically, and physically, is it supposed to be different now?”

“You are fae, Bianca.” His blue eyes had grown darker, and his voice was steel. “Not because you were raised in it, but because it’s in your blood. That cannot be denied. Therefore, you know you are fae by your very existence.”

“Oh…” My skin grew warm. It was strange, but maybe I did feel a little more fae-ish now. “Thank you. I knew it was a good idea to talk to you.”

“Pardon?”

The reason I wanted to talk to him in the first place. He was old, so he’d had life experience. And he seemed educated, indicated by his very presence in this secret room. Plus…

“You’re the only fae I know who doesn’t expect something from me.”

He went still and his gaze sharpened. He didn’t speak for a full minute. Then he narrowed his eyes and said, “Is that what you believe?”

Oh…

I looked away, put my hands in my lap, and began to fidget with the hem of my skirt. “I…” My voice wavered. “I think so. I mean, everyone else… Like—like Brayden means well but he wants me to meet Declan. Bryce…”

Actually, before, I’d have said he wanted me to fit his version of what he thought I should be. But now….

“I’m actually not sure what he wants yet,” I admitted. “But there’s definitely something. So does everyone else. You, though—” I looked at him again. He was sitting back, watching me with a bored expression. “You don’t care about me.”

“Then why am I still here?”

I froze, then narrowed my eyes. This wasn’t good. I needed him to be unfeeling and heartless.

“Say something mean.”

“No,” he replied calmly.

Darn it. “Why not?”

“Because you want me to,” he said with a sneer.

“Well, I-I did what you wanted,” I pointed out. I pushed my toes against the floor and glared at the table. “So that’s not fair.”

“What did I want?” He seemed genuinely confused.

Didn’t he remember?

“You told me not to tell anyone about this place,” I told him, and he stopped tapping his finger on the arm of his chair. “And I didn’t. Not—not even Bryce!”

He frowned and the air seemed to grow heavier. “You obeyed?” he asked. He was leaning forward in his seat again, forearms to his knees and fingers laced.

I leaned back. Why was I in trouble?

“You—you asked!” My voice squeaked.

He was studying me in a way that made my fingers shake. What was he thinking?

“You have been conditioned,” he said finally, something in his voice putting me on edge.

“What do you m-mean?”

“You are a Dubois now,” he said. “You do not blindly follow the orders of strangers.”

My skin exploded with heat. “I know that!” I snapped. “I’m not an idiot! I had another reason too.”

“Which would be?” he asked, cocking his head.

Oh no.

The fire retreated and my heart began to race. What if he thought it was stupid?

“I—I wanted to maybe come b-back,” I admitted. “It’s nice here.”

He didn’t answer.

“S-sorry,” I said.

“Does anyone know where you are?” he asked, and when I didn’t reply, his already angry features turned harsh. “Do you still not have a chaperone?”

I tensed. “I don’t want one.”

“You need one,” he replied.

He was so wrong. “I said I don’t want one.”

He looked at me, and there was a presence moving through the room that made my skin crawl. Finally, it retreated, and he frowned, troubled.

“So that’s how it is,” he said, quieter. “But in the end, ‘want’ has nothing to do with need. Either way, this is not for you to decide.”

There was something in the way he spoke that made my stomach clench. I couldn’t meet his eyes any longer.

What was it about him that made me want to argue? He was so presumptuous when, really, he knew nothing about me.

“I—” I pushed to my feet and crossed my arms over my chest. Something was burning inside me, but I couldn’t let him see. “I’m going to go.”

I’d stepped back when he said, “You’re acting like a child throwing a tantrum when she doesn’t like the answer.”

My face heated, and I turned away, not even able to respond. Instead, I left as quickly as I could without making it seem like I was running away.

I was fuming as I made my way back to the children’s literature section. My books were still there, and now, so was Brayden.

I narrowed my eyes at my older brother as he smiled and waved. Yes, he would do nicely.

I’d show him ‘conditioned.’ It was so utterly offensive I couldn’t even find the words.

Brayden’s smile slipped slightly, and he lowered his hand as I stomped the rest of the way to him.

“Bianca?” he asked as I arrived. “What’s—”

“I’ve been meeting with a very rude old man,” I told him. I gestured behind me. “In a secret room over there.”

He blinked. “Secret room, huh?”

“Yes!” I tattled. “And today he told me I’d been ‘conditioned.’ Like an animal!”

Brayden sighed.

But I wasn’t done.

I began to pace, my vision still red. “Then he told me I needed a chaperone! Can you believe it?”

“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.