Page 25 of Shadowed Fate

"You don't know anything about me," she hisses, her fiery intensity at odds with her delicately pale skin and eyes.

"I know enough," I snap back. The corridor seems to pulse around us, feeding off our mutual animosity. "Now, are we going to stand here all night, or can I get on with my babysitting duty?"

Brigid's jaw clenches. "I can get back to my room on my own. Now fuck off and leave me the hell alone."

"Suit yourself," I say. Let her find her own way back. Something tells me she's more than capable of handling whatever Grimstone throws at her. And if not— then that’s one less problem around.

Chapter 12

Callen

The twisted metal gate creaks as I push it open, my eyes scanning the poison garden's sinister beauty. Vibrant flowers in unnatural hues sway gently, their petals dripping with toxins. Through the maze of deadly flora, a familiar figure wanders by - Brigid, looking utterly lost.

Damn it, Lochan. You had one job.

I watch her for a moment, appreciating the way her the neckline of her t-shirt reveals the swell of her breasts as she bends over to peer at a blood-red bloom.

My body responds instantly to the sight of her exposed skin. Adjusting myself discreetly, I approach.

This could be fun.

"Careful there," I call out, my voice smooth. "That pretty flower will melt your skin right off."

Brigid whirls around, gray eyes wide. I flash her my most disarming smile.

"My apologies for leaving you with Lochan earlier. Leaving a boy to do a man's job was ill-advised."

The jab at my oldest friend comes out teasingly, but there's an edge to it. Lochan should have known better than to let her wander off alone.

Surviving Grimstone is hard enough for those of us who were born into magic, let alone someone who literally just found out about the supernatural world yesterday. She’s like a newborn babe when it comes to all of this

Brigid's guarded expression doesn't waver, but a slight flush creeps up her neck. "I can take care of myself," she says coolly.

“No doubt.” I glance at the deadly plants in front of her as I move closer, blocking her from getting any nearer to them. Any one of them could end her life with a simple touch of a petal.

My gaze rakes over her body, lingering on the curves hidden beneath her baggy clothes. Such a shame to keep all that beauty concealed. I imagine peeling away each layer, revealing soft skin inch by tantalizing inch...

I force my eyes up to her face and my thoughts back to the present as Brigid speaks.

"Why did you leave earlier?" she asks, her tone wary. "You didn't wait for me."

I shrug, keeping my expression neutral. "I had something to do." She doesn’t push for more.

Brigid glances around the garden, taking in the thickly twisting vines and lush foliage. "Where are we exactly?"

"Ah, welcome to Grimstone's poison garden," I say with a theatrical sweep of my arm. "Everything here is as beautiful as it is deadly. Much like yourself, I'd wager."

Brigid rolls her eyes at the line, but I see the hint of a smile tugging at her lips.

"I didn't mean to end up here," she admits, frustration coloring her voice. "I was trying to get back to my room but went through the wrong door. This place is like a damn maze."

We start walking along the winding path, poisonous flora surrounding us on all sides. We stop for a moment, and I gesture to a particularly striking blood-red flower.

"Beautiful, isn't it? That's Bitter Bloodroot. A single drop and your throat swells shut within minutes."

"You seem to know an awful lot about deadly plants," Brigid remarks, her tone a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.

I flash her a grin. "I make it my business to know about beautiful, dangerous things."

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