Page 67 of Beasts of Briar
Foolish, impulsive woman.
I stalked down the stairs, gaze roaming for any sign of her. I got to the bottom, and still I didn’t see her.
My pulse spiked. If she’d gone too close, done something stupid... I ran around the corner, but she wasn’t here.
“Hello?” a silky voice said. “I haven’t seen you in a long time.”
I didn’t answer, searching for Bellamy, but she was nowhere to be found. So what in the bloody hells were her friends talking about?
“You know, the least you could do is say hi.”
I turned again, sure that I was missing something, but Bellamy was not down here. Which meant... they lied. Why would they lie to me?
She said something again, but I ignored her, barely hearing her.
My feet didn’t touch the ground as I flew up the stairs, through the curtain and back up to where they all still stood on the fourth balcony.
“You lied,” I said as I landed in front of them.
“You’re going to kill us now, aren’t you?” Driscoll asked, his dark skin losing some of its color. He shot a glare at the woman—Leoni, Bellamy had called her. “I told you this was a stupid plan.”
“Plan?” Goji asked, crossing her arms. “A plan for what?”
Jerome let out a nervous chuckle while Wesley ran a hand over his blonde hair. “Maybe we should all sit in the parlor, have some tea and scones?—”
“What plan?” I asked, echoing Goji. I didn’t have time for this, but Bellamy was up to something. That must’ve been why she was avoiding me.
‘“It’s the stupid nettle weeds.” Driscoll threw up his hands, and Leoni swatted him in the arm. “What? He was going to kill us.”
“No he wasn’t,” Goji said drily. “What about the nettle weeds?”
“Did she finally decide to stop harvesting them?” Jerome shuddered. “Her hands are ghastly, so swollen she can barely sign with them.”
“She’s not stopping,” Leoni said. “She needs them.”
“Why?” I asked. Bellamy wouldn’t tell me, so maybe these companions would.
Leoni’s lips thinned and she pressed them together. My shadows reached out toward her, slithering along her arms.
“Wouldn’t you rather she tell you?” Leoni asked, a tremble to her voice as the shadows wrapped around her arms. “Do you really want to force us to tell you? Break her trust like that instead of earning it enough so that she’ll feel comfortable opening up to you?”
My shadows reeled back because damnit, she was right. I did want that. I didn’t know why I wanted it, but I just did.
“Tell me where she is,” I growled.
A commotion broke out outside the window. All of our heads snapped toward the noise, and I tilted my head.
Seven swans flew outside the windows, wings flapping erratically as they tapped on the glass with their beaks.
What in the fuck was going on?
“Oh, I just cleaned those.” Wesley rolled his eyes. “Do you know what a pain it is to get those windows sparkling?”
“Why are they here?” Leoni’s alarmed voice set me on edge.
“I don’t know, but it can’t be good,” Driscoll said, staring at the birds with wide eyes.
“What?” I asked. “What are you talking about? Someone speak plainly for fuck’s sake.”
