Page 3 of Immortal Sins
The boredom on his cherub-like face irks my temper.
Sitting cross-legged on the twin bed, Lydia steals glances at the Fae like a leprechaun watches his golden cauldron. Jeremy remains glued to her side, and his fists betray a hint of fur.
Five unlikely, reluctant allies, brought together more by circumstances than loyalty. The heavy metal posters glued to the wall make the small room seem even more crowded.
Dread fills my chest. “I asked you all to come here today because we’re the only ones in the realm who believe that Cole isn’t a murderer.”
Flynn raises a brow. “Team Cole? Really? How uninspired.”
Brie flashes a hint of teeth. “She’s a proud girlfriend.”
“Cole’s army works better,” Flynn cracks.
Brie buttons up her black jacket. “Listen, I did my part when I smuggled Cole out of the realm.”
“Better yet, Flynn’s harem—and the weird, antisocial murderous werewolf.”
Jeremy growls. “Don’t test me, Fae.”
Flynn skips closer to him. “Oh, watch out, the big bad wolf who lives in a shoebox has anger issues.”
Hand braced on my forehead, I zone out the boy’s obnoxious chatter and speak directly to Brie, “You don’t know the whole story.”
“I don’t need to know anything. Cole is safe. I’m out.” She reaches for the doorknob.
Flynn stretches his arms above his head. “Verinos and Company has a nice ring to it.”
“I’ll bite your head off,” Jeremy answers.
“Shut up, all of you!” Lydia shouts. “This isn’t a prank, a stupid dare, or an exam. Miss Eillis wasmurdered, and we might be next if we don’t figure out how to expose the real killer.”
This stops Brie cold and wipes the mocking grin off Flynn’s face.
Lydia tugs on her red braid. “Five doses. That’s all we have left from the antidote she brewed before she died.”
“We should each take one to make sure we haven’t been compromised,” Brie says.
Jeremy’s fists uncurl, and his yellow eyes fly to the ground. “We should try another one on Allie.”
Lydia bites down on her thumb. “One dose each will not get us far.”
“Winslow should keep them.” Flynn’s voice booms across the room, free of the earlier snark. “She’s the first one to testify in the trial. If Osbourne wants to seal Cole’s fate, he’ll start there.”
Brie wrinkles her nose. “Professor Oz? What does he have to do with it?”
“You said you weren’t interested,” Flynn says.
I grip the Fae’s elbow. “How doyouknow?” I had no intention of telling Brie or Flynn about Oz’s involvement, not today. I still can’t wrap my brain around the fact that my sister, Allie, is sleeping with him, let alone that she helped him murder Beth and framed Cole for it. Their plan was so masterfully executed,Ialmost fell for it. Allie must be under some type of evil influence—magical or otherwise. She’d do anything to earn her mother’s love, something that should have been given away freely but she always yearned for, so maybe Piper manipulated her somehow. Some pieces of the puzzle are still missing.
Flynn swats my hand away. “You’re not the only one with ties to Faerie.” His breezy, self-satisfied demeanor tugs at a loose thread inside me.
“You talked to Cole?” I ask. “When?”
Flynn brings a finger to his mouth. “It’s a secret.”
It’s been two weeks since I saw Cole in that grove on the equinox, and I haven’t managed to contact him since. We both agreed that he was better off in Faerie, but the distance stings all the same.
It’s not like I can FaceTime him, and letters are too dangerous, so I can’t wrap my head around how Flynn communicated with him.
